We can’t be the only ones suffering a serious case of sunglasses envy lately. Whenever we open up Instagram, our feeds are full to the brim with impossibly chic, retro-inspired, oversized sunglasses, complete with bold- or pastel-coloured rims and dark lenses. The shape is often rectangular, oval or ‘squoval’ – basically, minimalist, circular sunglasses are out; larger-than-life maximalist ones are in.
Thanks to some determined Insta-scrolling (it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it) we discovered the brand behind these incredibly cool shades dominating our feeds right now. And it’s not just style-driven accessories that are the name of the game here; but sustainability and conscious consumption, too.
Jimmy Fairly was launched almost 10 years ago by Antonin Chartier and Sacha Bostoni. The idea was born out of a passion for delivering affordable and aesthetically-pleasing eye care to the masses. “I discovered that hundreds of millions of people around the world had no access to sight,” Antonin says. “I thought: what if, for each pair puchased, we gave a pair to someone who cannot afford it?”
The ‘Buy One, Give One’ initiative is still going strong a decade later, and this year, their total number of glasses donated has reached 600,000.
The brand is also open about their eco commitment. On their website, you can find information on almost every aspect of Jimmy Fairly’s business model, from the materials used – organic (plastic resin) lenses, glasses made from bio Acetate (a vegetable and biodegradable material), a promise to find a recycling solution for metal components – to details on their manufacturers and workshops in France. Jimmy Fairly also donate every month to Restoring Vision, an international charity that help to support the 2.5 billion people in the world who don’t have sight.
When we hear about a fashion brand providing stylish products as well as a real commitment to sustainability and social change, we want to shout about it from the virtual rooftops. As if we needed another reason to buy a new pair of shades this summer.