I met WLKS founder Austin Wilkes and his lead photographer Shannon Sonniksen at brunch a couple of weeks ago in Pacific Beach. I was eavesdropping on their conversation and heard some business ideas that they were pitching to each other. I always like to collaborate with local fashion designers; from the sound of it they were well organized and had their hearts in the right place. I butted in and asked what their business was so they handed me their sunglasses. I was able to see this quality product in person and knew that this was a sunglass that I could easily get behind. I asked Austin if he was willing to do an interview with the magazine and he kindly obliged. He told me that his company holds a monthly beach cleanup in Ocean Beach and I thought that would be the perfect setting for our interview. I arrived the day of the cleanup and saw a canopy, gloves, and burlap trash bags. We went for a walk to grab coffee before we got to work and after talking with him that day I realized that his brand was bigger than sunglasses.
J: So what sets your brand apart?
A: Our company has a purpose. I use M49 mazzucchelli which is consistent of wood pulp and cotton fibers that are 100% sustainable. Premier polarized lenses that are shatter resistant so that we can cut down on micro plastics. We want to have a message of giving environmental awareness through our product to the younger generations coming up. We are having a serious problem in our ocean’s pollution and our marine life dying at an alarming rate.
J: Where does your passion for the environment come from?
A: Growing up in San Diego I grew up surfing and playing baseball so I was always outside. When my mom was raising me she always implemented the fact “don’t litter!” I would surf almost every morning before High School, my friends and I would find plastic and cigarette buds in the sand. We would pick up as much as we could because this is where we spent most of our time, this was our home. I wanted to make a difference because humans and wildlife are at risk of ingesting this litter.
J: Where did the ideas for the styles ideas and concepts.
While in college I always wanted to start my own company, sunglasses were always my fashion niche. Being active as a kid meant that if I was at the beach or on the baseball diamond, I always needed sunglasses. I realized if I wanted to invest in myself, why not go with something I know and need myself? I wanted make my difference through my product, sustainable Sunglasses. I reached out to several manufacturers and once I found one that would work with me we went through several prototypes till we got some that fit the image I wanted.
J: What’s your day Job?
A: I work full time at two separate hospitals as a Surgical Technician. I work all day, work out, rest, and then get on the laptop to work on the brand.
J: What is your overarching goal for 2020?
A:We want to be established and consistent with our community events. School talks, beach clean ups, and make videos as well as other digital media to tell our story. We want to make sure our message gets across. Our sunglasses are a byproduct of the movement we want push.
J: What does community mean to you?
A:It means getting involved. Bottom line you need to speak to people and hear them out. We have to hear each other’s opinions in order to fix the problems we face now.
J: What does Ocean Beach mean to you?
A:I grew surfing this beach as a kid, San Diego being my hometown this was my spot.
J: If there is anything you want our readers to know about your brand what would it be?
A:We want to be a brand with known integrity. I want to be consistent with our events to show that we are not just about revenue. We want people to know that our company is actually here to show awareness and bring appreciation to the help fix our oceans. We want to be involved with our community.
After spending the morning helping Austin and the rest of the volunteers I realized that his product got me out of the house and helped me make a difference. Him and Amanda the brand’s Co-Founder let their actions speak louder than just hollow words that I see too much in brands that try to appear as “eco-friendly.” They really walked the walk. I was intrigued enough to buy a pair myself and am really happy with my purchase. I plan on going to their next event and am extremely excited to see how far they can take this. They have work ethic, smart branding, and a real message behind them. I wish them the best!
