Are you in the market for some foreclosure frames or some subprime spectacles? One Detroit company has just the pair of glasses for you, made from the crippling abandonment of the city's neverending supply of vacant homes.
OK, maybe that's a little harsh, but it is understandable to be on the fence when it comes to a company that uses reclaimed wood from old houses to make expensive fashions that might have been out of reach to said home's previous inhabitants. That said, you know the rule if you've been around these parts — no criticism of Detroit entrepreneurship is ever, ever allowed without enraging the Detroit booster elite, so it's sunny skies after this paragraph.
So here's this company, Homes Eyewear, that fashions the wood into sunglasses. Per Metro Times, the wood is curated from empty homes, treated to remove paint, dirt and nails and inspected to make sure they won't splinter in the future.
Achille Bianchi is the man behind Homes Eyewear, fulfilling every task from selecting wood veneers to the retail end of things. OmniCorpDetroit, the hackerspace creative collective in Eastern Market, is home to the fledgling company and also serves as the store front. "Sunglasses may not be the most meaningful product or object, but they're made in Detroit and it's a step in the right direction, in my opinion," Bianchi says.
Sounds like someone took a class at the Shinola School of What To Say To Reporters When Questioned of Your Intentions in Detroit. But I have to admit, the frames do look cool. The way they're described on the company's website is intriguing.
The boards we select at Reclaim Detroit vary in species and age, most of which was old-growth wood, harvested during the logging boom of the 1800 and 1900s. While homes, both in the early 1900s as well as present day, are constructed using mostly softwoods (white pine, douglas fir), many do contain hardwoods, which are ideal for use in frame building. Your frames' finish will vary with grain character and color, as well as the life of the home they come from, and how they've weathered the years of use and/or neglect. No two pairs of Homes are exactly alike. Each handmade pair are subject to the same rigorous quality inspection, ensuring your sunglasses were made with the utmost care and attention to detail.
If you'd like a pair, they're $148-$188. Can't wait to see everyone at Eastern Market with a pair, matched perfectly to the Detroit vs. Everybody hoodie or the orange shiftgate tee!