Page 217 - Demo

215With most of our stores now dominated by global brands, it%u2019s extraordinary to think that in the 1980s, one of Australia%u2019s largest spectacle and sunglasses brands was homegrown. Sydneyborn designer Jonathan Sceats harnessed the optimism and energy of his hometown to create a brand that sold more than a million pairs of frames, both locally and internationally.After his optometrist father retired, Jonathan began his journey by fitting sunglass lenses into leftover frames and selling them at the local market. That early success spurred him on to %u00a0 design and manufacture frames under his own name.In 1987, Jonathan took a 1950s-style cat%u2019s-eye frame and slightly flattened the top to give it a more contemporary (aka 1980s) style, which was rounded out with the splashes of colour. The decision to name the range after Sydney%u2019s famous Palm Beach was indicative of how Australiana was being embraced at the time and reflected the designer%u2019s confidence in releasing locally influenced designs.Jonathan%u2019s small, nimble business allowed him to stay fashion-forward. His designs combined sleek aesthetics with technological innovation %u2013 he was one of the first to use highdensity cellulose acetate, a material that could be cut very thin but remained incredibly strong. Local fashion magazines, including%u00a0 Vogue, featured his designs, and demand grew rapidly. At the height of Sceats%u2019 success, 40 per cent of his sales were in France.In Australia, Jonathan Sceats%u2019 eyewear sat alongside the biggest international brands, often outselling them thanks to his mantra of comfort, fit and quality. Although he sold the brand in the 1990s, his frames remain a potent reminder of a buoyant and inventive era in Australian fashion.YEAR 1987DESIGNER & MANUFACTURER Jonathan SceatsThe decision to name the range after Sydney%u2019s famous Palm Beach was indicative of how Australiana was being embraced at the time.