Spotlight // Krewe du Optic
Not all sunglasses are created equal and no one knows this better than KREWE du Optic founder Stirling Barrett. The New Orleans-based artist and designer has nailed down the recipe for creating your new favorite frames, and we all know that when fate brings you the perfect shades it’s like finding a soul mate.
KREWE delivers 100% locally handmade eyewear crafted from timeless styles. Inspired by the diverse cultures and individual looks Barrett scouted all over New Orleans, his frames are contemporary classics built to last using Italian acetate and high quality lens technology.
We chatted with the 25-year old entrepreneur to learn more about his path from fine art to business to navigating NOLA by bike scooter.
What is your background and how did KREWE come about?
I’m a fine art photographer and artist by training and trade. I was struggling with the art world where to be successful you had to be discovered by a gallery-yet it was extremely taboo to promote yourself.
I love being an artist, but I wanted to work in a field where I could be an entrepreneur at the same time and affect change outside of the art world. My outlet became sunglasses. My appreciation for architectural line and perspective is evident in the designs. So KREWE was born, a culturally inspired eyewear company that helps you represent yourself in a non-branded way.
What’s the concept behind KREWE?
A krewe is actually a group of revelers who band together to host a Mardi Gras parade float. We all have our krewes. It’s where you can be yourself.
New Orleans has an extremely layered, culturally rich past that inspires us. It’s a 300 year old city, with Italians, Africans, Asians, French, Creole; truly a melting pot of cultures built over time. We work in the French Quarter and through our huge office windows I see individualized style inspiration walk by every day.
Do you have a favorite pair of frames?
Each frame is named after a street or area of New Orleans. A few favorites are the L.G.D., inspired by the bohemian yet elegant Lower Garden District. The Toulouse is modeled after P3 original military issue sunglasses, think John Lennon. I love how the Toulouse in champagne has a completely different feel.
Is it difficult to be an artist and a businessperson?
To me they go hand in hand. Many would disagree, but if the ultimate goal is creating something for someone else and wanting many to be influenced by it, why separate the two? Entrepreneur is just another word for artist.
What’s a typical day like?
There’s never a typical day. I get to work around 7:00 AM and start my day in a coffee shop doing emails, prepping. Around 9:00 AM we get working: a press event, meetings, getting the big picture planning done, and thinking about what the next step is.
In eight months our collection of 10 frames shot to 50 frames and as the sole designer I could not have done it without my amazing team keeping me on track.
What’s made KREWE successful so fast?
Number one: our incredible team. Number two: finding something the market needs. Los Angeles has boutique eyewear designers, New York has a couple, New Orleans doesn’t have any! It’s such a unique place yet we don’t have any national brands. So that plus hard work, luck, and having something people respond to.
How would you describe your creative process?
I try to block out Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for design inspiration, doing whatever I want. It’s hard for me to just sit down and say ok, I’m gonna design right now. Deadlines help make it happen, but a lot of the time it’s just nourishing that creative energy. It’s really important, especially when trying to do so many new things in short time period. I always need to be inspired.
What do you do for fun?
I usually love riding my bike scooter for Sunday funday because the city is a great biking town. I also love having good conversation with friends over good food and drinks.
What would you tell someone out of college who wants to go into a creative field?
Make friends with people, take an interest in people, try to understand why you like something and then realize investing in yourself is going to have a reward. My creative energy comes from everybody else. We are inspired on a daily basis by the city we live in and I don’t think I could have produced designs if we didn’t live here.
Photographs by Elizabeth Rudge
Words by Christi Thompson
