Ever since 2002, when he returned to London after a long stint in Hong Kong, Tom Davies has redefined exclusivity in eyewear. He is universally acknowledged as the pioneer of bespoke eyewear, even though he insists that it is actually a very old idea — dating back to the 19th century. Here he is, in a freewheeling chat with You&Eye.
You&Eye (Y&E): Hi, Tom. In 1997 you left everything to pursue a career in Hong Kong. Why Hong Kong? Or rather, why not London, New York or Paris?
Tom Davies (TD): There was a real buzz about Hong Kong at that time, still is; but this was the handover year. I had a choice — London, New York or Hong Kong — and I wanted to be somewhere exciting. It’s also where the manufacturing was, I knew I could get stuck in. It wasn’t the best paid offer I got, but it was an opportunity I jumped at.
Y&E: What was the general reaction when you decide to go ‘bespoke’?
TD: People thought I was mad to try and make single frames for each customer — it’s far easier to mass produce.
Y&E: When did you know you were in business?
TD: I moved back to London in 2002. Moving to London and designing bespoke glasses from there was easy. People came and found me through word-of-mouth publicity and pretty soon I had a four-month waiting list because the factory I was using couldn’t cope with the extra work needed for each frame. That’s when I knew I had to have my own workshop.
When I started the company there were few of shops still doing this worldwide, but there was no bespoke eyewear industry. Even today, people have copied the concept of offering bespoke service but this is usually just about changing the colour of a frame or having a modular system for ordering interchangeable parts. TD Tom Davies is the only eyewear company that will make a completely new shape of frame as well as colour, and we can make them in acetate, titanium, buffalo horn, gold and platinum.
Y&E: Can you explain the process of creating bespoke eyewear?
TD: An optician trained to design bespoke glasses will sit down with you for a consultation; you might want to start choosing material and style. Then colours. Probably last are the measurements for the perfect fit.
Y&E: When it comes to customisation, what can the customer expect from a TD Tom Davies eyewear?
TD: Most people only need a millimetre change here and there, like a suit being tailored. We say that a millimetre is a powerful measurement in frame design.
They might want to change the colour of the frame — even the finish (matt, polish or scratch) — and of course, they have their name laser engraved into the temple arm. But we can do much more than that — the designers in our workshop can design a new shape to a frame to match the customer’s features, including extra engraving or details — or, if they had a bespoke consultation at our design office they could have me personally design a frame on a blank sketch pad.
Y&E: What are the materials that TD Tom Davies works with?
TD: We use the highest quality materials available. The metals are titanium, the acetate is cotton acetate and the buffalo horn is Indian (India produces the best buffalo horn). All colour on the metal frames is achieved with ION plating. We have also produced frames using precious metals and jewels – there is no limit.
Y&E: Who are your target customers and what draws them to bespoke eyewear as opposed to eyewear from very famous brands?
TD: Some of our customers are the super rich, but others are normal people who don’t want to compromise on what they wear every day. If you want something exclusive, something well fitting, something well made, then why would you want to wear something from a famous brand?
They are mass produced in such large numbers they have to compromise on design. It’s like buying an off the peg suit when you could have a tailor-made one.
Bespoke is all about having a frame designed and made especially for you. You and the optician choose the colours and the shape and it’s fitted perfectly for your features — our motto is ‘why compromise?’. Bespoke is about making a one-off frame only for you.
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