SCOTTISH sunglasses brand Tens encourages wearers to “filter their world” with its signature design concept which transforms the traditional outlook of lenses.
Tens was founded by three old friends, Marty Bell, Kris Reid and Tom Welsh, who met studying at Edinburgh’s Napier University.
The brand was imagined by the trio during a road trip through the Highlands. With a background in photography and filmmaking, Bell, Reid and Welsh made jokes throughout their trip about wanting to Photoshop the grey-skied views in front of them.
A joke among friends quickly transformed into a concept which would form the heart of the Tens brand. The trio felt inspired to create sunglasses which not only look good, but carefully considered how everything looked to the wearer through the lenses.
Turning their dream into a reality, Bell, Reid and Welsh channelled their love for rich colours, with the original frames featuring a custom-filtered lens which offered a warm, sense-heightening view as opposed to the cold, desaturated tint of regular sunglasses.
The custom-filtered lens continues to act as the signature selling point of Tens; the brand's sunglasses work with natural sunlight to transform the world into a vivid experience full of clarity and colour. Bell, Reid and Welsh continued to work on the project in their spare time and eventually took one step closer to making their vision a reality with a crowdfunding campaign in May 2014.
An instant success, the brand raised over £370,000 with the help of customers from more than 100 countries around the world.
Now based in Glasgow’s city centre, Tens continues to thrive as a Scottish start-up, shipping products on an impressive international scale.
Continuing to revel in success, during the summer of 2016 the brand received a personal investment from Richard Branson. The British entrepreneur maintains that Tens are “the most magical pair of sunglasses [he’s] ever worn”.
Co-founder Reid also acknowledges the support of the Scottish Government, particularly Scottish Enterprise and Business Gateway.
Reid said: “Launching a business in Scotland can be challenging, but we’re also very lucky when it comes the amount of support that’s available out there.
"In terms of how things can improve in the future, I strongly feel that entrepreneurship should be introduced at a far younger age and starting your own business should be encouraged. Going to college or university isn’t the answer for everyone following your high- school years.”
www.tenslife.com
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