A Danish Perspective: The Rise of Christopher Cloos

Time has the wonderful ability to go both fast and slow: for Julius, CEO of Danish eyewear brand Christopher Cloos, this paradoxical reality has engulfed him since the start of what sounds like an utterly wild ride

Time has the wonderful ability to go both fast and slow: for Julius, CEO of Danish eyewear brand Christopher Cloos, this paradoxical reality has engulfed him since the start of what sounds like an utterly wild ride. Having been founded in 2017, Christopher Cloos has since counted over 500 retailers as stockists and the likes of Tom Brady and Elsa Hosk as campaign ambassadors: not bad for a brand kickstarted by two young Danes, commencing a pipe dream from the complete bottom-up.  

 The first thing to discuss is foremost: who is Christopher Cloos and how did he inspire the brand? 

An eccentric man met by the founders at a beach club in the south of France, Christopher Cloos left an impression lasting enough to inspire not only a brand but a legacy these two young founders hoped to imprint. The level of impulsiveness is refreshing to hear after a landscape now inundated with brands that are built on stringent brand analysis and externally discussed stratums – and is a name that also reflects the organic nature of the growth of the business itself too. The fascination with the original Christopher Cloos not only impacted the name but also the color of the first two frames, inspired by the colors of the drinks the founders had on that very first night: Bourbon and Champagne. Are they still in touch with the man that put a name to the brand or was his role as solely catalyst?  “both – I mean he was absolutely an incredible catalyst.”  

While a lifetime has passed since this chance encounter for Julius, the journey has been momentous to say the least. Having come on board as CEO with the founder right at the start, Julius knew XXX from primary school and a chance reunion when Julius was looking for an interim flatshare after selling his own apartment en route to moving to the USA for his bachelor’s put these two minds literally in the same room together. After the idea was founded, in spite of kicking off a graduate degree in America, Julius found himself that summer traveling Europe and selling door to door. With one and a half years of being on the road, cold calling, and telling the tale of Christopher Cloos to thousands of brands, Julius stepped away from the role of hard sales and oversaw what has now become a looming empire. Of course, working all the roles up is vital for any successful CEO, as knowing exactly what each role entails allows for a priceless overview of a company’s future. “You know you really get to appreciate how much it actually takes and that is also really an experience you can pass on to your employees. Also, you know now that times are now better for us as a company so it reminds yourself to always remember what it took to get here in the first place. And I think that is a healthy check every day on yourself”.  

Speaking about the values of Christopher Cloos, Julius looks to split his answer in two: “I like to say that when you are a brand and a company you know there are two separate sets of values: there is one for Christopher Cloos as a company and one as a brand and I think you know for an audience the brand values are more important. For our brand values, we are on a mission to dress a million faces across the planet, and along the way we also got to become a biodegradable producing company, meaning that all of our frames are made from sustainable materials so that when our journey of dressing a million faces is over we can at least leave the planet the same way we entered it. That is really how we like to see our journey and the core value of what we are doing.” 

And how does he see these values on the company side of things? 

“As a company, we have two: the first one is high effort, high reward. We really believe that hard work results in amazing outcomes – the more hours we put in, the more we receive the other way around. We believe not to take any task lightly. The other one is: we thrive in a freshly spirited environment because yes it might be tough to build a company but we welcome a humorous environment and that is really important for a long journey.” 

Furthermore, have these company values been influenced by Denmark? The sensibility of Danish-ness has a habit of inspiring all that comes to hand: does Julius feel this is the case with Christopher Cloos? 

“I think the Danish and minimalistic style has influenced a lot of what we do. We like to keep our frames really classic and work with models that have always been popular. I think that is really what we aim to do as a company – rather than looking to create the next eye-catching frame, create something that will be a long-term success.”  

It is this long-term focus that pulled the attention of their ambassador Tom Brady, whose own enduring style perfectly balances with the brand’s foundational values. Speaking about how collaboration and partnership came about, it was a mix of both determinism and that wonderful moment when two people connect on a concept and a parallel way of thinking.  

“In all honesty it was here that the original salesman trade really helped! Because I just reached out to his receptionist or the agency’s receptionist, who referred me to his agent – one of the more old-school type who has been with Tom for over 20 years and that has made all the difference. He has been extremely helpful and has given us a chance. We met up with Tom in February 2020 and that was when we had a chance to present our case to him to see if there could be a good match. At the end of the meeting he said – guys you did a great job, let’s be in touch soon – which is the moment you know there might be a chance down the road!” 

Christopher Cloos might not be a Danish brand that immediately springs to mind, but its quiet, elegant resonance has reverberated around the globe. With a new ambassador to be announced in 2023 alongside further growth on an international scale, the brand has a smooth sail ahead.  

 

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