Wave Of Wood: the first collection of fully customizable frames
Wave of Wood, or WoW for close friends, is a collection of optical frames and sunglasses handmade in wood. This collection has been dreamed up, thought out, designed, and manufactured by two passionate opticians, Sébastien and Antoine. Over 2 years of research and testing have been necessary to produce lightweight and comfortable frames (around 20-25 grams including lenses depending on the model) that last.
An eyewear collection handmade from Wood
The collection is refined and includes contemporary designs. Designed for everyone, and worn by the most daring. Wearing a WoW is above all carrying know-how, a method of artisanal manufacturing, elegance, and astonishment, with the warmth of wood in addition. WoW has always had an ethic and identity that respect the environment. The logic is therefore for them to use wood species from eco-managed and standardized drills (PEFC, FSC ...) an environmentally friendly varnish and to minimize the "carbon" impact of their company.
All the 70 manufacturing steps of a Wave of Wood frame are carried out in their workshops located in Arthon, in Retz, and Saint Mars de Coutais, near Nantes. Only the Wave of Wood team works on a Wave of Wood from the design of the frame to its casing. So you know what you are buying: glasses 100% Made in France with respect for the environment.
If you are looking for an original and a high-quality product, Wave of Wood will give you this.
Discover the Mineral collection in wood and natural stones manufactured
near Nantes
during the silmo paris Hors les Murs in Rennes on October 19, 2020
.
About the company
Optician training
Trained opticians, Antoine Gouviac and Sébastien Bourdon have embarked on the manufacture of wooden frames in Arthon. They are targeting the major global optical fair, in 2017, in Paris.
It all started with a challenge. A challenge that they launched during a vacation in Corsica, in the summer of 2012. “We visited a cutlery, where wooden articles were offered. We said to each other why not also the glasses ”, remember Antoine Gouviac and Sébastien Bourdon, ten-year-old friends. These two young in their thirties, opticians by training, had been looking for an idea for some time to innovate. They had just found their material. All they had to do was develop their art. A challenge of almost two years.
“Our frames had to fit perfectly on the nose, without hurting. Let them be pleasant and pretty, ”describes Sébastien Bourdon, a native of Normandy. To make their first pairs, the two founders bought a 3D milling machine with the help of donations collected online.
Hundreds of eyewear models
In April 2015, they officially created their company and their brand: Wave of wood. Understand there "wave of wood", a nod to Sébastien Bourdon's passion for surfing. They inject nearly € 20,000 and buy two new machines. Then, in May 2016, the two entrepreneurs set up their workshop in the Butai artisanal zone, in Arthon-en-Retz. Just above the optical store run by Sébastien Bourdon. From their pocket factory have already come out hundreds of different models, solar and sight. Nearly 300 have been sold throughout France, to a dozen opticians that they have managed to convince.
All their wood sheets come from a “Vendée” supplier. The glasses come from a recognized factory in the Aisne. In the desire to offer glasses of French design. The finished product is sold at “a little above average” prices. Despite this and the competition from distributors who are betting on Asian bamboo, requests for restocking are starting to increase. "It validates our work", appreciate the two friends, convinced of having their "place" on the market.
The collection's sunglasses are fitted with Novacel signature lenses, whether polarizing or not, with the possibility of mirrored lenses. The cases, meanwhile, are handcrafted by the two opticians, in leather or wood.
Environment-friendly collection
Respectful of the environment, the two young founders of the brand use quality wood species with PEFC or FSC standards, which therefore come from eco-managed forests and not from intensive deforestation. In order to have as few intermediaries as possible in order to reduce production costs, Antoine takes care of the design of the frames, the cutting and the veneer of the species in Tours.
Sébastien takes over for the cutting and varnishing of the frames near Nantes. Three types of wood are available: local wood, the entry level, with local woods such as oak, olive or sycamore; exotic woods (paddouk, zebrano, rosewood…) and precious woods (amourette, white ebony, rosewood…).
Joey Star, an ambassador for Wow Eyewear
Joey Star wearing a pair of Wave of Wood glasses
Especially since they can also count on an unexpected boost: the rapper and actor, Joey Starr, lover of tinted glasses, flashed on their glasses thanks to social networks. He has become a sort of ambassador for their brand to his thousands of followers, at no cost to them. On the strength of these arguments, the duo now wants to take a new step-through Paris. The two founders launched then a new crowdfunding campaign (1) to buy a stand at SILMO in 2017.
Written by Adam