Shady character
Hailed an "anti-brand" by its founder, Time Out discovers why sunglasses designers CoLab refuse to hide their creative light under a bushel
No longer the private domain of rock n' roll gods and DJs, shades are now a legitimate extension of the everyday wardrobe in these sun-bleached times; whether the clichéd Ray-Ban Wayfarers screams retro wannabe, the oversized 'Jackie O' owner demands amorous glances, the slick-haired poser resting a new pair of Oakleys aloft a receding hairline oozes desperation.
Sunglasses have come a long way in the style stakes since their functional beginning as visual aids. But avoiding the factory-produced swarm of sunnies and stereotypes that go with them is no mean feat. It took the CoLab professors to come up with the perfect antidote.
Like something out of a storybook, founder Dave Allison, 29, started work on his project from a small laboratory in a tiny village called Belluno in Northern Italy. Uprooting for the more creative Sydney shores, he and his CoLab 'professors', set their sights on counteracting mass-produced predictability with a far more unique approach. So what have this posse done differently? On top of blending classic form with quirky detail, they've added an all-important extra ingredient, the collaboration with street artists.
The boys have cast their net far and wide to work with the very best talent the world has to offer. "We look intensively for someone who shares our goals and vision and who is genuinely excited about being involved," says Allison. "Other than that, it's about finding someone whose art is able to transcend the walls, canvases, paper, clothing or whatever else they are used to using."
This summer's shades have been dreamt up with the help of Perks and Mini (PAM) of Australia, EBoy of Germany, Geogg McFetridge of US and Jellybean from Japan at the drawing board. Each artist chosen put to paper between three and five designs, which have been transformed into a portfolio of 20 different eye-catching models. The team are already on the look out for the next rota of grafters to work on the autumn collection.
Aussie's offering, Perks and Mini (PAM), known to their near and dear as Misha Hollenbach, and Shauna T., were a natural choice for CoLab. It was back in 1999 when the young graffiti artist Hollenbach and T. a fashion design graduate met, triggering an explosive catalyst of creativity. The pair has since established themselves as a respected art-based brand and participated in exhibitions held at Colette in Paris, Alleged Gallery in New York and Parco Gallery in Tokyo.
Choosing to keep their medium open, PAM have used music, books and short films to source their art, which focuses on 'strong graphics and visuals', out in the public eye. For their CoLab mission, the girls worked their signature bright hues into loud inscriptions such "Holy mountain! Holy shit!" on removable lens stickers. More subtly humorous are their designs, composed of black frames topped with worn-leather repairs over the bridge and arms.
Back in the workshop, it's all top-secret operational procedures; each drawing or paintwork is kept under tight wraps until it's one hundred per cent complete. "All the artists maintain creative control and the prototype is unveiled for the first time just before we send them off for production - so it's a surprise for us as much as it is the customer," laughs Allison.
The merging of this playful somewhat anarchistic art and cutting edge design is something CoLab would like us to consider a 'wearable sculpture'. Despite an uncomfortable sounding description, all the glasses are made with cotton fibre-polymers to create featherweight, hypoallergenic frames and put together carefully by hand. Every model is released in a never-to-be-reproduced batch of 1000, in customised packaging, complete with an ID number and a comic book about the artist.
Given the commerciality of CoLab's ideas, surely the lure of mass-production profit is a big temptation? Not according to the team. Their project is sticking firmly to its guns, dictating that "we don't follow trends, there are no constraints, no rules to follow, no target market to appease". CoLab may shun bright lights for integrity but there's certainly no keeping this lot in the shade.
For more information and stockist details visit www.colab.com