For over five generations, Moscot has outfitted discerning New Yorkers—along with an increasingly global customer base—with eyewear that’d make its founder, the Belarusian immigrant Hyman Moscot, proud. The family-run NYC institution makes some of the best sunglasses in the game, and thanks to its expansive online presence you don’t have to be an expert on Lower Manhattan subway lines to get in on the action.
Matsuda
Bowen Fernie
Matsuda’s carefully handcrafted shades have been an industry favorite since the late ‘80s, when Mitsuhiro Matsuda—a close associate of Kenzo Takada and a trailblazing designer in his own right—launched his debut eyewear collection. A mainstay of ‘90s pop culture, the line was reintroduced under new ownership in 2012, but it remains committed to its founder’s guiding vision: strong, architectural shapes made in Sabae, Japan, a small city in the Fukui prefecture famous for its optical expertise. With unparalleled precision and artistry, each pair can take up to 71 hours to create and require over a dozen different craftsman. The brand’s frames merge distinct artisanal detailing with forward-looking designs, a mix Matsuda himself pioneered as a founding member of the Tokyo Designer Six. And thanks to a growing roster of global stockists, its under-the-radar sunnies are now easier than ever to access stateside
Randolph Engineering
Bowen Fernie
