INDUSTRY INSIGHT: 
About the Founder
In 1986 brothers Dennis and Larry Leight made the decision to launch a retail optical store in West Hollywood. They soon acquired a vintage estate collection of American eyewear, which served as the inspiration for Larry’s eyewear collection, Oliver Peoples. Top eyewear retailers in New York praised the line, giving the brand the global exposure it needed.
In 1989, Time Magazine featured a full-page spread on Oliver Peoples and since then, Leight has been recognized as a fashion innovator and collaborator. A trained optician, Leight paired with Prada in 1999 to launch their first eyewear line and has since designed for top designers such as Vera Wang and MuiMui. In 2001, Conde Nast Publications and the Ford Motor Company invited Leight and nine other top American designers (including Marc Jacobs) to make a creation using the redesigned Ford Thunderbird as inspiration. Leight’s resulting design was featured in the international campaign that followed. In 2002 he was honored with an invitation to join the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Oliver Peoples
Malibu
by Natasha Burton
When you think of James Bond, what comes to mind? Fast cars, sleek gadgets, beautiful women and martinis, no doubt. Here’s another accessory the famed spy can’t live without: Oliver Peoples shades. Sported by Daniel Craig in the latest installment of the James Bond movie franchise, Oliver Peoples luxury eyewear has been around since 1986 and is now distributed in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Though the brand boasts retail locations from around the world in Los Angeles, Malibu, New York, Tokyo, Costa Mesa, and Las Vegas, perhaps the most striking is Oliver Peoples’ Malibu store, which opened in September 2007 as its eighth retail location. Designed by Roman Alonso at Commune, whose other fashion clients include Juicy Couture and Barney’s New York, the building itself is classic and chic, much like the glasses themselves. Architecturally, the store’s clean lines suit its proximity to the beach, while its interior offers plenty of light for showing off merchandise and creating a fresh atmosphere. The store’s location in Malibu’s Country Mart, an area known for its high-end dining (Nobu and Tra Di Noi), retail (7 for all Mankind, James Perse and Ralph Lauren) and beautiful architecture. It’s an ideal spot for a brand of this caliber.
At Oliver Peoples, the customer is bound to find the perfect pair of glasses from these stunning collections whether the need be for sunglasses or optical wear. The full service store allows customers to take advantage of consultations, custom frame fittings and prescription services from an on-site optician. All three lines that fall under the Oliver Peoples name, Oliver Peoples Eyewear, Paul Smith Spectacles and Mosley Tribes, are sold in the store. In January 2008, Peoples joined with European designer Kris Van Assche to create a line of limited-edition sunglasses called KVA, which feature interchangeable lenses and the KVA logo. Each pair comes with two sets of extra lenses and a specially-designed case made to protect all three. The glasses retail for $500 and are now available at select retailers.
Oliver Peoples
3900 Cross Creek Rd. #8
Malibu, CA 90265
310.456.1333
oliverpeoples.com
