Anne and Heath Brown

US brand Fatheadz, designed for people with large heads, is back in New Zealand thanks to Anne and Heath Brown.

As is often the way, a great idea starts with an unmet need, said Heath Brown, a self-proclaimed “big melon” and sufferer of poor vision, who struggled to find a pair of decent fitting frames. Brown came to work one day sporting a new pair of badly-fitting frames when a colleague prompted him to go online and google, “fat heads and frames”, and that’s when Brown discovered Fatheadz.

With prior experience distributing US brand Filtrate Eyewear, Brown contacted New York-based Fatheadz and two days later it was all on, he said. “Incredibly, the company had been looking for a distributor in Australasia, so the timing was perfect.”

Brown launched the brand together with his partner Anne last year. “We’ve started to reach out to independent optometry practices in New Zealand and Australia and so far, the response has been very positive,” he said, adding he now divides his time between Fatheadz and a part-time job in financial services.

Founded in 2004, Fatheadz initially catered exclusively to men with heads too large to comfortably fit standard-width sunglasses. Today, the Fatheadz brand also offers optical and two more brands, John Raymond, a classic optical titanium range, and Dea, optical frames for women.

Author’s note: As Brown was busy showcasing the collection over a cup of coffee in an Auckland café, a staff member came to our table and asked if those frames were designed for big heads. He tried a pair and, voilà, another pair sold! For more on Fatheadz, see the frames section of OIG online at www.eyeonoptics.co.nz/nz-optics/searchableoig/