Oliver Goldsmith
Who is Oliver Goldsmith? Think 20th-century icons. Grace Kelly. Peter Sellers. Michael Caine in his signature black spectacles. Audrey Hepburn in the big white glasses that framed her elfin face. Iconic style makers – Givenchy, Dior and Vidal Sassoon. Think cult films of the fifties & sixties. The Ipcress File, Harry Palmer, Charade and Two for the Road. They’ve all got one thing in common. Oliver Goldsmith. In the second half of last century, when it came to eyewear, OG was synonymous with stars and style.
Designed in London and Handcrafted in Japan & Italy
Established 1926
About
Oliver Goldsmith has been a family-run business for over 80 years. Founded in 1926 by P. Oliver Goldsmith, the world of spectacles was about to be revolutionized. Sunglasses gained high-profile status during the mid-fifties and a selection of unusual designs started to appear. OG’s were becoming not only a means of protecting eyes from the sun, but also a fashion statement. Dress designers approached Goldsmith to create frames that would complement their seasonal collections.
Design & Craftsmanship
First to see sunglasses as fashion accessories, first to make sunspecs, first to make winter sunglasses…..first to work alongside fashion houses to create one-off pieces for the catwalks, first to appear in Vogue and Queen, and first to be endorsed by celebrities and Royals. OG pioneered a whole new concept. Eyewear. From Bamboo frames to butterflies, tennis racquets to TV Screens, all overtly striking. All signature OG.
History
Oliver Goldsmith has been a family-run business since 1926. Goldsmith aimed to cater to the higher end of the optical market and hired a group of craftspeople who were able to make real tortoiseshell spectacles by hand. Over the decades, Oliver Goldsmith led the evolution of eyewear from a medical necessity to a fashion accessory. From the mid-20th century, eyewear became increasingly important as more and more people chose to wear spectacles, a trend that Oliver Goldsmith actively pursued.
Read below to read the entire Oliver Goldsmith story and his iconic trailblazing history in the eyewear world.
Iconic Black & White Oliver Goldsmith Photos
From Audrey Hepburn to Peter Sellers to Grace Kelly to Michael Caine – some of the most iconic celebrities have been seen in Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear
Oliver Goldsmith - History In The Making
It all started with a simple premise – to create eyewear that catered to the high-end optical market. Founded in 1926 by P. Oliver Goldsmith, the world of spectacles was about to be revolutionized. Oliver hired a group of skilled craftsmen to make real tortoiseshell spectacles by hand and the rest is history.
After the Second World War, Oliver Goldsmith expanded the collection from tortoiseshell frames to acetate in order to create more experimental styles. With the aim of attaining greater publicity, the company offered more deliberately stylish and occasionally outlandish frame designs and courted celebrities such as Michael Caine, Peter Sellers, Diana Dors, Nancy Sinatra, and Audrey Hepburn to name but a few. Royalty were also clients including Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duke of Windsor, Princess Margaret, and Princess Diana of Wales.
Over the next several decades, Oliver Goldsmith led the evolution of eyewear from a medical necessity to a fashion accessory. From the mid-20th century, eyewear became increasingly important as more and more people chose to wear spectacles, a trend that Oliver Goldsmith actively pursued.
In the early 2000s, their 1960s and 1970s styles became fashionable again, driven by the enthusiasm for so-called ‘vintage’ fashions. The Original and Genuine Oliver Goldsmith Retro Spectacles are reproduced from samples that have been archived from the past so that all the features and finishes have been incorporated into the collection that is now being offered in the 21st century. Oliver Goldsmith’s reputation for Q E C (quality, excellence, and comfort) stands behind every frame.
