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.
‘The demographic for Land Rover is remarkably far-reaching so this highly structured product range had to tick all the boxes for technical ability, fashion and quality, with well thought-out sizing and exceptionally well-balanced eye shapes.’
Abel says the strong parallels between the two companies, in design, style and innovation, along with being parts of British industry, were the reasons behind the decision to work with Land Rover. ‘There is no doubt that Land Rover not only has an enviable presence here in the UK, as the 11th most valuable British brand overall, but they also have true global appeal,’ she says.
The car maker’s successful penetration into lifestyle markets and sponsored international events like the Rugby World Cup and the Invictus Games, also makes for widespread brand exposure. Celebrity brand ambassadors including Ben Ainsley, Bear Grylls, Jonny Wilkinson, along with endorsements from the James Bond franchise and the royal family provide immeasurable gravitas.
Land Rover’s ‘Above and Beyond’ tagline has driven the design ethos throughout the collections. The company’s technical ability away from the beaten path has also been interpreted within the 20-strong sunglass collection, represented by components such as multi-layered polarised Obex lenses and Obe hinges that have the aesthetic and functional heft of a Defender.
‘It has been vital that the essence of the car brand and the company mantra is translated seamlessly into eyewear,’ says Abel. ‘The design teams have immersed themselves in the technical finesse of Land Rover’s design, closely following the shape and form of the cars’ unique lines and multi-layered micro-branding that says Land Rover.’
Response to the launch has been very strong, says the company, which has taken a high number of orders for the 20 piece sunglass collection. Interest in the ophthalmic frame collection, scheduled for release in the new year, is described as unprecedented. ‘Following that, will be the much-anticipated launch of Range Rover Eyewear, one of the most luxurious technical eyewear brands the UK optical market will have ever seen. We will also be looking at export opportunities and finding suitable distribution partners,’ says Abel.
Optician asks if this first licencing project will lead to further agreements in future, but Abel remains focused on the job in hand. ‘We feel a deep sense of responsibility to successfully transition the Land Rover and Range Rover brands into optics and certainly have plenty to keep us busy for the next two years with the introduction of sun wear and optical collections for both brands.
‘At Eyespace we have always taken design very seriously so it has been an absolute privilege and pleasure working with a company as world-leading and professionally progressive as Land Rover. Our designers have worked closely with theirs, to produce what we believe is one of the strongest and well thought out men’s eyewear collections to hit the UK optical market in years.’