“It’s a summer day, / and I want to be wanted more than anything else in the world.” —Frank O’Hara

Our Summer Collection is here! When we first started thinking about this collection, a few images came to mind: Jackson Pollock splatter-painting outdoors, Norman Mailer brawling on an overgrown lawn, Lee Radziwill sunning herself silly on an East Hampton beach. A vision of mid-century bohemia and weekend-long house parties inspired the collection.

Baxter eyeglasses in Catalina Blue

Chandler eyeglasses in Pinot Noir

The result is a shindig’s worth of frames (with four shapes making their grand debut). Each frame offers an arty twist on a basic design, and all are easy to wear—ideal for a summer of shoeless days and Mesquite-scented nights.

Boyd sunglasses in Marbled Charcoal

You’ll be surprised by how much your badminton game improves when you obliterate the glare (ditto your hangover).  

Featured above: Watts eyeglasses in Blue Sapphire

Last week, a really exciting thing happened. Warby Parker’s original twelve employees headed down to Guatemala to see the company’s social work in action. After years of mediated communication with our non-profit partner Community Enterprise Solutions, it was amazing to finally see tangible results with our own eyes. 

Community Enterprise Solutions works in Latin America, training low-income people—primarily women—to administer eye exams and sell glasses at affordable prices to members of their own community, even to those making only a few dollars a day. We’re thrilled to be involved. 

Our team of travelers was blown away by the parallels between Warby Parker’s work in the United States and CES’s work in Guatemala. Like us, they too employ a Home Try-On program—but for water filters! Through a micro-venturing model, they allow potential customers to try out water filters at home before committing purchase, with no obligation to purchase. Sound familiar? Like Warby Parker, CES is all about giving access. They go directly into villages where community members are in need of glasses, and constantly figure out way to cut costs and pass along savings. For many Guatemalans, CES-run stores are the only venues offering free eye exams. And CES, like Warby Parker, only hires people who truly believe in their mission. 

The trip was great, and it’s far from the last one we’ll make. Going forward, once employees have been with us for three years, they’ll go down to Guatemala to see for themselves what we were so lucky to experience firsthand. It’s an honor to be partnered with such an ethical, effective organization, and there’s no better way to see our social mission in action than in person. 

Throughout the next few weeks, we’ll be posting personal accounts of the trip—our favorite activities, our most vivid memories. We love keeping you guys posted, and we’re excited to share what we learned.

Yours still rejuvenated,

Jesse and Colleen

Photos by Joshua Cogan

Artisanal candles: they stud (and scent) our desks, our nightstands, our countertops. You’d think some of us here were planning a seance or something. We can’t get enough. And we’ve just discovered a new favorite. Crafted with tropical palm oil, custom soy and beeswax, and cotton wicks, each candle in Joya Studio’s collection is dizzyingly luxurious, like princess-level luxurious. Joy Studio even makes perfumes, and they’re encased in beautifully textured porcelain. Just one dab from the 22k gold wand, and your day will feel right out of a fairytale. 

Catch Joya Studio’s guest appearance at our Annex from March 27th through 31st.

Frames pictured: Mabel sunglasses in Gimlet Tortoise. Photos by Melissa Murphy.

Knitting: it’s not just for grandmas anymore. Increasingly, we’ve been catching our friends tangled up in yarn and practicing their purls.

Since launching in 2008, Swiss brand Wool and the Gang have pumped out one sick project after the next. They sell both ready-made garments and kits to knit your own wearable fiber art. From classic scarves (beginners, raise your hands!) to crop tops (hi, Coachella), the irreverently fashionable enthusiasts have us clicking our jumbo-sized beginner’s needles.

Peddling their clever kits and Peruvian threads, the yarn-obsessed group set up shop at our Annex from March 18-24. Click here for more photos.

Frames pictured above: (top) Percey eyeglasses in Striped Sassafras, (middle, L-R) Duckworth in Revolver Black Matte, Percey eyeglasses in Striped Sassafras, Fillmore eyeglasses in Tennessee Whiskey, (bottom) Preston eyeglasses in Sandalwood Matte. Photos by Melissa Murphy.

While in L.A. for the Class Trip, we caught up with fashion savant Eva Chen. Find out more about the former New Yorker’s favorite L.A. spots (and what she means by “Christmas lights on your face”) here.

Eva is wearing Jasper sunglasses in Whiskey Tortoise.

Photos by Collin Hughes.

The folks at Catbird know their sparkle. The store is stocked with wares from local and international jewelry designers alike. The pedigree of each piece is enough to attract editors and magpies (/us) alike. 

We were charmed by their “stacks on stacks” approach to rings, so we invited Catbird to bring their treasures to the Annex on March 15th and 16th to give everyone a stacking workshop. We drank champagne and learned how to (safely) mix metals, textures, and stones. Consider us schooled. More photos here.

Frames pictured: (top) Preston eyeglasses in Gimlet Tortoise, (bottom) Clyde in Blue Marblewood. Photos by Melissa Murphy.