New frame of Flare series breaks the mould from Sunday Shades' classic design, as brand takes a leap of faith in embracing fun and being different
Sunday Shades' new Flare series will initially be available in three colours, but will eventually feature up to 8 colourways. PHOTO: JOHN YEONG, SPORTPLUS.SG
Singapore, 10 November 2022 — Known for their polarised Asian-fit sunglasses that do not bounce and slip off while you participate in sporting activities, Sunday Shades Co. has really taken off in the local sporting community over the past few years with both elite athletes and weekend warriors seen sporting various colourful hues from the beach volleyball courts to running trails and over the water on kayaks and dragonboats.
Fizzy Fantasy from Sunday Shades' new Flare series. PHOTO: SUNDAY SHADES CO.
As the homegrown eyewear brand prepares to launch its latest Flare series, a bold move away from the classic shape and design its been known for, we speak with co-founder Kenneth Tan about Sunday Shades Co.'s inspirations, the journey they have been on, what we can expect from their upcoming shades and also plans for the future.
Sunday Shades Co. has certainly taken off and you guys have made a name for yourselves in the local sports scene. How happy are you with the responses so far from the community?
KT: We are very grateful and happy for all the support we've received. What started as an experiment and side hustle became our full time commitment now and we cannot ask for more. We are especially thankful to all the ambassadors who agreed to work with us when we were starting out, even though we were then a tiny and unknown brand.
Lion City Sailors Women's Team goalkeeper Beatrice Tan sporting Sunday Shades' new "Go for Gold" Surge series. PHOTO: SUNDAY SHADES CO.
You shared previously you are constantly getting feedback from athletes and actual Sunday Shades wearers on areas to improve before you go back to manufacture and redesign your new glasses - how many significant iterations of Sunday Shades has there been already?
KT: We are always soliciting feedback from actual users because we believe that is only way to make our shades even better.
For example, the rubberised coating that we use on most of our shades came from a feedback from an ultra-marathoner. After using our shades for his ultra-marathon, he feedbacked how he loved that the shades was so lightweight that he forgot it was even there. However, he said it would even be better to have a rubberised coating. We had rubberised coating for the next release and these shades have become our top seller.
When designing a new shape, we can have as much as 10 iterations of the prototype before settling on one that we are completely satisfied with. We are currently working on a new shape and we had to start again because the finished product fits differently from the final prototype. We'd rather delay the launch than releasing something that is not up to our fans’ expectations.
Triathlete Yuthika sporting his Sunday Shades overseas. PHOTO: SUNDAY SHADES CO.
What is the inspiration behind each of the Classic, Tempo, Surge, and the upcoming Flare series?
KT: Sunday Shades started with just one design - Classic. When starting out, we did not have much budget and we wanted a shape that is unisex and suitable for most face shapes. The Classic shape is popular and never goes out of style so we started with that.
Tempo is our second series and it is a bit more rectangular compared to the Classic. We wanted something that flatters without any hard angles and Tempo was born. Surge was our third series as we wanted a rounder shape that is suitable for both men and women.
We wanted our next series to be fun and different. The idea for a single piece of lens came up as we were discussing the possibility of producing cycling sunglasses for our tropical weather. Since that will require more research, we decided to create a series that is fun and functional – and the eventually became Flare.
Yogi Miryam Acosta in her Cosmic Wave Classic shades. PHOTO: SUNDAY SHADES CO.
Which series is actually the most popular among athletes? Classic, Tempo or Surge?
KT: Classic. Probably simply because we started with Classic and we have much more variations of that compared to the rest.
Which sports have you seen using Sunday Shades apart from running and beach volleyball? Any notable athletes we know?
KT: We’ve seen athletes using it during beach workouts, outdoor crossfit sessions, cycling (we are OCBC Cycle’s official eyewear partner), dragonboating, longboard skating, kayaking, windsurfing etc. Hopefully more to come!
Nigel and Andre of Elevate Performance Coaching with their Sunday Shades. PHOTO: SUNDAY SHADES CO.
What can fans / consumers expect from the new upcoming Flare series that makes it different from the other earlier series?
KT: Flare is our most futuristic design yet. It features a striking single piece of lens that is unlike any of our existing designs. It is slightly larger than the Classic, which ensures more coverage. Most of the Flare’s lens colors are not available in any of the existing series. There will be 8 colorways eventually during the first phase of the release, but our first release will be 3 colourways.
PHOTO: SUNDAY SHADES CO.
Do you personally have a prefered pair of Sunday Shades that you like to wear? Why?
KT: I would like to say ALL, but that wouldn’t be accurate (laughs). Here are the co-founder’s favourite Sunday Shades: My favourite is the Ocean Surf X Classic. I love the semi-transparent blue which goes well with almost anything. I feel it is classy enough for everyday wear and also for sports.
Dorothy’s favourite is the Tembusu X Classic because the matte green is unique and refreshing. Its stands out without being garish. Raymond’s favourite is the new Solar Wind Flare because it is uber comfortable, uber light, and the lens colour while very cool, is understated.
Visit Sunday Shades Co.'s official website to snag your own pair of shades today, and keep a lookout for the hugely popular Flare series, to be released on Friday, 11 November 2022!
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