As the founder of Queen of Specs, Steph Kersey-Lane hopes to bring her love of stylish, sustainable eyewear to everyone. Based just outside of Cheltenham, Queen of Specs is a curated collection of vintage, preloved and sustainably sourced designer glasses frames, and sunglasses for quality conscious people.
‘I’ve grown up around glasses and sunglasses.’ Steph remarks. ‘My father has been an optician for over 50 years and I used to love visiting the trade fairs to see new designs and spent hours trying on pairs from his vintage collections.’ This lifelong love of eyewear gave Steph the idea to start Queen of Specs and offer a selection of handpicked, sustainably sourced glasses and sunglasses to all – with or without prescription lenses.
Glasses frames manufacturers launch designs throughout the year like fashion houses, but what doesn’t sell usually ends up languishing in storerooms or even worse going to landfill, coupled with the fact that on average 1.6 million pairs of old glasses are thrown away each year means being a glasses wearer may not be that good for the environment.
Not if you buy your glasses from Queen of Specs though. Steph sources ‘deadstock’ new frames and reconditions each preloved frame by hand. As Steph explains, ‘Once the frames come into us, they go through a rigorous reconditioning process where we ultrasonically clean them, replace any broken parts and add your prescription or tinted lenses as required – there’s no better feeling than rediscovering a beautiful new pair of glasses from a pair no longer used.’
‘Quite often our customers ask us for advice on what suits them which is why we developed an Eyewear Style Guide . I really enjoy talking through style and lens options to help them choose the best frames for them. After all, as we are now spending so much time on video calls, why not make a statement with your eyewear.’
So, whether its vintage, preloved or sustainable glasses or sunglasses you are looking for, Steph would love to help you find your perfect pair. ‘I am so passionate about what we do’ continues Steph, ‘and would love the opportunity to share my passion for sustainable fashion and eyewear with everyone.’