Pala is a sunglasses brand with a conscience. Every pair of sunglasses sold by Pala provides a pair of prescription glasses to somebody in Africa. This claim isn’t a case of paying lip service to eyeware: through the sale of sunglasses, grants are provided to create vision centres, dispensaries and screening programmes across Africa. Every sale works back the cost-per-patient of each programme, ensuring the ‘buy-give’ promise can be fulfilled.
All very commendable, but what of the actual product? Happily Pala’s sunglasses are as good as its intentions. For a base material the sunglasses use high-quality acetate which allows a vast range of colours - expect a rainbow of shades as the brand grows. Current frame designs include the classically minimalist ‘Neo’, the stylishly oversized ‘Maha’ and the feline ‘Amara’ - choose depending on how extroverted you feel.
A word on the cases. Each one is hand-woven in the town of Bolgatanga in northern Ghana using recycled twisted plastic as a sustainable alternative to the traditional straw. The coloured stripe woven into the case identifies which of the three rural communities crafted that particular product. It’s an elegant solution to a rubbish problem - undisposed of waste is an endemic issue in Ghana.
For more information, visit palasunglasses.com
