Earlier this year, I sat down with Natalie McGowan from Style to talk about something that has followed me my entire life, why so many sunglasses simply don’t fit, and who they are actually designed for.

Growing up on the Sunshine Coast with Korean heritage, I didn’t have the language for it at the time, but I knew the experience well. Sunglasses sliding down my nose, sitting on my cheeks, squeezing at the temples, or leaving awkward gaps that made them feel unstable. It wasn’t a one-off. It was every pair.

In the interview, we spoke about low nose bridges versus the industry term “Asian fit”, and why that label has always felt both useful and limiting. Useful because it helps people recognise the problem. Limiting because facial features don’t map neatly to ethnicity. Many Asian people don’t have low nose bridges. Many non-Asian people do. Fit issues cross cultures, they just haven’t been widely acknowledged in design.

What Style captured so well in this piece is that Hyesun didn’t come from trendspotting. It came from lived experience. From years of loving sunglasses as a fashion item but never being able to wear the styles I admired. From repeatedly being told to “just adjust them” or accept that certain designs weren’t for my face.

We also spoke about what inclusive design actually looks like in practice. For Hyesun, that meant rethinking proportions entirely, more width through the frame, a narrower and more supportive bridge, additional padding, and a flatter profile so sunglasses sit securely on the nose rather than resting on cheeks. These changes sound small, but they completely change how sunglasses feel when you wear them.

Beyond the product, this conversation felt personally significant. Until starting Hyesun, I rarely spoke publicly about my Korean heritage or my experience as an adoptee. Building this brand has given me a reason, and a platform, to connect those parts of my identity, and to talk openly about representation, belonging, and what happens when design overlooks anyone outside the so called standard.

I’m thankful to Nat and Style for giving space to this conversation. If it helps even a few people realise their face was never the problem, then it’s doing its job.

You can read the full article here: https://stylemagazines.com.au/fashion/hyesun-sunglasses/.