The Slanties: Rad or ridiculous new eyewear?
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This is, in essence, all that Slanties are. As sunglasses go, they are not the most functional trend the world has ever seen, but they certainly make up for their impracticality as interesting conversation starters. Based on ancient Inuit eyewear, Slanties feature natural wood eyepieces with secure elastic straps for an avant-garde style that borders on ridiculous.
Imagine giant sunglasses. Now replace the traditional shaded lenses with one uniform block of wood carved in a similar shape. Two-inch long slits interrupt the wood for eyeholes. Attach wide elastic to the ends, and voila! A bastardized cross of high fashion and ancient history is ready for the market. One wonders, when contemplating the ungainly contraption, what the designers were thinking.
Slanties is the brainchild of Gabriel Snyder, Ben Turner, Heidi Gustafson and Erin Barry-Dutru, four artists native to Baltimore. They began puttering around with the materials they had at hand and soon created a cardboard model that would later turn into the wooden frames. "We're all artists, and we're all making things all the time, making pieces with whatever we find in our lives," Snyder said. "They've been in the works for probably at least two years."
Slanties launched in Baltimore last Friday at the Windup Space. Nestled in the Station North Arts District, the Windup Space provided an atmosphere that fit the aesthetics of the product. Alcohol and artists flowed freely around the mod little bar and arts venue. The male half of the attendees tended towards the scruffy, boho-chic type, while their female counterparts cleaned up a little better. Attendees clustered about in intimate groups to get a look at the product.
Reviews so far have been mixed. Those who attended the launch seemed a little unsure of Slanties as functional sunglasses, though they tried on samples with enjoyment. As they caught their reflections in the mirror set up for that express purpose, many laughed. Others posed in front of giant, blown-up posters that featured "hip" young models sporting the frames with unbelievably straight faces.
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