Anne et Valentin
Made in France
A different positioning!
Anne & Valentin is a brand born from the wild dream of two opticians from Toulouse, a town in the South-West of France. The couple, looking for graphic and original frames for their friends, decided to create what they couldn’t find. Today, still driven by our fierce independence and our familial state of mind, we continue to develop a vision that embodies our research, fueled by the highest standards and our love for the object itself.
In the Anne & Valentin creation studio, our designers cultivate a permanent thinking process where Design plays a central role. We constantly question ourselves and find ways to redefine lines and volumes, rethink the relationship between reliefs and face, draw on the various artistic expressions that have left an imprint in history. Our frames, our visuals, our interior decoration and the furniture in our stores are the results of our work and the concrete manifestations of our ideas.
Our story evolves with each individual who crosses our path: friends, customers, strangers encountered in the street, emerging or confirmed artists. From their personalities – deep, curious and surprising, who differ, in ages, styles, genres… to Art, in its many shapes and forms – architecture, photography, plastic arts, fashion, cinema, everything is a source of inspiration to our creative flow. Everything is movement. Everything is transformation. Everything is color. Everything is matter. Our curiosity is infinite.
We are opticians and creators. As such, we have a clear and total understanding of the adventure at stake in the making of a frame and in all the stages involved in the process.
We have been working together for years, for the most part, sometimes decades. From design to prototype, from image to communication, from sale to distribution, all of our know-how is integrated. We also design and create all the visuals and content of the Brand, as well as the windows and interior design of our stores.
Today, with several stores and 1,500 carefully selected retailers, Anne & Valentin glasses are worn and exported all around the world.
The Anne & Valentin brand was born in Toulouse. “Made In France” is for us a moral commitment. We have been working with the same factories located in the French Jura mountains since we started, 30 years ago, aside from a few titanium models that we manufacture in Japan, because the very best titanium is Made in Japan.
Maui Jim
Maui Jim got its start in 1980 as a small company selling sunglasses on the beach in Maui. Seeing a need in the market for technology that could combat intense glare and harmful UV while bringing the brilliant colours of the island to life, they engineered the revolutionary PolarizedPlus2® lens.
What began as a collection of seven styles, has evolved into over 725 styles of sunglasses, all of which are polarized and protect from 700% of UVA and UVB rays.
Dita
Founded in 1995, Dita reinvented eyewear by transcending its conventions, creating a discreet luxury with product ranging from bold character frames to new interpretations of timeless shapes through innovative technology. With over 25 years in design and partners at the highest levels of manufacturing, Dita’s expertise is unparalleled, earning a coveted reputation as a true leader in optical innovation.
Design That Finds Beauty in Purpose
Focus. Discipline. Time. Sacrifice. Failure. Success. Qualities that make the ordinary extraordinary, which is why each design is treated independently, taking months from conception to production.
Cult Like Following
Dita has a cult like following and is a must-have accessory for many celebrities, musicians, athletes and fashion industry insiders around the world. If you wear a Dita frame and come across another person wearing Dita, there is an instant connection – a barrier breaking moment. The recognition may be through a nod, a wry smile, or a wink but it subtly acknowledges that you are both part of the same family.
It is a rare experience to generate such a unique connection. Wearing a dita frame makes you a category of one.
Craftsmanship That Celebrates the Unseen
Craftsmanship is the cornerstone of Dita’s reputation for quality and innovation – that’s why our relationships with some of the world’s most highly regarded artisans have lasted not years, but decades.
Cutler and Gross
Cutler and Gross was founded on the principle that when it comes to eyewear, it’s not just about how we see the world, it’s about how others see us. For over 50 years now, we have been at the forefront of optical design - as trailblazers, disrupters and pioneers whose legacy has been much imitated, but never surpassed.
A brand built on friendship, it was established by opticians Mr Cutler and Mr Gross in 1969. Thanks to word of mouth, what began in London’s Knightsbridge as a small but innovative bespoke service soon became a fully-fledged mecca for artists, rock stars, writers and royalty. Together, the pair created the perfect balance between taste and technicality, quickly cementing their reputation as industry leaders in eyewear.
By making glasses fashionable, they altered the faces of generations. With every carefully sculpted curve, line or shape, their elegance, character and magic have the power to transform people. Cutler and Gross didn’t just make glasses – they were optical architects in pursuit of a product so intrinsically iconic that no external logo or branding was necessary.
Made in Italy by experienced craftspeople who champion the art of making every frame individually, our methodology breaks the mould – in more ways than one. Hand-crafted excellence, the finest raw materials and a seemingly endless enthusiasm to manufacture styles that celebrate the clarity of vision has made sure Cutler and Gross remains as relevant today as ever.
