Reborn Shades
“I think eyewear is the most personal accessory there is. It touches your ears and nose, covers your eyes and your identity (if big enough) and protects you from nasty looks when you are in need of four walls and a shut door. Eyewear, when correctly chosen enhances personality and style. Lots of people are recognized by the character their eyewear gives them, people like Andy Warhol and Terry Richardson. Studying design in Barcelona for the last couple of years has made me familiar with the concept of redesigning objects. I wanted to create a pair of sunglasses and started to look around thoroughly for eyewear. I realized that a lot of old people still have their regular glasses form the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. When you look at them they don’t seem like anything special. A couple of really fat glasses covering practically the whole face, in fact doesn’t look cool at all. However, what I saw wasn’t what these people looked like, I saw the frames; it is all about the frames! Depending on the material that the frame is made of the methods to redesign them varies. That is the idea behind my project, to redesign old glasses.
Redesigning a pair of sunglasses is seldom problem free and far from every pair gets finalized. My lens of choice, degradé, also plays a big part in my project. It changes the character and the attitude of the frames completely. The contrast is incredible. Something which probably everybody appreciates is the unique craftsmanship behind the redesigning of the frames. Hence, it is very unlikely to walk down the street and see someone else with the exact same pair of sunglasses. One of the most important parts of the project is that the product is environmentally-friendly. Bringing old frames to life for a second time is the building block of this project, which also is the origin from where the brand name is derived. The only component that is totally new are the lenses. Ever since I turned ten and got my first pair of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses I have had an addiction for eyewear. I remember complaining to my parents about not seeing very well just to get a pair of regular glasses, although they weren’t that easily fooled, I didn’t lose interest. It was at this point I started collecting sunglasses, all different types, didn’t matter what brand, colour or model, I just had to have them. Over the years my sense of taste developed, until I came to a point where I really wanted to work with vintage sunglasses. As we all know, a nice pair of vintage sunglasses are very difficult to come by, so recycling was somewhat of a natural outcome.” — Adrian Mustelin of Reborn Shades
I completely agree with the emphasis on style and personality that eyewear offers. I love my sunglasses to death and when I’m outside and without them, I somehow feel vulnerable. In a way, they do shield you from the world. Also, if sunglasses mesh well, feeling organic and in sync with your personality, they create a barrier that creates mystery. Sunglasses cover the eyes and I have always felt that looking into someone’s eyes is very revealing and an indicator of their current state.
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