Cutler & Gross

Independent British Eyewear

CUTLER AND GROSS is an established British eyewear brand. It was founded by Graham Cutler and Tony Gross in 1969. The brand from Knightsbridge, London has a unique touch as it combines timeless luxury with the best Italian craftsmanship. CUTLER AND GROSS has fans all over the world who especially adore the sophistication of the brand with its numbered designs, while the logo is not present on the frame.

Humble Beginnings

In the legendary early days of the brand, the two partners Cutler and Gross met while attending the Northampton Institute optometry school in London. It was the early 1960s and the two were highly motivated to build an eyewear business together – a bold plan they would be able to pull off.

The Birth of The Brand

Just two years later, the two joined forces and opened their first optical shop in 1971 in Knightsbridge, London. They sold hand-made custom frames, in a period in which eyewear was perceived exclusively as a medical device. From this optical shop was born his own eyewear brand, launched in 1982 during the Paris Fashion Week.

Legendary Fashion Looks

Throughout the 1980s and beyond, the CUTLER AND GROSS brand was a pioneering force in the eyewear industry, as it was on a mission to make eyewear a true fashion accessory. A mission accomplished. The fashion designs they create are legendary. In addition to the founders, Marie Wilkinson has played a key role as head of design since the birth of the brand in 1982.

Production in Italy

CUTLER AND GROSS's first eyewear designs were handcrafted by legendary frame maker George Smith. The craftsman had a workshop just above the first boutique in Knightsbridge and virtually everything was handmade. His wife even dyed the lenses by hand, one by one. But soon the brand grew well beyond the production possibilities of Smith's laboratory and moved production to Italy. Now it produces its high quality frames in Cadore, where skilled craftsmen continue the manufacturing tradition of the brand.

Stars Love Cutler and Gross

Over the years, many celebrities around the world have been seen walking around in frames from the British brand. For example, Martin Scorsese celebrated his first Oscar win for "The Departed" in 2007 with the 0432 Optical model. Rihanna wore the now-discontinued model 1053 to the premiere of 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets'. Not forgetting Meryl Streep, who wore the 1102 cat-eye frame at the 2018 Oscar ceremony.

Cutler and Gross is now a case of global success in the world of international eyewear. Since the birth of the brand, which took place in 1969, the founders Graham Cutler and Tony Gross have relied on the richness of the Italian artisan tradition: attention to detail, sharpness of the materials used and scrupulous control in every phase of product processing.

We are not talking about a simple luxury eyewear company, but about a reality with enormous potential. And not only in terms of size, since they are present in more than 50 different countries with their boutiques and showrooms, but above all for its ability to establish itself on the market as an unrivaled brand.

The iconic collections, with an unmistakable style and impeccable taste, thus boast an incomparable Made in Italy since they are customized according to the requests and needs of the customer and continue to be the object of desire by numerous international artists.

The Most Iconic Models

The 1391 is one of these, available in both prescription and sunglasses, with its rectangular frame, inspired by Patti Smith's visit to London in 1977. On that occasion she played at The Rock Garden, bringing with her all the energy and America's security in the 1970s. The thick and wide frame, available in different colors, is a symbol of the punk, poetic and artistic character of the Chelsea Scene in New York between the Sixties and Seventies. The protagonists? Janis Joplin, Sid Vicious, Arthur Miller and many others.

For lovers of round eyewear, an interesting frame is the 1395. Oversized eyewear with a deeply vintage spirit, which reflects the canons of bohemian fashion and intends to honor the work of Thea Porter, the great stylist who dressed all the legends of those years , from Jimi Hendrix to Mick Jagger to the Beatles.

In the Cutler and Gross collection there is no shortage of revisited and perfected models such as the 1387. A restyling of the classic 0524 model, to which new details are added such as the arrowhead temple. A perfect model for oval, round or diamond-shaped faces.

Another reworked model from the past is the 9772 which uses a frame that has become a must-have from Culter and Gross. In its latest version, the size of the lens is increased by 53 mm and the hinge is thickened, guaranteeing greater stability.

The 1385 is instead a new type of eyewear with an original shape: the rexangle. That is to say a hexagon and a rectangle combined. The fit is very comfortable and the colors recall a postmodern style, with a clear inspiration from the architect Charles Moore.

Among the great admirers of the brand are numerous celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Chris Pratt, Hugh Grant, John Legend, Kate Hudson, Kate Moss, Madonna, Sting and Colin Firth.

From the Knightsbridge laboratory in Cadore in Italy

At first each piece was made in the Knightsbridge workshop, located on the upper floor of the London boutique, but then, thanks to the success achieved, production was moved to a proprietary facility in Cadore, Italy. Over the last few years, many important companies have switched to industrial mass production, Cutler & Gross, however, has continued and still continues in its search for that unique character that only a handmade product can possess.

The importance of the manual creation of each eyewear ─ which requires four to six weeks of processing ─ remains one of the essences of the brand. The process, which costs no less than 42 processing steps, gives each pair of glasses its unique character. All frames are handcrafted in the factory in Italy with the best quality metals. Each piece is individually numbered and stamped and is on sale only at selected points of sale. In a modernity where everything runs fast, Cutler & Gross have managed to impose their own pace: that of things made with love, commitment and effort; what is needed to create small works of art.

Traditionalists at heart, every frame of Cutler and Gross is the result of an unrivaled ability to unify past and present. Having originally created the frames by hand above our Knightsbridge shop, today our production takes place at our wholly owned atelier in Cadore, Italy. Our highly skilled team of optical craftsmen carefully craft each frame from scratch, honing skills that have been passed down from generation to generation in a region renowned for being the center of excellence in optical manufacturing.

Handcrafting a Cutler and Gross frame takes months; during which it will pass many hands and undergo many separate processes, some kept under wraps, before completion by highly skilled craftsmen.

However, it is important that you make the distinction between perfection and uniformity. No two frames with the same style number will ever be 100 % identical. Unlike the faster version favored by other brands, we don't soak our frames in an acetone bath for color. Instead, each frame is hand scrubbed layer by layer to create bold and unique pigments. Once done, they are ready to begin their journey.

Products Cutler & Gross