by Miette Dsouza
IZIPIZI has opened its newest store in Camden Town.
Running around with friends on a playground as a child, with the sun casting golden hues across the sky, you would have heard the word easy-peasy being thrown around frequently. Whether it was when someone found it extremely easy to win at a game of catch or found hopscotch to be a cakewalk. This word has now become synonymous with the eyewear brand, IZIPIZI whose designs and price range stay true to its name.
IZIPIZI is a French brand and the brainchild of three long-time friends, Xavier Aguera, Charles Brun, and Quentin Couturier. On the eve of their fourth UK-based store opening in London’s most creative and artsy neighbourhood, Camden Town, the shop buzzed to life with people of all ages trying on sunglasses and even ski goggles.
“We’ve wanted to open a store in Camden for many years so this is like a dream come true. It’s just the beginning and we’re very very happy,” says Charles Brun.
“We started our brand 12 years ago and sold eyewear through Selfridges and Harrods. As our glasses grew in popularity, we started to open our own stores with a wide range of products. The first one was at Carnaby, then Covent Garden and we then expanded to Kings Road and now Camden where there are very different kinds of demographics.
Our locations show that we are an open brand that welcomes people from all ages as you can see from tonight as well,” says Xavier Aguera.
While DJ Vick Hope remixed Rihanna and Beyonce, the bartenders mixed the alcoholic version of a Pinkity Drinkity which perfectly matched the colour of a certain flamingo pink pair of sunglasses I had my eyes on. The lively music coupled with the multicoloured mural on the walls only reinforced the fact that this brand was the poster child of fun.
As I admired the walls lined with vibrantly coloured sunglasses, pastel shades of purple and yellow and colourful turtle shell sunglasses, came into focus.
Besides the sunglasses’ unique designs, they were also lightweight which meant that you didn’t feel it on your face or have to push it up the bridge of your nose every few seconds. The brand is also attempting to be sustainable as they stock bio-based sunglasses where the material used to make the eyewear is partially derived from a plant and is not completely plastic.
“We want to make glasses for everyone regardless of their age. We see many people entering our stores, right from the ages of 1 to 77, so the idea is to be for everybody,” says Xavier.
“We make sunglasses with cool designs for every member of the family and every moment in life,” says Charles.
“We started our brand by making reading glasses, which is typically for people over 40 and we wanted people even at that age to be able to wear fashionable eyewear. Then we made sunglasses and got a wide range of customers and currently, we even have a kid’s collection. Our brand has now become something that caters to each part of the family,” says Xavier.
As well as being inclusive, the brand is also affordable - with all their items retail for an average of £40– 50 and snow goggles being their highest-priced item at £80. As I devour the Vietnamese spring roll offered to me, I can’t help but regard how the essence of the brand is captured in every small aspect of the store, right down to its lively location and the store aesthetic.
Xavier Aguera says: “The aim of our brand is to make high-quality glasses with affordable designs that are accessible to everyone. We’re a very open-minded company and we just want to spread happiness.”
Edited by Emily Duff