Forbes 30 Under 30 Recipient Xiwen Zhang
Xiwen Zhang made the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 recently, which she says was an amazing recognition of what they have achieved with For Art’s Sake in the past 4 years. “To be included on a list of people shaping business and culture was so inspiring!”
Xiwen is the co-founder and creative director with For Arts Sake, a handmade luxury sunglasses and optical glasses brand. “However, we’re a small dynamic team which means no two days are the same and we all wear many hats. “One day I’ll be designing sunglasses, the next I’ll be managing production and the next I’ll be on a shoot.”
Throughout her experience growing this brand and designing so many amazing things, she has realized that owning an independent brand encompasses so much more than being a designer, but says it is so satisfying bringing your vision to life, seeing your own creations in some of the worlds most iconic stores, but most importantly on their customers’ faces.
Xiwen never thought she would end up doing what she’s doing now. “I thought I wanted to become an art dealer after university.” She did know that she wanted to do something creative, though. “It all started back in 2015 when Yannis, who is the co-founder of For Arts Sake and her husband, and her were on a trip and couldn’t find any sunglasses they liked at an affordable luxury price point. “We noticed a gap in the market and set about building our brand, focusing (at first) on bold, never-before-seen eyewear silhouettes. In under two years we went from new business to seeing our sunglasses in places like Harvey Nichols and on Net-A-Porter, and on celebrities like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.” She says that her biggest achievement has been their own Covent Garden store — the interior design is so unique, she admits, and she loves being able to get feedback from customers. “This has actually become a really important tool when it comes to building new collections.”
Photo from Dvora (@dvoraphoto)
The advice Xiwen would give to someone who wants their designs to be sold at high brand stores or even to begin being sold anywhere would be to understand your customer needs. “Strive for operational excellence, and make sure you learn from every high and low, so that you're always improving.”
In five years, they hope to have expanded their brand with more shops and continue delighting their customers with designs that better their lives. “We also want to continue making a positive impact through the charities we work with. We've grown so much in 4 years and we've got lots more planned!”