loom: what got you into vintage glasses?

General Eyewear: I had a background in 20th Century Antiques which involved buying and selling single items. I was looking for an activity which could be built into a brand and eyewear, which I had already developed an interest in, seemed eminently suitable to that purpose.

what is your background?

I spent the 80s in Naples, initially teaching English and then running a large warehouse which sold 20th century furniture and objects. I moved back to the UK in the early 90s and while continuing to deal in furniture I did a Film and Video degree at LCP.

when did you set up general eyewear?

On completing my Film degree in 1997.

how do you edit your buys? are there any particular pieces that feel very 'general eyewear'?

General Eyewear has its own distinctive style and themes. We are not obsessed with brands and judge each frame on it’s own merits. We don't stock anything which we don't like and there are commercial pieces we wouldn't stock because we don't like them.

We also have a considerable archive which as well as containing unusual old pieces features many drawings, catalogues, one-off pieces and prototypes. We acquired a large quantity of old work and sports goggles in the process of researching the TV room goggles in Charlie and the Chocolate factory and since then have continued to systematically purchase goggles, visors and sport related glasses. This unique resource is constantly used by film and fashion designers looking for unique pieces. This typifies our general approach, which is to seek out the unusual and unexplored.

do you specialise in any particular period or type of vintage?

We're well known for having big, heavy frames which we are able to style in such a way as to make them look impressive and subtle.

how do you find your pieces? do you go to markets or do people come to you?

We go to markets in the UK and Europe, mainly to find antique pieces and because we are passionate about markets. Our main source however has always been old factories in Italy and France.

who shops with you?

Independently minded people who have very clear ideas about how they want to look. Our customers are highly creative people from every walk of life.

is there a particular piece that you would never sell?

We have a sign in the shop which says…

“Objects seen in dreams should be manufactured

and put on sale.”

Which is more or less our Manifesto. I keep many many things but in particular old handmade, sometimes unfinished frames, and above all prototypes, which often blur the boundaries of what's a wearable frame and an incredible object.

what piece would be your dream find?

Any very large pieces made in France in the 70s.

favourite place to find vintage on your travels?

The Paris flea market. I used to buy old glasses from an elderly dealer there whose business card had an image of them with the caption "half man, half woman”.

strangest place that you’ve bought pieces from?

The abandoned factories in France and Italy were incredibly fascinating, especially as finding them involved real detective work, sometimes lasting years.

Visit General Eyewear at…

Arch 67, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AH.