A. Society’s founders on the Hong Kong eyewear brand’s local soul and global reach
As Asian eyewear labels command growing attention, A. Society has launched an enhanced version of its A. Custom in-store personalisation service
Across Asia, eyewear brands are having a moment. From South Korea’s Gentle Monster to Sunnies Studios from the Philippines, these companies are finding a global audience thanks to their trendy styles, hi-tech features and in-store experiences – and installations that have transformed retail destinations into tourist hotspots.
Here in Hong Kong, A. Society has set out to do all that and then some since launching in 2018, putting a distinctly local twist on its campaigns and activations. The home-grown brand’s three co-founders – Julien “Nadet” Avignon, Kenny Kwok and Dee Lam – joined forces after noticing a gap in the market for quality eyewear at an accessible price point. An average pair retails for around HK$1,000; custom pieces are HK$1,150 and up.
When Style caught up with the trio at the A. Society store at K11 Musea, to talk about the brand’s newly improved customisation service, we found them dressed in classic, unfussy streetwear – a style not unlike the brand’s signature frames.
“When you look at the eyewear market, not many people propose that kind of service in store,” Nadet says of A. Society’s enhanced A. Custom offering. It’s a personalisation process in which customers select their own frames and lenses on a tablet before getting their name or a personal message engraved on the side. It can be done in an hour or less; previously, the brand’s personalisation process took up to a week. “It’s something different we wanted to do to [let] people feel involved in the process of creating their pair [of glasses] and be involved in the brand,” Nadet adds. “A. Society is [built] around people, so having the opportunity in store to create your thing, or even gift to someone, is quite important for us.”
A. Society was born in response to the founders’ observation that many Western eyewear brands’ glasses weren’t well suited to Asian faces. A. Custom aims to offer frames for every face shape, with standard and wide sizes, and fits tailored to both lower and higher nose bridges.
The brand’s latest collaboration is an exclusive eyewear capsule created with cult lifestyle brand Maison Kitsuné. It features a limited edition chop: a carved seal traditionally used as a signature on everything from paperwork to artwork, and an indelible part of Hong Kong’s history.
When it comes to A. Society’s partnerships, Nadet says they’re about more than just “putting the name of a brand on a pair of glasses”. Kwok cites the label’s collaboration with the M+ museum – crafted entirely in sterling silver and inspired by the works of pioneering Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei – as an example. “Innovation is always at the core,” Nadet says. “We wonder what we can bring [to] the market that is not overdone. Few brands are using [silver]. It [made sense for] an architectural collaboration with an art museum.”