16th July 2013 I have recently been wearing a classic style of sunglasses by Sunpocket, the company that specialises in foldable designs. The one I have is Kauai in matt black (above) but it comes in many versions, and there is even a new edition (see below) in a collaboration for concept store Colette in Paris.
The frames are made in Mauritius, and aim for a balance of quality, affordability and overall style. It’s not the first style of its type that I’ve tried (I know the Persol ones), but I’m finding it useful to carry these as my spare pair of shades. The shape of the Kauai works for everyday – it’s a bit like having a pair of jeans that you can wear with anything. And the story is quite intriguing – Sunpocket shades were originally popular with skiers and climbers in the 1970s, and they became a bit of a cult accessory, first in France, but now more widely.
The sunglasses fascinate my children because they fit into a tiny well designed transparent box – they must be quite robust or they might not have survived the constant opening up and packing away again by a six year old.
Created in the 1970s, Sunpocket was relaunched in 2011 by Swedish entrepeneur Jacob Hoglund. Stockists now include Opening Ceremony (stocked in NY and the new store in London open from July 19th), Selfridges, UK, Lane Crawford, Hong Kong and Colette, Paris. CN