Oliver Peoples

Oliver Peoples

Type	Subsidiary of Luxottica Group S.p.a.
Founded	1987
Founders	Larry Leight Ken Schwartz
Headquarters	Los Angeles, CA, United States
Number of locations	9 retail stores
Key people	Larry Leight (Co-Founder and Creative Director) David Schulte (CEO)
Products	Eyewear and Sunglasses
Website	www.oliverpeoples.com

Oliver Peoples is an American luxury eyewear brand, established in 1987.^[1] The company opened its first boutique in West Hollywood, California and appeared on the cover of German Vogue in 1987.^[2] The design house is also the official licensee of Paul Smith Spectacles.^[3] In addition to being sold in Oliver Peoples boutiques and via oliverpeoples.com, the eyewear can be found in a variety of notable fashion boutiques and department stores throughout the world.

The brand has been featured in numerous fashion magazines, including GQ, Vogue, Elle, L'Uomo Vogue, Esquire and Vanity Fair.^[4] Characterized by subtle detailing, retro aesthetics and high-quality materials, their frames are popular with celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise.^[5] Recently celebrating twenty-five years in the industry, the brand remains highly influential, creating campaigns that deploy film, music and designer collaborations that communicate a lifestyle that is distinctly Los Angeles.^[6]

In 2006, Oakley acquired Oliver Peoples for $46.7 million.^[7] Oakley and its assets were subsequently purchased by eye industry giant Luxottica in 2007.^[8]

Cultural references

In the show Burn Notice, the main character, Michael Westen, is a frequent wearer of Oliver Peoples Victory sunglasses, size 55 with Cognac lenses.

Bruce Willis wears a variant of the Oliver Peoples O'Malley style of sunglasses in the 1997 film The Jackal.

Brad Pitt wore three variants of the Oliver Peoples 523 style of sunglasses in the 1999 film Fight Club as the character Tyler Durden. ^[9]

In the 2000 film American Psycho, the protagonist Patrick Bateman mentions that his yuppie colleague, Marcus Halberstram, has the same penchant for Oliver Peoples glasses as he does. Bateman and several of his colleagues are then depicted as each owning an identical pair of the same Peoples' frame. ^[10]

In the Season 6 finale of the show Entourage, Vincent Chase and Johnny Chase are seen buying sunglasses from the flagship Oliver Peoples store on Sunset Boulevard, before their trip to Italy, where they also run into actor Matt Damon.

In the show Damages, the main character Patty Hewes, as portrayed by Glenn Close, wears the Oliver Peoples O'Malley sunglasses. As of July 2013, Close has auctioned off her signature glasses on eBay, in efforts to raise funds for her charity.

Oliver Peoples collaborated with Zooey Deschanel on the 2009 campaign short film, Catch a Tuesday.^[11]

Then-Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard wore Ashton in Red Tortoise Gradient, initially at the National Press Club, announcing the date for the 2013 Federal Election starting the longest election campaign (9 months) in Australia's history.^[12]

President Barack Obama returned from vacation sporting Oliver Peoples sunglasses.

References