From Lanvin and Oscar de la Renta to Boinpoint and Jonathan Adler, the best in designer apparel, childresnwear, home goods and accessories can be found on the Upper East Side of New York—Madison Avenue to be exact. And since 1994, Morgenthal Frederics, the luxury eyewear line that is part of the Luxury Optical Holdings group, has held residence on this fashionable lane.
Over the past few years, the brand has opened boutiques in other high-income neighborhoods: Palm Beach, Bal Harbour, Aspen, Oak Street in Chicago, and Beverly Hills. So when it came time to expand its reach in New York, and open a flagship store, it stuck to the tried a true. The newly unveiled store on 680 Madison Avenue (the brand is the first commercial resident in the recently refurbished, historic Carlton House) is just a few stops away from its 74th Street location. There are also two more locations in SoHo and Columbus Circle.
It’s certainly not uncommon for luxury labels to open a number of stores in the same city—especially one as competitive as New York. But when it comes to Morgenthal Frederics, having a sprinkling of boutiques is paramount to their business, as they also provide optical care and prescription glasses, along with offering bespoke pieces to those who truly want a distinct pair of specs. Indeed, the new store carries the largest selection of buffalo horn frames—a signature of the brand and its chief designer, Jeff Press.
To celebrate the opening of the new boutique, the brand hosted a mini fete at the location, where a bevy of the brand’s devotees were oohing and ahhing over the wonderfully crafted collection. Holding court was Press, who answered a few questions beforehand about his designs, the eyewear industry, and what makes Morgenthal Frederics truly unique.
How would describe the eyewear industry today?
I think this is an amazing time in the eyewear industry. There are so many amazing choices that continue to highlight the evolution of the design and technology in the industry. Like with all industries, the past is romanticized, but I truly believe eyewear has never had a brighter period than right now. The amazing designers, working with amazing materials have truly taken fashion and function and merged them beautifully. Morgenthal Frederics is excited to contribute to that process.
How does the Morgenthal Frederics differ from other luxury eyewear lines?
With Morgenthal Frederics, the use of luxury materials is truly something that separates us from the other brands in the industry. We use buffalo horn in a manner that really separates us. The material is so lightweight and beautiful, that it has really become a centerpiece for all we do. While our acetates and titanium are amazing, it is the unique ways in which we use horn, and now stone and wood that really elevates the Morgenthal experience. We continue to look for ways to work with these luxury materials to create one-of-a-kind offerings.
Absolutely, the eyewear world has so many choices, and it is the customization that separates us. We do custom styles in horn, wood, stone and acetate. We have developed our own brand of high-definition digital lenses, and all of these offerings allow our client’s an experience they cannot find elsewhere.
What kinds of silhouettes are you surprised to see customers flocking to?
I wouldn’t say surprised, but very happy to see the world be more enamored with round! We specialize in round offerings, so seeing clients wear this distinctive shape is always so refreshing. Cat-eyes, too! We love to see the classic and iconic shapes that personify the icons of style through the decades come back into vogue. Since Morgenthal Frederics was utilizing these shapes extensively anyway, it is like the trend has come to us.
Our locations in New York are really special in their extensive offering of specialty products. It will house the largest luxury eyewear assortment in the industry with over 500 pieces of Morgenthal Frederics buffalo horn, as well as all of our collaborations with
How do you see the line evolving in the next five years?
We continue to look for new and beautiful materials to work with and technology that enables us to work with those materials in new and special ways. At the end of the day, Morgenthal Frederics is a timeless collection. My goal is to continue to enable clients to build a wardrobe of beautiful eyewear that they will love for years to come. The best eyewear is the perfect convergence of fashion and function, and the more we can continue to elevate that process, the more successful we are, and satisfied that I am.
