Right guy, right place.  That’s how I feel about the Production Manager for anvifrieze and friezeframes Mr. Aaron J. Christy.  Aaron takes on a role in the factory that assumes many responsibilities, most of which make my brain spin due to their complexity but he makes them look easy!  Arriving on bicycle at 7:30am, Aaron was greeted by me and a bag of props and  I asked “you ready to be photographed?  He said gently, “sure”.  What happened next was pure photo gold and he answered a few questions for me. 

Meet Aaron J. Christy, 35 years old, Production Manager at anvifrieze & friezeframes.

Me- “Hi Aaron, you look nice today!”

Aaron- “Thanks man, been trying something new with my hair.”

Me- “Right on.”

Me- The factory is neat and everyone seems to really enjoy their job, definitely has a great energy.  What are your challenges as Production Manager and creating handcrafted eyewear?”

Aaron- “Everyday is different and can bring with it a handful of new challenges, but the challenges are what motivate me.  A daily goal and challenge is creating a prototype that meets our desired design.  We will always be looking for ways to improve how our eyewear is crafted.”

Me- “With your job comes stress and deadlines, what do you do in your free time away from work?”

Aaron- “I spend a lot of my time painting and drawing.”

Me- “Well, that sets up my next question perfectly.”

Aaron- “Great!”

Me- “You have designed some eyewear and continue to do so, are you a natural artist and has it been a process to learn design?”

Aaron- “I don’t know if I would call myself a natural artist, but I have always appreciated art of all kinds and have spent many years drawing, painting and creating.  Design is difficult because I need to create a style that people will want to wear, with my art I am trying to create something that makes me happy.  The gap is minimal still, and in both scenarios an awesome design is the goal.”

Me- “I am pretty impressed with the design process here at anvi and frieze, do you design for both companies?”

Aaron- “I have been a part of the design team for both anvi and frieze for the last 3 collections.  It’s fun to see what works and what doesn’t!”

Me- “You recently designed a new prototype called the “Ventura”, I know that one is a favorite but do you have any other styles close to your heart!?”

Aaron- “Overall the “Frisco” from frieze and the “Roadster” by anvi.  The “Lincoln” and  “Ventura” are my personal designs and a couple of my favorites for sure!”

Me- “Is there anyone you would like to say hi to?”

Aaron- “My wife Gabi!”

Me- “Cute”

Aaron- “Stop”

Me- “What’s been the most enjoyable part of working for the two eyewear companies?”

Aaron- “Being a part of the design and production, making sure from drawing to final assembly we are crafting something we can be proud of!  Our work environment is great and we have a great team, you feel like you are a part of the company and not just another nameless worker.”

Me- “What are you most excited for when thinking about the future of anvifreize and friezeframes?”

Aaron- “I would have to say watching as anvi and frieze grow and the ability to be a part of that!”

Summer is right around the corner and so are the prototypes for our newest collection.  Excited for both and even more excited to start production on the fresh new styles!  We took inspiration from new materials and added our classic take on the design to create the boldest frames to date.

We never sacrifice comfort for design, in fact we the new styles are the perfect blend of both.  The colors and details will have consumers eager to see more!

Stay tuned as we will be photographing and featuring the new styles soon!

Just when I think it isn’t possible to love friezeframes anymore, I am introduced to a style/color new to me and I fall in love all over again!  Holding, seeing and putting the frame on for the first time is like the feeling of those perfect pair of jeans you own.  You know they are going to feel great, but looking in the mirror and checking yourself out confirms and satisfies that desire to look good and be comfortable doing so!  The “Diplomat” from the Six collection has lines and style features that push the level of elegance into a class of it’s own.  A lightweight frame with timeless structure, the beautifully crafted brow shows volume while staying streamline and slender overall.  The “Diplomat” in my eyes, is the perfect example of how eyewear should be designed and constructed.  

Not everything is as it seems in the eyewear industry, it’s actually way better!  With a growing number of men embracing eye fashion, designs are expanding and the appeal of retro throwback styles are on the rise.

Men are becoming more aware of the 1^st impression they give off and the “Gentleman” could be the best description for the overall style.  Sophisticated and groomed, it has become more popular to have your hair cut by a barber and your accessories designer made.  Friezeframes is excited for this movement and with the appeal of buying products made in the USA building, it is clear that friezeframes will continue to see success for years to come!

This week’s blog was inspired by the below Men’s Journal article from the recent May 2013 issue.

After a smooth flight into New York City for the Vision Expo East last week, we settled into our apartment just long enough for Marc to say, “Let’s go to Black Shack!!!”  Needless to say nobody exhausted themselves with a fight and before we knew it were smashed into a cab headed to Lexington Ave.   The awning of Black Shack bares crowned butcher knives that let you know this burger joint means business!  Inviting from the outside and screaming with flavor on the inside, this dive bar inspired interior reminds you why you came!  The walls are on their way to being smothered with concert posters and memories had by the chef. 

As a new a new comer it is important to ask questions and without a doubt wet your whistle with one of many gourmet canned beers offered!  Friezeframes recommends the Western with bacon and the spicy Cajun fries!  Words can encourage, but actions speak louder.  Black Shack is a staple in our visits to NYC and the three times in one week that we ate the burgers proves that!  So next time you are in New York City, stop by Black Shack and keep an eye out for the tall, charismatic man wearing Capo’s from friezeframes.  He will be the genius to thank for your mouth-watering burger delight!  Thanks for everything, Jeff!

“Tell ‘em Large Marge sent ya!!!”

Anvifrieze and friezeframes couldn’t be more excited about next week’s International Vision Expo East.  We have a great team headed to New York to represent the American handmade brands, and they are looking forward to introducing the newest collections from both brands.  The colorful Aero Collection from anvifrieze should get a lot of attention, and there is no doubt that the Presidential Collection from friezeframes will be received with much anticipation!

Being two of the few eyewear companies made in the USA sets us apart at a show of this caliber.  We wanted to make a statement this year, so we positioned ourselves in a great new location and new 40 foot booth design.  We will continue to push our premier retro-chic eyewear brands, anvifrieze and friezeframes to set the standard for fashion eyewear and give our consumers the highest quality American made product available.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Production is at full speed in 2013!  Designing friezeframes styles is one of our favorite things to do, naming them can be the tricky part!  Nonetheless, we always enjoy creating that common thread for our collections.  At friezeframes we create our prototypes first and name later, this gives us a little time to start the ball rolling on a collection name.  Once the collection is named we can start identifying each frame style.  For instance our first American made collection “Americana” had frame styles named for American Cities, it just felt right.  In other cases the naming process can be as random as making up words and defining the meanings after, we took this approach with our “Strata” collection.

One thing that seems to stay true to our designs and the names given to them is our interests and personalities.  Our Heritage Collection was named after actual Family members and the Era Collection was inspired by numbers reflecting significant memories and is a nod to particular car designs and the year they were built.  We feel that naming our eyewear is important and gives the frames their identity!

You can’t beat ours!  friezeframes and anvifrieze call Ventura, CA home and this surf city pulses with the vibes that help shape our frame styles.  From the beatnik inspired Little Joe’s to the Fastback metal frames, there is no denying that friezeframes and anvifrieze exude that classic California style!

We are excited to bring that California vibe to The Vision Expo East in New York mid March.  It is here that we will be introducing the newest styles from anvifrieze, in the aviation inspired Aero Collection.  freizeframes will continue to push style boundaries and kicks off 2013 with the inauguration of The Presidential Collection at Vision Expo East. 

 The Little Joe and Fastback shown below.