Any glasses wearer can remember the time when their poor eyesight was the subject of many a playground taunt. Wearing spectacles was just so not cool. Well, how the tables have turned! It’s like Revenge of the Nerds wherever you turn – even people with perfect sight are wearing frames with no lenses (fakers!). Glasses are no longer nerdy. They’ve transcended to being the ultimate style statement.
If you thought the choice of frames were limited to just wire, black or tortoiseshell, you’d be mistaken. Enter Kirk Originals, the label that has been pushing the envelope in eyewear materials and design to new levels for the last 20 years. We sat down with owner, Jason Kirk to talk about influences, design and the future of the eyewear market.
Muireann Carey-Campbell: Tell us a little bit about the history of Kirk Originals?
Jason Kirk: I grew up in an optical family. My Grandfather, Sidney, was instrumental in growing the optical industry in the UK in the 20s and my Dad, his brothers and cousins were all opticians. I had no interest at all in this “dry, conservative profession” until one day, helping my Dad clear out his practice, I found several hundred of my Grandpa Sidney’s optical designs from the 50s and 60s. At the same time (1992) I got made redundant from my job at L’Oreal and it seemed like someone was sending me a message
The designs are really unique. What’s the general design ethos of the brand?
Karen and I design what we love. We do not try to be different for the sake of being different but we do try to express ourselves through our eyewear and to give our wearers the opportunity to express their individuality through the unique style that we have created. Our goal is to make glasses that make you feel six inches taller and, at the same time, the art is to keep them wearable.
Who or what are your influences?
Anything that dares to be different, that takes risks. There is a great clothing brand that I love at the moment called Moods Of Norway which is flamboyant, colourful, expressive. Burro have always challenged accepted ideas. We can be inspired by anything; a car, a colour, light…who knows and it usually comes when you least expect it.
Who is the Kirk Originals customer?
The Kirk Originals customer is bloody fantastic. That is why it is always such a laugh to hang out in our shop. They are anti-label, independent and will not be told by anyone what they ought to be wearing. They are irreverent and usually have a good sense of humour. It is not a kids brand. It is more for anyone who feels bien dans sa peau, confident with who they are and how they look…..someone who wants to have fun all the time. Oh, they are often quite tall.
What changes do you see to the eyewear market in future?
Big changes are afoot. When the economy is bad, designers tend not to take risks. That is why there are so many black and tortoise-shell (read boring) glasses around. It also accounts for the proliferation of ‘retro’ shapes. After a while the public gets bored so we can look forward to a little colour over the coming months. Happy to say that big shapes will stick around.
The public is spending more time and money selecting glasses. It is the first and last thing you see when you greet someone and should be more memorable than a pair of jeans, for example. There are a few great independent stores scattered around to find eyewear designed by genuine eyewear designers. Most of the high street chains are filled with cheap crap and most of the labels that dwell there are licenses purchased by big manufacturers that neither invest in design nor quality production, so the big change that I predict is that people are going to wise up to that and put more emphasis on quality eyewear.
How will Kirk Originals grow as a brand? Would you like to expand beyond eyewear?
2012 is our 20th anniversary. Our plan is to open new stores in key fashion venues and to really make a difference to the way that people think about eyewear. We have already touched on other areas of design; we had a menswear line a few years back that was very well received but right now we are concentrating on our core business and possible retail opportunity.
