Handmade Italian eyewear: shapes, craft and the designers to discover
Sculpted shapes, hand-worked acetate, small runs: what sets independent Italian eyewear apart and three models by Kuboraum, Piero Massaro and Sestini.
By OCCHIO
Journal · Origin
Italy makes eyewear for the whole world, and most of it comes out of large groups. Here we talk about the other Italy: independent designers who draw a shape and have it made by hand, in a few pieces.
Why they’re different
The historic district is the Cadore, in the province of Belluno, where eyewear-making began at the end of the 19th century. Around the big factories there are still workshops that work for small brands, in limited runs, with acetate cut from the sheet and barrel-polished for days.
The difference is in the design. An independent Italian frame starts from an idea of shape, not from a model that has to please everyone: sculpted volumes, thicknesses that change along the front, proportions thought out as an object before an accessory.
Fit is finished by hand too. The front is curved and the temples adjusted on the model, and in store they are fitted to the face with heat. That’s why a frame like this needs trying on: a photo shows the shape, not how it sits.
These are frames that speak of who designed them. There are no big logos, there is a recognisable shape.
How to recognise them
- The volume. Look at the front from three quarters: full thickness, decisive edges or curves, a profile that isn’t flat.
- The small runs. The model often has a number or a name, not a code, and each colour exists in a handful of pieces.
- The finishes. Deep polish, hinges set flush into the acetate, “Made in Italy” or “Handmade in Italy” inside the temple.
Three models at OCCHIO!
Three names with three languages. Kuboraum is designed in Berlin and handmade in Italy: shapes the brand calls masks. Piero Massaro makes sculpted-volume frames in small runs. Sestini names its models with numbers and works acetate by hand in Italy.
Not sure which one is for you?
Face shape, measurements, how much you want the frame to stand out: these are the things that really matter. The quiz lines them up and shows you only the available frames that suit you. If you’d rather try them on, come and see us in Crema.