A few short weeks ago, the forward-thinking, luxury brand Porsche Design set up its first storefront in Canada on Toronto’s Bloor Street. Hoping to make a splash on The Mink Mile, the sleek 1600-square-foot boutique boasts a variety of meticulously built products, from fashion apparel to smoking accessories to leather goods and beyond. TORO got a chance to speak with Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO of Porsche Design Group, on the eve of the opening about intelligent design, authentic craftsmanship and the burden of brand.

How did you get involved with Porsche Design?

Well firstly, from a personal point of view I have a strong interest in design. I’ve always been a chair collector. I’ve been connected to the brand since 1983, when I bought my first pair of Porsche’s iconic aviator glasses. On a professional level, I also have a product-driven marketing background. So when the opportunity arose to work on a brand that has such a strong aesthetic appeal I was very happy to join.

How heavy a burden is it to have to translate such a strong brand message into all your products?

We come by all of our retail line the same way the man who started the company, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, did. He designed the Porsche 911 in 1973. And of course what he put into the design of the car he put into his products for Porsche design. Our products have always been cutting edge and architectural and smart.

What is the core philosophy of the company?

Our core is our customer. The mission is: If you think about the function of a product long enough, the form becomes obvious. For instance, in 1972 all watches were gold and silver. You could not find a watch that was another colour. But the function of the watch is to tell the time. And this troubled Ferdinand, being a designer, since he knew that white indicators on a black dashboard were the best for getting information out. So he created the first black watch on the market. Now every brand has a black watch. We also created the first pair of fashion aviator sunglasses in 1978. Before we brought them to market they were used strictly as a working tool for pilots. They are now the most successful sunglasses in the world.

Speaking of tools, you recently launched the Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9981. I’m curious what the strategy was behind this collaboration?

The mobile phone is still a category where people want new innovation. There are hundreds of millions of iPhones on the market and that doesn’t leave much space for people to show their individuality or personality. We wanted to work with a company that could rightfully convey our philosophy. I’ve been a blackberry aficionado since 2002 and the head of the RIM design team has been following Porsche design since the beginning. It was just a good fit.

You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that you think men have recently begun to style themselves more. Why do you think this is?

Ten years ago men could only show their personalities through their cars, their homes or their watches. In Asia men started styling themselves far earlier than in North America because they didn’t have cars or houses. Men’s fashion is far more advanced than it used to be. They have more options. There are different colours, different ties, and different textiles. It’s natural behavior to style now.

Why have you decided to open now in Canada and why in Toronto not Vancouver when you have such a large Asian customer base?

In terms of opening in Canada, we would have liked to do this a few years ago but we couldn’t find the right spot for the shop. We thought of both cities as potentials for our first store but Bloor St. seemed like the perfect demographic for us and we couldn’t say no to the opportunity when a space opened up for the flagship. In the next year we plan to open on the West Coast.