Luxe Top Pick | Oliver Peoples Sunglasses.

Wearing sunglasses can either make or break your outfit, depending on the style and quality. This makes choosing a pair a bit tedious, especially with all the options that are available, ranging from frames and lenses. No worries, we here at LuxuriousPROTOTYPE.com have the remedy for such a task!

Today’s Luxe Top Pick is no other than the iconic frames brand, Oliver Peoples. The brand is synonymous with vintage and handcrafted frames.

The Story

Oliver Peoples started in 1986 when optician Larry and Dennis Leight fulfilled their dream and opened their first optical boutique on legendary Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Earlier that year, they purchased an estate collection of vintage American-made eyewear. The assortment included thousands of beautifully filigreed rimless and metal frames, including clip-on metal sunglasses produced by iconic American companies, such as by Bausch & Lomb and American Optical. All the frames were unworn in mint condition and in their original packaging. It was a goldmine for the Leight’s, given their love for 1940s – 1960s eyewear.

The brothers purchased the entire lot, which included a receipt signed with the name “Oliver Peoples”, who they reasoned was the original owner or distributor. When they decided to sell the estate collection in their retail store, it only seemed fitting they use the name in his honor. It was then that their vision was realized: to design a collection of eyewear, implement innovative marketing strategies, and create a unique retail experience in their own gallery-like setting.

In 1987, the Oliver Peoples collection (inspired by the vintage frames purchased in the estate sale) was introduced as wholesale. It was quite a departure from the futuristic styles and geometric shapes dominant in the late 80’s. Because runway fashions was moving in a vintage-inspired direction, the debut of the retro collection was fortuitously time, as the direction of eyewear changed globally.