Glasgow-founded eyewear brand IOLLA launches sunglasses collection

You may be walking down Buchanan Street, commuting on the subway or strolling through Kelvingrove Park, venture anywhere in Glasgow and pay attention to the people around you, specifically the ones wearing glasses. Notice a small metal detail on the temple tips, engraved with two triangles and you have identified a pair of IOLLAs, an increasingly common sighting you might find as society takes a forward shift away from the traditional means of purchasing eyewear and towards a more fashion friendly, eco conscious solution to clear vision. The Glasgow-founded brand has revolutionised the prescription glasses-wearing game since they launched seven years ago, transforming the experience with innovative frames and a single, affordable price point.

Now, the brand has welcomed summer with the launch of their first non-prescription sunglasses collection, Orange by IOLLA, which includes four retro-style frames each delivered in two colours. The collection debuts four biodegradable acetates - Champagne, Thunder Tortoise, Aqua Crystal, and Lagoon Green - materials which are intended to be translated onto the design of prescription frames.

“It’s a really fun way of seeing more of the fashion element coming into eyewear while still giving you the functionality that you need from sunglasses as well,” said Hannah, IOLLA City Centre’s showroom manager.

“It’s branching it out a wee bit, we’ve got some new designs, new colours and new styles. We’ve got a nice selection of different lens colours like the orange and aqua crystal. It just kind of hones in on making our glasses affordable for customers.”

The collection cements the brand’s reputation as a game changer in eyewear fashion, encouraging the expression of one’s self through various colours and styles and allowing wearers to challenge basic norms. Comfort is also key to design with styles adaptable to difference face shapes.

“A lot of the ideas behind this collection came from feedback from the customers, we really take that on board. They wanted something different and it’s nice to see the feedback come to life. We look at the trends coming round in fashion and in eyewear.

“We’ve got the slightly shallower frames and lenses which is really popular. The really big chunky ones look amazing on, customers are really enjoying this style because they offer a lot of coverage.

“It’s almost giving people permission that it is okay to try something a bit different. The eyewear industry has been set in its ways and this is really breaking the mould by allowing people to be a bit more expressive with their eyewear, with the colours that they’re going for, the shapes, and the amount of pairs that you have as well. Sometimes with prices it’s not affordable to have multiple pairs of glasses, but here it’s a bit more attainable to have separate prescription lenses and sunglasses, or styles for different outfits.”