FRAMEBUYER / A DAY IN THE LIFE

A Day in the (Jet-set) Life of Blake Kuwahara

Follow this trendsetting, groundbreaking, and utterly charming eyewear designer + OD from dawn to dusk

AS TOLD TO EMILY TEEL

Even when he’s not traveling between Asia, Milan, Los Angeles, and New York, eyewear designer Blake Kuwahara’s days are busy and full of collaborative work. Somehow, he gracefully juggles the creative demands of his successful design and PR consulting company, Focus Group West, along with his own Blake Kuwahara line of luxe eyewear and sunwear.

We asked this prestigious edCFDA (Eyewear Designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America) member to keep track of a day at his home in Sausalito, CA, sunup to sundown. The result? His passion for both work and life is evident—his day starts early and ends late.

7-ish a.m.: At home in Sausalito I normally wake up with the sun. Or at least try to. Fortunately, I live on a hill above San Francisco Bay surrounded by oaks and a lone redwood tree, so I have complete privacy; no window coverings necessary. This morning, however, I have an early conference call. Thankfully, my body clock wakes me before my alarm clock.

7:16 a.m.: Reach for my phone. 27 emails. Not too bad. Quickly scan and try to get through as many as possible. Save the ones that require thinking for after I wake up a bit more. Make my daily Instagram post (@blakekuwahara).

7:40 a.m.: Time to get moving with a long, hot shower. After all the rain we just got, I feel a bit less guilty about this guilty pleasure.

8:00 a.m.: Skype call with the engineering team in Oxford: a bunch of very smart Ph.D.s. I’m designing frames that are customized to integrate fluid-filled lens technology. A paradigm shift in lenses. Neat stuff! I think my background as an optometrist has forced me to approach these design projects that incorporate technology in an analytical and pragmatic way. At the end of the day, frames not only have to look good, but they also have to fit, function, and be comfortable to wear. Otherwise, what’s the point?

8:46 a.m.: Yoga stretches.

Blake Kuwahara sunglass (top); and a room with a view—Kuwahara’s living room in Sausalito, CA

9:16 a.m.: While walking into town for my morning latte, I run into my neighbor Laurel. She has just returned from a trip to Tahoe, so I get the latest neighborhood gossip and snow conditions.

9:35 a.m.: Café Divino, my local hang. Extra hot latte with chocolate on top, eggs and a bagel, toasted. Love this place. Morning chatter is all about election coverage. Meanwhile, a neighbor is working on his book on Rothko, something he does every morning.

11:00 a.m.: Caught up on email; it’s time to head back up the hill.

11:30 a.m.: Touch-base call with John Lum, the lead architect on my Focus Group West team. We’re working on a couple of new design projects remodeling optical boutiques. We’re in different stages on these two new projects, so we’re going over space planning, finishes, and materials.

1:20 p.m.: Getting the munchies, but my refrigerator is bare since I’ve been gone the past month in Asia, New York, and Chicago. I open a can of soup and read The New York Times on my phone.

2:00 p.m.: Second conference call of the day. This time it’s with the other board members of the Eyewear Designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America: Christian Roth, Gai Gherardi, and Selima Salaun. Today’s agenda? The edCFDA Showcase at Vision Expo East.

2:45 p.m.: Gai and I stay on the call and recap the launch of our collaboration: Blake Kuwahara x l.a.Eyeworks. The first capsule collection is nearly sold out, and we talk about how to follow up. Though today is full of phone calls, when I need to focus on design work, I have to consciously block out a period of time that’s not interrupted by technology. It’s the rare occasion aside from when I’m flying that I’m entirely off the grid.

3:30 p.m.: FaceTime my nephew to wish him a happy birthday. Nine years old!

3:45 p.m.: Third conference call today. This time it’s with my Fade To Grey business partners, Richard, Rick, and Claudio. We’re selecting the models for my next campaign. This’ll be fun!

4:05 p.m.: Perfect time for a run in Tennessee Valley. A 10-minute drive and a 3.8-mile run. Halfway point is the beach, where I take a few minutes to soak in the beauty of Marin County before the uphill run back to the car.

5:35 p.m.: Shower and change into my standard: black jeans, white V-neck tee from TopShop, black boots, and a leather jacket.

6:00 p.m.: Meet up with my friend Dave Koz, a jazz saxophonist who, like me, splits his time between LA and Sausalito. We head to Molina in Mill Valley. I love this restaurant—and anywhere the playlist is longer than the wine list!

9:15 p.m.: Emails from Asia start to come in.

10:30 p.m.: To clear my head before bed, I page through a stack of magazines. ELLE Decoration is my favorite.

11:15 p.m.: One last look at the CNN and BBC newsfeeds, and Instagram.

11:36 p.m.: Lights out.

Emily Teel is a regular contributor to Edible Philly and Foobooz, the food blog for Philadelphia Magazine. She is also an eyewear aficionado and fan of opticians near and far.