This is perhaps the most original sunglasses story I have shared with you so far. It’s a story of one entrepreneurs attempt to recapture a piece of his home town, through handmade sunglasses.

Detroit, Michigan is loved worldwide for transforming music, with its timeless Motown sound. As you know, recent years have seen a decline in Detroit’s fortunes, as the motor industry and then the local economy saw a huge downturn. This left many local people without work and sadly, in many cases, without a home.

Sunglasses from the motor city

That’s where Detroit’s Achille Bianchi comes in. Inspired by a wish to help people remember the torn down houses in his beloved city, he had an idea. He decided to design and manufacture sunglasses, made from the wood that’s left behind when a house is demolished.

Bianchi does all the work himself. It’s a process that takes 65 steps, to go from a piece of reclaimed wood to the finished sunglasses. He says he can make around 1 pair per hour. One of the nice touches Bianchi adds, is that the address of the home the wood was taken from is engraved into each pair. A personal touch, which he believes will help make each pair uniquely relevant. 

This is clearly a labor of love. Bianchi explained; “It’s not only part of Detroit’s history, it’s people’s history. People lived in those houses. It’s a lot of soul in that wood”.

This story is testimony to the spirit, of the great folks in Detroit. I hope this is a huge success.

And finally folks

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