Sunglass Fix + Childe Eyewear = Childe For Life

Sunglass Fix has joined forces with another Byron Bay company Childe Eyewear to disrupt the sunglass industry and reverse corporate obsolescence and fast fashion. Craig Anderson and Jon Laurenson are two Byron Shire based entrepreneurs tipping the Sunglass industry on its head with their sustainable precision eyewear solutions made to last. 

Sunglass fix founder Craig Anderson has always been a fan of fixing things and a fan of saving money. So developing a business like Sunglass Fix that ticks both those boxes for customers was a must. “I’ve always been massive into repairing stuff. I just like troubleshooting. And I like fixing things. Initially I just did it because it was cheap. I fixed a thousand dollar washing machine with a $5 fuse. When you can do that sort of thing, it’s easy to see the benefits that you get and the savings. So, it made sense to me that if you can come up with something like that and make it easy for a lot of people around the world to fix something it would be a profitable business.”

A lot of us are aware that things just aren’t made like they were in the ‘good old days’. Those of us at a certain age well remember the trusted washing machine that just went and went, for decades.  Or our first stereo that’s still kicking-on in our garage somewhere. Whether it’s electrical items that die shortly after their extended warranty, items whose hinges fall apart or fuses that blow, business is now designed around built-in breaking points.  This little trick is called corporate obsolescence and it’s one of the ways businesses get us to keep on spending with them, upgrading and replacing.  

In fact one of the first things that had big time and money invested into creating an inferior product (designed not to last) was the light bulb. Over 10 years of research was invested into making a filament that would only last a year as opposed to some of the original light bulbs which have lasted over 100. Even the nylon stockings we wear have been designed to run and tear.  The original nylon panty hoses were strong enough to tow a car, not so anymore. We’re also in a time where getting things fixed is inhibitively expensive or just outright impossible. Some of this trend is by deliberate design, such as installing 30 cent fuses in thousand dollar electrical items designed to die after a certain period and render the whole item useless. Some has happened due to the outsourcing of labour to less regulated countries, using inferior materials and construction processes. However, if you consider it, it's leading to a design situation that’s forcing us to become a throwaway society, because it's cheaper to get something brand new than it is to repair.  When Craig was researching and establishing the premise for Sunglass Fix he began calculating how many sunglasses people were throwing away due to scratched lenses. “I estimated that Australia alone fills the MCG every year with the glasses that they throw away”.  That’s tons of plastic or nylon going into landfill and unable to breakdown.  

Sunglass Fix wanted to make sure that their product would not only nullify the need to replace people’s favorite sunglasses but that their lenses would be the best, most durable quality so that they would last even longer than the original lenses.  Using optically superb Polyamide or Polycarbonate material, Sunglass Fix lenses are coated to give glass like optical clarity and their SFx lenses are not only 60% lighter than glass they are also much stronger, meaning they last longer. The SFx Polycarbonate lenses are made from the same primary material used in bulletproof glass and safety goggles making the lenses virtually shatter proof. And all lenses have undergone industry standard steel wool abrasion testing and rank between 600-800% higher than competitors, that retail for well over $200 in the shops. This commitment to quality and an ethos of repair versus replacement caught the eye of fellow Byron Shire business owner Jon Laurenson.

Childe Eyewear was founded in 2018 to address the issue of corporate obsolesence and unsustainable production and material use in the Sunglass industry.  A long career working with big name Sunglass brands Arnette and Electric, in the fashion industry that rewards over consumption from season to season and is built on a backbone of unsustainable manufacturing processes felt out of step with Jon’s love of the ocean and nature.  Childe is an eyewear fashion label that is committed to both the environment and style. “A lot of the kids that I've worked with in the business in the last two years, they really are looking for something that can last. And if it doesn't last, they do try to fix it.” says Jon. Using the best quality bio-acetate available on the market coupled with precision hinges, both of which are sourced in Italy, these sunglasses are built to last. They are also designed to be fixable and come with a lifetime guarantee. Childe for Life is an industry first and where Sunglass Fix comes in. The Childe for Life warranty program offers you a free lens replacement for your sunglasses up to 12 months from the date of purchase and offers the option to purchase replacement lenses at a very reasonable cost direct from www.sunglassfix.comafter the warranty period…..for life.

Sunglass Fix is proud to partner with Childe Eyewear and have joined forces to stop unnecessary throw aways, saying NO to a culture of disposable fashion. You can learn more about the Childe for Life warranty here and follow this innovative new business on instagram here