When I recently had an eye exam, I was hoping for a valid reason (not that fashion-boredom isn’t, mind you) to spring for a chic new pair of frames. Sadly, my good eating habits (or, more likely, dumb luck) have kept my prescription exactly the same since the early 90s, and I’m still rocking the same pair of tortoise Isaac Mizrahi frames I sprang for way back in the day (what can I say, I’m persnickety about keeping my treasured fashion items in pristine condition). They have turned out to be a surpringly trend-proof design and don’t look dated, necessarily, but these uber-cute designs from Kirk Originals definitely got my inner Shopinista buzzing.
Following in the footsteps of grandad Sidney & his brother Percy – who together helped establish London as a world center for optical excellence in the early 1920s after turning a sewing machine into a lens cutter – Jason Kirk finally entered the family biz himself (dad was an optician) after he was made redundant by L’Oreal.
“I discovered a stash of glasses that Sidney and Percy had designed in the ’50s and ’60s,” he told Blink London, “beautiful upswept blues and greens.” So he did the sensible thing and dropped his entire severance check on making new frames, launching Kirk Originals. “When I found Grandpa Sidney’s glasses back in 1992, I did not know much about the world of fashion and design. That was probably an advantage. I had no preconceptions and no hesitation about approaching anyone.” He even wrote to Paul Smith, asking if he could meet him, and ended up being invited over for breakfast!
What stands out about Kirk Originals is how, well, original these frames are. “People come to Kirk Originals for something different,” acknowledges Kirk. “A good designer’s handwriting should be obvious without any effort to make it so. It is always so dangerous to attempt to move with trends…If we did bow to commercial pressure and design the same frames as everybody else then we would be relying on our brand name to sell our products…..that is just not our style.” What is their style? Making a product that is sustainable – both literally and in terms of looking stylish for many seasons to come. They even hand-made their S/S’12 collection entirely in acrylic (shhh!!!) because it’s so light, easy to adjust and offers tons of chic options in terms of colors. “Color,” adds Kirk, “is often about an attitude or a state of mind than an object or movement for us. We need a little brightness in our lives, some celebration.”
Why not celebrate whatever is worth partying about with a stylish new pair (or better yet, pairs) yourself? Purchasing info at KirkOriginals.com.
- Lesley Scott
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Fabulously Creative & Fun Glasses Frames from Kirk Originals
