Scan Magazine
Design Profile
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A. Kjærbede
Agnes dark blue transparent and lavender transparent.
Danish design with a focus on good quality – and price For most people, sunglasses are both a meaningful and a necessary part of life. But why do they often have to either cost a fortune or be of such poor quality? By Sara-Louise Fredshavn Geertsen, translation by Trine Jensen-Martin | Photos: A. Kjærbede
Value for money
but just as often, we leave them behind on the bus, accidentally sit on them on the airplane, or they come apart in the bag – or we simply tire of them and want to try something completely different. So, when one day, Fredshavn Geertsen was talking to a friend about the possibility of creating good-quality sunglasses in gorgeous designs, but at a much lower cost, the foundations of A. Kjærbede were laid.
Sunglasses are often a part of our experiences or what we do; we carry them with us almost everywhere. Sometimes the same sunglasses survive many seasons, festivals, beach holidays and city breaks,
This vision became the starting point for a Danish brand of sunglasses where quality, design and functionality unite in such a way that they are affordable to
In response to these conundrums, A. Kjærbede came into existence in 2016. Founder and owner Adam Fredshavn Geertsen was questioning why such an essential everyday item is always either so expensive that it is “kept for (Sunday) bests”, or the substandard quality such that they simply are not made to last.
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Issue 139
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February 2022
everyone. Evidently, Fredshavn Geertsen was spot-on with his idea, because with only four collections in the bag, A. Kjærbede sunglasses are now being sold in 23 countries and stocked in more than 1,600 shops worldwide. And the growth chart only continues to rise. Designed for dreamers Despite the relatively short period of A. Kjærbede’s history, they recently launched their fourth collection. Every season is inspired by Nordic values and Scandinavian design with a minimalist yet edgy look. The sunglasses must feel luxurious and exclusive, even though they cost little more than a bag of coffee beans. From the very beginning, Fredshavn Geertsen has designed all the collec-
