Name inspiration.

Zed is created from the Bristol street name “Zed Alley”, inspired from its rugged grimy aesthetic. My frantic rush home from Art College back to my Welsh farm passed through the Zed crevice among the high scribbled walls of grimy Bristol.

Always with an eye at the back of my head, I darted through, pounding the grey solid steps in the darkening evenings.

I love the reflection of the short zappy name that corresponds with the heavy atmosphere of following eyes and quickened pace.

Tone

Zed Placement on the Market

‘The sunglasses industry is completely saturated”

This statement has followed me through this whole process, bellowed by my business plan tutor (as a man who had a sunglasses company and knows fully well the huge amount of competitors in this market). In other words, I’m sure he meant, how is Zed going to be entirely alternative to everything currently out there?

The current market has large amount of small brands trying hard to do everything; men’s, women’s, children’s, optical, sun wear, as well eye test services. These little brands constantly expand their stock in order to have an upper hand on their competitors, but in an ocean full of little fish and massive sharks, getting attention from your audience is a huge challenge. Many brands inevitably choose to license from the giants such as Luxottica (Ray ban, Oliver peoples etc), which helps promote their store further with recognisable POS names.

Is there an expectation for an eyewear brand to be and do everything? Is this something Zed wants to incorporate? Will Zed lose customers if we do go against the grain and only specialise in sunglasses? Are there any brands that currently do this and is there a reason why they aren’t well known?

I cannot seem to find a strong brand that only specialises in one area of eyewear. This shows an expectation for eyewear stores to be a jack-of-all-trades, and this could be the reason high competition in the industry as the many small brands try to hold the same operation.

Differentiating from this expectation will help to separate Zed from the competitive crowd, focussing on sunglasses for anyone who responds to the Zed lifestyle of the unrefined, rugged image no matter of age or gender. Holding an alternative range of eyewear is no longer enough to hold an edge over the competition as everything is constantly reproduced and copied so quickly that the customer no longer knows where the original design belonged. Using unexpected POS with a highly sensory element shall draw in attention to my customer who has a curious nature and enjoys exploring. A pop-up store will give a limited chance for the customer to be able to see the products in person, giving the exclusive feel to the brand.

I'd love to hear your ideas on the eyewear industry, and thoughts about the Zed brand. Thanks for your interest and support!

Interview with Frances at RNIB Loughborough

At this RNIB school we have young adults from 16-25, with a huge range of disabilities and learning difficulties with sight loss.

Do you think retail spaces cater to the Visually Impaired?

No, but they learn with practice. Here, at the RNIB school, we teach our students to become independent and able to experience everyday life.

What are your thoughts on a highly sensory retail store experience?

It completely depends on the market you are trying to target. Each sense holds a unique memory and feeling for everyone, even bubbles in wallpaper, or a scent in the air. It has potential to hold a unique impression on the highstreet.

Confidence is an issue with most youth; do you think this also a problem shared with your pupils? Is there anything Zed can do?

Yes, just like any teenager, or pupils struggle with fitting in and confidence. Especially the students that use apparatus/wheelchairs/sticks to help them, it makes them stand out too much and they just want to blend in. Many of the students are too embarrassed to use a white cane here.
The possibilities for Zed to make sunglasses for the VI that do not make them seem any different to everyone else on the street would become a product in high demand. The sensory theme could work well with the design of these products.

This may seem like a highly naïve question but; for people who are completely blind, do they really care about the colour of their glasses? Or is their main focus on other features like texture or weight?

Yes they care of course, but most I know choose a colour that blends with their outfits, like most people do. I think texture based eyewear is something that can be incorporated throughout all the collections that distinguishes the brand.

So have you worn these before?

I haven’t tried them no, though each pair has a unique tint in the lens, shape and size to the wearer. Some have a coloured tint, like yellow so that black and white are more defined. These are an expensive necessity for the wearer; the benefits and grants given to the VI would be enough if the much-needed technology weren’t so expensive.

Is there anyone here that has become visually impaired from UV light?

No, I’m afraid not, this problem occurs more frequently in later life. Exposure to UV light over summer months tends to deteriorate sight over time, and causes problems like cataracts. This could be the reason the population of the visually impaired has risen so much as holidaying in hot countries becomes a staple.

The amount of UV awareness for skin is huge; I agree that there is nothing to make everyone aware of UV protection on the eyes, maybe the RNIB in London may be able to help to start a campaign.

Do you know anyone who has tried the glasses that improves colour blindness?

I haven’t but I’ve seen the videos, it’s exciting that things are starting to happen. The rise in population of visually impaired over the decades has meant technology to help them on a day-to-day basis has also improved. There is now an audio satnav that tracks the movements of the wearer and warns of hazards on the way; this would probably be used in unfamiliar situations.

Another consideration is why people don’t know about UV protection in glasses and how necessary it is. Why don’t people understand the sticker on a pair of sunglasses? Why do they pull it off, understanding it to be no more than a kite mark or standard? Also should people in the UK care as the lack of sunlight in the UK makes us feel as though we deserve the few days of brilliant light a year and what harm can that really do?

UV light and eyesight

Too much UV light exposure to skin is well known to be extremely dangerous and has had a massive amount of awareness to the repercussions of not using sunscreen. UV light damage doesn’t stop with the skin, too much UV light on the eye leads to cataracts, Pterygium, Cancer and many other eye problems that lead to blindness or impaired vision. As the eye is the most sensitive part of the body to even the weakest of UV light exposure, the amount of information and awareness is so little, the functional need to wear sunglasses as protection has been lost amongst fashion and frippery.

“Too much UV coming through can eventually cause a cataract to grow over the years”

(Taken from open.edu interview with J. Mellerio, 15 Oct 1999)

Evolution has provided humans with natural sun blockers, the brow ridge, eyebrows and eyelashes. Physical adaptations only happen when there is a threat to the survival of a species and the reason we have such a pronounced brow is no mere coincidence. However in extreme conditions such as in snow, these features may not be enough, and the use of protective eyewear is necessary.

“In fact research suggests that, in July in London, it takes just 15 minutes to exceed the UV exposure limit (for one eight hour day).”

(Taken from thinkaboutyoureyes.co.uk)

Zed would like to use highly protective lenses that cover the eye well; this is to ensure the wearer has maximum protection from sunrays. The promotion of the health benefits to sunglasses needs to be explained to the current generation who assume tinted eyewear is merely a fashion choice. Collaborating with charities or individuals already with this problem may create a powerful and emotive way to create awareness for this problem.

Street style of the Zed customer

My customer is a career driven, city-based woman aged between 25-35. Even the most unwilling to follow trends like to dress well and are conscious of the professional image they portray. This can explain the classic, minimal tailoring present on the streets of London, which helps the customer both blend into the crowd as well as make a subtle statement. This is similar to the sunglasses worn; many commuters wear shades in order to detract attention in the busy crowds of the undergrounds and streets. This creates an emotional barrier to strangers and helps to calm the wearer before a busy day at work. The use of a darker tint in lens makes the wearer feel more protected from their surroundings, however it can also feel claustrophobic and sometimes light-headed.  Therefore a strong gradient or a light tint in sunglass lenses is necessary for the wearer to not feel too excluded.

As the customer Zed is trying to capture likes to show their unique style. Creating a limited number of different styles each season, all with a quality that resembles the Zed brand will help to keep the customer happy. Experimenting with the tactile quality of sunglasses is something very few eyewear brands have considered and is a luxury feature I would like to push.

The Paris street scene is usually a lot more casual than London. With jeans worn as a staple item along with a ‘devil may care’ messy bun and minimal make up. Sunglasses worn by the Parisian are usually a lot brighter in colour and shall be the statement of the outfit. This is also correlates with optical eyewear in France and Italy, many sport a bright colour and crazy shape to show their personality or push the idea of how others perceive them.

(images from vogue.com)

Charity; A Commercial Trend?

Kindness and charitable support in everyday tasks is becoming a much more supported movement. With YouTube hits showing a large volume of interest in acts of kindness videos, such as this (picture below) unusual note left on a car window;

(image from youtube.com)

The Newspaper headlines are starting to not only write about usual scandal and depression but telling the public human kindness and honesty is still thriving. The headline below shows the Metro’s highly emotive emphasis on the team work behind saving the person squashed under a London bus, so much so, the attention is least of all on the flattened victim.

The corporate world has caught up with this trend by becoming more inclined to boast about the charities they support in order to cater to another USP. These brands are trying to boost their image by selling the impression that they are giving back to the community. The customer is more willing to spend extra when the product they are buying isn’t just for their own benefit.

‘Even though people want to be charitable or ethical, they are often too lazy, too cash-strapped or too short of time to turn this belief into action. So they look to retailers and brands to do the good work for them’

May 2015, Mintel

According to Mintel’s research, the main reasons the customer shall donate to these charitable features with 40% of customers claim they want to make a difference in other’s lives. This is closely followed at 35% by personal association the customer has to the charity. However the smallest percentage with only 20% of the interviewers admitted it made them feel better about themselves.

Many customers are wise to the moneymaking and profile boosting side to giving to charity through other brands. The customer wants to know the how the money is being spent to see how genuine the brand is to the charity. Many companies use the charities as an extra expenditure at checkout, but research shows the customer is put off by this lack of personal touch.

'We see that increasingly people appreciate the link between the ethical action taken by their retailers and the retail brand itself.'

Mintel

Vision Express is one of the largest optical stores on the UK highstreet, and announced last year their partnerships with six eye-care related charities. This not only gives the brand an image of a caring nature but shall help them to stand out on the eyewear market. The lack of evidence in their support makes the charitable quality dubious, especially as six charities are a huge number to work with if they are trying to create true results.

(image from Luxottica.com)

Luxottica are well known to hold a strong relationship with OneSight, a charity which provides vision care on a global scale. Each year they support the charity by providing volunteers from each element of the company to try to achieve the OneSight goals. This is a great example of a company doing something much more than just providing money for credit and holds a sense of honesty through the proof of their collaborative work.

Reflection on the social situation of the Zed customer

“Fashion is a reflection of the current social situation” E.J Scott

In order to understand the customer of the Zed brand, one must reflect on the social norm of the prospective purchaser.  The Zed customer is a career-driven, city based woman who enjoys the experience of luxury shopping.  Living and working in the central hub of a large city, the customer picks up on the changes of trends quickly but usually chooses to interpret these in her own manner.  With the influence of the brand mainly targeting 25-35 year old women, it is important to use appropriate imagery throughout social media. Instagram is one of the most used social media platform by this age range and is a great way to discover the true customer behind the product through hashtags.

As seen on the busy streets of the London today, Women wear garments to show they are equal or superior to men. Smart coats, suits and clothing that show a professional status alongside practicality that does not hold them back. During the 50’s, the tight pencil skirt was a common garment worn by women as professional work wear. This reflected the restrictions to women who wanted to pursue a career during this time and the imbalance in the workplace usually steering towards men. The tight pencil skirt could be seen in a modern view with the idea of a woman being an object best ‘seen and not heard’ as the attire is seen as provocative and alluring. At the time, this garment felt like a true liberation from the corset and highly structured clothing, and an opportunity to do and be more.

Sunglasses are worn on a daily basis around the capital of London, even throughout the winter. There is a need for sunglasses to be used as part of the professional look on the way to and from work, used as a barrier for emotion and attention especially on the underground.

Looking at social media, the 25-35 year old woman follows luxury fashion and travel brands, which motivate her to work harder. According to 1 Granary, the publication that features the work and concepts behind CSM students, a trend shift in the future of luxury is due. Time is considered the ultimate luxury, something that those with enough money do not usually have and will be highly appreciated. This factor makes the brand hold another unique selling proposition and gives added intangible quality.

“Taking the time to actually hand craft a piece is the ultimate luxury.”
Eva Neuburger, CSM student

In conclusion to the current social situation, 2016 is showing to be a year of equal opportunities especially as the debate of equal pay continues to thrive. Zed needs to be able to create eyewear that shall state the wearers’ driven and strong nature. As sunglasses are becoming such an item for work wear, a smart appearance that also portrays individuality with understated luxury is a must. As this age group have grown up with a large amount of social media avenues, the market usually use one main site where they portray their individuality. This platform updates the customer with the latest trends and news, meaning fashion comes and goes so quickly the potential for time consumed manufacturing would not be able to keep the customer satisfied. The final product may have missed the trend by the time it has been created, so these products are crucial to be classic in design. 

Gentle monster at Harvey Nichols

Gentle monster are an exciting recently established Korean sunglasses brand.  The reputation of the brand is growing rapidly and strengthening as the collections get more wild and artistic.  By collaborating regularly with alternative experimentations and design ideas, the collections have proven to be successful. The feel of exclusivity and extravagance runs throughout the whole brand. With only a small batch of products to every style, the sunglasses are regularly out of stock, making the customer only hope and dream for a chance to experience their sunglasses. The designs are still very flat and basic, even though the materials give an absolute WOW factor. GM is classically oriental and has tailored their products to their Asian market very well especially with the focus on ‘Kawaii’ youth fashion.

The brand gives an artistic impression, with videos of art pieces and 3D store installations throughout their visual merchandising and social media. This is reflected in the range of colours and acetates available for the sunglasses. The e-store shows the products to have a amazing sculptures as the frames have a solid, marble-like quality. They are incredibly desirable and even those who prefer not to wear sunglasses at all still drool over the beauty of GM products.

(images above taken from facebook.com & twitter.com)

Harvey Nichols have agreed to hold Gentle Monster products for a limited time in their Knightsbridge store. This is the first time Gentle Monster products have been sold from a retail store in the UK, and is a great way to get their foot in the western door. The large amount of press and social media attention for this introduction to the HN store gave the impression of something spectacular, similar to the current GM exhibition stores.

Arriving in London, I was very excited to see the sunglasses i have been waiting for so long to see. Struggling to find the GM products in the vast HN store, I finally found them alongside hundreds of other sunglasses as though they were a permanent fixture and barely a feature. The online store gives such an impact on the products’ sculptural beauty, I was disappointed to discover the flat lenses and shapes did not suit mine or many others’ faces. The products felt incredibly fine and easily breakable, I was expecting a luxury brand to produce eyewear to satisfy and exceed my delight. Instead I was incredibly disappointed, especially while their presence in the Asian market is so bold. Surely there is a reason why the luxury brand has such a stronghold in that market and is able to satisfy the customer in a luxurious manner. Perhaps the branding and retail experience is so much more than the mediocre product?

                                                                    (own images)