Look Here: 10 Stylish Independent Eyewear Brands

While major chain brands fill the shop shelves with the same mass-market eyewear designs, smaller independent labels are taking the lead in uniqueness, authenticity and quality, all for the same price. From offering an inclusive eyewear experience to helping the less fortunate see better, as well as working to protect the planet, these independent eyewear brands from around the world can take your daily rotation of specs to new (and improved) places.

Gentle Monster

Already known on the Asian luxury market, cult South Korean brand Gentle Monster designs sleek, sculptural eyewear styles with signature metal frames and coloured-tinted lenses only for true fashion risk-takers. But besides their high-quality and original classic-turned-modern specs, what draws most customers into their stores is their experimental design – all Gentle Monster locations exude a distinctly un-store-like feel, filled with visual and spatial elements, robots, sculptures and immersive displays that provide an experiential way to shop for eyewear. They’re proud of their production process as well: the brand’s frames are carved from acetate and finished with premium metals by hand, giving every pair that touch of uniqueness.

AM Eyewear

Since 2003, Australian Made, or AM Eyewear, has been putting their all into each design and frame through an artisanal crafting approach that guarantees exceptional quality. Using waste from the agricultural and wood industries, along with plant-based acetate – not to mention entirely green energy in all their warehouses and offices – they’re committed to respecting the environment and the authenticity of their work. Yet it’s arguably their high-quality crafting and the perfect harmony of colour palettes that have taken this cult label from the small suburbs of Sydney to the bright lights of Hollywood. And they’re using this well-deserved popularity for good. After Johnny Depp was seen wearing one of AM’s Limited Edition frames at his famous televised trial, the brand started collaborating with Friends with Dignity, an Australian non-profit organisation that provides resources, programmes and scholarships to adults and children impacted by domestic violence.

Reframd

Ackeem Ngwenya and Shariff Vreugd, Berlin-based founders of Reframd, launched their brand in 2020 to offer an inclusive approach to eyewear, allowing everyone to wear a pair that fits perfectly, regardless of their face shape or size. Tired of looking for glasses that flattered their features, they originally created designs specifically for Black people’s nose profiles, but then realised that everyone could benefit from different sized variations of one same design. The duo worked with advanced tech and 3D printing to design their models, and even created a virtual try-on and face scan app so buyers can choose from nine different sizes of the pair they like before making a purchase. Those marks across the temples? A thing of the past.

Karen Wazen

Lebanon-born Dubai-based entrepreneur Karen Wazen launched her namesake brand in 2018 with a keen eye toward uniqueness, vibrancy and cutting-edge designs. Having been self-conscious about the size of her eyes as a child, Karen was always attracted to sunglasses as her go-to accessory, and now she’s turned her main insecurity into a successful company, with designs that are popular among celebrities but still affordable for the rest of us. The brand’s bestsellers include retro cat-eye styles, round Beatles-inspired designs, mirrored lenses and futuristic neon pieces – so if making a statement is your goal, you’ve found your specs spirit animal.

Pala

Stylish, high-quality, handcrafted and responsibly made – UK-based Pala’s eyewear are all of the above, but the brand also aims to minimise environmental damage while maximising the positive impact of their products in less privileged places. After the brand’s founder, John Pritchard, travelled to Africa and witnessed the lack of eye care programmes in local communities, he committed Pala (derived from ‘Impala’, an African antelope with particularly keen eyesight) to donate 4% of every order towards funding eye care projects across the African continent. As a Pala wearer, you can choose from a wide variety of anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, UVA/UVB and blue light protective lenses that are made to last with bio-acetate and other plant-based materials. Don’t know which pair will suit you best? Use their virtual try-on tool!

Pawaka

Indonesian designer and environmental activist Fahrani Empel founded indie label Pawaka, taking inspiration from nature, modernity and her Indonesian heritage, the Dayak tribes of Southeast Asia. Her respect for history and craftsmanship takes her designs to Sabae, Japan, an eyewear manufacturer scene for decades, where Japanese artisans craft the brand’s signature sculptural shapes and coloured lenses using plant-based cellulose acetate, natural wood and cotton fibres. And as a small token to her heritage, the designer names all the shapes in Indonesian numerical order – an easy way for customers to learn how to count in Indonesian, without knowing it! With stores in over 20 countries, it’s safe to say that Pawaka, Sanskrit for ‘fire’, is living up to its name.

Karün

Chilean brand Karün makes eyewear as a way to clean and care for the environment, and not at its expense. With a B Corp certification, they started off by using fishing nets that would otherwise be discarded in the ocean, as well as native wood from fallen trees in Chilean Patagonia. To date, they’ve recovered over 250 tons of textiles, metals, plastic caps and boat ropes from the Chilean coasts to use as their raw materials, later turned into timeless, fashionable, high-quality and durable designs. And the positive impact doesn’t come just from the brand’s team: since they work under a circular production process, each pair purchased helps protect the unspoiled nature of Patagonia. An ecological win-win for everyone.

Kaleos

Spanish brand Kaleos got its name from Ancient Greek, meaning ‘beautiful shape’. Founded in 2013 by a Barcelona-based designer duo, the brand looks to combine premium quality and contemporary design into one trendy fashion accessory. Assembled and moulded by hand, frames take about a year and half to complete, meaning each handcrafted pair is a true investment in quality. The team plays with different angles and geometry and pays special attention to the aesthetics of the shape, giving each frame the right features to change the visual perception of the face – something most generic brands won’t do. And looking to cater to everyone’s style, their varied selection includes unique oversized and architectural styles plus more timeless pieces, a unisex and kids’ section, and even a special pink collection in collaboration with a breast cancer awareness association – all made with recyclable and biodegradable acetate.

Modo

Founded in New York, Modo takes the best of Brooklyn spirit, Italian design heritage and Scandinavian minimalist details to offer ultra-light and lasting quality glasses. Using titanium, ocean plastic, castor seeds and ultra-light acetate, the result is sophisticated form and design-focused function. Another main component of their DNA? Purpose. Throughout the years, Modo have partnered with different organisations to make sure their business is as socially responsible as it is innovative. With their One Frame-One Tree initiative, they’ve planted over 3.3 million trees in Africa for every pair sold of their carbon negative Eco line. Their second project, Buy A Frame – Help A Child See, funds vision screenings, secondary exams and treatments for children in India to give the next generation the eye care they need.

Finlay

Founded by four friends in 2012, the independent British label Finlay designs in-house in London and produces in the foothills of the Italian Alps, creating over the years a curation of the finest-made acetate frames with durable metals and Zeiss lenses. Apart from long-lasting, strong materials, they use naturally hypoallergenic resources to cater to the most sensitive of wearers. What their customers appreciate most, however, is the timeless sophistication and elegance in every frame – four Londoners wouldn’t have it any other way. Rock music fan? Check out the brand’s latest capsule collection in collaboration with Liam Gallagher, and channel your inner rock star wearing his exact Glastonbury shades.