Who knew that “thigh wear as eye wear” would be the next big thing in the world of eco fashion? Founded by British inventor Jack Spencer, Mosevic has recently unveiled Shades of Denim, a collection of ultra-durable and super funky eyewear that is made out of upcycled denim mixed with resin.
Mosevic, which is currently running a campaign on Kickstarter, started eight years ago when Spencer had the idea to turn floppy denim into solid denim in order to create an entirely new material. The innovative idea turned into a range of high-end, handcrafted eye wear, called Shades of Denim.
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The first step of the process is finding unwanted denim, which the company gets from a variety of sources. While it is open to finding other waste streams, most of Mosevic’s material comes from discarded jeans that are not fit for resale and old denim stock from clothing stores.
Once the designer has enough material, the reclaimed denim pieces are then mixed with a strong resin that absorbs into the denim fibers. Pressing multiple wet layers of denim together, the resin becomes solid, creating a “solid denim.” The resin used in the process is completely skin-safe and has been tested over many years.
Once Mosevic has the solid denim, the manufacturing process, which takes place in Cornwall, sees that the eyewear is handcrafted in small batches with careful attention to detail. The result is a gorgeous collection of sunglasses with sophisticated brass detailing. The glasses are rugged enough to withstand everyday wear and tear, but they are also lightweight and comfortable — just like your favorite pair of jeans.
The sunglasses come in a variety of styles and start at £195 (approximately $250), and you can get them fitted with prescription lenses. But if you go to the Kickstarter campaign, you can enjoy up to 25 percent off retail. Additionally, the Mosevic website comes with a cool, virtual mirror feature to see which frames fit your face the best.
Photography by Andrew Hilling via Mosevic