TOMS, the Los Angeles-based shoe and accessories company with a philanthropic commitment, has tapped Jonathan Adler, the New York-based furniture and textiles designer, on a collection of sunglasses – the first time TOMS has tapped a designer to collaborate on eyewear, according to Women’s Wear Daily.
Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, told WWD that the brand approached Adler last year because they “love his irreverent and whimsical approach.”
In a recent interview with TIME, Mycoskie said TOMS applied its One for One business model – donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold – to eyewear because the company recognized that in the communities it already served there were many children whose eyesight was impacting their education. As well, the brand noticed elderly people developing cataracts, and their loss of vision was having a damaging impact on their families.
(MORE: 5 Questions with TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie)
Adler’s eyewear collection for TOMS will adhere to its standard One for One program, which will help the vision of someone in need with every eyewear purchase. So far, the company’s eyewear product line has helped restore over 150,000 people’s sight.
The unisex eyewear collection designed by Adler includes three silhouettes – the Lobamba, Marco and Memphis – in variations of red, white and blue, in addition to four eyewear cases. Each frame has the motto “our glasses make you look smarter” emblazoned on the inner temple, and is accompanied by an embroidered eyewear case featuring a colorful needlepoint design by Adler.
The collection will be priced at $169 to $179, with the stand-alone case retailing for $42. Consumers can purchase the sunglasses starting in June at the TOMS flagship in Venice, Calif., on its website, and Jonathan Adler stores in Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin and London.
MORE: Cheerful Chic: Q&A with Jonathan Adler on His New Accessories Line