Bausch & Lomb eyewear brand launched 1937, originally designed for U.S. Army Air Corps pilots. Aviator and Wayfarer models became lasting design classics.
Best for Aviator and Wayfarer sunglasses, Bausch & Lomb's 1937 optics heritage
Ray-Ban was established in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb, originally designed for the U.S. Army Air Corps seeking protection from sun glare during flight. The prototype, named 'Anti-glare', featured plastic frames and lenses that banned harsh glare without reducing visibility. Released to the public in 1937, the design was remodeled with metal frames and christened the Ray-Ban Aviator in 1938. The 1950s brought the Ray-Ban Wayfarer, a bold angular acetate frame with a distinctive trapezoidal shape that became synonymous with youthful rebellion and cool sophistication. Ray-Ban developed into an extremely successful fashion brand with these design classics as world leaders. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group. Today, Ray-Ban remains an icon of timeless optics and style.
Turin eyewear house founded 1917 — the 649 silhouette with keyhole bridge and Silver Arrow hinge, worn by Mastroianni, defines Italian craftsmanship.
Best for Persol 649 sunglasses and Meflecto optical frames
Persol was founded in 1917 in Turin by Giuseppe Ratti, owner of Berry optical, who created the brand to serve pilots and sports drivers requiring protective eyewear. The name derives from the Italian "per il sole" (for the sun). The legendary Model 649, introduced in 1957, was originally designed for Turin's tram drivers who needed wide lenses to protect against dust exposure. The frame's distinctive features—a keyhole bridge, acetate silhouette, and signature Silver Arrow hinge mechanism—became instantly recognizable. The 649 achieved worldwide cultural prominence when worn by actor Marcello Mastroianni, cementing its position as a cinema icon and symbol of Italian style. Despite acquisition by Luxottica, Persol has maintained production at its historic factory in Lauriano, near Turin, preserving the original manufacturing heritage. The 649 remains one of the most recognizable eyewear shapes globally, balancing heritage aesthetics with contemporary appeal. The brand continues serving customers seeking either classic heritage frames or contemporary designs that reference Persol's founding principles of pilot-grade optical quality and durable construction.
Safety RX on Garth Road grinds prescription safety glasses for plant and pipeline crews, and sells ordinary frames to the public from the same in-house lab.
Best for Prescription safety glasses at the Baytown optical counter.
Tishler is a Lake Bled workshop where maker Nejc designs and hand-crafts eyewear from hardwoods, offering a core collection plus bespoke frames in rare woods. Each pair is cut and finished on-site and carries a lifetime warranty.
Founded as Tipton Eyeworks in Seattle in 1998 by Zachary Tipton Milaskey and refounded in Budapest in 2004 with his brother Zoltan, the workshop makes eyewear frames from repurposed vinyl records, including communist-era records salvaged from Budapest flea markets for its first collection.
Best for Spectacle frames handcrafted from repurposed vinyl records
Tipton Eyeworks started in Seattle in 1998, founded by Zachary Tipton Milaskey. The company was refounded in Budapest in 2004, when Zachary teamed up with his brother Zoltan after developing a manufacturing process durable enough to turn vinyl records into wearable eyewear frames. The material choice traces to a personal discovery: searching for an alternative frame material, Zachary came across his father's old vinyl record collection and began experimenting with cutting and shaping the discs into frames. The workshop's first series used vinyl records from the Communist era, salvaged from flea markets around Budapest, giving each pair of frames a one-off pattern determined by the printed grooves and labels of the source record. The Budapest studio operates under the Tipton Eyeworks name alongside product lines marketed as Vinylize and Cinematique, and continues to hand-make frames from upcycled vinyl and other reclaimed materials at its Budapest workshop, combining an optical shop with in-house production.
Ray-Ban Store Colombo is an official sunglasses shop for Aviator, Wayfarer and Clubmaster frames. At Colombo City Centre, the range centers on aviator, Wayfarer, and Clubmaster sunglasses, plus the latest Ray-Ban collections.
Best for Aviator, Wayfarer, and Clubmaster sunglasses, plus the latest Ray-Ban collections
Copenhagen fashion brand founded 2008, blending brutalist Scandinavian design with avant-garde streetwear aesthetics in eyewear and clothing.
Best for Bold Danish eyewear and fashion
Han Kjøbenhavn was founded in 2008 in Copenhagen by Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen, initially as an eyewear brand before expanding to include outerwear and shirting. The name Kjøbenhavn (Copenhagen in Danish) anchors the brand's Scandinavian identity. The label blends raw, gritty streetwear influences with avant-garde Scandinavian design, marrying bold aesthetics with premium build quality and construction. The brand offers menswear (jeans, knitwear, outerwear, t-shirts, hoodies) and womenswear (including dresses and skirts), plus a "Second Life" secondhand line and specialized eyewear collections. Han Kjøbenhavn gained international recognition when it designed actress Julia Fox's viral black leather 'Grip Dress' for the 2022 Oscars. The website features distinctive branding including an integrated audio player called "HanAmp" with customizable equalizer settings, reflecting the brand's lifestyle-oriented identity.
Marsella 70, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600 Ciudad de México / Mexico City / Mexico
Gramo designs frames in Mexico and has them made in Japan. Production is associated with Mexico, while the range centers on independent eyewear and fitting.
An 'aesthetic eyewear studio' near the Duomo since 1965, Crisafulli Eyewear is a recognised Milan historic shop offering exclusive frames, luxury brands and image consulting. The Galleria del Corso boutique also provides personalised eye exams and lens fitting.
French eyewear house founded in Paris in 1953 by Robert Francois Pinton, formerly of the historic Meyrowitz optical house; frames are handmade in France's Jura region. Riviera-era clients included Grace Kelly and the Onassis family.
Best for French acetate frames and understated sunglasses
Francois Pinton is a French eyewear house founded in Paris in 1953 by Robert Francois Pinton, who had previously run the storied Meyrowitz optical house and counted film stars such as Marlene Dietrich and Cary Grant among his acquaintances. In the 1960s and '70s his son Dominique took over design, building the brand's reputation among the French Riviera jet set - the Onassis family, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, wore its frames, and Grace Kelly reportedly ordered twenty pairs of bespoke frames for her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco. The house's eyewear is handmade in France's Jura region, while its retail presence remains in Paris.
Paris eyewear brand founded in 2010 by childhood friends Xavier Aguera, Charles Brun and Quentin Couturier as reading-glasses label See Concept; renamed Izipizi in 2018, it now also makes sunglasses, screen glasses and children's eyewear.
Best for Interchangeable French reading glasses and sunwear in pop colors
Izipizi was founded in Paris in 2010 by three childhood friends from Lyon - Xavier Aguera, Charles Brun and Quentin Couturier - initially trading as See Concept and selling only reading glasses, an idea sparked by watching their parents lose track of theirs. The range expanded to sunglasses within a year and later added screen glasses, children's eyewear and sports eyewear. The brand renamed itself Izipizi in 2018. It now operates about 20 of its own stores and is stocked by roughly 7,500 other retailers across 85 countries, with its own stores in Paris, Brussels and London.
Jimmy Fairly sells optical and sunglasses frames with in-store eye testing and fitting at selected locations. Frame shape, bridge and lens prescription remain the practical reasons to visit in person.
Best for Designer-grade eyewear frames with buy-one-give-one pricing
A designer-run boutique selling clothing, jewelry, footwear, handbags, eyewear, and home design. The shop represents eight Czech designers and one Hungarian brand, with a designer present in the boutique each day.
Gentle Monster is a Korean eyewear brand offering glasses and sunglasses, with a parent business founded in 2011. Fashion-led frames sit alongside more everyday designs, while art installations form part of the brand's retail approach. Individual stores have distinct settings and service listings, so a particular branch should be checked for fitting or repair arrangements.
Best for Fashion-led glasses and sunglasses with installation-based retail
Gentle Monster is a Korean eyewear brand whose parent business was founded in 2011 by Jay Oh and Kim Han-kook. Its range includes glasses and sunglasses, with fashion-led shapes forming part of its approach alongside more everyday designs. The company became associated with television and popular culture, including exposure through the series My Love From the Star in 2014.
The brand's retail spaces are another part of its identity, using art and installations around the eyewear display. That approach creates a reason to look at the store itself, as well as the frames being sold. It does not mean each location has the same installation or that an older presentation will remain in place.
The current online catalogue separates glasses from sunglasses and also offers tinted-lens choices within the sunglasses range. Start with the kind of eyewear you need, then compare shape and fit rather than choosing solely from an installation photograph. Individual stores have their own listings and services, so use the branch page when arranging a fitting or repair visit.
A family eyewear maker and optician selling handmade eyeglasses and sunglasses, including individually made frames. Its frames are handcrafted in Austria.
Best for Individually handmade eyeglass and sunglass frames, crafted in Austria
This outlet sells Orrefors and Kosta Boda glass and art glass for home and professional use, including the Sunflower design, taster glasses and the More and Pulse ranges, in both first and second sorting quality. Loyalty credits from purchases unlock further discounts on future glassware.
Family-run optician at Via Piave 12 in Trento, Italy, with more than 20 years of service, professional eye exams, an in-house lens laboratory and contact-lens fittings.
Best for Eye exams, in-house lens work and contact-lens fittings.
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