Keeping an eye out

No longer solely designed by specialist eyewear companies and established surf brands, sunglasses have become the hot accessory for fashion designers. But how have traditional brands reacted to the onslaught? Samantha Docherty takes a peek.

In the United Kingdom recently the debut line of sunglasses from eight-year-old London label Temperley sold out, excuse the pun, in the blink of an eye!

Hitting the nail on the head when it comes to what consumers want from their summer eyewear - 'modern, but with a nod to the retro cool shapes of the '70s' according to Vogue  UK, the £160 ($A379) sunnies are yet another addition to the market's saturation of the ultimate summer accessory. According to Standards Australia sunglasses have become a necessary part of our everyday lives since the early 1930's. In Australia alone it's estimated the sunglass industry is worth around $200 million annually, with an estimated 20 million pairs sold each year.

And still it keeps growing.

Irreverent sunglass brand Le Specs is a label not afraid to seek outside creative partners having joined forces with womenswear brand One Teaspoon to launch a unique range just last month.

While it admits the category is extremely competitive, Le Specs owner Sunshades Eyewear, argues the new collaboration "fills a void in the eyewear market that no other sunglass brand was targeting - kitsch, sexy, fun sunglasses under $100".

"There have been so many brands launched over the past few years", adds Le Specs development and product designer Hamish Tame, "[but they] have not been able to offer such a new and unique proposition to the eyewear market at this price point."

All too aware of the increasing number of sunglass brands launched over the past few years, Spotters Shades director Doug Phillips argues the market is "totally oversaturated".

Phillips, whose company claims to be the only sunglasses manufacturer in Australia, says offshore production has made the task of selling Australian-made eyewear even more difficult.

"We now have probably another five legs off us in opposition. [These sunglasses] are being produced overseas and selling at half our price, but the quality is inferior. We have to continually fight against imports and improve our product. Because people want more fashion style sunglasses, we are now producing more functional fashion styles. It's too competitive to do high fashion. One week the look is oversized the next it's small or one day it's pink and the next it's black. It's all too hard.

"If [the glasses] look good and fashionable and it's a label like Gucci or DKNY, [customers] purchase it thinking it's good because of the label. But they are not thinking about the quality of the lens. Many of the lenses in popular fashion sunglasses are tinted. They reduce light but don't protect your eyes from UV glare."

Adding that cheap brands and designer imitations are affecting the industry in a negative way, Natasha McIntosh, senior buyer for Luxottica Retail (Sunglass Hut), says the quality of the lens in these sunglasses are not very good.

"Currently in Australia there are over 400 sunglass brands from Gas Station sunnies to Louis Vuitton sunglasses. The influx of new designer brands offers the consumer a wider range of sunglasses and as far as affecting the industry it's like the apparel industry - only the good ones survive."

But not all sunglass brands see collaboration as a bad thing.

One of the many brands hoping to survive, high-end womenswear label Sass & Bide was to have launched its eyewear range at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week earlier this year but were forced to pull out due to illness. A soft launch has now been planned for September with distribution via premium optical and sunglass stores as well as its own boutiques.

Working with Australian eyewear company Blur Optix, the label has signed a licensing agreement with Joshua Matta, of Blur Optix, for the design, production and distribution of a sunglass and optical range.
Tame, of Le Specs, says collaborations are about the fit, fun and commerce. In this regard, he says the 'Le Specs by One Teaspoon' range ticks all three boxes.

"Working with Jamie [Blakey] and the team at One Teaspoon has been awesome, our direction and ideas were both very similar so we were always on the same page.  It's not everyday that you get the chance to work with talented easy-going people."

Adding that Le Specs were a perfect fit for One Teaspoon, Jamie Blakey, director of The Pink Factory, says the two brands also have similar vision.

"I do have full control of the look. The sunnies have to fit in as a part of our overall look so we need to keep in mind the same things we do when designing a garment. But it's great to have Hamish's knowledge and expertise to back up my ideas. He knows straight off if something will work or not."

Agreeing that collaborations as a whole are fantastic, designer Kirrily Johnston launched two styles of sunglasses with her spring/summer 2007 collection at RAFW earlier this year.

"I have faith in my ability to design [sunglasses] but I am certainly no expert in the manufacture and construction that needs to be in synergy with design components in order to produce a good product. I think when dealing with specific products, it is imperative to collaborate with a company that can offer you expertise in what they do."

Produced in China in collaboration with Polaroid, the aesthetic Johnston had in mind for her $280 sunglasses was elegant, a bit sporty, modern and sophisticated.

"I think we achieved that. [The design process was different from apparel]. It's more restrained, to a degree, because I don't know it like the back of my hand, so it's probably still quite safe at this point. It's like designing apparel when I first started."

With the opinion the influx of sunglasses by Australian designers actually drives the sunglass sector, McIntosh feels that besides having a functional purpose, sunglasses are also a key fashion accessory.

"Consumers tend to purchase sunglasses they have seen on celebrities - Nicole Ritchie was a key instigator in the vintage oversized look which is extremely popular now - or looks they have seen in magazines or by their favourite designer. Designer sunglasses are [also an] entry price point into the luxury market and if they can't afford the clothing, they can afford the sunglasses."

One designer whose clothing often hits premium price points, Collette Dinnigan designs both her optical and sunglasses lines in-house. Distributed by Matrix Eyewear, Collette Dinnigan launched its first eyewear line in May 2006. Offering a new range for each summer season inspired by the latest apparel collection, the eyewear line was as a natural progression for the design house, according to a company spokesperson.

Seen by the brand as an exciting opportunity to add to its current international design range, this concept is a common theme with many of the designers launching optical and sunglass ranges.
Blakey claims it was a bit of a natural progression.

"We have started offering more accessories as part of our ranges, we've always done bags, but we added footwear this season and thought sunnies would really complete the look."

For her part Johnston was driven by slightly different motivations.

"After I began retailing and especially after opening my second store, it became apparent to me about what I needed to design in order to complete the collection as a whole, and sunglasses were a part of that picture."

By Samantha Docherty