Page 31 - March #170

Hampstead, UK

n an industry that has become staid and uninspiring, characterised enjoyable as possible, becoming a true homage to the humble spectacle.
by badly constructed and fitted frames, confusing and overly “All of our stores are unique, designed with the unique customer
Icomplicated processes and clinical and unfriendly environments, and environments in mind. All o er a range of services you cannot
Cubitts feel it does not need to be this way. yet get online – from comprehensive eye exams, to on-site repairs
They believe in the importance of spectacles and that they should be and adjustments. We do not upsell and we refuse to compromise on
treated as such. They believe that they do not just o er the wonders quality,” Broughton says.
of improved vision, but that they can become an extension of you. In addition, the brand provides a bespoke service for those wanting to
They believe that a perfectly fitting, well-made and well-chosen pair of create their own individual frames. It o ers customers an opportunity
spectacles should be a right, not a privilege. to design an original frame from scratch, precise to their exact
“Spectacles have always fascinated me. They are one of the most measurements, with over 300 colours to choose from. They make
personal choices you can make – they sit in the middle of your face frames not merely for aesthetic or fit, but for vocation. In the past they
and define how you see and how you are seen,” says Tom Broughton, have created frames for airline pilots (with slender temples to fit under
Founder of Cubitts. “Unfortunately, it felt as though that as an industry an earpiece), DJs (with light sensitive lenses) and surgeons (with tight
it had become quite bland. Cubitts was born at my kitchen table in macro lenses).
Kings Cross as a way to challenge that and create something new in “Our ethos is that we have a passionate desire to revive a broadly
the industry.” forgotten and unloved industry. We are all getting older and we are
The company has come a long way since that kitchen table and now staring at screens for longer, and our eyesight is getting worse because of
operates a dozen stores in London, Brighton, Cambridge and Leeds. it. So the transformative role of a well-fitting pair of spectacles has never
Each site in the portfolio is unique and designed to celebrate its been greater – and we want to help with that,” concludes Broughton.
environment and the incredible people who inhabit it. Their stores are
much more than physical boxes where they sell their product; they are
part of the community in which they inhabit.
The e ects of Covid-19 forced the company’s hand in the way they
did things. Ultimately, the brand needed to be able to service their
customers and provide perfect-fitting frames at the same time as
maintaining their standards. To do this, they introduced remote fitting,
a process that involved taking facial measurements when sending
frames to customers. They also shifted their focus to the things they
could control – in particular e-commerce, but also the development of
new products, investing in their technology and preparing for life after
a pandemic. Meanwhile their longer term goals remain the same; they
need to be flexible and nimble in achieving them.
When speaking about the store portfolio, Broughton explains that they
most recently opened a store in Belgravia, which is nestled right in the
heart of London. The interior design of this store is a celebration of
the legacy of master builder Thomas Cubitt – not only the pioneer of
Elizabeth Street, but the inspiration behind the company name.
“Just a couple of months prior to this, we launched a store in Victoria
Arcade, Leeds. In addition to creating a micro-collection of three frames
inspired by the city, we partnered with independent Leeds brewer
Northern Monk to create a one-of-a-kind Cubitts beer. Leftover grain
that would have otherwise gone to waste was used to create a bespoke
pair of spectacles that were displayed in store. This was a key milestone
for us as we had been searching for our perfect site in the city since
2016, so it was an honour to be opening our doors within the beautiful
faience tiled clad County Arcade,” explains Broughton.
For many, choosing, owning, wearing and caring for a pair of spectacles
is an incredibly considered choice, and the experience associated with
that an incredibly important one. The idea behind the business is that its Belgravia, UK
stores and website are designed to make that process as seamless and