Cutler and Gross

For handmade luxury eyewear, many buyers think so. Cutler and Gross frames are made by hand in the brand's own Italian factory, and the appeal is craftsmanship and quietly confident design rather than a loud logo. They aren't cheap, but if you want frames with real substance and a heritage behind them — and you'll wear them daily — they make a strong case for the outlay.

In Italy. Although Cutler and Gross is a British brand founded in London, its eyewear is designed and handmade in the brand's own factory in Domegge di Cadore, in the Cadore region of Italy — the historic heartland of premium eyewear production. That British design, Italian hand-finishing pairing is central to the brand's identity.

Cutler and Gross was founded in London in 1969 by two opticians, Graham Cutler and Tony Gross. The pair first met at Northampton College while studying optometry in the early 1960s, and in 1971 they opened their first optician's office in Knightsbridge — quickly winning recognition for pioneering the very idea of fashionable eyewear.

Two things: they helped invent the category, and they still make by hand. Cutler and Gross was among the first to treat glasses as fashionable eyewear rather than purely medical objects, and decades on the frames are still handmade in the brand's Italian atelier. The result is eyewear designed to flatter all face shapes without leaning on conspicuous branding.

Sunglasses first. The collection began by producing only sunglasses and later expanded to incorporate optical designs for prescription lenses. Today the range spans both, designed to be unisex and to suit men and women and a wide variety of lifestyles and face shapes.

A genuinely starry list. Cutler and Gross frames have been worn by the likes of Madonna, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss, actor Javier Bardem, Bill Nighy, and the shoe designer Manolo Blahnik. That mix of musicians, actors, and fellow designers speaks to the brand's standing among people who could wear anything.

Often — they're a quiet film-and-television mainstay. Notable on-screen appearances include Julia Roberts in Notting Hill, Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson in Kingsman: The Secret Service, Daniel Craig in Knives Out 2, and Michael Fassbender in The Counsellor. If a character's glasses look effortlessly cool, there's a fair chance they're Cutler and Gross.

From a handful of boutiques. Alongside the flagship in London's Knightsbridge district, Cutler and Gross has stores in Spitalfields, Bath, Toronto, and New York. Visiting in person is the best way to try frames against your own face shape, which matters more with handmade eyewear than with mass-produced styles.

Yes, and they're worth watching for the limited-edition frames. The brand has teamed up with British rock-'n'-roll jeweller The Great Frog, with designer Erdem on a Spring/Summer collection inspired by a Japanese fisherwoman, and with avant-garde French house Maison Margiela. These special runs marry Cutler and Gross's Italian craft with each partner's signature.

Treat it like the small piece of craftsmanship it is. Always use two hands to put glasses on and take them off so the hinges stay true, store them in a hard case rather than loose in a bag, and clean the lenses with a proper microfibre cloth instead of your shirt. A well-cared-for handmade frame can be relifed and worn for many years.