In the market of eyeglasses, there are many designers all over the world. It is estimated that there are more than one thousand eyewear brands worldwide. But the most reputable ones are mainly owned by American and European companies. Even if these companies have opened international branches in developing countries such as China and India, the key brands are kept stably. Over the past decades, European companies are a major role in the international market of eyeglasses. There are some eyeglasses giants headquartered in European countries. Not all European eyeglass frames fall into the category of “boring and safety”. There are still some glasses tend to be elegant and high-quality. In general, European eyeglass frames are usually elegant, well constructed and classy. There are nowadays many customers who choose to wear European eyeglasses to make an eyewear statement. With rough research, one may be surprised by the European eyewear companies’ leading role in the international eyewear industry. In fact, European eyeglass frames are absolutely the majority world wide.
Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Luxottica Group is the world’s largest eyewear company. Currently, the company produces eyeglass frames under brands including Ray-Ban, Persol, Oakley, Chanel, Vogue, Luxottica and Arnette and so on. In addition, Luxottica is also licensed to make eyewear products under many other designer labels, including Versace, Tiffany, Brooks, and Versus, etc. It’s brand Ray-Ban is worth particular mentioning. Having helped the American company Bausch & Lomb gained much fame, Ray-Ban was sold to Luxottica Group in 1999. This acquisition really means something important, magnifying the leading status of European eyeglass manufacturers.
As the main competitor of Luxottica, Safilo Group is the world’s second-largest eyewear company that also focuses on producing European eyeglass frames. Headquartered in Padova Italy, Safilo company now makes sunglasses and eyeglass frames. It’s business range is quite similar to Luxottica. Notable brands kept by Safilo include Safilo, Carrera, Oxydo and Smith Optics. The company also produces eyeglasses under licensed brands such as Dior, Gucci and Jimmy Choo and so on. In addition to these two great companies, there are still many other corporations in Europe developing European eyeglass frames under different brands. Cazal eyeglasses made in Germany were first introduced in the early 1980s and became a popular enjoyment by countless entertainers and athletes. European eyeglass frames are also available in some less well-known names, like Giorgio Armani, Grotesque, Lafont, Mykita, Okki, etc.