Quiet Luxury
Cutler and Gross, which is celebrating its 55th year in the world of premium eyewear with its iconic designs, continues to maintain its lasting legacy and grow rapidly.
Cutler and Gross combines timeless luxury with Italian craftsmanship to produce high-quality frames that are handmade in Cadore, Italy. The brand has gained a reputation for being fashion-forward and has been worn by a number of celebrities over the years. In the legendary early days, the partners Cutler and Gross had met each other at the optometry school in London’s Northampton Institute. It was the early 60s and the two were highly motivated to build an eyewear business together – a bold plan they would be able to make reality. Just two years later, the two joined forces and opened their first optical store in Knightsbridge, London. They sold handmade bespoke frames. Out of this optical shop grew their own eyewear brand, which launched in 1982 during Paris Fashion Week.
Celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, British premium eyewear brand Cutler and Gross continues to stand tall as a symbol of exceptional craftsmanship. With a rich archive of iconic designs dating back to 1971, Cutler and Gross represents the essence of quiet luxury and authenticity, crafted in their own factory in the Dolomites with meticulously supervised Italian production. We interview Jack Dooley, Sales Director and Product Leader at Cutler and Gross, about the brand’s enduring heritage and the driving forces behind its success.
Cutler and Gross celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2024. Given the legacy of exceptional craftsmanship that characterizes the brand, are you planning to honor this tradition during the upcoming celebration?
Of course – craftsmanship is the beating heart of the business; without our skilled artisans we would not be where we are today. We are passionate about communicating the craftsmanship story at every opportunity. From inception design, prototyping, production, to the final polish, there are so many steps to creating a piece of handmade eyewear – it can take anywhere from 9-12 months from start to finish. There’s true beauty in that.
Interestingly, the heart of your production beats in Italy. What role does that play in maintaining your high standards?
Because we own and operate our own factory and design studio in the Dolomites with over 70 employees, Italian manufacturing is truly at the center of the Cutler and Gross brand. We take care of every element of the design and manufacturing process in-house; from start to finish, the frames are handcrafted by expert craftsmen and women. In our factory, we only make products for Cutler and Gross, and the design studio is located on the top floor of the factory, much like the bridge on a ship, steering its course.
That’s a remarkable analogy. How did Cutler and Gross develop this strategy?
We’ve always had very high standards, but a trip we took to a high-end Japanese factory in 2018 opened our eyes to some of the differences we could make in finishing to take our products to an even higher level. We saw the skill level of the people we already had in Italy, and how eager they were to push the standards of excellence. So, as a board, we set a goal to produce the highest quality acetate frames in Europe by 2023. It has been slow and steady progress, but with the help of our Creative Director Alessandro Marcer and General Manager Enrico Deppi in Italy, we have driven quality to unprecedented heights.
You’ve also managed to be a heritage brand while remaining relevant and modern…
The key to our success is our respect for our Dna and heritage, coupled with a creative need to improve and build on the beauty of what came before. We are heavily inspired and influenced by the shapes and silhouettes of an impressive 55 years of our own eyewear designs. There are over 5,000 Cutler and Gross styles in our extensive archive dating back to 1971, which is now housed in our design studio in Cadore, Italy.
Speaking of Dna, could you tell us more about the term “Quiet Luxury” which really describes Cutler and Gross very well?
Quiet luxury is the new buzzword for what we have been doing for over 50 years. Like a quality suit by Brunello Cucinelli or Loro Piana, our frames aren’t adorned with flashy emblems or external branding. We have a single logo in gold foil on the inside. We don’t need to show off, and our customers rarely feel the need to. The materials we use and the way we make them, creating a frame that fits beautifully and the tactile sense of quality, is what we consider most important.
Do you have any overarching principles that guide you to ensure that the Dna of the brand remains unchanged?
We have grown about 300% in 5 years. This success is linked to a few core values that we hold dear. Our design ethos is deeply rooted in the legacy of our founders, Tony Gross and Graham Cutler. Each new model undergoes a rigorous sign-off process to ensure it embodies the essence of a true Cutler and Gross frame. Authenticity is another fundamental principle we uphold, from using traditional techniques such as real riveted hinges and hand-finished frames, to drawing inspiration from real moments in time when our eyewear made its mark in the world of music, film and art. We avoid superficial trends. Another backbone of our brand is the dedicated people who have been part of our journey for decades, working alongside Tony Gross and Graham Cutler. They reinforce our integrity.
Looking to the future, how does Cutler and Gross plan to continue to grow and innovate while staying true to its heritage?
We have an aggressive growth strategy that includes both retail and wholesale. One of the most important elements of this growth strategy is to expand our product offerings to include more luxurious offerings such as titanium, retail-exclusive horn and other alternative fits.
What about retail and distribution?
We want to maintain and nurture our selective distribution model, selling only in our own boutiques and premium stores. We are always looking for opportunities to open new flagship stores in key cities around the world. We are also planning a complete renovation of all our existing retail stores. A key component will be the development of our bespoke offering, which harkens back to our origins and customizable lenses.
Are there any collaborations we should know about?
We have signed a five-year licensing agreement with luxury English jewelry manufacturer The Great Frog, which allows us to venture into the world of silver and gold eyewear. There are a few more collaborations in the pipeline over the next two years, which has always been part of our Dna, the cross-pollination with other design-led brands is a shot in the arm for creativity every season.
Source: Favrspecs
January 2024