Vinylize began because we wanted to make eyewear on a recyclable basis. We experimented by making old vinyl records into frames. The process has been refined over a number of years into a stylish and sophisticated product.
Some vinyl is valuable because of the content but not all and it's those unwanted vinyl records that instead of just being thrown into landfill we remake into unique and very wearable eyewear.
We have our own special method of joining vinyl with cellulose acetate which took many years of trial and error to perfect. An example of which you can see detailed in this photo.
Our frames are all stamped with our guaranteed "Handmade in Hungary" trademark.
Today we still make our frames by hand in our Budapest workshop using the methods we developed more than 10 years ago.
Vinylize frames are made unique by the vinyl record veneer that graces the front of the frame.
All our cases are handmade by sewing a zipper onto a 7" single and folding it in half.
At Vinylize we believe that music has the power to transcend borders and open minds. We believe that no other company fuses style, music and recycling more perfectly than Vinylize.
About Tipton
The foundations of Tipton Eyeworks were laid in the Seattle Washington workshop of Zachary Tipton when the young designer first began making custom rimless eyewear in 1998. For three years rimless designs were produced - all custom made - and various techniques were experimented with as new ideas took form. Some parts were hand forged from titanium welding rods and others were cut from solid material by the same machinists who make Boeing aircraft.
In 2001 Tipton began experimenting with new ways to make a unique plastic frame. After testing many materials, from acrylic to polycarbonate, he hit on the idea of using vinyl records. The unusual texture and color of the vinyl made both the material and the concept practical, interesting and appealing to work with. During the first years of experimentation and production, Zachary’s father’s personal record collection suffered some serious damage, so as the business grew, old records were purchased and made into frames.
In 2002 Zachary moved to Hungary where he found a factory which was willing to develop a vinyl frame that could be mass produced. A special method of joining cellulose acetate with vinyl was pioneered and the Vinylize collection was born. Newly developed methods of machining, tumbling and thermal forming followed.
In 2004 Zachary was joined by his brother Zoltán and the first successful collection was made, consisting of four men’s styles and four women’s styles in a basic range of colors. Tipton Eyeworks was officially founded and finally moved out from under the radar.
However, the Tipton brothers needed more vinyl to fuel their creations. Their source of material was secured when it was arranged for records to be pressed in a Czech plant near Prague. A friend provided the recording material – some very cool grooves - and a large portion of the pressings were donated to the band, sold or given away. The remainder was recycled into Vinylize products.
In 2007 Tipton Eyeworks began pressing their own records and today we work side by side with musicians. Their recordings are mastered, cut, and then pressed and the albums are distributed across Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. The records that remain are recycled into Vinylize frames. In this manner, Tipton can guarantee the release of otherwise unheard music…and an ongoing supply of ready-to-use vinyl from which to construct their frames.
Later the same year Tipton Eyeworks released a new line of eyewear featuring celluloid film strip mounted in the temples. The Cinematique line is a combination of cellulose acetate, stainless steel and authentic 16 and 35mm film strip. This range continues Tipton Eyeworks’ unique take on eyewear, playfully re-contextualizing concepts of sound and vision with frames that make a statement as well as serving a function.
Today, Tipton Eyeworks continues to produce inspired designs and quality eyewear, cementing our reputation as a dynamic creator of edgy concepts and a superior finished product. These days the focus is on creating bold new design concepts while constantly working to improve the quality and functionality of our pieces.
Vinylize
At Tipton, vinyl is a passion. The first Vinylize frames were made from old LPs purchased at the flea market. As the records became rarer and more varied in quality, we began having the music of up and coming musicians pressed. Today we press our own special records for the Vinylize collection. All the Vinylize cases are made from 7” singles. A special production process has been developed to efficiently transform them.
Vinylize frames are made unique by the vinyl record veneer that graces the front of the frame. The accompanying case is made from a 7” single that is fitted with a zipper and folded in half.
All Vinylize grooves are specially cut and mastered in Paris for Tipton Eyeworks. This is to ensure a beautiful intricate surface for all products. All display and point of purchase material directly incorporates some aspect of vinyl and music recording.
Music has the power to transcending borders and open minds. The creation of a product made from recycled material has the power to touch millions. No other company fuses music and recycling with fashion more perfectly than Tipton.
Cinematique
Cinematique frames are carved from sheets of cellulose acetate plastic. The temples are made from stainless steel. All Cinematique frames are decorated with strips of film. A visible piece of story telling history graces the temple of every frame.
The temples are made by recycling 35mm and 16mm movies. Tipton makes no discretion concerning the media on the film. Some of the film is collected from cinemas and date from after 1989 (fall of Communism in Hungary). Other rolls are purchased at the flea market or through other channels. The scenes are carefully selected for visibility. This means that we search for footage that is high in contrast to ensure a stunning temple. We can even make custom temples with film of your choice.
Tipton Eyeworks has recently been acquiring vintage 16mm films. Topics include skiing movies from the 1980’s (featuring Glen Ellen in Vermont) and nature films from the 1970’s. Another large addition to our collection is stag movies (erotic and explicit in nature) from the 1950’s and 1960’s. These stag movies are available only on request. If you are interested in seeing some examples, click here.
Environmental commitment
At Tipton we believe that everybody, including small companies, should do as much as they can to reduce, reuse and recycle. It only takes a little bit of thought and some healthy creativity to make a sizeable dent in the amount of waste that a business generates, or the amount of energy it consumes.
Besides the standard duties of recycling paper, metal, glass and plastic, Tipton also does a few other things which are unique to the business:
- Cinematique frames are made with salvaged film as often as possible.
- All left over film cuttings are used as packing material.
- Shipping boxes are reused when possible (so don’t be surprised if you receive your order in a cereal box).
- Shipping material such as Styrofoam puffs and bubble foil is also reused.
- We have a ‘paperless office’ policy – and do our best to convince our clients of this.
- All frame fronts are made with salvaged cellulose acetate which would otherwise go to landfill.
- We form salvaged vinyl records into cases, stands and other items.
- We didn’t heat the office or atelier last year. We don’t intend to next year either. (You’ve gotta toughen up if you’re gonna save the planet, right?)
- We like nothing better than to recycle cultural garbage.
We realize that we aren’t going to change the world, but at least we can show an example. And when judgment day comes, we can say that we did our best.
Transparency displayed, traceability, constant communication between offices and creating local suppliers reactivity in terms of sales point of sale, quality work at all stages of production, using advanced techniques (cutting thread milling outside for a better game thicknesses, etc..), the benefits of French production are numerous for Thierry Gros, even if it leads to a price difference.
"price plays an important role and it is important to know the justification. However, the concept of made in France, which is not subject to any regulation, begins to be seriously tarnished. It is not enough that a distributor is installed in the Jura with branded products made in France to justify a French manufacturing! In addition, the current economic rules are not consistent with domestic manufacturing at low cost. So be careful not to mislead the consumer if you do not want all suffer in the end."
