Kathy Tran, owner and creator of KayTran eye wear, sits down with Dress To Kill and spills her secrets to creating the perfect frame...
KayTran eye wear is the brainchild of business school grad and covert artist, Kathy Tran. Her debut collection features classic sunglasses with gorgeous touches like rose gold metals, and deep indigo infused tortoise shell. The KayTran design is all about fit - these frames aren’t like anything that has ever rested on your nose before - because they aren’t made to. Instead of digging into the sides of your nose leaving those pesky red indentations (which come after hours of wearing, not the 5 minutes it took to try them on in the store), these frames are designed to place minimal pressure on the nose bridge with clever, elevated nose pads. The temples angle is widened, preventing the frames from rubbing on your cheeks. Oh, and these glasses will never, ever, slide down your nose. Promise.
We love the KayTran frames not just because they are revolutionizing the functionality of eye wear - they are also irresistibly stylish. We just about died when perusing the collection, hands-on, during the interview. If only Kathy had brought a mirror with her, our interview session would have quickly turned into a shopping spree. It’s no wonder bloggers, newspapers, and fashion personalities everywhere are beginning to sing her praises - the KayTran frame will change the way you think about the old four-eyes adage.
KILL: How did you go from MBA to designer eye wear?
KAYTRAN: I started KayTran eye wear as a thesis project. At the root of it, I’ve always had a frustration with eye wear because of my Asian features. The concept started as an Asian fit because of the lower nose bridge and your cheeks tend to be more prominent. So, I saw there was a big gap in the market. When I finished school I was working in finance and developing the eye wear company on the side, designing at the same time. I eventually couldn’t do both anymore. It’s just one of those things where you have a hobby, on the side; for me it was art and design. Then one day you figure out how to combine that hobby with something more concrete, like starting your own business, which is sort of what happened to me.
KILL: What made you realize that there was indeed a demand for eye wear that fits different facial features?
KAYTRAN: Basically I did a lot of research and development. From attending trade shows to simply walking into a store and talking with retailers, customers I began to realize that there is a market for these types of glasses. Before, I would walk into a store, try on a bunch of glasses and nothing would fit. The salesperson would basically say sorry, but there just isn’t a product out there that is made for your features. The most that could be done was adding a metal nose pad to your glasses, which costs extra money and time - and no guarantee that you’ll like the way the finished product looks.
KILL: So what’s the secret to the perfect fit?
KAYTRAN: The nose pads are elevated by a couple of millimetres, the nose bridge is narrowed a couple of millimetres and the frame is much flatter. It’s really these subtle changes that make a huge difference for people with small nose bridges and high cheekbones.
KILL: Isn’t it funny all the cool kids want to have four-eyes nowadays?
KAYTRAN: Yeah, I think it’s great. I mean, let’s face it, 90% of us have some issue or other with our eyesight. Not all of us can wear contacts. I think it’s another layer of style that people can have fun with. I love how people are bringing eye wear to the fore, rather than trying to hide it. If we look back 10 years ago, everyone was wearing those “rimless” glasses - to make it seem like they weren’t wearing anything at all. I love how styles are getting bolder. You’ll see that coming up with our optical collection this fall, which I’ve almost finished putting together.
KILL: Can you give us any hints about the Fall optical collection?
KAYTRAN: Well, it’s nothing like the sunglasses collection. It’s a bit more edgy. I want it to be bold - I use a chunky acetate to give it that bold, oversized style. It’s not a small style. I want to add bolder punches of colour in later collections but with the sunglasses, for now, I wanted to give people a perfect fitting skinny jeans for their eyes. A staple you can wear day after day.
KILL: What’s the number one mistake people make when buying frames?
KAYTRAN: There are a few mistakes. First, if you can take the frames home and wear them for a few hours, that’s the best way to know whether they fit you properly or not. Second, do a bow or curtsy - if they slide down your nose, it’s not the frame for you. And they should never, ever, touch or rub your cheeks. Ever.
KILL: I tend to use my instinct when picking frames over doing these sorts of tests - is that so bad?
KAYTRAN: That’s honestly how most people pick their frames. They go in and see a style they like or a brand that they like and try to find a pair that look good. Or we’re told stuff like oval frames fit a heart-shaped face - that’s the traditional approach to fit. Well, what about everything else? There’s more to getting the perfect fitting eyeglasses than just the shape of your face.
KILL: Where can we buy KayTran frames?
KAYTRAN: There are some retailers in Toronto as well as in New York City that sell the brand. The most important thing for me is keeping the brand independent. The eye wear industry is like the perfume industry, most brands just license out their name to the few big companies out there that make glasses and this means there is a lot of overlap and standardization. The uniqueness in style and nuance in design is lessened. I’m trying to pick retailers that carry unique, independent brands that you won’t find just anywhere.
www.kaytran.com/find-a-retailer
