Side Eye is a New York-based independent luxury eyewear brand founded by Leila Merz and Athina Rickmers. Handcrafted in Italy with Zeiss lenses, their sculptural frames are named after iconic New York City street addresses.
Founded in New York City by Leila Merz and Athina Rickmers, Side Eye was born out of a desire to bridge the gap between disposable fast-fashion shades and logo-heavy legacy luxury eyewear. Designed in New York and handcrafted in Italy by multi-generational family-owned factories, each pair features premium Italian acetate and precision Zeiss lenses. In an homage to the city that inspired the label, every frame design is named after a distinct NYC address, quickly becoming a staple in the off-duty wardrobes of models and tastemakers.
