Large mirrors, clear lines, natural-light filled spaces, shimmering displays and a reduced palette of translucent and opalescent materials: Belgian fashion eyewear and watch company Komono opened last month its new flagship store in Antwerp, the latest in a series of shops in major cities including Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid and Tokyo.

Located at Kammenstraat 46, in the center of the Belgian port city, the store has a retail area of 70 square meters and was designed by Berlin architecture firm AAS Gonzalez Haase, whose past projects include Balenciaga’s shops and Andreas Murkudis’s Berlin store.

In its Antwerp store, Komono is launching an in-house optical service for prescription glasses for the first time. The store also features the company’s full eyewear collection, which includes different models in a range of materials from handmade Italian acetate to ultralight steel and titanium.

 Komono was established in Belgium in 2009 by former professional snowboarders and long-time friends Raf Maes and Anton Janssens, who both previously worked in fashion and streetwear distribution in the Benelux area. 

 A series of collaborative collections with artists, fashion academies and art schools has enabled the company to distinguish itself in the fashion market, and from national eyewear brand Komono has grown over the years into a global accessories company, with sales outlets in nearly eighty countries, although it focuses mostly on the European market.

Inspired by the Japanese word for “small things” or “accessories”, Komono positions itself as a pioneer in accessible luxury eyewear, with total sales of around €22 million a year.