Nerds of the world, rejoice. Eyewear is enjoying its moment in the fashion spotlight, attracting consumers in search of self-expression as much as optical support. On the runways, the shift began with Miu Miu’s bespectacled Spring/Summer 2024 collection, trickling down into TikTok micro-trends such as office sirens, bayonetta glasses, and “teacher slay”. From the steel-framed beach boys of Jacquemus SS27 to a Ray-Ban Meta-lensed Ice Spice, eyewear has emerged as a high fashion and pop culture mainstay.

From a business perspective, the eyewear category is furiously competitive. Brands battling for market share have upped the ante on product innovation, positioning, and international presence. In 2025, luxury eyewear (including sunglasses and prescription eyewear) showed strong momentum, growing an estimated 2% to 4% at current exchange rates to approximately €17 billion, according to Bain & Co.

Since 2023, eyewear has been an exception to the broader luxury slowdown, driving growth in the personal luxury goods market alongside only a handful of other categories. “This places eyewear in a genuinely privileged position: resilient, growing, and structurally aligned with where consumer spending is heading,” Federica Levato, senior partner at Bain & Co., says. “In a market defined by polarization and pressure on aspirational demand, eyewear remains one of the few categories where the fundamentals continue to work in its favor.”

The future is bright across different price points. Euromonitor forecasts that the global eyewear industry (including contact lenses, spectacles, and sunglasses) will be worth $171 billion in 2026, up 4% in current terms. The drivers are aging demographics, a growing short- and long-sighted population, and the smart eyewear boom; Euromonitor predicts a 48% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to 2030 for the latter. Meanwhile, an emerging beauty crossover — whereby eyewear forms a part of daily rituals — opens new avenues for growth.

Winning the trust of the consumer is critical in the eyewear sector. “Consumers are demanding seamless omnichannel experiences — discovery on social, validation through virtual try-on, confidence built in-store,” says Natasha Cazin, Euromonitor’s global insights manager for eyewear. “For premium segments, value is less about price and more about trust and showing up in the right way at the right moment.” Tariff volatility has been an issue, particularly for brands and manufacturers over-reliant on China, while regulation continues to dampen progress around smart glasses owing to EU delays around AI compliance, Cazin adds.

Capitalizing on cool

The fashion-ification of eyewear has been a welcome boost for the category. “The eyewear market has grown in popularity because it is now considered the final touch to an outfit,” Ana Correa, an accessories strategist at trend forecaster WGSN, says. “For the optical category, prescription glasses are still preferred above contact lenses, as you can now own several frames in different colors, finishes, and shapes that can be styled differently.”

She highlights a consumer-driven surge in statement designs, which balance bold aesthetics and everyday, long-lasting wearability. Oversized and slim frames are performing well in retail, street style, and on the runways. Gen Z, Correa adds, lean towards ’90s and noughties profiles — metal and thin acetate frames — while millennials and older consumers embrace oversized, retro ovals, and square shapes.

Manufacturers and distributors understand eyewear’s special position in the market. “I believe eyewear sits within a specific intersection of fashion, luxury, and healthcare,” Marco D’Acunzo, North America eyewear president at eyewear manufacturer Marcolin, says. “You have those two souls of the product. One is aesthetic, more design, more luxury, more fashion; the other one is more medical.”

Marcolin, which was founded in Italy in the 1960s, was bought by California-based VSP Vision in December last year. A key perpetual license is Tom Ford eyewear. “We [only] distribute Tom Ford in the places that represent the image and the values in the right way,” D’Acunzo explains. “Of course, we always work closely with the fashion house to make sure that we stay on top of consumer trends and design evolutions.” Lara Marogna, group style and product development director for Marcolin, connects with Tom Ford creative director Haider Ackermann to ensure a seamless connection between the eyewear and fashion touchpoints.

Personalization counts

How to stand out from the crowd? “People don’t just own a pair of glasses anymore; they build a wardrobe,” says Lex van de Vliet, CEO of Amsterdam-based brand Ace & Tate, launched in 2013. “But a lot of brands have entered the market since we started; consumers have endless choices now. These are not only optical brands, so differentiation becomes harder.” For van de Vliet, customer retention is essential. Ace & Tate offers “consistent quality and personal attention”, leaning on in-store customization, allowing shoppers to mix and match colored lenses with their favorite frames. Additionally, the brand emphasizes its optical expertise and eyecare service.

Brand experience is integral to Jimmy Fairly’s value proposition. “When you need a prescription, most of the time you need an expert and advice, because it’s medical equipment,” Daphnée Duchatel, CMO of the Parisian brand, says. “It’s something you place on your face that you need to try.” The brand has invested in direct-to-consumer (DTC) store locations, as well as online tools, including a virtual try-on. Currently, Jimmy Fairly counts more than 170 stores across nine countries, with e-commerce driving foot traffic despite representing a small fraction of sales.

Euromonitor research found that 74% of e-commerce eyewear purchases complete on mobile, with customers beginning their journeys on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. These digital developments — creator reviews, styling content, and online consultations — have flourished, but not at the expense of in-store power. They have set the bar higher for DTC outposts, wholesale retailers, and opticians. “Because glasses are so personal and technical, the real job of digital is reassurance,” says Bia Bezamat, cultural insights expert at Kantar. “It needs to make the leap from ‘that looks good on someone else’ to ‘I trust this will work on me’.”

Cracking new markets

The two giants of the eyewear sector, EssilorLuxottica and Safilo Group, are both competing as well as working with luxury brands. A business trend in recent years has seen luxury brands bring their eyewear design and manufacturing in-house. In 2016, Safilo lost the license for Kering’s Gucci. Celine followed in 2018, then Dior in 2020, with both LVMH brands switching to Thélios, the eyewear maker wholly owned by LVMH since 2021.

“Rather than viewing this simply as a challenge, Safilo saw it as an opportunity to reshape its strategy and strengthen its competitive positioning,” says Safilo CFO Michele Melotti. “We diversified and rebalanced our portfolio, strengthened our position in prescription and sport, and reinforced our presence in the premium contemporary segment.”

For Q1 this year, Safilo Group’s net sales reached €272.9 million, up 0.4% at constant exchange rates. This follows growth of 1.8% at constant exchange rates for 2025. The company’s expansion of prescription frames — and robust demand across major geographies — supported organic growth for the business. First-quarter sales at EssilorLuxottica surged 11% year-on-year to €7.13 billion, reporting strong demand in North America as well as for AI-enhanced frames from Ray-Ban and Oakley.

Another sign of a market in flux: Marcolin, previously owned by PAI Partners, a private equity firm, was acquired by VSP Vision in late 2025. VSP Vision’s strength as a vision insurance specialist opens up a “big opportunity”, says D’Acunzo of Marcolin. VSP Vision’s list of eyewear brands, which already includes (through its Marchon Eyewear subsidiary) the likes of Nike, Lacoste, and Calvin Klein, now has Tom Ford, Zegna, Max Mara and others — a formidable roll call of names.

Mergers and acquisitions are important for smaller businesses, too. Ace & Tate acquired Spanish eyewear label Project Lobster in February this year, boosting Ace & Tate in Spain, a key territory in its European plans. Meanwhile, Jimmy Fairly is looking Stateside. Duchatel notes its shops receive lots of American customers in Paris and London, which duly prompted the brand to add a New York store in December 2025. “New York is an amazing success,” she says. “It’s actually the number one store in the network every week.”