How I Got Here: Le Specs CCO Hamish Tame on why curiosity beats perfection
image via @hamishtame/INSTAGRAM
AS TOLD TO DAISY HENRY
“The quickest way to stall your career is to let ego drive your decisions.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable career.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually reaching the top of their industry?
Looking for a new 9 to 5? Head to our Careers page for new listings daily.
Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to people who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly, the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way. For this instalment, we hear from the Chief Commercial and Creative Officer at Sunshades Eyewear and Le Specs, Hamish Tame.
Success can be hard to objectively measure, but when your sunglasses have been worn by Dakota Johnson, Beyoncé and Kourtney Kardashian, it’s fairly safe to say your creative direction is resonating. Having first started at Sunshades as a marketing intern on a six-month contract, Hamish’s current role involves overseeing everything from design to marketing, sales and eCommerce across both Sunshades Eyewear and Le Specs. “If it involves shaping how our brands look, feel or show up in the world, it crosses my desk.”
Having been at the company for 22 years, Hamish doesn’t measure his success in a single moment or milestone. Rather, he credits his progression with the ability to stay curious. “Trends, materials, technology, culture, everything shifts constantly in eyewear, so staying curious helps you spot the ideas before they become obvious.”
Up there with his other words of wisdom? Be brutally honest about what you don’t know, don’t get stuck polishing the same thing and above all, “focus on growth, not glory”.
View this post on Instagram
Fashion Journal: Hi Hamish! What do you do and what’s your official job title?
Hamish: I’m the Chief Commercial and Creative Officer at Sunshades Eyewear and Le Specs, overseeing everything from creative direction and design to marketing, eCommerce and sales. Essentially, if it involves shaping how our brands look, feel or show up in the world, it crosses my desk.
Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field, or did you start with an entry-level role and climb the ladder?
I started at Sunshades as a marketing intern on a six-month contract, 22 years ago — and I never actually left. It wasn’t so much a traditional “climbing the ladder” story as it was growing up alongside a business that evolved as quickly as I did.
In the early years, I worked in marketing, soaking up everything I could about brand building and the inner workings of a wholesale business. A couple of years in, I was given an unexpected opportunity to support the design team. I’d always loved eyewear but I had never imagined it as a career path. That moment changed everything.
View this post on Instagram
Suddenly, I was creating concepts, working with factories and learning the craft of designing products that people actually want to wear. From there, the role kept expanding — more responsibility, greater creative scope and more opportunities to shape the brand’s direction.
Looking back, the most defining part of my journey wasn’t a single promotion or milestone, it was the ability to keep evolving. I’ve had the rare privilege of growing a career, a brand and a perspective on design all within the same company.
View this post on Instagram
Can you walk us through a typical day in your life on the job now?
My days move between past, present and future. We start by reviewing the last season — what worked, what surprised us and what lessons we take forward. Then get into new concepts like sketching, experimenting with materials and testing ideas.
Finally, we bring them to life through production, campaigns and launching into the market. Collections are typically ordered 14 months in advance, so while it seems straightforward, we’re often juggling multiple seasons at once. It’s a complex rhythm but that overlap keeps every day fast-paced and creatively charged.
What has been a major career highlight for you so far?
There have been plenty of pinch-me moments — major commercial wins, global launches and so many surreal celebrity sightings. Those moments always give you a good hit of dopamine. But honestly, the real highlight has been the people. Working with a talented, passionate team and building success together has been the most rewarding part of my career. It’s rare to feel genuinely proud of both the work and the team that created it.
View this post on Instagram
What hurdles have you faced getting to where you are now?
The biggest challenge for me has always been trusting myself, especially early on, when I was growing alongside a business that was evolving just as fast. Learning to back my instincts, even when they weren’t obvious or comfortable, took time.
One moment that really shaped me was our 2015 collaboration with Adam Selman. When we first presented the collection, many retailers were sceptical. The frames were small, narrow and unapologetically bold. The opposite of what was considered ‘commercial’ at the time.
Early sales were tough, and for a moment, it felt like we had misread the market entirely. But my gut told me to hold steady. The designs felt right, even if they felt ahead of their time. Almost overnight, everything shifted. The same retailers who had dismissed them were suddenly calling nonstop for more stock, and ‘The Last Lolita’ style from that collection became a defining fashion moment of the 2010s.
That experience taught me two things: trends don’t always look like trends at the start, and sometimes the most important voice in the room is your own, even when it’s the quietest. Whenever I need a reminder, I think of Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”
View this post on Instagram
What’s the best part about your as a chief commercial and creative officer?
I love taking obscure ideas and things most people would overlook, and turning them into something real and wearable. There’s a thrill in shaping a concept from a spark into a product that someone out in the world chooses to put on their face. Seeing those ideas land, connect and become part of someone’s everyday style never gets old.
What would surprise people about your role?
People often assume design is a solo pursuit but nothing about my role happens in isolation. It takes an entire team — design, marketing, sales, planning, logistics — all pulling in the same direction to bring a new idea to life. The magic comes from that collaboration: different minds and different perspectives all shaping the final product.
What skills have served you well in the fashion and marketing industries?
Be kind and be curious. Kindness builds genuine trust, which is essential in a creative business, and curiosity keeps you moving forward. Trends, materials, technology, culture, everything shifts constantly in eyewear, so staying curious helps you spot the ideas before they become obvious. Those two qualities have taken me further than any technical skill ever could.
View this post on Instagram
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
Focus on growth, not glory. The quickest way to stall your career is to let ego drive your decisions. Stay humble, stay curious and surround yourself with people who are better than you in the areas you want to grow. And try not to think of your career as a ladder — it’s far more like a ripple. Opportunities often come from unexpected directions and the most meaningful progress can come from moving sideways, diagonally or even taking a step back to build momentum.
The industry moves fast, and the people who thrive are the ones who evolve with it. If you can treat every experience as a chance to build a new skill or perspective, you’ll be ready when the right role finally comes your way.
What about a practical tip?
Perfection is the enemy of progress. Don’t get stuck polishing something forever — get it out there, learn from it, and iterate. Ask questions, take notes and be brutally honest about what you don’t know. A sense of humour helps when things inevitably go sideways and a good therapist (or someone you trust) doesn’t hurt either. Progress beats perfection every time.
Keep up with Hamish here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
