A vintage voyage with…

Kings of Past

19th April 2012 Last month I had the opportunity to meet with Kings of Past for the first time….Sebastien showed me a small selection of their latest pieces, some of which we are publishing here. I have also talked to Musadik Rajani, an expert on vintage eyewear and one of the principals of Kings of Past, the vintage eyewear retailer. Musadik has shared his insights here into this special world of glasses….and over the last weeks he has given me a really good understanding of the beauty and quality of some of the best vintage eyewear (image above, Emmanuelle Khanh sunglasses at www.kingsofpast.com).

Why is vintage so desirable? I believe fashion is always inspired by the past. The past sets a precedent for the future to follow. And ‘vintage’ is a very loose term used to describe the past. In eyewear specifically, the past is very interesting because all the designs were original. Eyewear as a mainstream fashion accessory is a 30-40 year old concept, so the eyewear from that era is largely considered to be original in design. In today’s tech-savvy world, people are really looking for originality and design. A simple branded logo on a mass produced eyeglass or sunglass is not enough.

Vintage Persol from Kings of Past

Do you work with celebrities? Why do they choose rare vintage? 
We work with many celebrities either directly or through many of our accounts. Celebrities are constantly being photographed, and this drives a greater desire for them to look and be different. They choose Kings of Past vintage eyewear because of the authenticity, the rarity and the fact that all our eyewear is unworn. We work with anyone who has a genuine appreciation for fine and unique eyewear.

Vintage Killy frame from Kings of Past

Which are your favourite vintage pieces this year? This is very difficult. I have many many favourites for different reasons. The Jean Claude Killy sunglasses (pictured above) are a favourite because of the incredible details…the hollowed carbon fibre temples, ‘wishbone’ hinges, folding temple tips, shocks in the bridge, and the lenses. I also like our vintage Ralph Lauren pieces with acetate fronts and detail engraved metal, and the Cazals are a favourite because of their outrageous designs and impact on American culture. We also do very well with Alain Mikli vintage styles at the moment.

What is your background and how did you come to set up Kings of Past? I grew up in the eyewear business. My father started wholesaling branded eyewear in Africa in the early 90’s. My three brothers and I followed suit and we’re all in the business together. 10 years ago, I partnered with a close friend, Tony, to open the first of our three eyewear shops. Today our company has several arms including wholesale, distribution, retail and vintage. Tony and I are Kings of Past!

BLACKFIN
JISCO
SALT.
DIFFUSER Tokyo
VAVA Eyewear
MOREL
Götti Switzerland
NYC LOFT 2025

In our warehouse we had boxes of old eyewear from our first years in business. Several years ago, we decided to go through some of the boxes to see what was inside. We discovered beautiful vintage eyewear in pristine condition. For us the obvious next step was to document the models. We started a painstaking process of photographing and creating an inventory of the eyewear. We knew the ‘vintage’ trend was growing in fashion and would follow in eyewear. Then we went on a 3-year buying spree, acquiring deadstock eyewear from major manufacturers and distributors around the world. At this point came the creation of Kings of Past. The website was meant to pay homage to the eyewear trends of the past. We started offering our product to other specialty eyewear stores around the world. By this time the industry that we loved was almost fully vintage gaga! Today Kings of Past vintage eyewear can be found all over the world in some of most exclusive optical and clothing shops.

Do you have other plans in eyewear? For 2012, we are moving aggressively forward with distribution and our very own Kings of Past collection is in the design process. Our company and brand is growing very strong each day. Because of our dedication to the industry (eyewear) that we consider ours, the love we receive in return is incredible. We will have some exciting collaboration projects coming soon and more beautiful stores to work with. We are living our dream. What more could two young lovers of eyewear ask for? www.kingsofpast.com CN