l.a.Eyeworks is...?
An independent house of optical design and imagination and a platform for the expression of uncensored visions.

How would you describe its unique style?
Barbara and I always want l.a. Eyeworks glasses to be both provocative and happy-making, from shaping to materials to colour. And because our wearers arrive at us from so many different directions, those provocations can range from subtle changes of an archetype to audacious new ideas.

What are the pillars on which the brand is based?
We’ve described our mission as a dedication to celebrating the diversity of faces and the uniqueness of individuals: that every face is beautiful and deserving of celebration. In our view, glasses are conduits through which individuals can be given permission to express themselves. When we encourage people to “stop looking and start seeing,” one thing we are aiming at is the liberation of each person to become who they truly are. The privilege of accompanying anyone on that journey is profound.

Thanks to your designs, the brand has won several awards. Which was the most important one for you?
Actually, we’ve won very few awards – that has never really been our goal! The kind of recognition we treasure is when we’ve been invited to speak to students, and at design conferences, about our work. Likewise, we were honored to have a survey of our glasses included in the architecture and design section of the 2015 Venice Biennale.

What are the features of the latest collection and its inspiration?
Living and working in a dynamic city like Los Angeles, inspiration is a cumulative and ever-evolving constellation of curiosities. It’s never a fixed set of notions or grand themes. Sometimes an idiosyncratic detail on a stranger’s outfit can fuel a mood or an idea, and at other times, it may be an amazing new colour or material
that drives the evolution. All of that movement and responsiveness is present in every new collection.

The brand celebrated its 40-year anniversary in 2019. How did it change over the years?
l.a. Eyeworks began as a single storefront on Melrose avenue and grew, sometimes slowly and sometimes by leaps and bounds, into the global brand it is today. The scale has changed but our intentions have always remained the same.

Your explosive creativity has led the brand to a lot of special projects... Which is the one you are most proud of?
We’ve had the good fortune to work on so many unique projects, from designing 3-D glasses for a Philip Glass and Robert Wilson opera, Monsters of Grace, to the production of a gigantic pair of glasses scaled to fit the Statue of Liberty as part of a conceptual art project by the Spanish artist Miralda. We’re also proud to have dedicated the proceeds from various frames over the years to important causes that are close to our
hearts, including planned parenthood, the Art for Justice Fund, and the los Angeles LGBT Center.

Future achievements and things you are still striving for?
From collaborations to special events, to charitable initiatives, to new ways of making glasses – the list of  dream projects for the future is long and wide.

What feeling do people get from wearing l.a. Eyeworks frames?
A great pair of glasses should amplify something that is already innate to the wearer’s personality or point of view. When our glasses help someone to feel more emboldened about themselves, then we know we have a perfect fit.

How does the world look through a pair of l.a. Eyeworks glasses?
Barbara and I have always believed that glasses invite connections among people. given the divisive nature of our times, anything that can open a path to conversation has value. We are eternal optimists, and we hope that charge of positivity and hopefulness resonates in all of our work.

Originally published on Eyebook 24 (September 2022)