S.A.D. Aviator
S.A.D. Aviator
A sunglass for our times, designed and made in collaboration with Kirk Originals. The appropriately named Seasonal Affective Disorder aviator will color even the darkest of days with optimism. The classic aviator silhouette is reimagined through the F.E. Castleberry lens in a storied Italian tortoise acetate boasting a brow bar, limpid yellow French lenses, and a modified teardrop frame…made in England.
“I am very much a person who appreciates perennial things. Things like a British tweed sport jacket, an Adidas Rod Laver tennis shoe, a classic wristwatch, and Lacoste polos—the vintage ones. There are certain things that once you find it, you like it and it's done. The S.A.D. aviator is designed with this perenniality in mind.”
—Fred Castleberry
The result is the kind of well-made, handcrafted frames Kirk Originals is known for, but with an unruly American air. Designed to never be taken off…even indoors. “They’re even better indoors. They whisper, ‘Keep your distance’ while maintaining the intimacy of eye contact.”
Hand polished Italian tortoise acetate frame
Hand cut yellow tinted French lenses
100% UVA/UVB protection
Temple length: 5.7”, lens height: 1.9”, lens width: 2.3”, nose bridge width: 0.6"
Made in England
Glasses arrive in a black leather soft case with a rich green velvet lining and black microfiber cloth.
Each Kirk Originals frame begins with a single sheet of industry-defying 8mm thick cellulose acetate from the Mazzuchelli family, an Italian sixth generation run manufacturer established in 1849. In a process that largely resembles bespoke, a master craftsman employs a series of sanding spindles to shape and contour edges akin to the lines of a classic Porsche. This procedure is performed entirely by eye and experience, resulting in a hand feel unique to each frame.
German-made steel hinges are then heat sunk into the back of the frame, an intentional choice motivated largely by discretion. Lenses, sourced from France, are painstakingly cut to size by hand. Temples are cut and hand-sculpted at 4mm thick to achieve optimal balance on the face. Sanding, polishing, and buffering are then performed on hard-to-come-by machines over 50 years old. We take great pleasure in the fact that the entire production process requires a total of 72 man hours to make each Kirk Originals handcrafted frame. This is luxury, made the old-fashioned way.
