Our History

Oeiras, 1981, two young optical apprentices are on the verge of changing their lives. Plínio, 23, has been employed at an optician's shop for about two years, alongside his wife Ana, 21. They are about to buy the small shop on Rua da Figueirinha in Oeiras.

The story begins...

For 10 years, they worked independently and created their own unique concept of optics from the very start. Their passion for design and functionality elevated them to a market segment where quality is paramount. Early on, their focus on exclusive brands of high quality and timeless aesthetics compelled them to broaden the horizons of optical style in Portugal. Window display awards opened doors beyond borders, and each trip they took brought new ideas. London, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, New York, Istanbul, Vienna, Venice... these are some of the places that inspired new concepts, brands, and ideas.

In the late 90s, specifically in 1998, they opened two new shops in the OeirasParque Shopping Centre. The best brands represented in Portugal have a permanent place in their displays. Once again, their commitment to quality, product exclusivity, and service excellence strengthened their position.

In 2006, destiny presented a unique opportunity the company had been seeking for several years. They acquired one of the oldest opticians in the country, Optica do Chiado, located on Rua Garrett, which became part of the family.

For the first time in Portugal, independent eyewear brands like Cazal, Cutler and Gross, Dita, Oliver Peoples, Oliver Goldsmith, Mykita, Linda Farrow, Emmanuelle Khanh, Matsuda, Courrèges... as well as unprecedented services unknown to the general public, were introduced.

The personalisation of glasses, custom-made models tailored to the client's taste, tinted lenses dyed in their own workshop, the restoration of vintage glasses, and personal digging brought André Opticas the responsibility of image consultancy for artists, actors, politicians, football players, DJs, TV presenters, and singers...

In 2010, on the glamorous Avenida da Liberdade, the brand's flagship store was inaugurated. With 600 square metres, the space was designed with the clients' well-being in mind. The store offers private parking, a garden with a pond, a coffee service, and a Private Lounge, an ideal space to provide the best possible shopping experience. From the most advanced clinical services to custom-made eyewear, and the sale of accessories and furniture for clients to store and archive their collections... it is clear that No. 136 Av Liberdade has redefined the concept of an optician's.

At the invitation of Moda Lisboa, in 2014, André Opticas presented their exclusive collection of archive pieces at MUDE, where Portugal and the world got to know unique pieces full of history and glamour. The models, part of the personal collection of the Leal family, and the exhibition itself demonstrated a great market interest in vintage pieces. Thus, a new dream was born: the André Opticas Atelier, inaugurated in 2019, where clients can acquire vintage pieces and learn about the Bespoke service under the Family Affair brand. At the Atelier, clients can dream, design, and create exclusive glasses tailored to their taste, physique, and characteristics.

Finally, in 2023, the store returned to Rua Garrett. The new boutique marked a return to one of the brand's most emblematic streets, inviting consumers to embark on a unique sensory journey. From the beginning, the Portuguese brand has been a reference on Rua Garrett.

Meticulously designed, this space is characterised by recreating the carriage of a luxury train on the upper floor of the store, where everything was custom-made and meticulously integrated to ensure functionality and design go hand in hand. The visual warmth, attention to detail, and sophistication of materials and textures celebrate and define this new experiential and unforgettable space. Its tailor-made design, by Studio Astolfi, prioritises the values of high quality, exclusivity, precision, and elegance characteristic of André Opticas.

With over 40 years of history, two generations, and a universe of seven stores, the brand continues to surprise and will spend the coming years on more
extraordinary projects because for André Opticas, there are no limits to creativity: