New Venture In Brooklyn: Hand Carved Wood Sunglasses From Ukraine

February 24, 2016 - While casually traveling through Ukraine in 2014, Nick Rozar witnessed incredibly precise wood carving talent throughout the Carpathian Mountains. During a get-together with friends soon after returning to Brooklyn, he noticed one of them wearing a pair of plain wooden glasses. He saw them as blank canvases for Ukrainian artistry — art you wear.

Returning to Ukraine with 50 pairs of wood frames in June of 2015, he sought out artists in the Carpathian Mountains starting at the Institute of Art in Kosiv. He brainstormed with three of them to produce prototypes that he brought back to Brooklyn to test the reality of and concept of creating a viable company that produces, markets and sells this unique product.

Nick partnered with Chris Bittner, his best friend since childhood, to create "Hetmans" — a common military title during medieval times, literally meaning "captain" but functionally corresponding to today's "general" — and they ventured together back to Ukraine. This time, with 500 pairs of wooden glasses with the intention of finding additional artists and expanding designs to create "lines" of product.

Officially launched on January 8, 2016, Hetmans.com offers three collections of hand carved wood sunglasses: The Natural, The Artisan, The Bigwig. Each of the lines vary in intricacy and complexity of design of carving, painting, and embedding materials into wooden polarized sunglasses.

Don't wear a brand. Wear Art.

Technical details: All Hetmans sunglasses are UV 400 polarized
Cost: $99.

For more info:
www.hetmans.com
https://www.instagram.com/hetmanseyewear/
https://www.facebook.com/Hetmans-1440080359640782/