theo eyewear

theo, the most self-willed brand of spectacles

There are big commercial mainstream brands and there are labels who try their very best not to become too commercial. A brand where wilfulness and exclusiveness prevails. Like the Belgian successful eyewear brand theo. In spite of this manoeuvre as an underdog, the brand is prospering. theo is known internationally for its distinctive designs which are available in the most beautiful and trendsetting shops in the world. The many prizes theo has won, show that the theo approach is not a bad one.

More than 20 years ago Wim Somers and Patrick Hoet, both opticians with their own store, had enough of the mainstream glasses that they were selling. So they decided to launch a collection themselves under the name theo, an anagram of Hoet. And successfully so! theo currently has about 1500 sales outlets worldwide spread over more than 50 countries. theo never deviated from its initial aim: innovative design by applying new techniques, sometimes never before used in the sector. theo is Belgian, happy, self-willed and has a funny twist. A pair of theo glasses underlines the personality of the wearer, it does not determine it!

theo weaves textile patterns into latest collection
Eye-witness TA
> TE

The Houndstooth pattern in a fine woollen fabric; what a combination! It’s a classic that theo can certainly appreciate. But theo is always looking for new challenges and makes a point of straying from the beaten path. For the new Eye-witness collection, theo has incorporated textile patterns. Five new models were created that are distinctive yet still have the signature style. Classic, but ever-so avant-garde. A pair of glasses as a textile element, so to speak, which becomes part of your outfit. Has a new eyewear classic been
born? The textile pattern is not the only story. These designs put the emphasis on the eyebrows. Even more than the eyes, the brows define the expression of a face. The accentuated tops of the frames seamlessly flow into the temples, endlessly extending the eyebrow line…

Avant-garde & asymmetry
theo has always had a soft spot for individualists. In order to keep the trendsetters on their toes, Eye-witness was launched in May 1995. People who wear Eyewitness are often free-spirited, men and women with a mind of their own. The outstanding characteristic of this collection is the asymmetry. Each set of frames is asymmetrically formed. Just like a face is never perfectly symmetrical, yet we barely notice it, these glasses have the same subtle differences between left and right sides.

The models
Eye-witness TA: Vichy checks, rectangular unisex model
Eye-witness TB: Checked motif, cat-eye model, very feminine and elegant.
Eye-witness TC: quadrillage plaid motif, feminine model
Eye-witness TD: detail from a Glen plaid motif, and since the eyebrows extend
downwards, this model is more forceful and masculine
Eye-witness TE: Houndstooth motif, extreme cat-eye model, highly avant-garde and ultra-feminine.

Technical
The stainless steel frames are chemically etched in 2 stages. The two different thicknesses that are thus created are each given a different colour. Each set of frames is available in 8 colour combos. Most of the colour pairings are contrasting, but more subtle combinations are also available.