Our Philosophy Our History
Le Specs Aire Luv Lou Cancer Council Oroton Camilla The Book Club Karen Walker Balenciaga Bottega Veneta Cartier Chloé Gucci Saint Laurent Fiorelli Provence Solarized Tradie
 

Our History

 
 

1969

Betty Lasse, owner of the North Bondi Pharmacy is offered 10,000 units of unbranded, discarded sunglasses by her cousin Victor, an accountant. She accepts the frames at a discounted rate of one cent a piece. In a stroke of genius, Betty sources a sunglasses stand and for the first time in Australian history (or at least that we know of) begins selling sunglasses in a pharmacy. It’s an immediate success.

Soon after giving birth to her son Rodney, Betty closes the pharmacy and creates 747’s by Sunshades, a distributor of unbranded sunglasses to pharmacies across Australia.

 

1980

By this stage the business had grown to a point where Betty employed 3 staff to assist her in the running of Sunshades. The four of them did everything from sales to packing and dispatch of the orders. It was at this point that Betty realised that there may be a future in sunglasses, as the business was now turning over more than 400,000 units a year.

 

1995

Rodney joins the company now named Sunshades and with Betty transforms the business model. In a rapidly changing landscape, Sunshades becomes the sole supplier of eyewear to fashion retailers including Sportsgirl, Susanne and Just Jeans.

 

1998

Sunshades takes on their first branded sunglasses and becomes the licensee of Disney sunglasses for kids. Right away Sunshades hit all major department stores across Australia, then Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia for the very first time.

 
 

2000

With the new millennium, the company enters a new field: branded fashion frames. Sunshades Eyewear licences Fiorelli to department stores across Australia.

In a make-or-break moment, the company takes on its biggest project yet. Oroton optical and sunglasses joins the Sunshades portfolio, paving the way for huge growth. There’s no going back as Blind, LA Eyeworks and a range of other brands fall under the Sunshades umbrella.

 

2005

Sunshades finds a perfect partnership with their first international boutique brand, Karen Walker. Marketed all over the globe, Karen Walker was to become a huge international success. Accordingly, Sunshades opens their first international office across the seas in New Zealand.

 
 

2006

Cementing itself in the Australian youth market, Sunshades relaunches the hugely successful youth fashion brand Le Specs.

 
 

2009

Sunshades becomes the licensee of Cancer Council eyewear. To this day Sunshades has given over 11 million dollars directly to cancer research, patient care and education in association with the Cancer Council.

2016

Sunshades Eyewear enters the world of luxury eyewear, signing a distribution agreement with Kering Eyewear. Sunshades begins distributing Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Gucci. In the midst of rapid growth, the company opens its first US offices.

 
 
 
 

2017

Sunshades Eyewear creates its first proprietary reading glass brand The Book Club which sees immediate international success.

 
 
 
 

2019

Sunshades’ new propriety brand AIRE is launched.