“You can play around with what ‘type’ of person you want to be”

How many pairs of spectacles and sunglasses do you own?

Some women have a shoe addiction, I have a sunglasses addiction. Especially in my younger years, I was obsessed with sunglasses and bought them all the time, so I have heaps.

In recent years, my buying attitude has changed. Focusing on sustainability and making more conscious decisions, I want to purchase quality over quantity. I allow myself to buy one new pair a year. I can really get excited about this yearly purchase and it also feels good to have tempered my sunnies addiction.

What frame shapes, colours or styles do you usually go for?

I tend to go for oversized sunglasses. It makes me feel comfortable and strong. This preference also has to do with the shape of my face, as I don’t fit narrow glasses. In terms of colour, I like the lighter tinted glasses because I feel that it is easier to have a conversation when someone can see your eyes.

Can you describe your favourite pair?

I love any pair in the Chloé collection. ‘Rosie CE 142S 742’ gold has been a long-time favourite of mine.

I went on a mission to bring back the glasses chain from the 80s and remove the connation that it is something that only ‘grannies’ wear

Who would you pick as your style icon of glasses wearers and why?

Victoria Beckham. We actually used her collection for this year’s Sunny Cords shoot. I think she is a true inspiration for all hardworking women setting up their own businesses, while running a household full of kids, which can be challenging.

How long have you worn spectacles for, and what prompted you to go for your first sight test?

I was with my best friend driving in the car and I remember her reading a sign out loud, while I was looking at it and it was all blurry. I realised that I couldn’t see what she saw while she was sitting next to me. I remember this being a very strange feeling. The next day I went to the optometrist. I’ve been wearing spectacles ever since, for six years now.

How important is eyewear in reflecting your personality?

When we look at people, our brain automatically classifies them into certain ‘types.’ Our brain does this within one millisecond by registering and judging a person’s hair, clothing and eyewear. What I like about eyewear is that you can play around with what ‘type’ of person you want to be, even if it is just for the day, simply by choosing which pair of glasses to wear.

What inspired you to set up Sunny Cords?

The inspiration came from the simple fact that I realised how functional eyewear chains are and how trendy they can be when designed as a piece of jewellery. Always losing and forgetting my sunglasses myself, it was such a relief that I could simply let them hang. The problem was that I only found cheap, old-fashioned cords. So back in 2015, I went on a mission to bring back the glasses chain from the 80s and remove the connation that it is something that only ‘grannies’ wear by creating statement design jewellery pieces.

What I love most about reading our customers’ reviews is that they always say how many compliments they receive when they wear our Sunny Cords. This makes me smile.

Do you have a personal favourite design from Sunny Cords’ ranges?

I love them all. Otherwise they wouldn’t have made it to the collection. But I do have a few absolute favourites; I love the ‘Delicate Snake’ for a simple and more sophisticated look, but I also often wear the ‘Feather C’ design when I would like to go for more outspoken look. The nice thing is that you can also detach the feather to adjust to your mood.

What are your top three tips for selecting the right pair of frames?

1. Follow your gut-instinct within the first two seconds as soon you try a pair of frames
2. Don’t overthink it. You need to have that ‘yay’ feeling right away and trust that this pair should be yours
3. In terms of colours, I always tend to go to the black or dark-brown frames, but now I challenge myself to also try different colours because otherwise you always end up with the same type of frames. It is nice to differentiate.