Persol is a luxury brand specialising in the production of Sunglasses and ophthalmic frames. The name Persol is derived from the Italian per il sole meaning ‘for the sun’ and it is one of the oldest eyewear companies in the world.
In 1917 Giuseppe Ratti, photographer and owner of the Berry optical, started producing his first glasses and lenses for athletes and aviators who required comfort, protection and optimum vision. Persol was a heavy influence in the production of sunglasses. The company developed the first flexible stem, known as the patented Meflecto system, which was one of the first spring hinges ever developed for eyewear. Persol was introduced to the United States in 1962 and opened its first boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills 1991.
At the moment all plastic Persol spectacles are made in Italy using Cellulose acetate which is a hypoallergenic material derived from cotton. The lenses for the sunglasses manufactured by Persol use a crystal lens to filter harmful light from the wearer’s eye.
During the years 1950-1970s Persol brought out the model 649, this was built for tram drivers in Turin who needed large glasses to protect their eyes against the dust and air. The novelty of its particular design made it was a very successful pair of glasses and it was copied by many competitors and in 1961 they entered into legend when Marcello Mastroianni wore them in the film ‘Divorce Italian Style’
During the 1980s showed that Persol paid attention to technological innovation and care for its products as they took part in several expeditions to test the lenses at high altitudes and also in the desert to verify their performance in extreme conditions and to experiment with new and innovative materials.
All of this makes Persol very high quality and iconic brand.
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