Oliver Peoples and Frère Just Released Your Go-To Colorful Summer Shades
The partnership between Oliver Peoples and Frère started the way these sorts of things do when the stars have aligned to create sincerely favorable collaborative conditions: with a little mutual respect. "I've always loved the OP brand and was a consumer myself," says designer Davidson Petit-Frère, who's perhaps best known for his pastel-colored suits. "With having aspirations of launching eyewear for Frère, there's no better brand suited to do that with than Oliver Peoples."
On Oliver Peoples' end, "what primarily sparked the conversation was Frère's bold use of color," explains creative director Giampiero Tagliaferri. "We loved the way the brand redefined suiting by injecting vibrant hues into classic tailoring for a look that feels innovative and relevant. At Oliver Peoples, our aesthetic has always gravitated towards reimagining classics for the modern wearer, so the collaboration felt quite fitting."
The end result is two different frames—the Frère LA and the Frère NY—in a range of color options that pull equally from the worlds of each brand. There are classic options like black, tortoiseshell, and even crystal acetate, but the real standouts for fans of Petit-Frère's apparel will be the dusty, translucent mauve and sage green options that echo the colors of his much-beloved tailoring. And then there are the frames themselves, both of which are entirely new creations (no small feat for an eyewear collaboration, many of which use established shapes and only play around with color or fabrication).
"The approach was to create two new frames that spoke to the aesthetics of both Frère and OP," Petit-Frère says. "We wanted the shapes to effortlessly look good on any face." Part of that process, according to Tagliaferri, was to approach building the collection with a "bi-coastal mindset." Oliver Peoples is well-established in Los Angeles; Petit-Frère is a New York native who runs his label from the city he calls home.
"It was important to ensure the collection exhibited an effortless blend of both cities' aesthetics," says Tagliaferri. "Keeping this in mind, we ended up designing two distinct frame styles, each being an ode to their muse city. Frère LA is a stylish combination frame that features acetate and metal detailing for an elevated look. Frère NY plays into the vintage-inspired aesthetic of Oliver Peoples alongside the classic tailoring of FRÈRE to create a timeless shape crafted to flatter every face." No matter which you choose, you can't go wrong.
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