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24 Luxury Eyewear Brands Making The Highest Quality Glasses

Whether selecting solely for style or out of visual necessity, a pair of spectacles or sunglasses from any of these luxe eyewear brands will ensure you’ll be a sight to behold.

Few accessories reveal a wearer’s personality as eyeglasses do. A literal frame for your style and character, eyewear can serve to emphasise eye colour, help to structure a jawline or provide an air of authority, intelligence or nerdy cool to your look.

The perfect pair might even accomplish all three, in addition, of course, to correcting vision issues and blocking UV rays. Potent stuff for a simple set of spectacles. Whether selecting solely for style or out of visual necessity, a choice from any of these luxury eyewear brands ensures that you’ll be a sight to behold.

Johann Wolff

Man wearing Johann Wolff square frame tortoiseshell spectacles

For those of us who are prone to buying a pair of glasses and sitting on them within seven days, Johann Wolff is a godsend. The Miami label offers a lifetime guarantee on its frames, meaning you get a new pair for free if yours are defective, and even if they’re broken by your own hand (or other body part) the brand will give you the first replacement pair no questions asked.

In terms of aesthetics, Johann Wolff does old-school glamour, with timeless silhouettes in colored acetate lenses. Offering prescription glasses and luxury sunglasses, each pair is handmade in Hong Kong.

Cutler & Gross

Black man wearing Cutler & Gross heavy frame green spectacles

The absence of an obtrusive logo makes this British eyewear brand the choice of those who value modesty over egotism; though ironically, fans do include some of the world’s most flamboyant entertainers, such as Sir Elton John. Founded more than 50 years ago by Graham Cutler and Tony Gross, the company’s stellar reputation is based on understated style and fine Italian craftsmanship. So iconic is the brand that it has its own frames museum atop its flagship Knightsbridge, London store.

Top design houses such as Maison Martin Margiela beg for collaborations, as has the movie industry, illustrated by a recent partnership with The Kingsman film franchise. Every Cutler and Gross design features premium materials, such as Japanese titanium and Italian acetate and gold, for a long-lasting finish. Each frame also comes fitted with anti-reflective and hydrophobic lenses. No logo? No problem.

Garrett Leight California Optical

Man wearing patterned camp collar shirt and black oversized round lens spectacles by Garrett Leight

This eponymously named independent eyewear brand comes with pedigree. CEO, creative director and optical prodigy Garrett Leight grew up in the industry, making his path to eyewear superstardom nearly pre-ordained. The son of Larry Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples, Leight is a true California boy and his designs are inspired by the people, places and stories of his home state, with a focus on his hometown of Venice.

Leight uses the most exclusive, high-quality materials from the world’s best suppliers in crafting his frames, all of which are designed and hand-finished at his downtown LA studio, each with great attention to detail. But popularity has dictated expansion, and GLCO is now found in 25 countries, on six continents, and in seven flagship US locations.

Fans include Jeff Bezos, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.

MOSCOT

A selection of men's black frame MOSCOT spectacles and sunglasses

Andy Warhol and Truman Capote were devotees of this five-generation, family-owned American luxury eyewear brand, founded in 1915 and still operating in New York’s Lower East Side. MOSCOT is one of the oldest local businesses in New York City, as well as the 21st oldest eyewear company in the world that is still in operation today. Talk about street cred.

Founder Hyman Moscot arrived at Ellis Island in 1899 and sold ready-made eyeglasses on Orchard Street from a wooden pushcart, serving the region’s immigrants. Some speculate that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Doctor T.J. Eckleburg billboard’ in The Great Gatsby was inspired by the posters of giant eyes and glasses that Moscot hung in his retail store.

Today, Dr Harvey Moscot, the company’s CEO, and Zack Moscot, the company’s chief design officer, (4th and 5th generation, respectively) have built the once-simple neighborhood optical store into a global brand. Collaborations with leading designers and influential artists and celebs have placed the acetate, metal and beta-titanium frames on a world stage.

Tom Ford

Black man wearing grey pants, light blue quilted jacket and black round lens spectacles by Tom Ford

After having collaborated with other luxe fashion brands and iconic designers, while establishing himself as a design savant, Tom Ford created his own brand in 2005. (Why dilute your creativity when you can claim the genius for yourself?) Trendsetter Ford continues to set the mood of the moment with innovation and provocative design – attributes that are beautifully rendered not only in his clothing but in his eyewear line as well.

Fusing exclusive materials, quality Italian craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail, Ford merges both vintage and contemporary influences in his bold frames, each model of which is unmistakable for its elegant metal T detail. James Bond is a fan; need we say more? (The styles Marko, Snowdon and Henry have been featured in 007 films.)

Ace & Tate

Man wearing Ace & Tate clear frame spectacles

The Dutch eyewear company whose name is derived from the material (acetate) used to create most of its frames was founded on the premise of disruption and sustainability. Based in Amsterdam, where each of their frame styles is designed in-house, Ace & Tate initially opened exclusively online with a vow to eliminate the middleman in order to deliver affordable, thoughtfully designed eyeglasses directly to consumers.

Subsequent success has led to more than 70 brick-and-mortar stores in 10 European countries, as well as editorial features in leading fashion publications worldwide. Providing a fantastic customer experience (such as free eye tests, and near-instant delivery of prescription eyewear) is the company’s paramount ambition, as is its goal to minimize its environmental footprint by implementing recycling initiatives and by reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Kirk Originals

Two pairs of Kirk Originals spectacles in tortoiseshell and black acetate frames

This brand was established in 1992, though its true origin can be traced to 1919 when brothers Percy and Sidney Kirk founded their eyewear company in London – noted during the time for providing daredevil motorist Sir Malcolm Campbell with the lenses for his motoring goggles. The Blitz caused the dissolution of the popular company, but decades later, a Kirk family descendant discovered a surplus box of the duo’s bold, heavy-in-weight, bygone-era frames, igniting a resurgence of the brand.

Kirk Originals hand manufactures its frames in England using the best materials and skilled craftspeople to produce styles that transcend trends. A favorite of trailblazers and hell raisers, Kirk Originals’ nonconformist frames have been seen resting on such notable noses as those of Paul Newman, Michael Caine and James Baldwin to members of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Clash.

Warby Parker

Selection of men's Warby Parker round lens spectacles in tortoiseshell, blue and clear acetate

Established on the principle that eyeglasses shouldn’t break the bank, this eyewear brand, named for two characters featured in a Jack Kerouac journal, was founded by four University of Pennsylvania Wharton School grads. Initially merely an online retailer, the company now conducts most of its business out of nearly 200 retail stores across the US and Canada with a mission “to inspire and impact the world with vision, purpose, and style”.

Warby Parker circumvents traditional channels and designs its frames in-house with high-quality materials. The company is known for its ‘Home-Try-On’ program whereby consumers can sample five pairs at home for free, and for its augmented reality, virtual try-on app. Additionally, through their ‘Buy a Pair/Give a Pair’ program, they have donated millions of pairs of eyeglasses to those in need.

Jacques Marie Mage

Jacques Marie Mage advertisement with man wearing thick black frame and lens sunglasses

Jacques Marie Mage frames are unmistakable for their architectural quality and bold geometric shapes. Founder Jerome Mage, a French expat who founded his company in Los Angeles, seeks design inspiration in cultural revolutions and anti-heroes of previous centuries. Through his high-quality, very limited production eyewear handcrafted in Japan and Italy, he attempts to artfully reconstruct and retell history’s epic tales, elegantly infusing historical motifs with a modern aesthetic… a tall order for a pair of specs.

But wearers are believers, such as long-time devotee Jeff Goldblum who has collaborated with the brand to co-create several frames. Fans consider JMM frames to be in the same collector category as fine watches, or even rare automobiles – each of which balances form, function and style.

Taylor Morris

Three pairs of Morris sunglasses in tiger acetate, tortoiseshell and clear pink frames

Taylor Morris may be based in charming Notting Hill, London but the company’s reach is worldwide. Founders Hugo Taylor and Charlie Morris strive to create timeless styles infused with beauty, sophistication and individuality. The duo’s love of British design, Hollywood glamour and rock ‘n’ roll bohemianism are evident in their range of affordably luxurious glasses and sunglasses that complement a variety of face shapes and are suitable for every occasion.

Their frames (recognizable for their unique design feature of three dots at temple-level on the arm) combine a throwback vibe with a modern edge; several are inspired and named for adventurers, silver screen idols and iconic London locales, such as the Raleigh, for British explorer Sir Walter and the Westbourne, for Westbourne Grove, one of the brand’s favorite London spots.

Ray-Ban

Man and woman wearing mirrored lens Ray-Ban sunglasses

Few, if any, eyewear brands are so intrinsically associated with pop culture as Ray-Ban. Introduced in the 1930s as utilitarian, antiglare eyewear for US Air Force pilots, the brand quickly caught on with the general public. Wayfarer fans James Dean and Audrey Hepburn helped ignite the Ray-Ban craze before Tom Cruise set hearts further ablaze as aviator-wearing Maverick in Top Gun.

Throughout its near-eight decades, Ray-Ban styles have proven to be an essential accessory for those who wish not to be seen, but who desire to be noticed. Aside from affordability and durability, there is a reason this brand has maintained popularity since its initial introduction – a pair of Ray-Bans easily raises every wearer’s cool quotient.

Persol

Man wearing foldable Persol keyhole sunglasses with a knitted polo shirt

One hundred years of history and artistry can be expressed in one name: Steve McQueen. The ultimate arbiter of ‘cool’, McQueen’s love of this Italian eyewear brand is well reciprocated; an entire line is dedicated to the screen icon. Meaning ‘for the sun’, Persol is one of the oldest eyewear manufacturers in the world; its lenses were originally made specifically for the motor racing and aviation industries before being discovered by style icons.

The Persol name stands for technological innovation, elegance, outstanding quality, and wearability and comfort. Instantly recognizable for the arrow detail at the temple, each Persol frame is made with top-quality materials and passes through more than 30 different manufacturing stages. A genuine masterpiece of engineering and craftsmanship.

MYKITA

Two pairs of metal frame MYKITA sunglasses with green tinted lenses

Founded nearly 20 years ago in Berlin, where it continues to independently manufacture its entire line, MYKITA achieved near cult status upon its initial introduction. The brand’s technologically advanced frames (such as hingeless, no screws, stainless steel styles, and ultra-lightweight lines) have been spotted on the faces of Brad Pitt, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Cruise and Daniel Craig.

MYKITA develops its own tools and processes to meet its own design requirements and is known for its introduction of an eyewear industry first – a new material called MYLON, distinguished by its refined surface and deep, even coloring, the manufacturing process of which produces zero waste.

Cubitts

Selection of men's Cubitts sunglasses in blue and tortoiseshell acetate with tinted lenses

It was only founded in 2012, but London eyewear brand Cubitts is one of the most influential of recent years. A key player in the emergence of indie designers trying something new with eyewear, Cubitts’ acetate frames offer bold, architectural designs.

The brand’s wire cores – narrow slivers of metal inserted into the temples – make the frames adjustable. This kind of modern innovation, mixed with traditional manufacture, is what makes Cubitts a genuine good-value proposition.

Oliver Peoples

Pair of orange acetate frame and blue lens Oliver Peoples sunglasses for men

Founded in 80s LA, Oliver Peoples is steeped in Hollywood glamour and its elegant, well-produced frames are the kind you want to be seen in.

It produces officially sanctioned frames inspired by screen legends Cary Grant and Gregory Peck. The brand’s eyewear has been seen on screen in everything from HBO’s Succession to Fight Club (1999). It also has an ongoing collaboration with Italian luxury designer Brunello Cucinelli.

Oakley

Man wearing clear Oakley wraparound sunglasses with baseball cap

Unlike a lot of eyewear brands, Oakley’s renown comes from its sporty and technical pedigree. It began producing ski Goggles in the 1980s and from there developed sunglasses designed for action sports and active lifestyles.

Many of the brand’s frames are designed with athlete input for added comfort and practicality, and some are created specifically for certain activities. Today, its innovations include blue light filters and glasses designed for gamers.

Ahlem

Man wearing Ahlem men's gold frame sunglasses with green gradient lenses

Art Deco, groovy 60s shapes and classic designs are all in the mix at Ahlem, an LA brand founded by Paris-born designer Ahlem Manai-Platt. The eclectic taste is matched by quality materials and impressive green credentials.

Its frames and lenses are produced using Earth-friendly materials and practices, and it also offers a recycling program called ReFramed. This allows customers to trade in old frames when they’re shopping for new ones, and the brand will turn them into a new pair.

Montblanc

Man wearing Montblanc gold frame and black lens sunglasses

Montblanc’s eclectic mix of luxury goods – everything from watches to pens, fragrances to leather bags – also includes sophisticated eyewear. The brand’s frames have a distinctly European aesthetic: handsome and classic with a preference for rounded oblong shapes.

Manufactured by Kering Eyewear – which also produces glasses from luxury fashion names such as Gucci, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent – the group uses its heft to secure the best materials and build quality.

Matsuda

Close up of Matsuda metal frame and black lens sunglasses for men

Japanese label Matsuda has been making sunglasses and optical frames for over 50 years, and its approach fits completely with the Japanese tradition of combining hand-made tradition with new technology. Each frame takes around 70 hours to produce and passes through the hands of as many as 13 craftspeople, including engineers and metalworkers.

This all shows in the aesthetic, from intricately formed nose bridges to interesting acetate frames. Artistic and technical at the same time.

Prada

Jake Gyllenhaal wearing black Prada branded spectacles

Not unlike the label’s clothing, Prada’s eyewear is strikingly designed with a mix of bold geometric frames and quieter, more classical Italian styles. There’s a lot of retro styling in the collection, including angular 80s frames and yellow-tinted lenses that look like they never left the 70s.

Prada glasses are manufactured by Luxottica, the Milan eyewear giant that includes Ray-Ban, Persol and Oliver Peoples in its stable, as well as licensed frames for other fashion houses including Ralph Lauren, Georgio Armani and Burberry. In other words, nobody knows luxury eyewear better.

Barton Perreira

Man wearing Barton Perreira geometric sunglasses with yellow lenses

Created by former executives at Oliver Peoples after that brand was acquired by Oakley, Barton Perreira quickly made an impact in the eyewear industry. Its frames are some of the most meticulously made in the world, handcrafted in small batches by Japanese artisans.

The form is classic and distinguished, with glasses made from gorgeously sculpted acetate or lightweight titanium that’s fine-tuned for weeks. They’re not cheap, but invest and you’ll be in good company: James Bond had a pair in No Time To Die.

Kuboraum

Man wearing thick tortoiseshell acetate sunglasses by Kuboraum

The vast majority of eyewear brands make frames that look more or less the same. Kuboraum is one of the few that does its own thing, with theatrical design and sci-fi references giving its collection a determinedly unique vibe.

The brand was born, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Berlin back in 2012 and it refers to its eyewear as “masks”. The shapes are outrageous – in a good way, we think – but you’ll need vast reserves of confidence and personal style to make them work.

Linda Farrow

Black man wearing black and gold frame Linda Farrow spectacles

Originally founded in the 1970s, the Linda Farrow brand was revived by the designer’s son in the noughties after he found a collection of his mother’s vintage frames. They quickly became sought-after among fashionable trendsetters and now the brand produces a huge range of opticals and sunglasses for men and women.

The men’s line focuses on Japanese titanium and Italian acetate, from classic tortoiseshell D-frames to round, scholarly metal styles.

Gentle Monster

Korean man wearing Gentle Monster black frame oval sunglasses

As far as we’re concerned, the excellent name is enough, but South Korean brand Gentle Monster has more going for it than that. Drawing on video game visuals and animation styles, the aesthetic is quite unlike the majority of luxury eyewear brands.

Under the playful exterior, it’s also a brand that takes its craft very seriously. The designs are sturdy as well as experimental and you’ll also find modern lenses that protect against UV rays or filter out blue light.