Wearing glasses just got a whole lot cooler. HungChains are glasses chains that revolutionize the way you wear your shades. These chains were spawned right here in Miami and have quickly started to crawl across the globe.
In the summer of 2009, the Miami-raised designers were inspired by digging through Mom's junk jewelry drawer. They came across a cheesy, old, 1980s sunglass chain. Rachel Bleemer and Alexandra Goodstone thought that this concept could be modernized. The two have been friends since pre-school so working together to create the HungChains brand was an easy partnership.
Within a short amount of time, the company has grown from a small
operation to a worldwide trend. The online store produces a lot of
their orders and the Miami and New York base has also helped create a
buzz. The chains have been featured in at Art Basel Miami
Beach shows, House of Jackie Brown fashion show in New York, Brooklyn
Home Market, and Cafeina of Wynwood.
Bleemer and Goodstone began by using all recycled materials such as old scarves and
necklaces to create the chains. Since their business has grown, though, they've had to
start using other materials. They still keep their eco-friendly stance
by including recycled fabrics and packaging each chain in a recycled,
handpainted cigarette box.
The chains can be long and classic like the
Palm Beach style ($40), or thick and trendy like the I Dream of Genie model ($35). You
can snag them locally at Las Tias in Wynwood and Sweat Records or online. If you find yourself in Jamaica, your lucky vacationing ass can find HungChains at Island
Eclectic in Kingston.
HungChains are a serious fashion statement, which is also functional, innovative, and eco-friendly. Each chain is
handmade so each one of a kind. It is very important to the designers that
each of the chains is not only made with love, but also of the highest
quality. When asked about her dreams for the company, Bleemer says, "I want it to keep
growing, but keep its roots."
--Joy Taylor
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