Adam And Kara Mendelsohn’s Double Vision

He’s a former director of sales at Oliver Peoples, she ran the sales and merchandising team at Thakoon. Together Adam and Kara Mendelsohn and their partner Dave Barton have launched KBL, a new line of wire-frame sunglasses that just might give Ray-Ban a run for its money. Economy-wise, experts are saying the worst could be over, but the days of $400 and $500 shades may be gone for good. At least that’s what this husband-wife duo figured. KBL’s aviators retail in that Ray-Ban/Carrera sweet spot of $110 to $135. But these sunglasses have plenty going for them beyond their nice price. They’re built like much more expensive eyewear, with milled frames and distortion-free/shatter-resistant lenses that block nearly 100 percent of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. Even better, they’re inspired by vintage guitars (Adam’s a bass player) and come in eye-catching shades of metallic candy apple red, shell pink, and our favorite, surf green. The collection will be sold at Barneys Co-op, Kirna Zabête, and Otte. For more information, visit www.kbleyewear.com. Plastic frames are on the agenda for Spring 2010.