GLCO

since 2010 : Venice-Born Eyewear with Hollywood Soul

 

Founded in 2010 by Garrett Leight, son of Oliver Peoples co-founder Larry Leight, GLCO was born from family heritage yet carved out an identity of its own. Growing up immersed in eyewear culture, Garrett opened his first boutique on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach in 2009 before formally establishing the brand a year later.

 

Frustrated by the corporate dilution of Oliver Peoples, he envisioned a label that felt authentic, personal, and rooted in his community, offering frames his Venice peers actually wanted to wear.

 

 

 

 

California Style DNA & Cultural Influence

 

GLCO’s aesthetic is pure California cool: relaxed, timeless, and effortlessly stylish. The brand often nods to 1980s Hollywood icons—think American Gigolo or Scarface—while maintaining designs that are understated and versatile. That balance has earned GLCO a cult following in creative circles, with celebrities like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kendall Jenner making its frames a quiet style staple. More than an accessory, GLCO eyewear has become shorthand for laid-back sophistication.

 

 

 

Craftsmanship & Material Excellence

 

Every GLCO frame begins life in the brand’s Downtown Los Angeles studio, stamped with the code VC/CA 90291 as a tribute to its Venice roots. The brand sources premium cured acetates, from exclusive palettes to rare deadstock, and pairs them with mineral glass or CR-39 lenses featuring anti-reflective and mirrored coatings.

 

Production takes place in China, where frames are hand-finished with meticulous attention to proportion, comfort, and fit. For Garrett, it’s less about where they’re made and more about making them the right way.

 

 

 

 

 

Storytelling & Brand Culture

 

Narrative is central to GLCO’s design ethos. Frames often draw inspiration from icons of film, literature, and art—figures like Arthur Miller, Greta Garbo, and Allen Ginsberg—and are designed to amplify a wearer’s personality rather than overshadow it. Marketing, too, is built on community storytelling over influencer hype. Instead of pushing trends, GLCO leans into genuine word-of-mouth and peer validation, making the brand feel intimate, credible, and lasting.

 

 

 

 

Expansions & Collaborations

 

From its Venice beginnings, GLCO has grown into a global presence, with flagship stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, as well as placements in prestigious retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, Colette, and Dover Street Market.

 

Garrett also extended the family lineage with Mr. Leight, a luxury eyewear line co-founded with his father. Handcrafted in Japan, the collection blends old-world craftsmanship with contemporary flair, cementing the Leight legacy as one of the most influential in modern eyewear.

 

 

Website https://www.garrettleight.com/

Instagram @garrettleight

Photo GLCO