CLAIRE GOLDSMITH & OLIVER GOLDSMITH SUNGLASSES & ØRGREEN OPTICS A New Partnership is Born British eyewear brands Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses & Claire Goldsmith Eyewear and Danish eyewear brand Ørgreen Optics have designed a new partnership paradigm. The two luxury eyewear brands from the opposite ends of history have forged an unlikely but welcomed alliance. Oliver Goldsmith (OG) was founded 88 years ago, Ørgreen Optics was founded 17 years ago and both have helped shape the eyewear industry with their cutting edge designs, exploration of new materials and innovative colours. Their popularity attests to decades of endorsements by celebrities and royalties alike. This contrast of old vs. new, classic vs. modern, timeless vs. trend setting is reinforced by a mutual respect of design, uncompromising attention to detail, and a genuine passion for eyewear with both brands creating iconic designs with a global following that’s growing as we speak. What is unique about this partnership is that it is not a merging of collections, but rather, a meeting of minds. Each company will retain its own brand name and identity, boosted by a strategic behind-the-scenes alliance. Ørgreen will take on a big brother role, sharing industry insights, resources and distribution channels. Whereas OG/CG will take the Goldsmith name forward by applying the Goldsmith legacy to fresh, new innovative designs. “Claire has an amazing design ethos and an incredible family heritage behind her ,” says Henrik Ørgreen. “We are big fans of the Goldsmith legacy. Oliver Goldsmith was an immensely important, pivotal player in
defining eyewear as fashion. Having built up our own Ørgreen brand from zero to a highly regarded global brand, we have an intrinsic understanding of how to support a similar business. We already share the same values. By sharing our diverse experience in product development, production know-how and distribution channels with Claire, we can really help to enhance the profile of OG and CG within the luxury sector, making them top of mind for people around the world who have yet to discover this brilliant British brand.”
“Henrik and I have been friends for many years ,” says Claire. “He’s always been incredibly inspiring. Ørgreen
is a forward-thinking brand much like ours, with a similar outlook and set of values. We both represent real brands with our own names attached to them. So this is by no means a marriage of convenience. It’s an organic evolution of our friendship. The culmination of a long-term admiration, a relationship built on trust, pride and respect.” About Claire Goldsmith
Claire is the fourth generation of Goldsmith eyewear designers. The great-granddaughter of P. Oliver Goldsmith, considered the originator of fashion eyewear and one of the most influential eyewear designers of the 20th century. Founded back in 1926, Oliver Goldsmith boasts a following of famous celebrities and trendsetters wearing bespoke OG frames, from Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Michael Caine and Peter Sellers to The Rolling Stones and John Lennon. Not to mention commissions by haute couture fashion brands such as Dior and Givenchy. The Victoria and Albert Museum hosts a collection of Oliver Goldsmith eyewear spanning sixty years of design, which reflects the brand’s significant role in the evolution of modern eyewear in fashion and culture. Drawing on this impressive heritage of iconic vintage frames, Claire revived the OG brand in 2005, refining key vintage editions in line with OG’s distinctive design DNA. In 2009, Claire went on to establish her own namesake brand, where she has more freedom to explore new ideas. Keeping her finger on the fashion pulse with new contemporary icons exuding a mix of mystery, glamour and allure. To realise her ideas, she engages the talents of craftsmen and women from England, Italy, Germany and Japan. Since then, her original designs have attracted the attention of celebrities and style tastemakers, such as Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jude Law, Robbie Williams and Bobby Womack, amongst a long, prestigious list of other Alisters.
About Ørgreen Optics Driven by a dynamic, creative team exploring inventive concepts, colours and materials in exquisitely engineered designs, Ørgreen Optics is an exclusive Danish eyewear brand with a cult following. Inspired by film noir, cultural icons, vintage cars, rebels and street culture, their signature style is synonymous with pure, clean lines and inventive colour combinations in ultra light materials, such as titanium and beta titanium. In doing so, they have re-defined understated elegance with an edge - in timeless styles that range from masculine and minimalistic to feminine and flirtatious to über cool unisex styles. Sleek and chic looks appealing to design-conscious consumers and celebrities alike, such as Kylie Minogue, Herbie Hancock, Eve, Sam Worthingham, Mads Mikkelsen and Lady Gaga. Each frame is handmade in Japan, respected for its impeccable craftsmanship and irrefutable high quality. Founded in 1997, Ørgreen Optics eyewear is available in 40 countries around the world. OG/CG and Ørgreen will continue to operate from their respective HQs in London and Copenhagen in this new alliance destined to make history - and headlines. For more details, you are welcome to contact: OLIVER GOLDSMITH/ CLAIRE GOLDSMITH Zoe Cosby / PR & Marketing Manager Email:
zoe@clairegoldsmith.com
Tel:
+44 (0)20 8455 6948
www.olivergoldsmmith/ www.clairegoldsmith.com
ØRGREEN OPTICS Emma Kristensen / PR & Marketing Manager Email:
emma@orgreenoptics.com
Tel:
+45 (4057) 7572
www.orgreenoptics.com