Kirk & Kirk – Passion is inherited

I won’t deny that I am excited about people who for whatever reason go down in the history of the wonderful industry of eyewear design and optics, my personal favorite. Discovering enthusiasts, studying the history of outstanding brands, learning about niche brands and the emerging ones and distancing myself from a dry as dust message. These are the main ideas of my blog.

Movie-like story

Using some of the most unbearable verbs among Polish speakers, I’ve already made several blog entries about inventors or inspirational style icons. Edwin Land, Hubert de Givenchy, Hans Stepper, Guccio Gucci – these were accumulated during a dozen months of messing about on ghosteye.pl. Today I will be an optical patient zero for you. I will try to infect the maximum number of readers with history, tradition, and limitless dreams. This is what you can undoubtedly associate glasses from the London brand Kirk & Kirk with. How not to be a loud fashion brand, and yet occasionally dazzle on the noses of stars walking on the red carpet? How not to look at eyewear trends, not to compromise and always be faithful to your own style?

The recipe for this is certainly known by Karen and Jason Kirk – preservers of the more than 100-year-old glasses craft of Kirk Brothers. I have no idea how, but it was them – the crazy brothers, Percy and Sydney who in 1919 brought an old sewing machine to life, which, together with the lens cutter, gave rise to the first makeshift production line. At the same time, they created a business dream team. Percy – a born salesman and PR person, Sydney – a craftsman and artistic soul. Consistency and a kind of mission led the duo of Kirk brothers to Indianapolis, Montreal or Johannesburg, where they opened their eyewear factories. In the interest of the best quality lenses, they traveled to Brazil acquiring some of the highest quality quartz from local beaches. And all this in times where there was no Ryanair, nor super-fast trains nor highways.

Interesting facts from the time of the Kirk Brothers

As an enthusiast of motoring, burned rubber and the smell of gasoline, I could not ignore one more thing. A man named Sir Malcolm Cambell – a British racing driver, set one of his speed records on water in Motex goggles – made by the Kirk brothers. An intriguing thing that may be of interest to people from the optical industry was the introduction of an adjustable bridge in spectacle frames, called Fecifit („a perfect non-pressure spectacle”) by Londonenthusiasts. A similar frame model could be worn by a traumatized boxer or a petite woman.

The current successor of Kirk Brothers’ achievements – Jason and his wife Karen continue the family optical tradition of his grandfather, uncle, but also father Neville. The marriage, like the famous Kirks Brothers, seems to be a good team. Just look at the products of the current company with a rich heritage – Kirk & Kirk, which they co-create. These glasses cannot be mistaken for any other brand. Solid construction, bold design, colors and the best quality acrylic. Kirk’s eyewear is a British work of art, handcrafted in France using indestructible German hinges. With often bold, but always meticulously chosen and well thought-out colors that are in line with the message of the collection (Kaleidoscope, Cantena, Matte, Spectrum) these are glasses with an original form,  reflecting the artistic soul of Karen Kirk. Kirk & Kirk also offer sunglasses with Zeiss lenses.

See you soon!

Some time ago I had the opportunity to meet Jason. Consistent as hell with the brand principles – smiling, open, inventive, and kind. The article that I had the pleasure of writing was created in a quite unfavorable period, in connection with the epidemiological situation in the world. Despite the fact that business relations and participation in industry events are struggling like never before, I believe that those of you who do not know the London brand yet, will soon have the opportunity to get to know it better. Or maybe even shake hands with some of the most creative people from the optical industry in Britain.

Hugs!

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