https://madeinshoreditch.co.uk/shop/brands/accessories/kite.html
G: What is Kite – What do you do? What did inspire you to start this company?
Kite was born out of a love for fashion and eyecare, and the desire to create a new breed of opticians that delivers the best of both. We couldn’t help feeling that the industry we love had lost its mojo. A trip to high street opticians left us feeling more like a number than an individual. Uninspiring, strangely similar frame designs stared out from white walls. The hard sell was overpowering and unhelpful. The experience was crying out for the personal touch of the good-old days, shaken up with a fresh twist for today. So, we gathered together the industry’s forward thinkers, set about creating our wish-list optician experience… and KITE took off.
The optical industry is well and truly in our DNA. I (Asad) have 27 optometrists in my family and am also a qualified optometrist myself. I am also the CEO of a successful telecoms business (Telenomics). Salim a co-founder, has a chain of 13 opticians (Eye Emporium) and has worked in the industry for the last 20 years.
G: What is unique about the Kite GB glasses & service?
In our world, shopping for glasses is just as much fun as for those shoes you’ve been lusting after. The way we see it, there’s no excuse for the sterile, salesy Optician environment that has become the norm. And who made the rule that eyecare can’t be something to get excited about, anyway? The KITE store experience shows that there is another way. We’ve designed a cool, colourful eyewear boutique that fuses fashion, feel good service and expert eyecare, creating a destination that draws people in, invites them to have fun and hang out. The Kite kiosk for example is a multi-touch display which allows you to take #specselfies with your favourite KITEs and instantly share with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter to see what they think. A game-changing in-store experience calls for a new breed of service. Our team of style advisors are empowered to be themselves and help customers express their individuality, too – from looking after their eyes to experimenting with the latest trends and choosing the perfect frames to suit their own, unique style.
British Eyewear
Every KITE is British designed, because we believe it’s always one step ahead, mixed up with a little international flair. We’re Italian made, because it’s where the finest factories craft the world’s best eyewear. We use premium ZEISS lenses, made in Germany, because – what can we say? – we just can’t get enough of the precision engineering and attention to detail. It’s the way we’re made. For us, a frame’s fit is as key as its visual appeal. Because we hate annoying nose marks and that nipping feeling behind the ears just as much as you do, KITE frames are designed with 10mm nose pads for less pressure and more comfort, plus side arms that are thermo-moulded in such a way that you’ll forget they’re even there.
We’ve gone to great lengths to make sure our frames have the highest level of finish, too. Premium acetate from Italian industry leaders, Mazzuchelli, is double polished for a high-quality, glossy look and feel. Teflon screws in our double diamond hinge design ensure that frames are built to last. Subtle engraving is created using lasers. The discreet diamond design on the arm reminds us of the KITE journey so far and vision for the future
ZEISS
Our glasses and sunglasses are made only using high-performance ZEISS lenses. We’ve teamed up exclusively with the industry leader because, quite simply, they produce the best lenses out there. They’re beautifully light, extra strong and easy to clean. Plus ZEISS have always got an eye on what’s next, too, leading the way in optical innovation. This unique approach combined with cutting edge technology is great news for the health of your eyes, as well as the quality of your lenses.
G: Why did you decide to sell your cool glasses on MIS Boutique?
Much of our brand inspiration came from Shoreditch, with our offices based just in Fournier street. For a while we have been keen followers of Made in Shoreditch and when Giedrius and the team presented us with the opportunity of the MIS Boutique we jumped at it. The boutique features amazing, like minded brands & is an amazing celebration of the creativity and innovation at the heart of Shoreditch. We are truly proud to be part of it.
G: Who designs & manufactures the glasses? What are the important aspects of the design & manufacturing to you?
Our designs are done in-house with our best in class design team, which includes some of the most talented eyewear designers in the industry. Every frame follows a meticulous design process. Each silhouette starts as good old-fashioned sketch on paper, before being transformed into a 3D model. It’s then that we experiment with different temple designs, frame profile shapes and sizes. The designs that make it through are crafted into real-life prototypes using 3D printing, tried and tested for fit and feel, then tweaked if necessary. Nothing is left to chance.
Our design inspiration has been taken from our KITE journey that involves the streets of East London but also our journey across the world. Each frame has a story to tell – where the inspiration has come from. For example we have the Boundary’s and Rivington’s inspired from the streets of Shoreditch (named after the relevant streets).
In choosing our manufacturer we wanted to get the absolute best in the industry and that’s why we have gone for an Italian production line & they are the best in the world, giving customers the absolute best in finish and quality.
Every Kite frame on & off the production line goes through a meticulous quality control process, In Italy but also once the Eyewear arrives here in the UK. Nothing is left to chance, everything has to be perfect for our customers.
G: What were the biggest obstacles developing and launching Kite? What did motivate you to overcome them?
Where to start? The biggest obstacles all fall under the umbrella of wanting to redesign an entire industry. Where do you start? Product? Retail experience? Online experience? We decided that we had to redesign everything and flip that experience on its head, there had to be a better way for customers! That motivated and drove us on and constantly asking those what if, why not questions and totally immersing yourself in creating change. Its been one hell of a ride but this journey is just beginning and super excited to see what the future holds…
G: What does the future has in store for your business?
We want to be the no.1 destination opticians experience retailer in the next 12 months. To do this we will be innovating our product, pushing product boundaries releasing new collections, starting with our TWR collection launching in May. As well as this we want to grow our store locations and are planning on opening a new store in the near future in the west end.
Social links:
Twitter: @kite_gb
Facebook: /kitegb
Blog: www.kitegb.com/blog
Website: www.kitegb.com
