Driving forward: Eyespace's move into licenced eyewear

The past four years have been something of a whirlwind for Worcestershire-based frame developer and supplier, Eyespace.

From what was almost a standing start, sisters Julie and Jayne Abel have created an eyewear supplier with a selection of strong individual house brands that has won accolades from inside and outside of the profession.

Last month, the company announced its first licence agreement, with premium British car maker Land Rover. The agreement is the result of two years of design briefings and discussions as to how the Land Rover and Range Rover brands would be realised in eyewear products.

Having created a portfolio of strong house brands, what prompted the move into licenced eyewear? ‘Our brands are the bedrock of the company and have organically found a very natural position in practices alongside the most celebrated of designer collections, so our move into licensed eyewear and the collaboration with Land Rover was primarily driven by a significant gap in the market for a strong male brand centred around style, innovation, quality and most importantly, lifestyle,’ says company managing director Jayne Abel.