Overview
UK sunglassmakers Tens have put those "I wish I could Instagram my life" whines into reality. Creating "the real life photo filter", the team's debut pair of sunglasses attempt to place an Instagram filter over your day. People look more attractive, crappy bus stops look more romantic, your homecooked breakfast disaster looks a million bucks. Wait. But isn't that... uh... how all sunglasses function?
"Tens is a sunglasses brand with a simple ambition; to make your day look ten times better," the group stated. Tens raised £138,498 ($249,562 AUS) via crowdfunding site Indiegogo to make the sunglasses, with backers directly buying pairs from the project page. The team spent three years perfecting the custom lens tint, with solid UV400 protection to boot. Made from a CR-39 plastic polymer, the lens is scratch resistant so your Instagrammed life won't be shattered by pesky flecks from your pocket keys.
Co-founding director Marty Bell, also one of the creative minds behind summer-charged online radio project Poolside FM, explained to Vice: "We asked ourselves: What if we could skip the cameras and computers altogether? What if there was a way we could filter everything that we see whilst disconnected from technology?" Vice called the sunglasses "Instagram to the second power," after featuring them as part of The Creators Project.
The debut frame for Tens, 'The Classic' is available to nab from their Indiegogo site for $60 with free worldwide postage until June 6. Unisex frames come in black, navy, teal and deep red and are bought directly as 'perks' on the Indiegogo site. While you can't switch between filters, the whole outcome looks pretty X-Pro II meets Nashville, with a Hefe twinge. It remains to be seen how differently the glasses make things 'grammy to regular polarised glasses, but for 60 beans the gamble's not too highly staked.
