A fascinating collection with a fascinating story.

L.G.R was born from the original vision of its founder Luca Gnecchi Ruscone and is steeped in heritage with its roots firmly embedded within Eastern Africa.

Lucas’s grandfather first visited Asmara, an Italian colony in 1936 to photograph the war effort in the region. He fell in love with the area and returned a short time later, importing high-quality photography equipment to the Italian expatriates. Raffaello opened a store and expanded his range of goods to include optical frames and sunglasses. Over the years, he moved into manufacturing and produced plastic shoes for the local community, which established itself within 20 years and became the laureates shoe factory in Africa. Raffaello was now well and truly established within Africa.

Unfortunately, all this came to an abrupt end in 1974. With the country on the brink of civil war, all of Raffaello’s assets were seized by the government and he and his family were ordered to leave within the day, taking with them only one piece of luggage. The family returned to and settled in Italy.

In 2005 Raffaello was granted permission to return to his former home to collect his family belongings. He returned with his grandson Luca and this is where the story of L.G.R begins.

Luca was wandering through one of his grandfather’s old warehouses of Italian imports when he discovered a box of old colonial period sunglasses that had been imported from Italy some 50 years earlier. Fascinated by the style and elegance of these pieces he brought them back to Italy, where they were received with great enthusiasm. Luca tracked down the original manufactures and L.G.R went into production using the same traditional methods from the original manufacturer 50 years previously. The brand began to grow and more and more boutiques throughout Europe started to stock L.G.R eyewear. In 2008 Luca exhibited his collection at a showroom event in Paris. The collection was very well received and saw L.G.R eyewear feature in the French edition of fashion bible Vogue.

L.G.R glasses and sunglasses are entirely handmade in Italy by three artisanal families. Each piece blends together traditional methods of craftsmanship, the latest technologies, and a history that dates back to colonial Africa. The frames are all completely handcrafted to deliver an authentic and noble product. The manufacturing families have worked hard for generations and have dedicated their lives specialising in this meticulous line of craftsmanship. The result, a genuine product that translates excellence through passion and authenticity.

“These beautiful designs immediately evoked the romanticism of an era long gone by. The merging of two worlds; the adventure of Africa and the glamour of the Riviera. I created a line capturing this timeless elegance.”

Luca Gnecchi Ruscone