Mike Hale: How did you get interested in eyewear and come to work in optics?
Caron Kraitt: My family has been in optics for over 60 years, starting with my grandfather, so I was aware of the industry from a young age. My first pair of glasses were a terrible pair of classic NHS specs that I hated.
At the beginning of my career, I worked as a dispensing optician in the largest single optical store in the UK. Dispensing was a vital part of my experience in optics. I loved working face to face with the customer in a retail environment, and I eventually became involved in the buying for the store. I knew a great deal about the products, what sold best, what stood out in the store. I was always interested in fit, comfort and style. It was definitely an important formative experience, learning about people’s relationship with eyewear: seeing what they loved and helping them understand what suited them. This was an integral learning experience that helped me understand more about the customer and the optical market in general.
MH: How did you make the leap from dispensing to designer?
CK: After five years working in-store, I made the transition from retail to wholesale and began designing for an in-house label. I progressed to lead designer and eventually managed a team that produced more than 40 individual eyewear collections for every sector of the optical market, from mainstream branded collections for international retailers, to limited-edition couture collections for exclusive boutiques and independent brands.
MH: How did you come to set up your own eyewear design company?
CK: Following my experience designing for other brands through a UK-based company, I decided to take the step to become an independent design consultant. This meant delivering a comprehensive range of services to meet my client’s eyewear design and development requirements, from initial concept sketches, through prototypes, to full production and beyond. I help brands turn their ideas into commercially successful eyewear collections and continue to offer this service to a network of clients today.
MH: What is your process in creating new eyewear?
CK: I love to combine materials and textures within the products I create. The key is the precise fusion of materials. This is also something that is very on-trend in interiors, which is often an area of key inspiration for me. The importance is to combine materials with precision and symmetry. I sketch and draft my own designs from scratch and the entire process from concept to a piece of finished eyewear can take up to one year. I thrive on creating beautiful pieces and have endless creations stored in my head that I want to reveal.
Caron Kraitt, eyewear designer
MH: Tell me about the Caron Eyewear collection, first launched in 2020.
CK: The collection focuses on unique angles and perspectives, with each design showcasing precision, balance and symmetry, and continuing my design ethos of perfect fit with a strong identity and undeniable attitude. Named the Linea Collection for the beautiful lines and symmetry inherent in the features of each piece, it expertly brings together stand-out signatures with explosions of glorious colour.
MH: Were there challenges launching the collection during the pandemic?
CK: Naturally, any business would be very nervous to launch in the middle of a pandemic. But it has become clear that opticians took the time under lockdown to pause, reset and rethink some of their business models and introduce something fresh and new for their stores. Caron Eyewear offered exactly that and the results have been super positive.
MH: How has the collection evolved in its second year?
CK: I have developed a new collection that has naturally evolved from the first collection. Many aspects are connected so that the theme is fluid but with new exciting additions that I have taken to different levels and challenged my creative ability.
MH: Which fellow eyewear designers have you found inspiring?
CK: I love niche optical brands including Thierry Lasry, Gotti, DITA, Feb 31st and Matsuda.
MH: What are your all-time iconic frames?
CK: So many, where do I start? Obviously, the vintage aesthetic is a valuable inspiration to us all, but I very much love the creative concepts of today. Materials, construction, and clever engineering fascinate me, but also one cannot deny that sometimes the most beautiful eyewear is understated and highly crafted.