EM · PRIVATE LABEL
Section · I — What's included

Everything between your idea and a retail-ready product.

Private label usually means a catalogue frame with your logo on the temple. We work differently: the collection is developed around your brand, and every component is produced to carry it.

  • Frames. Sun and optical, in titanium, stainless steel, TR-90, Ultem, acetate and bio-acetate.
  • Lenses. Sun lens tones, and prescription fulfilment for optical.
  • Case and cloth. Metal, leather and fabric, engraved, embossed or foiled.
  • Packaging. Sleeve, outer box and inserts, designed alongside the frames.
  • QC and logistics. Unit-by-unit inspection, then shipped to your warehouse or retail partners.
Packaging system: case, cloth, and presentation box.
Case, cloth and box from the same production run
Section · II — The options

Three ways brands usually get into eyewear.

Option one

A licensing deal

A licensee owns the category and controls production. Your brand earns a fee, but has limited say in what carries its name.

Option two

Managing factories yourself

Full control, but a frame factory, lens lab, case maker, packaging vendor and freight forwarder, each on its own timeline.

With Emsley

One team, your ownership

Your brand directs the design and keeps full ownership. We run development, production and coordination as a single workflow.

Section · III — Minimums and timing
Acetate material swatches arranged on a work surface.
Material references

Small enough for a first collection.

First production runs start at 500 pieces per model, split across three to five colourways. With designs ready, most launches take three to six months from first call to first shipment. Developing new designs from a brief adds time.

We don't quote from a rate card. We start from your target retail price and margin, and work backward to a specification that supports them. There is no engagement fee; we earn on production.

500Pieces per model
3–5Colourways per model
3–6Months to ship, designs ready
Section · IV — In practice

A fashion label's first collection, launched in six markets.

Beyond the Vines came to us with a clear visual identity and no eyewear experience. We took them from technical drawings through three sampling rounds to a packaged, retail-ready collection, launched at once across Singapore, Japan, Thailand, China, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Beyond the Vines tortoiseshell sunglass with metallic inner rim.
Beyond the Vines, first collection
Section · V — Common questions

Private label eyewear, answered.

What is the minimum order for private label eyewear?

First production runs start at 500 pieces per model. Each model can be split across three to five colourways, so a single silhouette can launch as a small, varied range.

How long does it take to launch a private label eyewear collection?

With designs ready, most launches take three to six months from first call to first shipment. Developing new designs from a brief, or collections with more models and custom hardware, take longer, and we tell you that at the start rather than three months in.

How much does private label eyewear cost?

We don't quote from a rate card. Unit cost depends on material, construction and finish, so we start from your target retail price and margin and work backward to a specification that supports them. There is no engagement fee: we earn on production.

Do you make both sunglasses and optical frames?

Yes. We develop sun and optical frames in titanium, stainless steel, TR-90, Ultem, acetate and bio-acetate, and can fulfil prescription lenses alongside sun so optical retail runs through the same programme.

Who owns the designs?

You do. Unlike a licensing deal, your brand directs the design and keeps full ownership of the collection. We handle development, production and coordination.

Can you handle packaging as well as frames?

Yes. Case, cloth, sleeve, outer box and inserts are developed and produced alongside the frames, so the whole product arrives retail-ready.

Section · VI — If you're considering it

If a private label eyewear line is on the table, we would be happy to talk it through.

A short note about your brand and what you have in mind is enough to start. No deck, no pitch, no pressure to commit.

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