Ffin Eyewear was launched to huge acclaim only 16 months ago. With just three designs at her disposal, Anna Lewis headed to 100% Optical with ambition, belief and determination. She walked away from the show with two Love Eyewear awards and a book full of orders. So how did a jewellery designer from Wales capture the hearts of eyewear aficionados in such a short space of time?
Much of Lewis’s training and career has been in jewellery design. She has exhibited all around the world with her work, mainly contemporary handmade artworks and body adornments made from feathers, leather, silk, glass, wood, and silver. She has also worked in higher education for over 20 years, and to this day runs the Design Craft degree programme at Swansea College of Art.
Her motivation to start an eyewear line was unintentional but not unexpected. She’s always had a deep affection for fashion, and felt that jewellery and eyewear are intrinsically linked.
‘I love making, and eyewear is very much part of my passion for adornment and jewellery,’ says Lewis. ‘I went on an eyewear making course at Cubitts and realised how similar the processes, the tools and even the workbenches were to jewellery. I felt quite at home and could have stayed and made for weeks.’
After going on to win a Cubitts design competition during lockdown, Lewis found herself investigating the market and, before she knew it, she had a brand, business plan and a coach in Nicola Wilkes of Seriously Stylish Business, driving her forward. Being a Welsh, female designer is of great importance to Lewis and the brand itself.
In fact, the name Ffin is a Welsh word meaning ‘boundary, at the edge of something’ and it is this that informs a lot of the brand’s design philosophy and direction. By having such an established design background, she has a natural intuition for form, colour, detail and, importantly, a wonderful understanding of the making process.
‘Maybe coming from a slightly unconventional angle helps me design without a set of limitations and expectations,’ says Lewis. ‘I probably break a few rules and push the outcomes without realising, which is always interesting from a creative stand.’
Lewis says that she approaches her work with Ffin very much as an artist. Once described as a ‘visual sponge’, her love for interiors, art, photography and film helps steer the design element as well as helping her to curate the brand and storytelling side of her collection. Despite art being her raison d’etre, her focus is now purely on Ffin. ‘It has my full creative attention. I obsess over eye adornment,’ notes Lewis.
After winning two Love Eyewear awards at 100% Optical, followed by an equally successful Mido, Ffin frames are now stocked in a selection of independent stores around the world, from the UK (including Wolf & Badger in Soho, London) to the US, Puerto Rico, Italy, Greece and South Africa.
With new designs and colourways already in production, Lewis’s plan is to grow organically. The brand will be attending the next run of trade shows and look forward to building relationships with clients and customers globally.
The Ffin team is a well-oiled machine, and Lewis says her manufacturers have become like extended family. ‘They have been amazing, and I couldn’t imagine doing this without their rich knowledge and highly skilled expertise,’ she says.
Having people who are on the same page, who understand how she sees the world and suit her aesthetic is of huge importance and has made launching a new brand manageable and exciting. Business partner Niall Clifford has also been of significant importance. With a background in international business operations, he provides invaluable expertise and his skill set highlights the power of two. A business brain and a creative brain complementing each other.
Lewis and Clifford share a desire for excellence and, with plans to expand on what they have already established, the next step is going to be exciting. The new collection will be available across both sun and optical and feature beautiful bold and sculptural silhouettes with asymmetrical detailing and colours from moody blues to cola and honey. It’s a collection, mood and a visual vibe you just can’t but want to get on board with.
- Explore the collection at ffineyewear.com
