Archibald Optics - Redefining Luxury Eyewear

What is luxury and what makes one thing more luxurious than another? I sometimes ask myself this question when I’m working with luxury brands selling luxury products at luxury prices. The word ‘luxury’ in itself seems synonymous with expense; in a world saturated with cheaply mass-produced products, you get what you pay for, right? Luxury comes at a price….

Well, this is not always the case. We may be shocked by the injustice of fast fashion when it surfaces in the media, but go behind the scenes, and many of the luxury products we so covet, are not quite as luxurious as we might think. Rarely will anyone question where products have come from or who has made them, yet with high mark ups and cheap labour, if we saw how and where these products are made, we might think twice about the price that we are willing to pay.

I tend to ask a lot of questions, and when I find examples of what I believe represents true luxury, I genuinely like to endorse it. Having been working on a project with many high-end tailoring brands recently, I have become fascinated by the bespoke tailoring process. The time and skills, which go into crafting a bespoke garment, make it the ultimate mark of luxury and worthwhile investment; a quality product that is made to last, handcrafted just for you.

Yet pulling myself away from tailoring briefly,  perhaps around eight months ago, I came across a start-up company that was beginning to cause a bit of a stir. Spreading the hashtag ‘#NeverAccept’ Archibald Optics believe that luxury should not be defined by price, but instead by superior design, material and craftsmanship. Observing as Archibald set about redefining the conventional concept of luxury eyewear, naturally, I had to find out more. A few months and many twitter interactions later, I finally met the Archibald team at their base in Notting Hill to dig a little deeper...


Image Credit: Archibald Optics

Image Credit: Archibald Optics


Speaking with CEO Rohan Dhir, I learned that the Archibald journey started with a desire to create the best luxury eyewear using the finest materials possible, but with a very fair mark up. Not surprisingly in the online space, the idea of direct to consumer brands has become increasingly popular; it’s a direct sales model where there is no need for a chain of middlemen, meaning  mark-ups can be drastically reduced. However, delving further into the eyewear industry, Rohan realised that there is a big dishonesty in eyewear manufacturing; many opticians and retail chains were making cheap products of poor quality, and there was a gap for high-quality eyewear at affordable prices. Glasses are there to protect your eyes after all; their sole purpose is not just to look good.

Instead of replicating the existing system, Archibald have taken inspiration from more boutique brands to disrupt the entire eyewear industry, placing honesty, affordability and quality the forefront of their aims. Order from most direct to consumer online luxury stores and your product is sent straight from a warehouse. Order from Archibald Optics and your intricately handcrafted product is shipped to you directly from the hands of a highly skilled and fairly paid craftsman in Japan.


Image Credit: Archibald Optics

Image Credit: Archibald Optics

The search for manufacturers for Archibald began in China, however, as with many things that don’t turn out as you hoped, but in fact lead you to something better, following an unexpected conversation, Rohin found himself in Fukui, Japan. This small town about six hours outside of Tokyo happens to be at the heart of the finest eyewear production in the world, and partnering with Japanese artisans who are masters in their craft means that every pair of Archibald frames are characterised by a skill and passion that has been passed down for generations.


Image Credit: Archibald Optics
Image Credit: Archibald Optics


Not surprisingly Archibald’s profile is rising; the day I visited was just a few days after a mention of Archibald in the Sunday Times Style supplement, and their home try-on kits had taken quite a hit. The frames really are attractive; inspired by post war British design of the 50s, 60s and 70s, a time when London was the epicenter for innovation, the Archibald silhouettes represent the best of beautiful British design, and classic cars remain a big part of the design philosophy. I mean, when Tinie Tempah picks up a pair of Archibald glasses on a photo shoot and says he wants to wear them, you know they’re cool and everyone is going to be wearing them soon. Labrynth wore the popular Ambrose frames at the Brit Awards earlier this year, and both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Nicholas Hoult recently wore Archibald frames for shoots in issue 6 of Rankin’s Hunger Magazine.


Image Credit: www.becauseiamfamous.com


But which frames to choose? We all want to try before we buy, so Archibald’s free home trying kit allows customers to choose three favourite pairs of glasses to try on at home. Keen to assess the quality frames myself, I had a lot of fun trying on some of the different styles, and with summer fast approaching, the sunglasses I am wearing in the images below are definitely on my wishlist. Whilst this is not something that Archibald make a point of shouting about, their business is committed to social responsibility, and for each pair of frames sold, Archibald donates a cut to the Eyes For Africa Charitable Foundation, which provides sight-restoring cataract surgery to rural villagers across Ethiopia. I am a big believer that responsible luxury is the greatest form of luxury.



Own image
Image Credit: Archibald Optics

So what is in store for the future? Well, pop-up stores, brand partnerships and new customizable sunglasses lenses are just some of the exciting things that may be on the horizon for Archibald, so you’ll have to keep an eye on them to see what’s coming next. I was also lucky enough to get a sneak peak of an amazing video in the making, which Archibald will be revealing soon…

To find out more about Archibald visit their website https://www.archibaldoptics.com/uk. Here are a few more images of the magic that happens in Japan:



Image Credit: Archibald Optics
Image Credit: Archibald Optics
Image Credit: Archibald Optics
Image Credit: Archibald Optics