A little while ago, I sent an email to a portion of our customers requesting their input in addressing some of the challenges we have faced with Archibald. Customer feedback is ultimately the most powerful and authentic advice we can receive as a young brand with a bold vision. I decided that a few of them (both positive and the few negative ones) need to be shared. I would like to once again thank Dan for his consent in allowing me to share his personal account below.

Hi Rohan,

I can tell you in one word why I choose Archibald over seemingly similar "disruptive" brands such as Warby Parker - sustainability. I know it seems like a cheap marketing buzzword, but hear me out. 

Other so-called "disruptive" brands - Warby Parker and TOMS eye-wear leap to mind, but I'm sure there are others - offer a gimmick - a feeling of shallow feel-goodery over their "one to one" programs (the economic nature of which is actually more harmful to impacted communities over the long term, but I digress) and in return offer the same cheaply made, middling standard eye-wear that come from the same micro-wage, Chinese factory as dozens of other no-name brands and internet offerings. 

This is not a sustainable model, and is emblematic of the race-to-the-bottom labor and manufacturing practices that have at once been a human rights crisis for labor and have resulted in some of the most wasteful, cheaply made consumable goods made in a generation.

I choose Archibald not only for the look and feel (which are miles above any eye-wear I've purchased before) but for its traceable supply chain through countries with stringent labor protection policies. This is an important issue for me and has guided my purchase decisions over the past ten years - it has been at times a frustrating - due to lack of availability of sustainable goods - and costly, due to the markup these goods have over those made in the sweatshops of Bangladesh, Thailand, and Egypt, to name a few.

My Archibald Blaksmith glasses fit better, look better, and are better made than any other glasses I've had before, ranging from internet grey market cheapies to luxury eye-wear purchased through an optician (at an outrageous markup). Thinking back, these really do represent the best value and one of the best purchase decisions I've made in a long time. That Archibald has managed to deliver this service and these goods while maintaining a sustainable labor and manufacturing model is all the more commendable.

I hope these views are of some use to you.

Best,
Dan Preiser