02 August 2026
Eyewear trends branch out into myriad directions: from throwback narrow frames and ‘office chic’ to bold expressive styles.
OT asked exhibitors at 100% Optical to highlight the styles they have seen in 2026, and identify frames from their collections that embody the established and emerging trends.
1 Office chic
Emily Andrews, product director for Eyespace Eyewear, said she has seen frames being worn more as a fashion accessory than only a visual aid.
“So many more young people are actively wearing frames,” she said, adding that this trend is reflected in how people are wearing frames.
Andrews highlighted the ‘Arhlo’ frame from Eyespace, which has been particularly popular with wearers – partly because of its accessible price point.
“We designed this to make sure everyone could wear a very high fashion frame that follows the latest trends. This [frame] really embodies the office-chic look that is everywhere at the moment.”
Watch OT’s interview with Emily Andrews from 100% Optical 2026.
2 Gen Z influence
Josh Hudson, founder of Hudson Eyewear, described the influence of Gen Z fashion on eyewear.
Highlighting the ‘Audrey’ frame from Tree Spectacles, distributed in the UK by Hudson Eyewear, he said: “I refer to it as ‘Gen Z eyewear’ because it’s really driven by the younger people that are wearing glasses.”
See more eyewear from Tree Spectacles at 100% Optical.
3 Pops of colour
Ed Bird, founder of Bird Eyewear, told OT: “I think in 2026, some of the trends are going to be around angular frames and pops of colour.”
Bird highlighted the ‘Lori’ frame from the Birds of Paradise collection, an angular frame with “beautiful pops of colour in metallic pink.”
Hear more from Ed Bird about the Birds of Paradise collection.
4 Styles in parallel
Boldness and minimalism are both on-trend, suggested Oscar Cera, country director north (UK and Nordics) for Safilo.
Cera described how some of the minimalist shapes trending currently recall the narrow, very small, rectangular eyewear styles of the past.
Wearers can get excited about options for “super minimal” or “so bold,” he suggested.
5 Thin metal
Blackfin is known for its metal frames, crafted from a block of titanium.
Nicola del Din, CEO of Blackfin, explained: “The trend in the metal segment of the market is going towards thin products.”
Illustrating how this can look in a frame, he described thin metal frames as “very light, but still present in terms of volume.”
The brand recently introduced the Blackfin Pacific, a super-thin metal frame but with pops of colour.
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