In Focus: Vehla Eyewear
Collage by Aylea Skye; Original Images by Aylea Skye and Vehla Eyewear
‘In Focus’ is a new segment in which The VogueCIEL looks at emerging brands that have a focus on craftsmanship and ethics.
“The newest brand of luxe, high-quality eyewear for women.”
- VEHLA Eyewear
Since it’s launched in 2019, Australian brand VEHLA has garnered many admirers. Their collection of urbane, high-quality eyewear with a modern-retro sensibility strikes an equilibrium between contemporary and timeless, luxury and affordable.
We spoke to the founder, Georgia Williams about how developed the concept of the brand and curated such a sought-after collection of eyewear.
How did the concept for VEHLA Eyewear come about and why?
As a consumer myself, I was fascinated by the concept of creating a product and building a brand alongside it. I have seen many young brands evolve into global businesses because there are a great model and product behind it all. Eyewear is interesting because it’s an accessory that is used every day by almost everyone. Whilst the design and functionality aspect is quite technical, there is so much versatility in what you can create. This is what drove me to create my own!
The collection is very well curated. How did you develop it?
I always had a clear vision of the direction in which the brand aesthetic would go. The goal was to create pieces that I couldn’t find myself and that really make a statement. From both collections, the styles are a mix of both modern and vintage-inspired with bold colourways that are difficult to find elsewhere. The eyewear market is so heavily saturated, particularly with either low priced products that don’t comply with regulations or overpriced products that are simply not affordable for everyone. I wanted to create a brand perfectly in between, ensuring a high-quality product whilst making it an accessible price point.
What are the must-have/signature pieces in the collection?
From both collections, some styles have sold out a few times over the course of 6 months! The Artesia, Dixie, Olsen and Vermont are some of the signature pieces and must-haves! They are a mix of metal and acetate and can be worn any season of the year.
What does ethical fashion mean to you? And how do you implement sustainable values to VEHLA Eyewear?
We take ethical fashion seriously, which is why we only use vegan leather for our cases and have significantly reduced single-use plastic from packaging and production. A couple of months after launching, we decided to re-model the packaging so that all pieces are reusable and environmentally sustainable. We got rid of the plastic sleeves that were used to protect the frames and put reusable silk pouches instead. As an evolving e-commerce brand, it is so easy to get carried away in the world of luxurious excess packaging and waste, but we are conscious of playing our part in implementing sustainable practices.
What are your plans for the future of the brand?
Our plan is to continue expanding a global customer base, re-defining our product and building the brand. We launched Collection 01 and Collection 02 in the first 6 months and are working on Collection 03 which will launch in May 2020. There are many exciting projects along the way, so stay tuned!
Shop the collection exclusively on the VELHA Eyewear website.