The Story Behind FTG | Suzanne Sendel
Why I Created FTG
There was a moment, standing in a hotel room before a show, when I realized something had to change. My suitcase was open on the bed. My outfits were steamed and ready. But my glasses were everywhere. Hard cases stacked on top of each other. One tucked into a shoe. Another wrapped in a scarf so it wouldn’t scratch. I needed options, different frames for different moods, different meetings, different evenings. But traveling with them felt chaotic.
I’ve always believed eyewear is part of how you present yourself. It’s not an afterthought. It’s intentional.
So why was I treating it like something I had to manage instead of something I could organize beautifully?
I travel often, to fashion events, optical shows, conferences. Each day has its own rhythm. One pair of glasses never feels like enough. I want something bold for a dinner, something refined for a meeting, something effortless for daytime. But carrying four bulky cases in a carry-on? That never made sense.
The idea for FTG didn’t arrive as a business plan. It arrived as frustration.
I wanted something compact, structured, protective. Something that could hold multiple pairs without turning my luggage into a puzzle. I wanted to open my bag and see everything organized. Clean. Ready. Not scratched, not scattered. So I created it.
Frames To Go began as a solution for my own life. I tested it the only way I know how, by traveling with it. Packing it tightly into carry-ons. Pulling it out in crowded hotel rooms. Hanging it in closets backstage. Every detail came from real use, not theory.
The first time I traveled with the finished version, I felt something shift. I arrived prepared. Calm. My eyewear was clean and accessible. Choosing the right pair in the morning became enjoyable instead of stressful. It sounds small, but when you move from city to city, those small things matter.
What surprised me most was how many people recognized the same need. Friends. Clients. Other professionals who live out of suitcases half the year. They didn’t want another case. They wanted a smarter way to travel with what they love.
FTG was never meant to be hidden at the bottom of a bag. It was designed to be carried confidently. To reflect the same attention to detail that the frames inside represent.
Five years later, the reason hasn’t changed. I still travel with multiple pairs. I still care about how I show up. And I still believe that organization, when done beautifully, makes you feel more in control.
FTG started with a hotel room full of scattered glasses.
It became the solution I wish I had years earlier.
And I still don’t travel without it.
