Oliver Goldsmith is a British heritage brand with nearly 100 years of experience in eyewear design and innovation. With four generations of knowledge behind us, we continue to make some of the most beautiful eyewear in the world. Eyewear that pushes the boundaries of expectation, self-expression and individuality. In 1926 Philip Oilver Goldsmith stood at the door of his first mobile showroom presenting his latest designs to the London public. His frames were made mostly from metal, since this was the only material readily available, apart from real tortoiseshell, which was expensive, brittle and difficult to work with. Fuelled by his passion to find new ways to revolutionise the eyewear industry, he came across a local button factory who were using a ground-breaking raw material, coloured plastic. A few sheets of this radical new material were purchased, Philip returned to his workshop, emerging a several weeks later with the first ever colourful spectacle frames. These historical artefacts are now kept at The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, in the History of Fashion. During the mid-fifty’s, sunglasses gained high profile status and were worn by the most stylish men and women of the era. A selection of unusual designs started to appear, with Oliver Goldsmith at the forefront of this movement. Not only did these SunSpecs protect your eyes from the sun’s rays, but they also created a fashion statement. Even dress designers such as Christian Dior and Givenchy approached Goldsmith to create designs that would compliment their seasonal collections. “A Spectacular Success” said the press - Oliver Goldsmith were the first eyewear brand to appear in Vogue, cementing their designs as an essential fashion accessory rather than a necessary medical device. As the music and film scene grew and fashion became less restrictive, the brand followed suit and swiftly become synonymous with stars and style. Frames were intentionally designed to gain attention and headlines, styles to woo the most fashion savvy, and by the Swinging 60’s Oliver Goldsmith was firmly established as the brand worn by rock stars and Royalty alike. From Vidal Sassoon to Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly to Michael Caine, Peter Sellers and John Lennon, The Rolling Stones to Princess Diana and more – Goldsmith was meteoric in its appeal, dressing the faces of some of the most famous and iconic names in history. By the mid 1960’s, Charles’s two sons had joined him in the business and the brand continued its dalliance with the bold and adventurous, creating frames to match the desires of the 70’s disco era. By the 1980’s however, licensing and the early stages of fast fashion were introduced resulting in a short hiatus for the brand. Oliver Goldsmith designs aren’t a luxury or a trend, they represent a moment in fashion history. Designs that deliver beyond the constraints of fast fashion, they have style longevity and autonomy and Claire Goldsmith’s ambition is to create products that continue to stand the test of time.
