Modular sunglasses made from rapeseed oil
Retail
The sunglasses offer a modular system with rims that can be easily swapped so that customers can avoid buying multiple pairs
Spotted: Reports have been made that sunglasses are becoming the new handbags of fashion, with each person in North America owning at least three pairs of sunglasses and some fashion-savvy customers up to 20 pairs. As for most products, as the demand for sunglasses increases, more waste will be produced. London-based sustainable eyewear brand Team Wires is on a mission to prevent this, with a pair of sunglasses that are said to last a lifetime and that have been designed so that you only ever need one pair.
Team Wires’ new range of “Forever Wires” modular sunglasses offer removable rims that can be changed to match the day’s outfit or event. As its name suggests, wires form the basis of the glasses, which are handmade in Italy with patented invisible hinge technology.
The material used for the rims is bio-based and made from rapeseed oil and stainless steel wire. The rims are 3D-printed with a nylon polymer made mostly out of Castor oil. By using bio-nylons, Team Wires said they strive to reduce the demand for petroleum-based plastics – which according to the company accounts for 4 per cent of all oil used globally. Moreover, no screws are used in the hinges allowing for maximum simplicity and reduced waste.
According to the company “3D printing is ‘additive’ manufacturing, which describes a process that only consumes the precise material it needs to form a product. Layer by layer, our rims are gradually built up from a bio-powder. The powder that’s not used is then gathered up and re-used in the next print run, therefore the production is zero waste”.
The campaign is live on Kickstarter with pledges available at $164 (roughly €97,87). If the required pledge goal is reached, worldwide shipping is expected to be available around February 2022.
Written By: Katrina Lane
Explore more: Retail Innovations | Fashion & Beauty Innovations
14th July 2021
Email: hello@wiresglasses.com
Website: wiresglasses.com