Intro

You may not know, but IN SANA means “in the sounds” in Latin. It’s a feminine plural noun that’s hard to translate into many languages today. Most people assume it’s connected to the word "insane" because of the way it sounds—but it’s far from that. Truth be told, I’ve never been fond of those word games that leave things open to misinterpretation. Yet, IN SANA felt right—and a little wrong—and that’s exactly how I knew it was the perfect name for this journey.

Why “in the sounds”? Well, today, I’m going to share a piece of my personal story, which unfolded long before IN SANA even existed in my mind.

The beginning of a normal story

My story isn’t particularly different from many others, and it’s certainly nothing extraordinary, but it led me here, to this moment, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.

At the end of high school, I knew I wanted to become a product designer. I had spent years painting, but I realized that I wasn’t quite good enough to make it my career. Plus, I always had this drive to make a difference, to help those who are less fortunate. For me, product design was the path to do that.

Objects, much like animals and nature, don’t speak our language, but they still give us so much. They offer hope, comfort, joy, they are funny, serious, mind-blowing and beautiful all while being incredibly useful. If designed consciously, objects hold the potential to change the way we live, without saying a word. They can shape our experiences, solving problems—or creating them if poorly designed. They suggest whether an activity is solitary or better shared. And yet, in our consumer-driven society, we often forget to appreciate them.

Think about it: how many times do we stop to think, "I’m so grateful for this object"? Not many. Maybe we appreciate our bed or our coffee, but what about the rest? Imagine a world without pens, chairs, or spoons. Life would be miserable without these silent companions that support us daily. As much as our family, our emotions and our thoughts, and they have the power to make us see things from another point of view - which is key for evolution.

Dancing with darkness

Getting into design school was tough, and during that time, I volunteered in a favela in Brazil—an experience that shaped me profoundly. Afterward, I finally got the chance to start design school, which I loved from the very beginning. But my final year wasn’t as positive as the first two. We were assigned a thesis supervisor whose approach was to break us down, making us feel worthless, supposedly to ignite our passion. I won’t dwell on how outdated and disrespectful that teaching method was, but the school supported it, and we had no choice but to endure.

By the end, I had lost my light. The passion that once fueled me to help others had dimmed, and I felt like the dreams I had were just the fantasies of a naive girl. I know it sounds dramatic, but that’s the truth. It was a deeply disturbing time.

I started an internship, but the emptiness inside me kept growing. So, I decided to move to London to improve my English and reset. It was there, working for Gentle Monster, that I met two people who helped spark the beginning of IN SANA: Martina, a coworker who became one of my closest friends, and Claire, my store manager. Martina always saw me with the eyes of love, believing in my creativity. Claire thought me kindness, she showed me that emotions are never wrong, and that a kind act, towards yourself or others, can change lives.

Accepting what comes, when it comes

I started working on myself, I was deeply depressed by then and I couldn't seem to find reason in my existence, I started meditating and well.. the glasses came to me. I used to meditate for Hours and hours, digging into the darkest corners of my soul, looking for answers. But instead I found eyewear - as strange as it sounds, the universe speak to us in mysterious ways.

That’s where “in the sounds” comes from — from the vibrations and meditative songs I listened to during those sessions. In those moments, the visions of the glasses began to take shape in my mind. I’d try to stay still and meditate deeply, but I couldn’t resist the urge to sketch them down, knowing I’d lose them if I didn’t.

The first few drawings surprised me. I had never seen anything like them before, and just looking at them lifted my heart, filling me with light. I still get that feeling sometimes when I see them.

The six frames of Phase Exeo are vastly different from one another because they weren’t originally designed as a collection. They came to save me from myself. And they did.

When I look at these sketches, I feel immense gratitude for the universe trusting me to bring them into the world. I’m merely a messenger in this creative process. These frames needed to exist, and I was lucky enough to be the hand that put them on paper.

You know now how much meaning I give to objects in general, let alone sunglasses, - they’re a portal between the inner and outer worlds. I was called to bring them to all of you, and even though I was having a really hard time with myself, and I had a million unanswered why and absolutely no idea of where was I going with my life, I knew I couldn't ignore them. So I move back home, I asked for help, and I got it. When you accept your vulnerability and ask for help, there is always, always, someone ready to give you a hand.

All beauty can grow from chaos

Slowly, with the support of my mother, my father, my sisters, my cat, and my therapist, I let myself dream again, and IN SANA came to life. Not with the ambition to become the next Gucci, or seeking glory or fame, but with the intent to share a message, a story of objects and emotions.

For the first few years of IN SANA, I underestimated the importance of sharing who I am and my personal story. I didn't want to be the face of my company because I believe that what we can learn from it doesn't need me, it just needs you to sit and to listen for a moment.

You can hear the universe too, whispering that all beauty can grow from chaos, that all colors can be find in black. That your suffering is not for nothing, and you can transform it into whatever you want. We are though to hide our darker feeling, to call them weaknesses and repress them, when in reality, we should look at them, explore them, welcome them, because without doing so you won't move on, you won't evolve into a better version fo yourself.

So you can think about IN SANA as a story, one that not many tell but that’s more common than you think. It speaks the truth, finally shameless. Or you can think about it as an inner journey, a long unexpected way towards the rediscovery of one’s own essence. Phase after phase it will show you who you are, where you are going. It's an opportunity to stop, to listen, to grow, to challenge yourself. IN SANA is all this. It embraces its complexity, it chooses to leave the rules that feed competition outside. Take a moment to listen to all the emotions that make your heart beat - they’re bringing colors to your eyes - what do you hear? What’s on the other side of what you see right now?

We all have art within us, if you are feeling stuck in a dance with darkness, I say DANCE! Take it out, and you'll see that it was a beautiful, unique and inspiring part of you, that just needed to be shared.Be patient, people might not be ready immediately to welcome each side if you, but they will eventually, and whatever happened in the meantime remember that if it makes you bloom, it was worth it.

Embrace the Blurriness of life

Phase Exeo means “to leave” in Latin. It represents the years of darkness where I left Milan, got lost in London, and eventually found my way home. Our lives are never linear, and that’s okay. Embrace the blurriness, trust yourself.

These sketches clearly aren’t perfect, but they were enough to bring something meaningful into the world. You don’t need to be the best at everything to create something that matters.

I welcome you all to be kind with yourself, and accept your own complexity - the most beautiful things emerge from chaos.

Thank you,

Silvia Fresco - Founder & Designer