Brooklyn Spectacles
Faux wood etched eyewear offering the durability of acetate with a natural look
In recent years a wave of wooden eyewear has swept through the fashion world, introducing brands like Herrlicht and Drift, as well as the more accessible Shwood. Novel? Yes. But durable? Not necessarily. Addressing that important part of the equation is Brooklyn Spectacles, makers of faux wood acetate frames. Launched in 2012, the NYC-based brand’s introductory collection dons a unique wood grain-like finish for the softer aesthetic of natural materials with the trusted durability and adjustability of synthetic.
Using a specialized etching process, the Japanese-made frames feature the faux wood finish on outward-facing surfaces, leaving everything that touches the face polished and smooth. Each of the 12 frames in the current collection is named for a number of the brand founders’ favorite places and people in Brooklyn—L Train, Tilden, Rockaway and Colette, to name a few. We got the chance to see the Monti in person, and were rather impressed with the quality and detail of the frame design.
While they’re obviously not for everyone, we appreciate the young brand’s approach to design. Brooklyn Spectacles’ debut collection is available through a network of eyewear shops around the New York metro area, selling for around $235. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks however, as their first children’s collection and second adult collection—which will include both faux-wood and more traditional shiny and matte finishes—is set to drop sometime in middle February.
Images by Graham Hiemstra
