Aussie-grown for Aussie conditions, Ugly Fish Eyewear and its iconic logo can be seen on worksites nationwide. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary last month, commemorating two decades of determination and hard yakka that built it into a true blue brand.
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…BUT THE SHIRT ON HIS BACK
Ugly Fish founder Manuch Darabi migrated to Australia from Iran in 1989. With a fast-grown passion for Australia’s outdoor obsession – and just $500 to his name – Manuch decided to hit up local markets around southern NSW and sell sunglasses.
He and son Faraz Darabi teamed up, realising there was a need in the Aussie market for high quality glasses for outdoor work and play.
“When Manuch and I launched Ugly Fish, we were two people just trying to make ends meet,” Faraz said.
“Our goals were simple. We dreamed of being able to have my dad own a house, or be able to spend time together on weekends instead of having to work seven days a week.
“We just wanted to achieve a ‘normal’ Aussie lifestyle. It took many years to achieve, but now we can have that lifestyle.”
FAMILY VISION
The duo started out selling from the garage at the family home in Wollongong in 2003. Rocking the hand-drawn Ugly Fish logo (designed on the kitchen table), unbreakable frames as well as anti-fog and salt resistant polycarbonate polarised lenses, the glasses gained traction.
Faraz said the customers try Ugly Fish sunnies, have a great experience and come back for more.
“It still makes our day when we meet customers at expos and hear they’ve been wearing Uglys for two decades,” he added. “They come back for the same style again and again!”
Family has always been at the heart of Ugly Fish, with Manuch’s partner Fariba and Faraz’s partner Maree also joining the team. “Despite our growth, Ugly Fish is genuinely a family business,” Faraz said.
“My dad and I have always worked really well together.
“Thankfully, we’re both capable of keeping any personal and business issues separate, and not mixing the two.
“In family business, it’s easy to fall into a trap of being so focused on the business that you can’t connect personally out of work. I think we’ve done a great job managing this. When we spend time together on weekends, it’s not about work.”
FEEDING FRENZY
Whether you’re on the tools out at sea, Ugly Fish has your peepers covered. Its glasses are split into seven main categories: Safety, Motorbike, Lifestyle, Kids, Ladies, Optical and Blue Light Blockers. Ugly Fish’s certified Safety range have tradies’ backs, offering protection against dust and glare as well as projectiles while also being comfortable to wear.
“The brand is also a great fit with the active Aussie lifestyle,” Faraz added.
“Our customers want to get out and get dirty – on the job site, camping, fishing or on a motorbike – and our sunglasses and safety glasses help them do that.”
Ugly Fish is for the tradie who’s working hard Monday-to-Friday before kicking back with their mates on the weekend, and not on the runway of a fashion show. That’s why the Darabi’s ongoing mission has been to make sure ‘everyone’s ugly’, so to speak.
“We’ve always focused on function and comfort over fashion,” Faraz said.
“We design products to really work, not just as this season’s ‘look’.
“We look for genuine gaps in the market and design products to solve problems for consumers.
“For example, when we launched, there were no sunglasses designed specifically for Motorbike riders. We built a whole range around the needs of bike riders – safety, clear vision night and day, tough conditions, and fitting in and under helmets.”
MAKING WAVES
Ugly Fish managed to navigate the unfamiliar waters of many economic issues in its time from the 2008 GFC to COVID. Faraz said being a smaller business worked to Ugly Fish’s advantage in these instances.
“During times like this we’ve changed our product ranges, introduced new categories, or changed our sales model to suit the environment,” he said.
“Larger companies can’t be as flexible.”
But Ugly Fish has big eyes on the future and what it holds for the company, with a shift towards sustainability given their passion for the outdoors.
“We’re committed to increasing our use of sustainable and recycled materials to reduce our environmental footprint,” Faraz said.
Filling the gap when it comes to offerings is another area the company hopes to continue to break ground, with Ugly Fish recently launching a range of women’s safety glasses. From the garage in Wollongong to 20 years down the road, the Darabis have accomplished much in their time with plenty more on the line.
“Reaching the 20-year milestone brings a sense of security,” Faraz said.
“To me, it means that the brand is resilient, and it can succeed whatever happens. We’ve gone through so many challenging periods and the brand has not just survived, it’s emerged achieving consistent growth.”
You can find out more about Ugly Fish Eyewear and its offerings at uglyfisheyewear.com.