There's a Huckleberry Finn type of charm to Drift Eyewear's designs, a synergy of boyish craftiness and mariner savvy. You can practically picture a wooden fisherman boat being dragged atop the beach shore, securely onto the sandy stretch after a long bit at sea. The ocean motifs are, of course, completely deliberate, since DRIFT founder/designer Chris Mantz harbors a love for nature — particularly "life by the water." One might assume the company name constitutes a nod to driftwood. "Drift" and "wood" — two words that allow us the perfect look into this eyewear brand.
In addition to creating vintage-flavored styles referencing seafarer culture, Mantz wanted his company's designs to show a commitment to the environment, and so he sought out fair-source suppliers from whom he could purchase sustainable wood with which to craft the temples and arms of his glasses. DRIFT Eyewear Co., then, is more than an accessories company — it's part of a growing green fashion movement. Each of DRIFTs eco-friendly glasses are handmade using cellulose acetate (a non-petroleum based plastic derived from wood pulping) and renewable types of wood and woody plants (wenge, bamboo, Douglas fir, walnut and maple) sourced from Forest Safety Council (FSC) Certified suppliers around the globe.
Aesthetically, the brand's cheeky glasses feature slightly retro fronts with flashy, modern colors or details, and shark fin-shaped arms that showcase the wood of choice at its most sublime. An assortment of eyewear styles (pictured here) are currently available at the conceptual pop-up store Coming Soon. We're all over the black shades pictured second from top, which feature perky lime green along the interior of the Wayfarer-esque shaped front, as well as walnut wood along the chunky arms for a very scholarly, refined feel.
Let DRIFT take you away!
Pictured above, from top to bottom:
DRIFT Eyewear mango matte frames with wenge on walnut wood arms, $300; DRIFT Eyewear black with lime accent frames with walnut on walnut arms, $250; and DRIFT Eyewear black with lime accent frames with light bamboo on walnut arms, $300. All available at ComingSoonConcept.com
