Viu × Sarah Hartmann: «To me, glasses are like an extension of your personality»

Laura Scholz

29/4/2026

Translation: Elicia Payne

A retro look with modern technology – for Sarah Hartmann this is what perfection looks like. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in the collection she recently released for the Swiss glasses manufacturer Viu.

Sarah Hartmann makes the world around her just the way she likes it: colourful. Without a second thought, she’ll repaint anything that isn’t pink, sky blue or butter yellow. That’s how, despite her tight budget, this Berlin resident not only created her first dream apartment but also, along the way, built up a loyal following on social media. Today, over 450,000 fans follow her on Instagram as she upcycles furniture, builds pieces from scratch, creates glass coffee sets, and – most recently – designs eyewear.

In collaboration with the Swiss eyewear manufacturer Viu, Sarah launched The Charlie and The Nova on 1 April (no joke). In a delightful video call, she told me how the collaboration came about, what she thinks makes a good pair of glasses and what new projects she’s been planning since the launch. All in front of a pink background, of course.

Anyone who follows you on Instagram knows that glasses and sunglasses are a key part of your signature look. You also designed your very first piece of furniture, the Wavy Shelf, specifically for storing eyeglasses. Where does your passion come from?

To me, glasses are like an extension of your personality. After all, they’re often the first thing people notice about you – and they immediately reveal a little bit about who you are. In my case, it’s probably clear that I’m loud, creative and visually bold. I have so many pairs of glasses at home that having a dedicated shelf just made sense.

Plus, from 2018 I worked at various opticians for several years, which has given me a real sense of connection to the product. Back then, I secretly dreamed of having my own collection – no one could have guessed that this opportunity would actually come my way one day!

Enter: Viu. Did they approach you completely out of the blue?

Yes, like magic! Our first meeting was almost exactly a year ago; that must have been in March 2025.

And now your collection is available for purchase. You didn’t waste any time!

Both glasses were already a part of the Viu universe. The Charlie is currently available, but The Nova is a prototype that hasn’t yet been launched. Otherwise, the process would have taken waaaay, way longer – and keeping that secret for a whole year was hard enough for me. Of course, it’s not as if I haven’t sketched out a few designs of my own. You never know …

But didn’t The Charlie and The Nova pass the Sarah Hartmann vibe check right away?

The Charlie was a no-brainer for me right from the get go – I tried it out for months, and it was exactly what I was looking for! The only thing missing was the Sarah Hartmann twist. My colour palette. What I love about The Nova is its subtle cat-eye shape and wide frame. This really brings out the beauty in the colours and patterns.

Does it make you sad that most people tend to wear plain, standard glasses?

No, no. From my time as a sales assistant, I know that many people prefer «serious», timeless glasses because of their jobs or personal circumstances. However, when I realised during our conversations that these glasses didn’t really suit their personality and that they’d actually prefer to wear a more fashionable or unique pair, I did find that a bit of a shame.

What do you look for when you buy a new pair of glasses – or, in your case, often a used pair?

In general, I find retro design from the 50s, 60s, and 70s really inspiring! The same goes for interiors. You can really sense how much joy people took in the materials and design back then. With glasses from that era, the frames are often thicker, which to me conveys a sense of high quality. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of comfort. Modern models do that better. So what I like most is the best of both worlds: retro design with modern technology – plastic frames and lightweight acetate.

Upcycling – that is, giving new life to old or used items – is a recurring theme in your life and work. Why do you love giving old things a new lease on life?

I come from a family of craftspeople. At least on my mother’s side. They even helped build my parents’ house. For me, upcycling basically started out of sheer necessity. My first job in Berlin didn’t leave any money for nice furniture – not even from Ikea. But I still wanted to turn my apartment into an inspiring space. So what do you find everywhere in Berlin? Stuff just sitting on the street or that you can pick up for free somewhere. And any money I had left over could cover some brightly coloured paint and a brush. In the spirit of: if I can’t get a pink chair, I’ll just paint it pink myself. Of course, it’s even better if you can use resources you already have and don’t have to buy anything new.

But some things are just better done yourself: you launched the Wavy Shelf in August 2024, and now you’ve added bandanas and glassware to the collection. Do you have another Haus of Hart product in the works we can look forward to?

Yesss! After working with aluminium and glass, we were in the mood for a new material. And in our studio we have a huge, flower-shaped table – which a lot of people have shown interest in. Of course, it’s not exactly compact, and not everyone has that much space at home. So we decided to launch a smaller version of it. Wait a minute, I’ve got something here. (Sarah holds a red flower up to the camera.) A chopping board. Exactly the same shape, but a whole new category: a kitchen gadget. I think it’s important that all of our products serve a purpose.

Ooh, when are we likely to be able to buy the board?

From 3. May.

How else can we make life a little more colourful and beautiful? Do you have any great tips?

My personal dopamine rush comes from buying huge, colourful bouquets of flowers on a regular basis. It may sound basic, but I love it. It really is the highlight of my day when I see the blossoms starting to open. It also helps me live in the moment, because the flowers only last for a limited time. That’s how I know to pause and savour the moment. Things could look completely different again tomorrow.

Well said! But one final thing on glasses – is there anything you learned during your time as an optician that we should all know?

Hey, the first thing that comes to mind is: please, please clean your glasses! From fingerprints to full-on smudges from hairspray or setting spray – I was really amazed at how many people walk around every day with completely smudged glasses. And just accept that their vision is impaired. Sight is such an important sense.

Your mini cleaning tutorial in one minute?!

Never use those wet wipes – they’ll scratch the coating. The best way is: hold them under lukewarm water, apply a little grease-cutting dish soap to the glasses, clean them with your fingers, use some paper towels to dry them, and polish them with a microfibre cloth. Job done.

Thank you, Sarah 🩷

The frames from the Viu × Sarah Hartmann collection are available at all Viu stores and at shopviu.com. Sunglasses start at 235 francs; prescription models start at 265 francs.

Laura Scholz

Senior Editor

Laura.Scholz@digitecgalaxus.ch

Always in the mood for good hits, great trips and clinking drinks.

---

Background information

Interesting facts about products, behind-the-scenes looks at manufacturers and deep-dives on interesting people.

Show all

These articles might also interest you