We love a feel-good ending. Try this one on for size: for every pair of Kayu bamboo sunglasses purchased, designer Jamie Lim donates enough to cover the cost of one life-changing eye surgery to Unite for Sight, an international non-profit working to eliminate preventable blindness in developing countries.
“Eighty percent of blindness could be cured, and all it takes is $20,” says Lim of the average cost of one cataracts-correcting surgery performed by the organization.
Lim has been donating $20 from each sale of her bamboo frames to the non-profit since launching the company in 2008. But the 1-for1 charitable twist isn’t the only socially-responsible element of her line. Each of the styles ($180 each) she offers is made of eco-friendly bamboo.
“I grew up in Asia, and in Asia, they always use natural materials like straw and bamboo…I was always fascinated by this material, because it is so strong and so flexible, and it’s sustainable because it grows so easily,” says Lim, who spent her teenage years in Hong Kong and relocated to San Francisco from Boston this spring.
Next up for Lim? A collection of eco-friendly shell and straw handbags due out at the beginning of July.
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