Clear Eyes

6a00e5508e95a98833016766f2448e970b-800wi.jpg

We're thinking there's some sort of special effects team working up in the skies of Beijing because I've thus far been here for two days with day one beginning like this.. intensely BLUE to the point where you can just about see Forbidden City from my hotel room…

20120530_114159

Then I woke up on day two to find this… smog-infested beyond belief.    

IMG_2204

I guess I won't be putting these new sunnies to good use then until I get back to London.  Finding out about sunglasses brands weren't really on my agenda or radar for this Asia trip but I found not one but two brands that are finding their own eyewear niche either within their own domestic market or on an international level.  ChairEYES is a Shanghai-based brand, designed by Yuan Chow, an ex-stylist who has been collecting vintage eyewear for years.  In search of the highest quality materials and eyewear craftsmenship, he began to create ChairEYES in Japan but has recently shifted production to Shanghai where he has found the right factories to show that Made in China (well, specifically Shanghai) can be as prestigious as Made in Italy/France/Japan).  The merit of a good pair of sunnies for me is normally in the weight, the feel of the acetate and the screw fixtures – all of which come up top notch in this pair of glasses called "Lance".  The finishing touches such as the embossed logo on the lens and the lovely curvaceous box seal the deal for me.  At just under RMB1000 (about ¬£100), ChairEYES doesn't break the bank but of course in his own home turf, he comes up against stiff competition with all the glossiness of the big brands.  However Yuan feels that the younger generation of customers are starting to get a feel for locally-made, homegrown brands, hence why ChairEYES is in a good number of stores in Shanghai and Beijing.  ChairEYES is most definitely eyeing up ambitiously on being the first Chinese-grown designer sunglasses brand to break through internationally and it will be interesting to see how quickly that happens.  

IMG_2163

IMG_2168

IMG_2174

IMG_2177

IMG_2213

IMG_2231

……………………………………………………………………………………

Moo Piyasombatkul is a mouthful but her glasses are certainly memorable, having already caused waves by having Lady Gaga as a patron.  Having graduated in jewellery from Central Saint Martins, Bangkok-born Moo embarked on her signature style of casting ceramic mouldings and applying them to vintage or deadstock styles of eyeglasses, making many of her sunglasses styles limited in quantity and physicaly precious because of the fragile nature of the mouldings.  I met up with her in Bangkok for a lovely afternoon tea, which is incidentally what partially inspired those delicate mouldings adorning her eyewear.  Opening Ceremony and Browns are already fans of Moo's work and she's also getting personal orders through her Facebook page.  A pair of Moo piyasombatkul glasses is quite an investment but then again, her eyewear isn't the throwaway, shove-it-in-a-soft-case type.  Even the velveted and cushioned case indicates that her eyewear is more like an ornate piece of jewellery.  I'll be wearing them with care…   

IMG_2192

IMG_2195

IMG_2201

IMG_2202

IMG_2243

IMG_2225

36 comments

  25. woow those glasses are too cute love the detailss i really look up to your blog you are my inspiration please check out my blog it would make my day 🙂 eco-alice.blogspot.com

  27. Products like those uber chic sunglasses are going to make the word “Made in China” dignified and trustworthy again. Those pictures are amazing, you literally have a bird’s eye view of Beijing. And oh, chairEYES is a rather curious name for sunglasses.

  28. Amazing views of the city! Well… at least it was amazing on day 1 (LOL). How could the sky change so much from one day to another? O__O

  35. Hi Susie! I love it when you talk about Sunglasses as this is my passion! Designing and talking about them is what I do for a living and I am always after some interesting and obscure brands (in a good way, as in blanking out the sun!)… your are the go-to gal for this 😉
    x
    Sandra

Comments are closed.