Today, Frame France spectacles are design icons. Not because they shouted the loudest — but because they didn’t shout at all.

They are instantly recognisable: chunky slabs of polished tortoiseshell acetate, flared paddle temples that widen dramatically at the tips, riveted hinges with visible metal cores. Frames built to last, with a satisfying, deliberate resistance in every movement.

The detailing was purposeful and unshowy. No logos. No embellishments. Just exquisite materials, traditional handcraft, and a form-meets-function sensibility that bordered on the architectural. One of the most distinctive forms was the crown panto — a softly rounded lens shape with a subtly flattened browline, like the top of a crown. A flattering balance of curve and edge, worn by Le Corbusier, Yves Saint Laurent, and Nouvelle Vague auteurs alike. A shape that became shorthand for European intellectual cool.

And then there were the temples. Thick, expressive arms that flared at the tips like the snorting nostrils of some imagined beast. Sculptural. Almost aggressive. These were not frames for the faint-hearted, which perhaps explains their affectionate atelier nickname: “Gargoyles.” Gargoyle-like silhouettes with bold browlines, strong bridges, and a commanding physicality. As much sculpture as spectacle.

Introducing Oseney and Delancey

Our latest edition pays tribute to that legacy, with two new silhouettes: Oseney and Delancey.

Both draw directly from the structural principles of mid-century French frame-making: high-volume fronts milled from 6mm acetate, deep lens channels, and manually pinned rivets for reinforcement.

Oseney features a squared lens shape with an upright stance, chamfered interior rims, and a compact fit that exaggerates depth and edge thickness — a frame of quiet intensity.

Delancey, by contrast, softens the geometry. A more rounded lens contour and internal sculpting create a lighter visual footprint, while retaining the bold mass and poise of its French predecessors.