New York based New Zealander, Mr Essentialist is a menswear, fashion and grooming blogger making waves across Instagram with his crisp, minimalist and pinterest-worthy feed.
We’ve admired his cool and contemporary blog from afar for a while now, and, knowing his passion for good glasses, decided it was time to reach out and discover a bit more about his extensive eyewear collection and why he’s such a fan of the man from California, Mr Garrett Leight.
In this post, we caught up with Mr Essentialist, AKA Alexander Atkins, to find out how he first came to discover his trademark GLCO frames.
Simply put, Garrett Leight’s frames are flawless.
I first discovered the brand wandering around a New York City tradeshow on a particularly bleak winter morning in 2013 (and not on Instagram, believe it or not). At the time Garrett was not the established optical wunderkind he is now, but GLCO’s frames spoke for themselves.
Perhaps it was the Pacman-esque logo that caught my eye – only because I am a covert gamer and any reference to the early Eighties is beyond okay with me. But GLCO’s classic frames – shapes that would easily sit at home on James Dean or a Kennedy brother – were the main attraction.
My first foray into Garrett’s perfectly tinted world involved various ombré lenses, which I soon replaced with more classic options, including his Brooks and Rialto frames. I love how each pair is uncompromisingly focused on solid design and exceptional comfort, all while offering solid solar protection.
“Shapes that would easily sit at home on James Dean or a Kennedy brother” — AA
After graduating to a pair of Milwood clips (retro-inspired and very useful for corrective lens wearers like myself), I finally found my all-time favourite… The Kinney. Named after one of Los Angeles’ prime retail destinations, The Kinney never disappoints. Hand crafted from cured cellulose acetate and available in an array of sleek colour ways, I’ll invariably grab a pair regardless of the season.
Garrett Leight optimizes California cool – an aesthetic the designer prides himself on. “Lifestyle-wise, we are all about California. Whether that comes from living here or being abroad, a beautiful sunset feels like home no matter where you are.”
I couldn’t agree more.
