Warby Parker

Cofounder, Neil Blumenthal

Jack Kerouac changed the way we see the written word. In a smaller dose, he might just be changing the way we see, period.

Warby Parker as a name stems from a collaboration of characters from the great writer’s earlier works. Warby Parker as a company is the revolutionary eyewear collaboration between a tight-knit quartet of friends, hell-bent on creating an alternative to the overpriced and drab eyewear market. Turned off by what they perceived as artificial costs from large companies taking advantage of consumers with nowhere else to turn, the gang at Warby Parker has unveiled a collection of prescription lenses that are designed with a timeless flair and the finest of customizations. Essentially, the eyewear, paired next to a traditionally high end brand, either matches or surpasses the quality and pleasing aesthetic, while costing the consumer substantially less. It is a pricing point technique that has won Warby Parker a growing legion of devotees.

When not saving its loyalists money, Warby Parker is saving the eye health of those who need it the most. Staunch believers in “eyewear with a purpose”, the company strongly believes that the right to see is not only for the fortunate. With millions of people globally bereft of proper vision care, Warby Parker seeks to eradicate the problem by partnering with renowned non-profits to deliver a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair that they sell.

Kerouac wrote “The Road Less Traveled”, another nod to the literary giant that Warby Parker seems to have followed. For a company that plies its trade in the field of sight, Warby Parker’s greatest contribution to the commerce and philanthropic worlds just might be its vision.

Images 2 & 3 Gabriel Boone Photography