Vision, probably one of the most important of the five senses. But it can most definitely be unreliable, providing us with long or shortsighted blurriness.
Glasses. They live on your face, they are constantly taking up your peripheral vision, and they are an extension of the body encompassing crisp eyesight. And whilst they are a physical entity in themselves, they can often say more about the wearer. There is the primary assumptions upon meeting a spectacle wearer, instantly judging on the wearer are ‘Studious, not cool, geek etc’, and then secondary judgments coming from the design of the frames, are they big lenses? Are they cheap? Are they designer? Are they tinted lenses?

Both Lee and I are glasses wearers, me not so much, but Lee is a full-timer. We found after a fleeting trip to Specsavers, we knew that we needed some special spex.

I first went to Arckiv in about 2006, when the studio was still based off Brick Lane. Both me and my friend were led in on the promise of cheap fashion books, and what we found was so much better than that. My enquiring mind led me to instantly questioning the proprietary, Fraser Laing on his establishment, who in a nutshell explained that he sources beautifully designed frames from far and wide, and even does some custom making for the designers amongst us.
That was then, and since, Arckiv has moved into a chi chi arch in Camden Market. Me and Lee went down there to outfit our faces with some corrective eyewear.

The space is curated like a gallery, with glasses carefully displayed in A0 plan desks, hiding away giving you the rummage factor that really does make a good shop.

Arckiv sells both corrective spectacles (to your prescription of course), and sunglasses of the highest caliber. Prices are in fact, quite good. With mine costing £145 (frames and specs) and Lee’s costing £150. Definitely shouldn’t have gone to Specsavers.

by Rosie

Arch 67, the Stables Market
Chalk Farm Road, London, United Kingdom NW1 8AH
07790 102 204
Map