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
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.
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