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Oliver Peoples | A Heritage Brand

A Heritage Brand

A heritage brand born in the heart of West Hollywood, on Sunset Boulevard, Oliver Peoples was founded in 1987 with the opening of its first boutique.  The unique culture of Los Angeles – elements of fashion, film, art, music – continues to inspire the product and vibe of the brand. From the beginning, Oliver Peoples had a passion for superior product, a distinctive culture rooted in California, and an obsession with service. These core values have remained at the heart of the brand and endure today. Through an authentic and consistent voice, Oliver Peoples has never relied on a logo but instead on fostering relationships with like-minded consumers who appreciate and respect our approach.

The first Oliver Peoples designs were inspired by an estate collection of vintage American-made eyewear purchased by the founders of the brand in the late 1980’s. The sophisticated aesthetic created by the heritage brand was a departure from the futuristic styles and geometric shapes in bright, brazen colors dominant in the late 80’s. In contrast, the first Oliver Peoples collections were classic, timeless styles in an array of natural tortoise shell hues with discreet branding and subtle details. By defining a new intellectual category, the direction of eyewear changed globally. This vintage aesthetic that inspired the first collections remains at the heart of the brand.

Each Oliver Peoples frame is hand crafted with careful attention to detail, sculpting and perfecting the materials to achieve a balanced and refined final product. The technically intricate process involves both state of the art machinery and the human touch, such as the individual hand-insertion of the genuine pins and plaques. Each frame is tumbled and polished, and finally hand adjusted, carefully referring back to the original drawing created in the design studio in West Hollywood.

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The estate collection

The first Oliver Peoples designs were inspired by an estate collection of vintage American-made eyewear purchased by the founders of the brand in the late 1980’s. The assortment included thousands of beautifully filigreed rimless and metal frames, including clip-on metal sunglasses produced by iconic American companies such as Bausch & Lomb and American Optical. All of the frames were unworn, in mint condition, and in their original packaging.

Among the collection, which also included catalogs, tooling, and lenses, was a receipt signed with the name “Oliver Peoples.” It was reasoned that he was the owner or distributor, and the first original collection was named in his honor.

The vision

The Oliver Peoples vision was to design an original and authentic collection of eyewear, present them to the world using innovative marketing strategies, and create a unique retail experience in boutiques that seemed more like a gallery than a place to shop.

Milestones

The most celebrated moments
in the brand’s history.

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Los Angeles

Oliver Peoples was born in the heart of West Hollywood, California, on iconic Sunset Boulevard. The unique culture of Los Angeles - elements of fashion, film, art, music, and the Southern California lifestyle - remains at the core of the brand’s DNA.

This lifestyle inspires what we do and continues to have a global appeal.

Culture and passion

Each style in the Oliver Peoples collection is conceived and designed in the West Hollywood headquarters, inspired by everything from films, books and travel, to magazines and archival pieces. Careful attention is paid to each aspect of the fit and balance of the frame. The optical and sunglass collections include a range of styles from timeless, intellectual pieces with bespoke detailing, to progressive, trendsetting fashion designs.

Superior craftsmanship

Since the debut of the first collection, Oliver Peoples has maintained a passion for superior eyewear crafted of the finest materials with careful attention to detail. Each frame is inspired and created in the design studio in West Hollywood, California. Remaining true to the sophisticated, intellectual aesthetic made iconic by the brand, custom acetate in arrays of tortoise shell hues remain at the heart of the collections.

Each frame is meticulously handcrafted in a dedicated factory following a process that combines both technological advancements and the human touch. Throughout the production phases the artisans who sculpt the material into the final product reference the original design drawing to ensure its integrity. Disregarding conventional processes, each step is carried out despite the length of time required. The end result is an authentic design with bespoke, handmade details that are distinctive and unique.

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