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8 8 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 7.14 style fashion BEHIND THE FRAME By Mary Chellis Austin Photos by Greg Stanfeld "I t's kind of wild and wicked in here," David Duralde says as we walk into an ofce full of fashion magazine pages and sketches that have been taped to the walls. Te 51-year-old designer points to some motivational phrases — "We need to be disruptors!" — on a dry-erase board in the dimly lit room, and we continue my tour through Kenmark, an eyewear design company on Plantside Drive in Jefersontown. Shelves stacked with magazines and cofee-table books stand throughout the space. A board of Swarovski crystal samples leans against a wall. Lots and lots of colorful plastic parts are sprawled across tables and tucked into stacks of baggies, ready to become eyeglasses. Te locally owned business started selling already- designed eyeglasses and sunglasses to optical shops 40 years ago but has evolved over the last decade to create styles for fashion brands such as Vera Wang, Zac Posen and Original Penguin. Te building — with a modern-looking entryway and second-foor balcony that make it diferent from the area's box-shaped factories — houses Kenmark's roughly 100 employees and includes everything from bureaucratic cubicles to an open-air distribution center to the colorful creative spaces. Duralde, the company's chief creative ofcer and designer for Vera Wang, says that there's a 360-degree approach to working at Kenmark, that those taking customer orders also will give their opinions to the designers. I notice the receptionist polishing lens- es from a pile of glasses. Duralde and art director/brand manager Tess Tooker, 27, say that this cross-pollination of duties happens because everyone has a stake in the company's success. Former Kenmark owner Mark Kerman, who started the business because his father worked in an optical shop, developed the company's employee stock ownership plan 10 or so years ago. Since then, fashion has come into focus. Te designers keep up with their brands' current collections and talk to Vera Wang or Zac Posen about which looks a season should include. Tey'll draw from the fabrics, colors, textures and materials used in the brands' clothing, shoes and bags. Once the product is ap- Inside Kenmark's eyewear empire. 62-104 BACK.indd 88 6/17/14 2:04 PM