Back in 2004, the times were a little different than they are today. Not everybody had a smart phone (I still use a flip-phone). Terms like DIY, Green, Eco-this-or-that, Organic, etc., were beginning to bubble under the surface. Major corporations had not co-opted these movements into their marketing strategies yet. And the internet was really just beginning to take on its form of how most of us recognize it today.
It was under those conditions that I made my first pair of wooden eyeglasses. At the time, I was wearing my grandpa’s thick black plastic frames from the 1960’s and when they broke beyond repair, instead of buying new glasses which I couldn’t afford (nor did I want to step into a stuffy optical shop), I removed the hinges and lenses and retrofitted them into the new cocobolo parts that I fashioned with rudimentary tools. And like anything I get interested in, I became obsessed. I spent my off-work hours probably ignoring my girlfriend a little too much (sorry Lisa) and continued to make dozens of carved wood spectacles for no other reason than to learn. Let’s call it a hobby.
In 2005, after many told me to make eyeglasses for others, I did something strange: I took a chance on myself. I made a website in a week and found a craft fair where I could display my sample creations to the public and was able to build a list of folks interested in my work. After working with a handful of my very first clients over a few months, I again did something drastic: I quit my jobs.
For the next decade I was able to barely scrape by from my creations and most importantly I was allowed the time to refine my work. During it all, I saw the corporatization of wooden eyewear. It actually started in 2009 when a company (Shwood) had investment to make wood sunglasses the next big thing. I laughed. A few years later, I had Chinese manufacturers emailing me asking if I would like to purchase their 10 dollar wooden sunglasses to sell under my ‘brand’. Then, all of the sudden there were thousands of new eyewear companies hawking wood sunglasses. I never laughed harder.
But hey, “business” does it his way, I do it mine.
Jump to 2014 when a past client in Portland, OR who I made custom frames for in 2007 asked me to make him a pair of eyeglasses that reflect light (yes, my clients become my friends). I thought about it for a few days and told him that not only would I make him a pair of reflective eyewear, but I will figure out a way so that everybody can have a pair. The concept was that impactful. And once again, I became obsessed.
For the next two years, I learned everything I could about what it means to reflect light. Sometimes it was scientific, and other times plainly testing out every reflective material I could get my hands on. My studio is dusted with reflective glass micro-beads (probably not very healthy, but you can only see them when you put a flashlight next to your eye), reflective tape of all sorts is everywhere and after all the R&D, I was eventually able to come up with the most reflective and suitable material for eyeglasses. Done right? Put them to market!
Not Quite. There was no way that I could personally create all of the frames for as large of an audience that I saw these going to (I’m lucky if I make a couple pair of my custom work a month). I had to find a company to make the frames to my design. I reached out to many manufacturers who make eyewear from all over the world. Product samples were received from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, S Korea, Japan, and Germany (don’t get me started on why there were no US manufacturers). Of all the samples received, the manufacturer with the highest quality and the ability to understand my complex design was a Chinese operation who has been making eyewear since the early 1980’s. Honestly, this company knows its shit.
(Funny side note, I received samples from the Chinese manufacturer who makes the frames for Warby Parker. They were perhaps the worst of the bunch in terms of quality and understanding design, but they loved to throw that Warby Parker name out there! And their price per frame was about double of what it should have been. But hey, they have a big client, what do they care?)
With the reflective materials and manufacturer decided upon, the next step was to determine how to bring the concept to an audience. I shopped around the idea to a few business people who have launched products before. Man, those people know how to bullshit! And when I read through their 50 page contracts from their lawyers, I promise there was a clause in there where they would own my soul in a jar indefinitely. Not only that, their main point was to make the cheapest product possible for the most profit. If they had their way, the eyeglasses would not reflect light at all, but they would tell you it did and you would believe them. I’m sure they could have made millions, but I couldn’t do it.
That is when Kickstarter became my most valuable option. I could do it my own way, funded or not, at least I would maintain my integrity. I did not sell the concept out to somebody else to make money. I am still sitting in my workshop, doing everything myself. But now, instead of a girlfriend, I am just neglecting my dog a little too much.
The new light-reflecting eyewear are called Reflectacles and they are available for two different purposes. There are Reflectacles Ghost which reflect both visible and infrared light. These glasses block ones’ face from surveillance cameras and facial recognition and at the same time create visibility while riding your bike on the road. Then, Reflectacles Originals reflect visible light only and are available in seven vibrant colors.
You can view my custom work here...
www.urbanspectacles.com
Or to keep me going by clicking below...
More info: kickstarter.com
“Afnan”, Hand Carved Ebony Macassar, 2014. This pair was inspired by old Japanese carvings of the ocean’s waves, and it currently lives with a wonderful client in Saudi Arabia.
“Amber”, Applied Baltic Amber to Verawood, 2015. Here, I combined my love of wood and Baltic amber. This is a museum piece and I still own it.
“Dots”, Ebony Gaboon with Olivewood insets. 2013. The client for this pair wanted a dot matrix pattern on his eyeglasses and sunglasses. Maybe you will see them on a coffee business owner in the Pacific north-west.
“Snake Mills”, Snakewood, 2013. Snakewood is perhaps one of the most beautiful natural materials. This pair resides on the nose of a great client in California..
Video taken from a CCTV surveillance camera showing how Reflectacles Ghost maintain your privacy.
Check out the police SUV behind me. Yeah, they are watching me.
Reflectacles Originals come in seven vibrant colors.
These images were taken on an Iphone with the flash on.
Ride your bike and know that oncoming cars see you coming.
There I am. Spinning. Spinning. Spinning.
