A Local Lens Of Sidecar Co. Sunglasses
Art and Fashion
Eyes are the window to the soul. Unfortunately, for some of us, genetics and generations of stubborn resistance to Darwinian evolution means there has to be a thin layer of corrective glass between the eyes and the world. Baristas, bartenders, service workers and retail associates all must be keenly aware how their presentation affects the impressions they make on their customers.
Not only are glasses functional accessories (and I’m not talking about the function of Meta AI Ray-Bans in recording unwitting pedestrians), but they present added opportunities for expression and self-confidence. This is why co-founder Ryan Brown of the Moab-based eyeglass company Sidecar, dubs them “The Ultimate Accessory.”
“We think of service workers because, as opticians, we are service workers,” Brown says. “We cater to people and their needs, and we can get spat on sometimes… but this is who we want to make eyewear for. We know what it’s like to genuinely care about a product that maybe is overlooked by so many people.”
Before founding Sidecar with his eventual life partner Danielle Ainsworth (and Utah optometrists Dr. Matthew Watson and Dr. Ryan Hayes), Brown was a salesperson and optician at LensCrafters. Whatever frames Ainsworth had on when she would serve his coffee at Blue Lemon next door must have made the kind of impression you hope for, because Brown ended up recruiting her.
Brown refers to himself foremost as a frame maker, a term that seems as potentially extinct as “cobbler,” but he has dabbled in every aspect of the eyeglass industry. He’s made lenses in factory settings, worked as an optician and salesman alongside Ainsworth at LensCrafters, and even founded a trade show in Palm Springs called Eyeball.
Brown says his interest in Moab was partially piqued by the prospect of providing employment in a small community. In total, they have a dozen or so part-time workers who hand-craft the custom-order frames at their garage space, which sits next door to Moab Eyecare. Their process uses skilled technique, rather than having an over-reliance on factory machines, and employs materials from around the world — like Takiron acetate out of Japan, a vegan and biodegradable material that’s dry-aged longer than any other acetate in the world.
“We have the higher-end materials, and each frame is individual,” Brown says. “It’s a very hands-on process compared to a pair of Oakleys that are injected and are going to be more consistent. You know you’re getting something that’s more one-of-a-kind with us.”
The Sidecar style, if there is a consistency to be found among their selection of eclectic, individualistic frames, is “chunky and slightly undersized,” Brown says. There’s a very specific reason for this.
“It is very awkward for a person to shop in the kids section when they’re an adult,” Brown quips. “For someone who fits in an average frame, we like ours to be a little bit smaller. This is our style; it’s not something that’s going to be the most universal, the most popular or the best seller, but it helps people who don’t want to buy Mickey Mouse frames — people who want something fashionable.”
Sidecar eyeglasses are an accessory apart. There are dozens of frames on their website, and each comes in anywhere from 20-30 colors. Brown also stresses that what’s on the website is about 20% of what they offer. The benefit of a small, local manufacturer making your next pair of glasses is the ability to customize them, and each custom job has a turnaround time of under 30 days.
“We have close to 45 designs, and we usually keep about 30 colors in stock, so you have almost unlimited options,” Brown says. “I guess if you did the math on that, you’re close to about 900 different frame-and-color combinations.”
You can visit the Sidecar website to order custom frames and follow them on Instagram @sidecar_co.
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