The Power Of Expression: How Theo Turned Eyewear Into Personality

Remarkable for its enduring one-of-a-kind creativity and independent perspective on design, theo views eyewear as a powerful form of self-expression. Each collection is defined by joyous shapes, vibrant colors and unexpected narratives that celebrate individuality, offering the ultimate experience for spectacle wearers to reveal who they are through their frame!

We delved into the history of theo with some help from the co-founder’s son, Mik Somers…

Thank you for agreeing to talk to us: theo remains one of the iconic family-run brands in independent eyewear design. Can you tell us how it all started?

theo was founded in Antwerp in 1987 by two opticians, Patrick Hoet and Wim Somers. They were not satisfied with what they saw in their shop. Too safe, too predictable and lacking personality. They were not really trying to start a brand. What they wanted was to create frames with more presence and character, because those were exactly the kinds of frames they felt were missing in their own stores.

By the late 1980s Antwerp had already developed a strong fashion culture and a very distinct visual identity. That creative energy also shaped the environment in which theo emerged. From the very beginning theo chose a different path: color was never decoration, but character. A theo frame was not designed as an accessory, but as a way of expressing personality.

Patrick and Wim believed in one simple idea: glasses should not disappear on your face, they should reveal who you are. That foundation remains exactly the same today. What has grown over time is the universe around it.

You are now the second generation running the company…what have you noticed about how eyewear is perceived today compared to in the 1980s when theo was first founded?

In the 1980s glasses were mainly seen as medical devices—functional and necessary. Something people preferred to keep as discreet as possible. Today, eyewear has become part of personal identity.

People consciously choose frames that say something about who they are. Through social media and a more visual culture in general, we have all become more aware of image, style and appearance.

What has not changed is that everyone wants to feel good when looking in the mirror. What has changed is that people are more confident in expressing themselves. There is more colour, more shape and more character. That fits perfectly with theo, because we have always designed for people who want to show who they are.

Do you design and make the frames in Antwerp/Europe? How does this allow you to be totally unique?

All theo collections are designed in Antwerp by in-house designers and in collaboration with international designers with a distinctive signature. Production takes place in carefully selected workshops in Europe, mainly in France, as well as in China and Italy for specific technical developments.

Working closely with our production partners allows us to experiment, refine and use materials in non-standard ways. theo eyewear is an independent family company, so we do not have to satisfy shareholders. That freedom allows us to remain truly unconventional.

What is theo like today and what is most exciting about being part of the theo team?

theo is still a family of creative minds and slightly rebellious dreamers, but with an international presence in more than 60 countries and around 1600 points of sale.

At our headquarters in Antwerp, design, storytelling, marketing, logistics and sales work together under one roof. This creates a constant dialogue between product and narrative. Shipping to our independent opticians around the world also takes place from Antwerp.

Our goal remains very simple: to make people happy with the glasses they wear.

‘Wearing theo is a sure-fire way to start receiving compliments. And when that happens? Smile, and share the story of your brand-new glasses. Because the best compliments go straight from the eye to the heart…’

theo frames offer a universe built on personality, design, expressive color palettes, and always… something out of the ordinary. How does this umission” keep evolving? Are you still pushing the envelope to create totally new ideas?

“theo loves you” is not a slogan, but a belief. We believe that a pair of glasses can trigger compliments, and that compliments travel directly from the eye to the heart.

Every theo collection starts with a clear concept. Sometimes that concept is technical, sometimes poetic, sometimes playful or radical.

We want to keep pushing boundaries, but always around the same core: designing glasses that surprise, that color outside the lines and that celebrate individuality.

How are you working with materials in special ways? What is your most adventurous combination or material proposal to date?

Experimenting with materials is part of theo’s DNA. We work with acetate, titanium, stainless steel and hybrid constructions, often in unexpected combinations.

We enjoy it when engineering becomes visible and when function turns into aesthetics. The locks collection, for example, is the first theo collection in which the locking block is stamped directly from a single piece of titanium instead of being welded onto the frame. A technical detail that becomes a visual statement.

In other collections we combine titanium with layered acetate, playing with depth and contrast. In the metal frames of the hilines collection, subtle cut-outs create shadow and light—not by adding material, but by removing it.

Once theo, always theo?

Many customers tell us that something changes the moment you start wearing a theo frame. Not only because of the glasses themselves, but because of the reactions they trigger: a compliment, a conversation, a smile.

At that moment, you realize that glasses can be more than a corrective device. They can bring energy, confidence and a sense of playfulness.

So, is there really a way back?

Let’s put it this way: once you have experienced what it feels like to be truly noticed because of your glasses, it becomes difficult to go back to anonymity.

Goo Goo Eyes talked to Mik Somers, son of Wim Somers, one of the original co-founders of theo eyewear.

 

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