From eyewear produced in small batches to pieces crafted of a biodegradable cellulosic acetate, moves are being made within the eyewear space to offer thoughtfully designed and sustainable options.
Fast fashion, by definition, bypasses the very concept of a classic, durable and conscious wardrobe. By focusing on the speedy mass-production of a buy-now-or-cry-later pair of sunglasses, it loses sight of much more fundamental elements of modern-day production, such as the creation of an ethical work environment, the use of eco-friendly materials and the production of sturdy, long-lasting frames, to name a few.
These brands embody those qualities, all while producing staple pieces for your wardrobe that are sure to last for years.
Known most notably for the iconic Leonard – a deliciously balmy, unisex piece featuring a bright tortoise frame with oceanic-toned mirrored lenses – Illesteva has become synonymous with summer style among men and women alike. Founded in 2010, Illesteva was created to offer a fresh twist on classic shapes by using contemporary materials. Conceptualized by New York-based Daniel Silberman, Illesteva’s frames are the product of a carefully crafted combination of stylish design, premium quality, and a fair price point. The brand works with the best in the industry and ensures that every pair is made thoughtfully, by hand in family owned and operated factories in Italy and France. Each unique batch of acrylic is mixed by hand, with the shaping, polishing, and assembly completed by expert craftsmen.
Much like a piece of sculpture, no two pieces are exactly alike. Because no two frames can have an identical pattern, Illesteva has put into place a list of quality standards and an expert artisan inspects each frame individually. The brand prides itself on this attention to process, rather than just the end result. To buy a pair of Illestevas is to purchase a unique story – from dedicated research, design and development in New York City to skillful production by hand in Italy and France.
Why we love them: small batch, small business: supporting family owned and operated facilities, handmade in Europe.
With an essentialist perspective both in aesthetics and concept, W.R. Yuma brings a much-needed rebellion to the sunglass space. Their idea is simple: to take post-consumer plastic and turn it into a brand new pair of sunglasses through a 3D printing process which spares any potential waste from the production process itself.
Created from recycled car dashboards, plastic drinking bottles and even parts of discarded refrigerators, the glasses are then outfitted with Mazzucchelli lenses after printing and are ready for wear. The brand is working to create a circular process in which they will be able to take back the glasses and reenter them into the recycling process.
Why we love the brand: With a “mission to shape the future of waste” and a perspective that “It’s not waste until it’s wasted”, W.R. Yuma has become a favorite of ours for proving that ‘quality, style, and sustainability are in fact the same thing.’
Out of this world – Westward Leaning has built a significant impact on their otherworldly allure: styles that are both grounded in reality and function while exploring the outer realms of possibility. The brand works with non-profit organizations and manufactures in factories which the team has personally visited and vetted. When selecting these facilities, Westward Leaning focuses on quality, cost and fair compensation and a safe work environment for those that work there.
Handcrafted in Japan, all styles feature hints of elements sourced to uplift and highlight local materials to their native California, such as redwood and antlers found by boy scouts, finished off with gemstones from Europe and packaging made from recycled paper, where possible. If Boba Fett and Verushka had a lovechild, we’re pretty sure it would be Westward Leaning – and we love it.
Why we want these, beyond their outstanding looks: WL uses recycled packaging and offer a vegan leather case, they support charity, and all styles are handmade by a master craftsman in Japan.
Carla Colour’s unisex eyewear exudes an effortlessly modern and slightly quirky image, without ever leaning towards being unwearable or unnatural. Brilliantly bouncing between the effortlessness of contemporary style and the sensuality reminiscent of a French love story from the 70s, Carla Colour dances the fine line between the practical and the unique. An emphasis on shape and color runs through the entire collection, as designed by Carla Robertson. Self-taught, she is part of the whole process behind Carla Colour’s frames – design, production and sales, and ensures that each piece is highly inspired and full of personality. A pair of Carla Colour sunglasses is always an eyecatcher, but we’ve found it to be endlessly versatile nonetheless – it will lift up and complete a deliberately understated look, but will also fit in seamlessly when worn with a bolder ensemble.
The brand works under a strict code of conduct that promises ethical and responsible production. To avoid waste and overproduction, Carla Colour comes out with only one main collection per year in the summer season, and one additional capsule collection come fall, each in a limited-edition run of product. To craft a pair of Carla Colour glasses, a highly durable and eco-conscious acetate is used – zyl acetate, to be exact, produced in Italy and completely recyclable and even biodegradable (in controlled environments), making it the most eco-friendly acetate on the eyewear market today.
This absence of harmful chemicals is present not only in the frames but also in the case they come in, which is carefully handmade from vegetable-tanned leather. Carla Colour glasses are the perfect marriage between unique design and responsible production.
Why we think everyone should own a pair: a unique statement piece for every wardrobe, guilt-free and expertly made.
The epitome of slow fashion, the process behind a pair of Monokel frames takes well over three months. Based in Sweden, this brand lives and breathes the effortless cool that defines Scandinavian style, a fashion movement that constantly reinvents and modernizes classic, durable and well-made garments to achieve a street style that is basic and unique all at once. Monokel’s sunglasses fit in seamlessly with these looks, quoting Nordic midcentury modernism as an inspiration for the brand’s designs.
The main component of a pair of Monokel frames is a premium and eco-friendly plant based acetate, and their black sunglasses are even made with a recycled variant. Worlds away from rushed mass production, Monokel sunglasses are handcrafted with tremendous attention to detail, resulting in a line of sturdy, reliable and contemporary frames that are sure to withstand the test of time, not only when it comes to their quality, but also their adaptability to what’s in style in the new season.
What we love about Monokel: street-style eyecatchers with a Scandi-cool vibe, made from conscious materials
In a perfect combination of chic and breezy, designer Ahlem Manai-Platt was born in Paris, but currently resides in LA and previously worked for big names like Miu Miu and Acne. The city of Paris became the main inspiration for Ahlem’s designs, with every frame named after a neighborhood, train station or street. The brand quotes the Parisian savoir-faire and the understated elegance of the wardrobe of its citizens as a focal point in the design of their sunglasses. Ahlem is a St Germain spritz – fresh, idyllic and utterly intoxicating. It is said that wearing a pair of Ahlem lenses may make you fall madly in love with your surroundings, and we don’t doubt it.
Aside from their ultra-chic aesthetic and uniquely toned lenses, they focus heavily on detail and superior manufacturing techniques which in turn make these into collectible heritage pieces that maintain their over time. While the creative journey takes place in Venice, California, Ahlem brings it back to France in the production of their frames, with the utmost respect for material and process. Handcrafted in small batches in ateliers based in Oyonnax, Ahlem’s glasses are made from Mazzucchelli cellulose, an Italian-made acetate that is renowned in the business for its premium quality.
As for Ahlem’s metal frames, these are palladium electroplated in real gold, finished with titanium nose pads, ensuring elegance and durability. This excellence in design is also featured in the lenses, which are produced by French optical company Christian Dalloz. Just like Mazzuchelli acetate, Dalloz’s crizal lenses have been around for decades and are known for their outstanding quality.
Why we love the brand: Ahlem indeed has no secrets about its process or its materials, which means the conscious consumer can safely invest in a pair of their frames to achieve that je ne sais quoi of Parisian street style.
In an impossible feat, Retrosuperfuture embodies both timelessness and millennial-cool. With an extraordinarily contemporary appeal, Retrosuperfuture makes a convincing case for the sunglasses wardrobe – each style with its own, unique reason for being. While it’s hard to choose between styles, they provide a frame for every wardrobe, occasion and season. From its inception in 2007, the brand has aimed at combining high quality and distinctive design at an affordable price. When founder Daniel Beckerman came up with the idea, he was frustrated with the abundance of what he calls boring eyewear in the industry. While experimental, cutting-edge clothing brands were popping up left and right, Daniel Beckerman found that no one had yet come up with a line of quirky, bold glasses and sunglasses. Retrosuperfuture was born out of this frustration, coming out with sunglasses that Beckerman felt his friends would want to wear: fresh, hip and stylish.
While providing this line of avant-garde frames at a fair price point was a priority for Beckerman, he never lost sight of producing them at high quality and in a fair process. An artisan carefully handcrafts each piece of Retrosuperfuture eyewear in Italy with the best materials the industry has to offer. The frames come in cellulose acetate, metal or a combination of both, fitted with top quality lenses. Retrosuperfuture teams up with Zeiss, from Germany, and Barberini, from Italy, both staples in the market, to complete their frames with excellent lenses for extended everyday use.
Why we want to own one (or all of them): a Retrosuperfuture frame is sure to be a stunningly unique piece in every wardrobe, blending in or standing out according to every wearer’s needs and style – and doing it all with integrity
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