Looking around the office while writing this piece, I realised that pretty much all of the ELLE UK editors – myself included – are wearing a pair of Jimmy Fairly opticals. So, naturally, we were all thrilled to hear that the French sunglasses brand is teaming up with Reformation for a second season.
'We rarely repeat collaborations, but our 2024 collection with Jimmy Fairly sold out so quickly that we wanted to bring it back for those who missed out,' says Lauren Caris Cohan, Reformation's Chief Creative Officer. 'Customers were emailing us for months after asking us to restock their favourite styles – Coline, Brune and Flore were all bestsellers last year .'
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One of our favourite dress brands of all time, Ref has slowly but surely expanded its remit to include shoes, handbags and now sunglasses over the years. We mean slowly because, lets not forget, the LA-based label is all about sustainability.
Aside from making effortlessly cool pieces, at reasonable prices, that customers can’t get enough of, this is of course what Ref and Jimmy Fairly have in common: they both care about the planet.
Nope, even eyewear hasn’t been spared greenwashing in today’s market, which means finding eco-friendly sunglasses is generally difficult, confusing and decidedly unstylish.
What you need to know in a nutshell is: the sustainable sunglasses material de jour is bio-acetate, which is made with plant-derived renewable materials, such as wood pulp. Where other brands mix traditional petroleum-based acetate with bio-acetate to craft their frames, the Reformation X Jimmy Fairly lineup is 100% bio-acetate.
(Should you already have jumped on the ELLE UK hype and started looking for Jimmy Fairly opticals, just an FYI they are composed of 60% recycled acetate and 40% bio-acetate, so you’re good).
The duo didn’t stop at the frames, though. The lenses are bio-nylon, a natural alternative to crude-oil Nylon we’ve seen kicking around since the 1940s. It’s formulated with engineered microorganisms that ferment plant sugars to produce renewable nylon.
Both of these materials are fully biodegradable, so you can rest assured they’ll be kind to planet post-use, too. Not that you’ll want to give them up – timeless designs like these are sure to serve your looks summer after summer.
Last year Reformation X Jimmy Fairly was a smaller considered collection of classics like the cat-eye Joan, the 1990s-inspired oval Flore and Coline, and the aviator style Brune and Josephine designs. This year things are expanding to include more of a 1970s vibe – tapping nicely into the boho renaissance – with the Jeanne, which is reminiscent of Jimmy Fairly’s popular The Lou optical. There’s also an injection of Y2K glam with the Eve (she even comes in a bubblegum pink colourway).
Reformation x Jimmy Fairly The Coline
Reformation x Jimmy Fairly The Coline
Reformation x Jimmy Fairly The Coline
Reformation x Jimmy Fairly The Brune
Reformation x Jimmy Fairly The Flore
Reformation x Jimmy Fairly The Flore
The collection launches today, May 15, and can be shopped online at reformation.com or in various Jimmy Fairly stores across London.
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Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
