The History Of Oliver Peoples Eyewear
April 9, 2018Oliver Peoples’ mission statement has always been to be the most prestigious and culturally distinctive eyewear brand in the world. That’s what the brand lives by. That’s what drives it every day. And that’s the brand’s inspiration. When Larry Leight, the founder and creative director of Oliver Peoples Eyewear, and his team were developing the concept of the brand, they wanted to design an innovative line of eyewear that would be reflective of Los Angeles.
A Fascinating Discovery
To their surprise, in 1986, they found a liquidator in Connecticut willing to sell a large room inside an estate full of vintage eyewear parts, including machinery lenses, rimless frames and clip-ons. This collection consisted of beautiful eyewear that was made decades prior by American companies, such as American Optical, Bausch and Lomb, Shuron and several other notable brands. Fascinated by what they found, the team ended up purchasing the entire lot of eyewear.
Shop for Oliver Peoples eyeglasses by visiting
Precision Watches and Jewelry, an authorized dealer
at the Willow Grove Park Mall in PA
Deciding on a Name
When they returned to LA, they realized how incredible the discovery had been. In their eyes, the box was a good luck charm. As they searched through the boxes, they continued to find receipts with the previous owner’s name. It was as if they were destined to discover these boxes as the person’s name sounded perfect for their brand. As such, they decided to name their company Oliver Peoples. The original treasures purchased in the estate sale would later become the foundation of the brand’s heritage. These items were crucial in redefining the industry and creating a distinct style of intellectual eyewear.
Time to Spread the Word
In 1986, the Oliver Peoples team realized they had a vision and dream that was much different than other eyewear companies. Believing that they had a valuable product to introduce to the eyewear market, they planned to open a retail store in Los Angeles. They aimed for a place in West Hollywood—famous for notorious events, especially those relating to the film industry. Determined to transform the industry, the team felt like it was their calling to open a store on Sunset Boulevard.
Shop for Oliver Peoples eyeglasses by visiting
Precision Watches and Jewelry, an authorized dealer
at the Willow Grove Park Mall in PA
Quality Speaks for Itself
When Oliver Peoples Eyewear originally opened in 1986, the store was selling mostly vintage frames, without any branding written on them. This is because brands like American Optical, Bausch and Lomb, and Shuron usually engraved their names very discreetly on the filigree metal. This served as an inspiration for the company. And that’s why they decided to avoid letting their name draw attention away from the design of their own frames.
