SUSTAINABLE PIONEERS: JAMES AY
Torben Holt, founder of sustainable sunglasses maker James Ay, tells us how he’s working to shake up the fashion industry, one pair of shades at a time.
Every time you put on a pair of James Ay sunglasses, founder Torben Holt wants you to feel like you’re doing something great. It’s why he created a range of shades that are not only fun, wearable and stylish, but that are also as friendly to the environment as possible.
The idea for James Ay came to Torben in 2017 while he was working in the Danish fashion industry. He wanted to create a product that was not only useful and stylish, but that could make an impact on fashion’s long documented sustainability problem.
The first step was always to make his shades stylish and enduring; to create sunglasses that never go out of fashion and are built to last, so removing the need to ever throw them away.
“Most importantly, we wanted each pair of glasses to be sustainable from end-to-end.”
To do this, Torben turned to classic, timeless styles that have been around for decades and are still popular today – before getting the James Ay design team to give them a contemporary twist or modern refresh. The brand name, after all, comes from James Ayscough, an 18th century British optician who is believed to have created the first pair of sunglasses.
“We wanted our glasses to be timeless, so that people wear them year-after-year. We wanted them to be a quality product, and to weave into people’s everyday lives. And most importantly, we wanted each pair of glasses to be sustainable from end-to-end,” explains Torben.
A VERY MODERN MATERIAL
To do this, he first turned to a new type of Italian plant-based acetate, which is also 100% compostable. From there, a host of processes and parts were developed or procured to help ensure the sunglasses have as little impact on the planet as possible – “save not making them at all”.
The plant-based frames are fitted with reused hinges, while their cases are made from recycled leather, and the cleaning cloth comes from recycled bottles. All card, paper and boxes used for shipping are bought from responsible sources. When possible, the glasses are even transported by train to Europe from the small, family-owned manufacturer in Shenzhen, China that handcrafts them Torben says the cost of manufacturing in Europe would have pushed up the prices of the glasses and make them less widely accessible.
For every pair of glasses sold, the company plants a mangrove tree in a forest in Madagascar. “Of course, it’s a big process and we’re not 100% perfect, but it’s important to keep working to improve ourselves and our planet,” says Torben.
JOY AT THE CORE
It’s not all science and wizardry, however. Fundamentally Torben and his team have created a product that celebrates the joy of everyday life. Through their brand they tell the stories of real people doing compelling things: an artist working in a small Spanish town; an ex-Danish soldier who’s moved to a farm to find a more peaceful life. James Ay doesn’t use professional models, and instead opts for inspirational people the team encounter in their day-to-day lives and work.
“We’re not 100% perfect, but it’s important to keep working to improve ourselves and our planet.”
“Our whole universe is built around the phrase ‘Follow the sun’. Through our glasses, we want to tell stories about interesting people and how they are focusing on what makes them feel good,” says Torben.
“Every time you put on a pair of Ay’s we want you to equate it to play and doing something fun. Like the sun, the feeling of putting on a pair of our glasses should just feel nice.”