Long before a frame reaches a face, it passes through the hands of artisans working in Southern Italy — a region with a centuries-deep relationship to eyewear craft. Understanding that process changes how a pair of sunglasses feels to wear, because you start to notice the decisions behind it.
Why Southern Italy
Italian eyewear production carries a reputation built over generations — not as a marketing line, but because the region holds genuine concentrations of skilled hand-finishing expertise that's difficult to replicate at scale elsewhere. Choosing to produce here was a decision about access to that craft, not just heritage.
Shaping the bio-acetate shell
Every frame begins as a sheet of premium bio-acetate, selected for its strength, depth of colour and long-term durability. The material is cut and shaped around a nickel-plated wire core, which is what ultimately allows a frame to be gently adjusted to an individual fit rather than staying rigid for its entire life.
The dove-tail silhouette and hand-finishing
Our frame shape — what we call the dove-tail silhouette — is finished with precision laser engravings, then refined by hand. This is the stage where a frame stops being a manufactured object and starts becoming a considered one: edges smoothed, proportions checked, finish brought to a final polish.
Bespoke 5-barrel hinges
Hinges are usually the first place a frame fails. Standard hinges use two barrels and lose tension with repeated use. Ours use five, distributing stress across more contact points so the arms hold their angle for years rather than months — a small detail with an outsized effect on how a frame ages.
Sustainability built into the process, not added to it
Production is powered by solar energy, and recycled water is used throughout manufacturing. Bio-acetate itself was chosen partly for this reason — it's a non-toxic material that allows for a lower-impact production process without compromising on strength or finish.
The final step: numbering and authentication
Each model is limited to 1,000 pieces. Before a frame leaves the workshop, it's individually numbered and authenticated — a deliberate decision to treat every pair as a specific object rather than one of an unlimited run.
Why this process matters to the wearer
None of this is visible when you put a pair on. What you notice instead is a frame that sits properly, holds its shape, and doesn't loosen at the hinge after a few months — the practical result of a slower, more deliberate process. Every model in the Yacht Collection — Ocean Breeze, Rose Harbour and Champagne Sunset — goes through the same process, regardless of lens colour.
Frequently asked questions
What makes bio-acetate different from standard acetate or plastic?
Bio-acetate is a non-toxic material chosen for the way it holds colour, strength and flexibility over time, while allowing for a lower-impact manufacturing process compared with standard plastics.
Why limit production to 1,000 pieces per model?
Limiting and individually numbering each run reflects how we think about the product itself — as a considered object rather than a mass-produced one.
Is the production process actually solar powered?
Yes. Production is powered by solar energy, and recycled water is used throughout the manufacturing process.
