Maho Down Low

Why Sunglasses Are A Must For Water Enthusiasts Being on the water can be a real eye-opener (pun intended) when it comes to protecting your eyes. From UV rays to glare, the elements can really take their toll on your eyes when you’re out exploring on the water. That’s why we make sure that we never leave land without our sunnies! Sunglasses are a must-have accessory while you’re out on the water. Not only do they enhance your vision, but they also protect your eyes. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a beach bum, the ocean (or lake!) can be a treasure trove of fun and adventure, and just like any other adventure, you need to be prepared. So, grab your polarized sunglasses (preferably one of ours —hey, we’re biased), put on that sunhat, and let's navigate the seas of eye care together! Exposure to UV Rays You may know that the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can be a real pain for your skin, but did you know they can also do a number on your eyesight? Prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to some serious eye problems, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and even cancer. Yikes! But don't worry, there's an easy way to protect your eyes while you're out on the water—sunglasses! To protect your eyes, wear sunglasses that block UV rays. We prefer polarized sunglasses, which help block harmful rays and reduce glare. Next time you're out on the water, don't forget to grab your shades before you set sail. Not only will they keep your eyes safe from the sun's harmful rays, but they'll also make you look stylish too. It’s a win-win! Don't let UV rays ruin your fun on the water. We recommend our Charleston 2 frame, a pair of ultra-light sunglasses that not only protect your eyes from UV rays but are also made from plant-based acetate, making them sustainable sunglasses. Beware The Glare Another thing you need to consider when you are on the water is the reflection of sunlight off the water. This can cause glare and make it difficult for you to see. Glare can really put a damper on your day by causing eye strain, which can lead to headaches, fatigue, and even temporary vision loss. Quite the bummer when you’re trying to enjoy the outdoors! Glare from the sun on the water can be a real pain for your eyes, but don't let it ruin your fun. This is just another reason to make sure that you take high-quality sunglasses with you when you’re outside enjoying the water.  To really combat glare, it is essential to choose polarized sunglasses (who knew that’s what we’d say?). Just as with UV protection, these special lenses also help reduce glare and make it easier for you to see. Our Kennebunkport frame is an excellent pair of sustainable sunglasses that not only look great but are also responsibly made. Protection from the Elements Being out on the water can expose your eyes to various elements, such as wind, sand, and water, which can cause irritation and dryness. These elements can make your eyes feel tired, itchy, and even cause redness. It can also make it difficult to see and cause eye strain. Imagine spending your whole day on the water with itchy, dry, irritated eyes —not the best experience, right? This is another reason to invest in a pair of high-quality, handmade sunglasses. Taking a pair of shades with you will help to keep your eyes from getting irritated and dry by blocking out the wind, sand, and water. We recommend our Denali No.1, a pair of ultra-light sunglasses, and our take on the classic aviator-style frame. Better for Your Vision You may think that sunglasses are only good for protecting your eyes from the sun's harmful rays, but did you know they can also improve your vision? That's right, wearing sunglasses can enhance color and contrast, making it easier to see objects on the water. Imagine being able to spot that big catch or a beautiful sunset on the water with more clarity and vivid colors. How cool is that? When you're out on the water, the sun's rays can reflect off the water, making the colors appear washed out and dull. But with polarized sunglasses, reducing glare can enhance color contrast, making it easier to spot fish, boats, and other objects on the water. Plus, it will make the water appear bluer, the sky more vibrant, and the clouds fluffier. You'll be able to enjoy the water's beauty more vividly.  Our Tulum No. 5 is a pair of ultra-light sunglasses that were designed for activities in mind, making these handmade sunglasses ideal for those who love making waves out on the water. Grab Your Sunnies! Sunglasses are the ultimate accessory for any water adventure. They're like a shield for your eyes, protecting them from UV rays, glare, and elements, while also enhancing your vision so you can spot all the hidden treasures of the sea. At Maho Shades, we offer a wide selection of handcrafted, sustainable sunglasses that are perfect for any style or outdoor activity. So don't forget to pack your favorite pair of handcrafted sunglasses for your next water adventure, and let's make waves with safe, comfortable eyes!

  Why Sunglasses Make the Perfect Gift for Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we couldn’t be more excited. The day of love, celebration and most importantly-gifts! Just kidding. Well, kind of. Gift giving is one of the love languages after all.  What could be a more thoughtful and practical gift than a pair of sunglasses? Personally, we think giving jewelry is a bit cliche and overrated, so why not shake it up and give the gift of handmade sunglasses to your special someone instead? Get ready to shade in style this Valentine's Day as we guide you through the process of picking the perfect pair of sunglasses gift ideas for your loved one. What’s Their Style? When choosing sunglasses as a gift, there are a few things to consider. First and foremost, you'll want to find a pair that fits your loved one's style. Remember, you want the sunglasses to be something they will use and enjoy, and not just collect dust on a shelf! Take some time to think about their personal aesthetic and what they typically wear. For example, if they tend to dress more on the classic side, a pair of timeless aviators or wayfarers may be a good choice. On the other hand, if they have a more edgy or trendy sense of style, you might consider something more fashion-forward like a pair of oversized or colorful frames, like our Palm Beach Honey frames. Something that we’re pretty proud of at Maho Shades is that we make sustainable sunglasses, so no matter what your loved one’s style, you can be rest assured that they’re made from high—quality materials that have a minimum environmental impact and can easily be recycled. The Benefits of Polarized Sunglasses We might be a bit biased here, but we think that whenever you’re picking a pair of shades, they should always be polarized. Polarized sunglasses are a great option for people who spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in bright sunlight. They are designed to reduce glare, which can make it easier to see and more comfortable to be outside. Polarized lenses contain a special filter that blocks glare caused by the reflection of light off of surfaces such as water, snow, and pavement. This glare can be distracting and make it difficult to see, especially when driving or participating in water sports. Polarized sunglasses eliminate the glare, making it easier to see and making outdoor activities more enjoyable. All of our sustainable sunglasses at Maho Shades are polarized— so we got you covered there! Picking The Right Frame On top of getting a pair of sunglasses that suits their style, you need to consider what kind of frame of sunglasses will look good on them too. You want your gift to compliment their features and to be something that elevates their style, so you need to pick a frame that compliments their unique face shape. But have no fear, it’s simple to figure it out. For example, if they have a round face, you may want to opt for sunglasses with angular frames to balance out their facial features. On the other hand, if they have a square face, round frames may be a better choice to soften their angular jawline. A heart-shaped face needs a frame that will be wider at the bottom to balance out their features, so a cat-eye or round frame will work best for this type. And lastly, oval face shapes have it easy— most styles of sunglasses look great on this face shape, so you can’t really go wrong there.  A classic frame that works well on most face shapes is a wayfarer that has both square and round features, like our Fairhope frame that comes in a variety of colors. What Are They Doing Outside? Just like you’d wear different types of shoes outside for whatever activity you’re embarking on, the same rule of thought applies to your sunglasses. Why? Well, different frames and lens color will be more specific depending on the type of activity you’re doing. If the person you are buying for is an athlete or spends a lot of time outdoors, look for sunglasses that are more sport-specific. They will provide the necessary protection and comfort for outdoor activities. Our Charleston 2 is a great option for those who like to active outside. An Affordable Luxury Sunglasses are a total affordable luxury - they're stylish, fashionable, and most importantly, functional! Lastly let's be real, a lot of people have a knack for breaking or damaging glasses, so Maho sunglasses with their Lifetime Warranty might just be the perfect gift.  Buying handmade sunglasses as a gift for Valentine's Day or any day of the year is a thoughtful and practical choice. Pick a pair that your loved one will love and use regularly, and you’ll win the gift game this year.   Happy shopping!

Know Your Face Shape for the Perfect Sunglasses Fit With so many different styles, sizes, and shapes available, it can be difficult to know which pair is the best for you. But fear not! If you know the shape of your face and which features you want in your shades, that can help you narrow down your options and find the perfect sunglasses for your face. It’s just like when you choose any item of clothing– you pick what best suits your body type and is unique to you. Just make sure no matter which pair you pick, you choose high-quality, polarized sunglasses. Your eyes will thank you!   Let’s take a look at the different face shapes and which of our handmade sunglasses would best enhance your features.   Why You Need Shades That Suit Your Face Shape Yeah, you could just pick a frame that’s trendy, popular, or even a pair of vintage frame sunglasses, but why not elevate your look with a sunglass frame that is uniquely suited to your face? If you think about it, your sunglasses are your most important accessory, so why not pick one that compliments your face shape and elevates your style? Find Your Face Shape Finding your face shape is easy! You can do this by either just doing some mirror gazing or by using a measuring tape.  Take a look into a mirror for an educated guess or you can even trace your face in chalk right on the mirror to use as a guide. Start by finding the widest part of your face. Is it your forehead? Your jawline? Cheeks? That’s the best indicator for finding your shape, but what if it’s not as clear cut? Then, bring on the measuring tape. A little thing about measuring, you don’t even really need to know the exact numbers, you just need to know which of your features are larger or smaller than the others to use as a guideline to find your face shape. Here are the measurements you need if you’re going to need some numbers to help you find what you need: Measure your face from one end of your cheekbone to the other Take a close look at your jawline and figure out if it is sharp or rounded Measure the length of your face from your forehead to your chin Measure the width of your forehead Once you know your proportions, it’s time to find your face shape. Round  Your face is its widest from cheek to cheek and just narrows a bit at your forehead and jawline. Square  With this face shape your forehead, cheeks, and jawline are all roughly the same width. Oval  An oval face shape is longer than it is wide. So, if your forehead to your chin is longer than the width from your cheek to cheek, then you have an oval face shape. Heart Heart-shaped faces have their widest point at their foreheads, with the face narrowing towards the jaw and your jaw might even come to a point. Find The Best Sunglasses for Your Face Round Face Shape If this is your face shape, you need to think about adding some definition to the softer features of your face. Adding some definition with some angular lines or edges can help to balance out the softer lines of your face. A rectangular or square frame would be a good option for his face shape and you should avoid choosing a rounder sunglass frame. Our Charleston 2 is a great pair of polarized sunglasses for this face shape. Square Face Shape Just like a rounder face needs sunglasses that are a bit more angular, a square face needs a frame that’s round in shape. Picking a softer, circular shape will soften your features to balance out the sharper angles of this face shape. Avoid a sunglass frame with sharper lines, as this won’t naturally balance out your face shape. Our Tulum polarized sunglasses are a great choice for this face shape. They are one of our ultra-light sunglasses and are suitable for any outdoor activity. Heart Face Shape In contrast to round and square face shapes, where you want to balance out your features by choosing a frame that is opposite to the shape of your face, with a heart-shaped face you want sunglasses that mimic the same shape of your face. Choose a frame that’s an aviator, or a cat-eye, or even go for a pair of vintage frame sunglasses, as these will highlight your features. Be sure to pick a frame thickness that is in proportion to your features. For example, if you have smaller features, go with a thinner frame; if you have bolder features, go with something a bit thicker. The Adriatic No.1 is a pair of ultra-light sunglasses with a classic frame with an architectural twist that would be great for a heart-shaped face.  Oval Face Shape Since oval faces are longer than they are wider, you want to balance out the length of your face with your sunglasses. A rounded, oversize frame would best suit these face shapes or even a wrap-style shade. Do your best to avoid a narrow frame. Our Catalina ultra-light sunglasses are an oversized pair of shades perfect for oval-shaped faces. Whether you want a modern, trendy, or a pair of vintage frame sunglasses, there are options out there for everyone. No matter how your face shape is, we got you covered with our unique handmade sunglasses!  

The Benefits of Polarized Sunglasses Your sunglasses are one of those accessories that are essential to your lifestyle. From the cool arctic sun to the intense rays of the tropics, no matter where you are on this planet, you need to invest in a good pair of shades. One of the things that you can look for when you’re picking out your next pair of sunglasses is whether or not your lenses are polarized. Polarized lenses pack a more powerful protective punch than regular sunglass lenses and really cut down glare so you can see things a lot more clearly and really, who wouldn’t want that? Let's talk about what these lenses are and why you should make the switch to polarized lenses. What Does Polarized Mean? Without getting too science-y, a polarized lens has a special coating that’s really good at blocking out glare from the sun. It does this by blocking out any horizontal wavelengths, which is what causes glare, so they can’t reach your eyes. The chemical filter that makes polarized lenses so effective only lets in vertical light past the lenses and blocks the rest. Bye-bye harmful glare! Helps with Bright Light This one might seem like a no-brainer, but really, that’s what the basic purpose of polarized lenses are. This is especially important if you’re driving or boating-that glare off the ocean can really do some damage to your eyesight! Picking polarized can help you focus and see better when exposed to sunlight. Our Denali aviator sunglasses are perfect for those outdoor days in the sun. Prevents Eye Strain Our eyes go through a lot every day and using polarized lenses can help reduce eye irritation. Some of us are more sensitive to light than others (often, it’s just genetics, but can be an eye condition too), so we would benefit from a little extra visual protection. This would help if you’re outdoors, playing sports or even if you’re driving on a bright day, polarized lenses can help reduce the glare and keep your sensitive eyes protected. Our Catalina frame is a great fit for those who want to want a pair of glasses that are ready-to-wear in any situation. Protects from Harmful UV Rays Polarized glasses can filter out sunlight better than regular ones, and what makes them even more powerful is if they come with added UV protection. Our Kennebunkport sunglasses are polarized and provide protection from UV/UVB light. Upgrade To Polarized Sunglasses Wearing polarized sunglasses can make a big difference in your daily life. From simple tasks like walking your dog in the early-morning sun, to enjoying a drink with your friends on a patio just before sunset, your sunglasses should not only look cool, but keep you protected doing the things that you love. Not only that, but when you pick polarized lenses, you’ll promote long-term eye health by reducing eye strain and potential damage down the road. And let’s be honest, we’re all for keeping our eyes in good shape. We’ve only got one pair after all. So do yourself (and your eyes) a favor and invest in quality, polarized sunglasses. You won’t regret it!  

Thinking about a cross-country road trip with little kids? From December 30 to January 18, Alex and I drove from Orange Beach, Alabama to Scottsdale, Arizona and back. Here are a few highlights and tips from our experience! Getting Ready To Avoid Crying Alex had the excellent forethought to put our 4 year old in the third row and herself sit in the second row of our SUV next to our 18 month old daughter. She packed dozens of toys, maybe hundreds of snacks, and used oven pans so each kid could play with Legos and other toys on a tray in front of them without making a bigger mess than necessary (messes still ensued).   Avoiding the ‘Rona Traveling across the country in a pandemic environment does not need to be dangerous, but it definitely needs to be planned out. First, avoid going in gas stations and other heavily-trafficked indoor areas whenever possible. Every time you touch a gas pump, sanitize your hands. We started the trip with hand sanitizer in each door so we could use before we got back in. Once we got out west, we quickly supplemented the sanitizer with lotion. Sanitizing your hands 10x a day will make them so dry and cracked they may start to bleed.  At each stop we made sure we stayed in hotels with a separate outdoor entrance and HVAC. Places like the Sheraton Desert Oasis in Scottsdale, Hilton at Bell Rock in Sedona, and Hyatt Zelaya outside of Albuquerque. Of course we considered staying in Airbnb rentals due to the same pandemic safety considerations, but ultimately decided on villa-style hotel rooms with separate entrances because they accomplished the same objective at a fraction of the cost. Airbnbs were often around $300+ per night, while booking villa-style suites on Priceline (I love the Express Deal feature) kept us under $150 per night.  Focus on the Outdoors In January of 2020, our family traveled to Scottsdale and spent many hours in science museums, aquariums, zoos, and the other heavily-trafficked attractions in the Phoenix area. All of those were not options for us this time, as we ensured we avoided pandemic risks but staying outside. So we brought bicycles on a hitch-mounted bike rack for the entire family, golf clubs for me and Whit, and focused on biking, hiking, and golf throughout the trip to keep busy. We went on hikes as a family at Lost Dutchman State Park, Papago State Park, McDowell Mountain State Park, and at various trails around Sedona including those at Courthouse and Bell Rock. Ari is crazy athletic but at 18 months, she is still pretty constrained to 1-2 miles before she lets us have it. So we sort of split up so that Alex and Ari would go out a mile and then Whit and I would continue up the mountain or hike for a 5-6 mile total hike. We kept it simple with just water bottles, Clif bars, and a doll for Ari to bring along. Don’t overcomplicate getting outside!  On several of these hikes, at Bell Rock in Sedona in particular, I burst with pride as Whit eagerly scrambled up rocks and kept trying to lead us up to the top. As we surmounted a level of rock, Whit would say “come on dad, let’s do another one.” What more could you ask for? Scottsdale has some of the best public parks in the country. I love where we live in Orange Beach, but these amenities are definitely something we are missing. Nearly every day in Scottsdale, we visited my dad and 91 year old grandparents, who live in central Scottsdale just off the “green belt” a contiguous 20 mile stretch of parks and golf courses that serve as a wash when the valley occasionally gets significant rainfall. From my grandparents house, we biked up and down the green belt to visit various playgrounds. Each park contains a series of bike paths, which Whit aptly called “sidewalk roads” as he continued to get better at riding his bike without training wheels. We highly recommend visiting Scottsdale between the Autumn and Spring and take advantage of the wonderful biking paths and parks, especially for little ones. Family Time is Worth It Traveling cross-country with two little kids is not easy. But I have two 91 year old grandparents and you never know when the last time you see your elders will be the last. Not only did we treasure our time spent as a family together with our kids, but with my dad and grandparents as well. One of my biggest takeaways from the pandemic era has been this: whatever we have lost in culture, going out to eat, spending time with friends, and traveling, we’ve been able to make up with quality time spent with family. I hope you enjoy the same!

We're proud to support Junior Woman's Club Clothe the Children efforts. Here is how you can help too: 1. Donate through PayPal. Funds go directly to help children. 2. Make a purchase from the Maho website, or Orange Beach store. Through December, 2020, 10% of proceeds will go to benefit Clothe the Children. 3. Volunteer, like their Facebook page to receive notifications about their meetings to get involved. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐈𝐉𝐖𝐂! A non-profit that provides clothing to children in need in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Foley. In the first 2 months schools were open this fall, PIJWC almost met their spending total from the last school year. This is something they are excited to help with but are now in need of additional funds to assist more children. This is an urgent request as the seasons are changing and additional warm clothing and shoes will be in need.

2020: the year of maladies for all, started off with a bang for us. For my entire adult life, I’ve been the picture of health. Six foot two, 200 pounds, 8% body fat, heavily muscled – I worked out five times a week. On January 3, after a week of unexplained migraines, blurry vision, stomach cramps and some serious ankle swelling, I went to visit a physician (and friend) on his day off for a quick check. I was sure this was some passing virus or infection that would be easily resolved, like a cold with some weird symptoms. He sent me straight to the ER for chest X-Rays, CAT scans and blood tests, which revealed massively swollen spleen, lesions on my liver and lymph nodes, elevated white blood cells called eosinophils, and ridiculously high blood pressure and cholesterol.  Diagnosis #1: Lymphoma (lymph node cancer) We were absolutely shocked. The next two months were a blur of hundreds of blood tests, lymph node biopsies, a bone marrow biopsy and urinalysis. Visits to everyone – the oncologist, hematologist, nephrologist and other specialists – but nothing definitive was decided, except that they then ruled out lymphoma. After all that, I thought maybe a curable cancer like lymphoma would be preferable to an unknown specter destroying my body.  Ultimately a visit to a top nephrologist (kidney doctor) at UAB in Birmingham, and a kidney biopsy revealed an even worse diagnosis. Diagnosis #2: Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis (FGN for short)   FGN is a one in a million ultra-rare kidney disease with no on-label treatment, no cure, and a poor prognosis of 6 months in most individuals until end-stage renal disease. End-stage renal disease means your kidneys don’t work anymore, you need dialysis to live, and without a kidney transplant you will soon die. Lucky me. My young children, my wife, my businesses. Six months or even two years to end-stage kidney failure was simply not an option. So I resolved to do everything and spend as much time as necessary to find a solution.  At about the same time that I was hit with the FGN diagnosis, COVID-19 began to spread. I remember the lockdown vividly in part because I was still traveling to UAB for nephrology and immunology appointments with no one else on the normally packed Interstate 65. I also remember it viscerally because like anyone involved in a retail trade, it was an absolute nightmare for Maho Shades. With retailers around the country closed but still paying rent, our wholesale accounts could not purchase the products they had ordered. In March and April alone, we lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in orders. When it rains, it pours. In April, an immunologist at UAB diagnosed me with another condition on top of FGN: common variable immunodeficiency, or CVID. Essentially, your body produces five types of immunoglobulins, which is a type of protein that functions as antibodies. My body had an excess of igE (which is related to allergies and fighting parasites), but a massive deficit of igG and igM, which are responsible for fighting viral and bacterial infections. Not a good time to suddenly become immunodeficient during in a global pandemic. I was told there was no direct scientific link between the FGN and CVID, but given the timing, it was clear that the two were related. I’ve been told the most likely theory is that a virus I contracted, potentially dengue fever when I lived in the Virgin Islands, was responsible for creating an autoimmune response involving the igG4 variant of that molecule, destroying those molecules leading to CVID, and also creating tiny fibrils (like molecular fibers) that ultimately deposit and cause scarring in my kidneys. This autoimmune disease has no name or common set of traits, making it very unlikely that a common set of data and treatments would ever become available. But the superlative physicians at UAB prescribed two treatments: immunoglobulin infusions for the CVID, and a monoclonal antibody generally used for leukemia and lymphoma called Rituximab for FGN. The IG infusions come from filtered plasma donations, while Rituximab is a cutting edge treatment that makes the body produce a single antibody over and over. In this case, it reprograms the B-cells that are part of your immune system so that they lose the programming instructions that are causing them to attack parts of the body that lead to the autoimmune disease in the first place.  While I was trying to decipher and understand the hopeless complexities of the immune system, life went on… Maho had hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory we’d already bought, and several full time employees that relied on the business to put food on the table. So we pivoted to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model, at least temporarily, and it worked. In May, our online sales skyrocketed by 300% (thanks to people like you). Maho Shades was thriving again. So with this increase, we wanted to pay it forward. We decided to donate our sales to numerous charities as a way to give back to those struggling with unemployment. We also opened a socially-distanced outside store in our renovated Airstream. One of the groups we owe enormous thanks to is the owners of the Flora-Bama beach bar in Perdido Key, Florida, where we set up our Airstream shop from May through September. Please, go buy a bushwhacker from our good friends there when it’s safe to get out and do so. So the good news, business was back up. Great – I could pivot to my next battle. This time with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. CVID diagnosis and prescription for IG infusions? Who cares? Coverage denied. A prescription for Rituximab, the only treatment with any proven efficacy in treating FGN from the State’s leading nephrologist, who is also the head professor at UAB of nephology? Sorry, that’s denied too. For several months, I worked with physicians and my law partner (I’m also a lawyer) to threaten litigation, and do everything else I could think of to get the medication I needed. I even planned for an extended trip to Mexico, where I could get the medication 90% cheaper. In July, Blue Cross relented and paid for IG infusions. But Rituximab, which is $60,000 per year over the counter, was another story. No matter what approach I took with Blue Cross, the answer was always no. Go die, they implicitly told me.  In the Fall, I had another idea… I wrote the fine folks at Genentech, the makers of Rituximab. They agreed to provide the medicine to treat my FGN for free, no strings attached. I started the treatment in September, and as of today I am feeling 95%% of my former self, and have been able to wean myself off the daily medication that prevents my waist swelling up like an inner tube. I’ve lost 20 pounds of muscle and am still very wary of getting COVID-19 or anything else, but I’ve got one less thing keeping me up at night, so my insomnia is gone. I’m more confident than I have been for most of 2020 that I’ll live to see my kids grow up. Maho Shades: Our Future is Bright While it’s been a tumultuous time for my health, Maho has taken another bold step in an uncertain time. The team has worked tirelessly to open our own retail store at the Wharf in Orange Beach. This may seem like a crazy time to dive into retail, with constant warnings of the “retail apocalypse” sounding in the news. But I’m an optimist, and I don’t believe it’s an apocalypse. I believe it’s a revolution. Crisis breeds opportunity.  If you are like me, you’re sick and tired of shopping in soulless corporate big-box stores, where workers are paid minimum wage, mistreated, and don’t have much an incentive to give a flip about the products they sell or the customers they serve. Sunglass and eyewear shoppers have also, by now, figured out that nearly every brand of eyewear: Ray-Ban, Oakley, Costa, Persol, Arnette, Armani, Burberry, Bulgari, Coach, Dolce & Gabana, Chanel, Michael Kors, and on and on, are controlled by a single Italian monopoly: Luxxotica/Essilor. Luxxotica/Essilor also owns Sunglass Hut, Lens Crafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical, Eyemed Vision Care insurance, Glasses.com, and so many more.  Because of this, near-total market domination has driven up costs, but quality and performance have stagnated for the past thirty years. This was the original impetus for us to start Maho. After one day on St. John (Alex and I lived in the Virgin Islands for some time), we both lost expensive shades in the water in Maho Bay. So we wanted to offer the kind of cool, classic frames we had always worn, but with the high-tech lenses founded in sportfishing frames, at a reasonable price that Luxxotica’s model couldn’t match. For the past four years, Maho has grown principally by selling to retailers frustrated by Luxxotica’s dominance and terms, but always alongside those products on shelves and racks. But we’ve always known that the best thing we could do to grow our business was in our own stores, where we could treat and pay our employees fairly, dedicate the time to educating customers on the superiority of our product and its value, and begin to truly chip away at Luxxotica’s dominant position. Despite that knowledge, fear of the unknown has always held us back. Fear that we would lose retail accounts we had worked hard to appease. Fear that even though customers loved our product and bought many from our retailer partners, they wouldn’t buy from us. Fear that we wouldn’t know how to run a store… but we’re doing it. And we’re beyond optimistic. Thank you for your support. Here is the strange message I want someone to takeaway from all this. I’m thankful for 2020.  Thankful for the health problems it’s thrown my way. Thankful for experiencing the awfulness of Blue Cross, and the generosity of Genentech. Thankful for losing hundreds of thousands and being made to remake our business. Thankful for learning how to improve my law practice through the adversity and challenges of the pandemic. Thankful for the pandemic and hurricanes and fires it’s thrown at all of us. Thankful for those who have shown their kindness and support. Thankful to my wife Alex, our business partner Jordan, the good people of the Flora-Bama and all our vendors in between.  This year has quickly thrown into sharp relief that old cliché that there is no time like the present. To chase our dreams. To make our life better. To focus on what matters. I might die next year, or the next, or 60 years from now. I can’t tell you how freeing that knowledge is. Fear is necessary in that it helps guide us away from unnecessary risks. But it is optimism and hope, for carving out a better future for ourselves, our children, our partners and employees and customers, and everyone else we come into contact with, that should be the primary driver of our decisions. I’ll live for now without regrets because I am going to do my best to live every day like it is my last, because it might be. I’m going to spend as much time with my children as I need. I’m going to be the David that takes down Goliath. I’m going to take the risks that I know are right. And I hope you do too. And with that, I can’t stress enough… we appreciate your support in all the ways you’ve supported me and the rest of the Maho family. From your purchases, to your comments on social media, and visits to the Airstream to say hello. You give us all the good vibes. We’re thankful for you.    -Kris Anderson, co-founder Maho Shades

Brands x Better represents a new movement in how brands are more thoughtful in their treatment of customers, teams, and suppliers. As like-minded brands, we have united in an effort to give back to those affected by COVID-19, while also supporting conscious consumer spending and doing our part to keep the economy functioning.The world is going through an unprecedented crisis that is bringing the economy—and the consumer spending that supports it—to a halt. This chain reaction has grave implications for our globalized world and especially impacts small businesses that drive innovation and keep the economy afloat.As you continue to support the digitally native brands you rely on, we pledge to take that support and pay it forward to those on the front lines of the health crisis, in addition to our employees and suppliers.Through May, Maho has pledged to donate 10% of proceeds to those affected by COVID-19.