If you have not heard from it yet, you will probably heard from it soon! Garrett Leight California Optical is a pretty new optical company, created in 2010. GLCO is the abbreviation commonly used for the brand. There is no brand more buzz-worthy lately! It is fueled by a group of young, passionate purveyors of eyewear, dedicated to creating classic design by combining perfect craftmanship with timeless aesthetics.
Garrett Leight, the son of Oliver Peoples founder Larry Leight, has branched out to create a namesake brand of his own. GLCO is laid back, sophisticated, and inspired by his California surroundings. There is a timeless aesthetic to the entire collection. It’s not over complicated, just perfectly executed classic 20th century American styles with a modern twist. Having come from an optical background gives Leight the unique ability to pay attention to the subtle details which makes any frame just that much better: such as the fit, proportion, and comfort. Each frame also boasts some great technical features.
“Our glasses are kind of for the people that have their own original style, and don’t always like to be noticed… they kind of just have this originality. I’m attracted on a design level to certain characters or iconic people from certain periods of time: we made the Arthur Miller frame, I love Greta Garbo, and Grace Kelly, and [iconic] characters like that. Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski… certain people that wore glasses that I’m attracted to, and keep kind of designing frames based on styles they wore. The brand is nothing flashy, and everybody always remarks on the fact there are no logos. I think most people seek out the brand themselves, which is how we envisioned it.” G.Leight
The Venezia is a timeless unisex shape with clean lines and a nice comfortable fit. Its rich with intricate antiqued metal details and combines “Blonde Tortoise Fade” acetate with transparent temples revealing a beautiful underlying filigree design.
Dudley is inspired by the enigmatic writer of generations past. All of the greats have worn this shape from Charles Bukowski to Woody Allen to Allen Ginsberg to Arthur Miller. Made from cured Japanese acetate and custom GLCO hardware, the Dudley is a classic frame with great proportions that works well on both men and women alike.
Dillon is the epitome of the all-American girl’s feminine style. With subtle retro cat eye, this frame is featured in beautiful acetate colors with classic GLCO details like our custom 5-barrel bi-color hinge, and custom engraved core wire.