The decidedly bookish appeal of a pair of glasses has certainly cemented its own space at the centre of contemporary fashion. That is, of course, with no complaint—as it is to everyone’s benefit that wearing frames within office hours and beyond has become something of a style statement, beyond simply being relegated to the realm of Y2K microtrends.
And though the office siren may have initially found her footing in beady-eyed, micro-rectangular frames, contemporary eyewear has since transmuted into cat-eye and oversized silhouettes. Across both optical lenses and their sun-shielding counterparts, these shapes maintain something of the same ’90s wired infrastructure, while adopting new materials for the eyewear’s exoskeleton: titanium for durability and corrosion resistance; acetate for its versatility; and TR90 for its lightweight thermoplasticity.
If you happen to find yourself in Shanghai, it is all the more reason to indulge in a little shopping spree. The Chinese metropolis may be known for many things—excellent milk tea, formidable make-up brands and an especially compelling second-hand luxury market among them—but one thing not to be missed is its burgeoning eyewear design scene.
Beyond the city’s proximity to manufacturing facilities and competitive price points, there is a growing design consciousness market wide. From silhouettes that account for a wider range of facial structures to technical innovations that make everyday wear more comfortable, these brands are approaching eyewear with a perspective that extends beyond aesthetics alone, and presenting themselves as considered design objects.
Ahead, a Vogue-curated guide to the Chinese eyewear brands worth knowing—and shopping—in Shanghai.
Bolon Eyewear (暴龙)
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With every stage of production—from initial design to final assembly—kept in-house, it is clear to see how Bolon maintains its command of eyewear. Its expertise in both titanium and acetate manufacturing allows for a greater degree of experimentation with form; while titanium, in particular, lends itself to frames that are lightweight yet resilient, corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic. The result is a familiar vocabulary of classic shapes, given a sharper edge through subtle shifts in proportion and construction.
For fall/winter 2026, Bolon draws its core strengths into new territory, reworking its approach to titanium through fresh cat-eye silhouettes and more inventive constructions through a new series of barely-there, rimless styles—with the frames tracing the face in a way that feels both flattering and unfussy.
Bolon Eyewear, 1189 Nanjing West Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai
Blackhead (黑头)
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Founded in Shanghai in 2012 by jewellery designer Liu Yu, better known as Black, Blackhead approaches eyewear through the lens of jewellery, as metallic finishes, tactile detailing and unexpected textures catch the light in ways that feel closer to the treatment of a piece of jewellery than a conventional pair of glasses.
Skirting the boundaries of goth, punk and cyber aesthetics, the label favours a more subversive approach to embellishment. Blackhead’s designs lean sculptural and dystopian, often playing with the tension between the decorative and the industrial, lending even the most pared-back look a sharper, more unconventional edge.
Blackhead, No. 1173 Yuyuan Road, Changning District, Shanghai
Mujosh (派丽蒙)
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Mujosh approaches eyewear through a consideration that is often overlooked in the pursuit of the right silhouette: fit. With frames designed specifically to accommodate lower nose bridges, its construction takes into account the particularities of Southeast and East Asian facial structures, rather than assuming that one proportion fits all. Many of Mujosh’s designs incorporate nose pads for additional support, while the angle at which the frames sit is adjusted to prevent the lenses from resting against the cheeks. It is a small but significant distinction, particularly for those who have found that a pair of otherwise attractive frames rarely sits quite as intended.
Designed at the brand’s Shenzhen studio, the collection spans familiar silhouettes, from oversized squares to slimmer ovals, reworked with lower-bridge proportions—an apt reminder that the considerations behind a good pair of glasses ought to begin well before the question of how they look.
Mujosh, 268 Xizang Zhong Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Rockbros (义乌洛克体育用品有限公司)
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The newly opened concept store brings the gorpcore label’s approach to eyewear into focus, though its proposition is less concerned with the aesthetics of outdoor dressing than with the demands of the outdoors itself.
Siphon away the aesthetics of gorpcore and return to true GORP function (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts, or so the acronym goes): reliable cycling and hiking eyewear that just so happens to be stylish. With frames categorised by impact resistance, the range is equipped for both the ski slope and the mandatory après, the cycle and the celebratory beer. The newly-opened concept store in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area offers a similar call for celebration, bringing this outdoors-minded sensibility into the city, making room for eyewear that is as at home on the mountain trail as it is navigating the urban sprawl.
Rockbros, 1823-1825 Qishan Road, Pudong District, Shanghai
