Bevel-headed

Our series on British frame design continues with Richard Mewha, the New York-based designer behind Bevel
eyewear. Clara Browning takes up the story

Mewha: 'We want to make people look cool, good, and beautiful'

Richard Mewha feels that the sale of spectacles should be a more personal experience, saying: 'It gives people a makeover but without the operation. When you fit somebody with a pair of glasses that look good, it really does improve their lives.'

Mewha is critical of what he says is the impersonal service that can be found in some UK optical chain stores: 'Although there might be some desire from the top of the company, it requires the sales people from the stores to get behind the concept.'

Mewha, originally from Devon, sees himself as more of a stylist than a designer. 'Selling eyewear is styling people. When I go for a haircut I don't say to the hairdresser "I want to look like Brad Pitt", because it's not going to happen, I want them to tell me what would look good on me.'

Mewha was directly confronted with this problem when he came over to England while working for Alain Mikli. Mikli's products were of a more eclectic nature than most frames on the UK market at that time. 'England was just completely clueless about how to sell these glasses,' says Mewha. 'They just wanted to sell whatever brand they were selling at the time.'