3sixteen Eyewear
Photos: Vinny Picone
Our journey towards creating our inaugural eyewear collection began almost a year ago. While we’ve worked on collaborations in the past, the opportunity presented itself for us to develop our own in-house eyewear and we welcomed the challenge. With help from a team of designers and production managers who specialize in sustainable eyewear production, we set out to design four distinct styles in partnership with two small family-owned factories in Italy. These styles – designated SP-01 to SP-04 for Sun Protection - finally release this week.
During our initial exploration conversations on what we wanted our collection to look like, we knew that high-quality Italian acetate would be a key component. As most frames on the market are tumbled and polished to a high shine, we sought to give more depth to our designs by incorporating a combination of raw and polished finishes on substantial 8mm bio-circular acetates. These approaches are most prominent on our fully acetate frames: the P3 Round SP-01 and the Square SP-02. While the faces of these styles are polished to a high shine, the sides of the frame and the deep lens bevels all feature a raw finish. We previously worked with NYC-based eyewear manufacturer Lowercase on two previous collaborations and had the opportunity to visit their manufacturing facilities in Brooklyn. One of the steps we were able to observe was the finishing process, whereby cut acetate frames were put into four different tumblers to achieve that high shine finish. Knowing this, we understood the combination of two finishes to be highly labor-intensive; the factory was thankfully up to the task. To achieve this effect, craftsmen must tumble the entire frame to a high shine and then go back and refinish the edges by hand to give them the desired contrasting look. This results in a frame that has immediate impact and weight in hand; when worn, the finish combo is discreet but noticeable up close.
While we've had experience designing acetate frames in the past, we were especially excited at the opportunity of being able to work with metal for the first time. The Brow Line SP-03 and Steel Panto SP-04 reference classic American styles with discreet modern updates to fit in line with our collection. Both frames feature acetates that show up on SP-01 and SP-02 to provide some continuity throughout the collection; the Brow Line SP-03 acetate runs across the wearer’s eyebrows and down the leg whereas the Steel Panto SP-04 is a style that predominantly relies on its wire metal frame for its aesthetic and thus features the acetate on the temple tips only. Both frames are crafted of 2mm certified recycled, stainless steel and feature beautiful finishes and detailing, including the traditional Japanese wave pattern that appears throughout the entire collection. We’re especially proud of these two heritage styles that have been given subtle updates for the modern wardrobe.
All four styles feature nylon lenses crafted of 39% castor oil, which reduce carbon emissions significantly over standard CR39 or polycarbonate lenses while offering equivalent category 3 100% UVA/UVB protection. It’s also worth noting that our frames are optical grade and can be outfitted with prescription lenses by a licensed optician should you choose to go that route. All four styles in our eyewear collection retail for $440 and launch in-store, online and via retailers this Thursday, August 15th. As is the case with most things that we make, the full impact of our eyewear collection is best experienced in person. We are honored to have several of our retail partners carry the line, whom we've listed below.
Blue Owl Workshop (Seattle)
City Workshop (Maplewood, NJ)
Feinfracht (Bern/Basel)
Guevel (Kansas City)
Iron Shop Provisions (Lake Charles/New Orleans)
James Dant (Indianapolis)
Mildblend (Chicago)
Redcast Heritage (Barcelona)
Rivet & Hide (London/Manchester)
Self Edge (SF/NY/LA/PDX/ATX/MX)
Stomping Ground (Ottawa)
The Stockist (SLC)
Webster Collection (Santa Fe)