Pewpols and our beginnings rooted in vintage eyewear

Pewpols grew from a lifelong love of eyewear. After more than three decades of wearing glasses, what began as a personal passion in the mid-2000s evolved into collecting vintage frames, most notably the horn-rimmed styles that defined American classics. By the early 2010s, I was immersed in the world of vintage eyewear, curating collections, sharing them with others, and watching timeless silhouettes return to the spotlight through cultural icons. That revival inspired me to move beyond collecting and begin creating.

Drawn to the boldness of thick Haut-couture vintage acetate frames, I started designing in 2015 with vintage-inspired shapes crafted from 8mm acetate. Our earliest hardware came from the hidden corners of Silmo, rare and exactly what I had been searching for. By the second collection, we were developing our own hardware, and in 2019 we moved production to Italy, a step that allowed us to elevate our craftsmanship and explore unexplored territory with 12mm acetate.

As bold eyewear gained wider appreciation, we leaned into our niche, weaving Irish Palladian influences into our design language. Coloured laminations became a canvas for our colour philosophy, expressive, unexpected, and unmistakably ours.

Arthur and Elliott, launched in 2020, marked the beginning of Pewpols Signature: frames made in Italy with uncompromising quality. We established a small factory with a dedicated team, refining every detail by hand. Our patented diamond rivets pay homage to the American horn-rimmed classics that first sparked this style,  recognisable to those who know, and proudly our own.

With Pewpols, we honor vintage forms through a modern lens, obsessing over materials, and listening closely to our customers. Decades of knowledge and passion are carried into every frame, each one a reflection of the path that brought us here.