Pierre Wizen says he’s declaring war on other eyeglass companies that charge $100 or more for glasses.
COURTESY OF BLACKSHEEP
Pierre Wizman, CEO and founder of Blacksheep’s parent company Polette, said he thinks he knows why eyeglasses are so expensive.
“The most frequently asked question I get is why our prices are so low when other glasses are so expensive,” he said. “The only reason why our glasses are extremely affordable is not because the quality is low, it’s just the real cost of a pair of glasses.”
“My interest in life is to bring a better solution,” Wizman said, adding that Blacksheep eyeglasses are produced on demand. “You order and two days later you get a pair of glasses.”
The Blacksheep brand, which sells designer frames at $1, prescription lenses at $5, and progressive lenses at $25. It’s announcing its entry into the U.S. market today. Wizman’s company, a “direct-to-consumer disruptor,” – his words – has gone viral on TikTok, and is launching its first U.S. Black Friday sale with an offer under the code, BLACKFRIDAY50, which includes complete prescription glasses for as low as $3.98, he said.
“I’m in the eyewear industry for almost 20 years,” said Wizman. “The real cost of a pair of glasses is too high. It costs a few, maybe $2, to make a pair of glasses with handmade acetate frames. You can get a high quality product that’s better than a $500 Gucci frame without logos, so there’s no marketing costs and no retail costs.
Gucci did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Wizman lashed into Warby Parker, saying, “It’s a company that is quite loud that they are bringing the revolution, but actually they’re really expensive. At Warby Parker they charge $400 for a product that costs $1 to make. They’re really far away from the factory reality.”
“We aim to provide customers with the highest-quality product possible by designing glasses in-house at our headquarters in New York City, using custom materials, and selling direct to the customer,” Warby Parker said. “By cutting out the middleman, we’re able to pass the savings onto our customers.”
Warby Parker said its pricing has always been fair, transparent and without hidden markups, noting that over the last 16 years it’s maintained its entry-level $95 price point, which includes premium acetate frames and prescription polycarbonate lenses with anti-scratch, anti-reflective and anti-smudge coatings – features that are often treated as add-ons and upsells elsewhere.
“As we’ve introduced new products, our priority continues to be to offer exceptional value,” Warby Parker said. “Examples include our progressives products starting at $295. Comparable-quality progressives elsewhere start at $400-plus. Earlier this year, we launched our first Sport collection starting at $195 for non-prescription and $295 for prescription, compared to competitors’ products that can exceed $800.”
“The eyewear industry is dominated by a single company that has been able to keep prices artificially high while reaping huge profits from consumers who have no other options,” said Wizman. “The eyewear industry is basically controlled by one player, Luxottica,” he said. “We expect to destroy the traditional market and be a company that’s making good money. The company was started to create an alternative.”
Many eyewear firms rely on big investment companies, which makes the products more expensive, Wizman said. “It’s because they invested millions or billions of dollars and they have to get back that money. I don’t work for Wall Street. I’m a free guy. I’m transparent, there’s no middleman. There’s no margin, we just charge a small percentage of the transaction. We do earn money but our profit is really small,” he said.
“When I started in 2010 I went around the world to try to get money [from an investor] and nobody gave me anything,” said Wizman. “We’re so strong today because I realized that creativity is more important than money itself. If you’re not able to grow a company on your own without anyone, you won’t last a week.”
Wizman asserted that Blacksheep is “the most sustainable company on earth because it produces products on demand. “We have zero waste,” said Wizman, who has been based in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. “I own a small factory.
The U.S. eyewear market was valued at $45.5 billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow from to $69.05 billion by 2032, a CAGR of 5.4%. In 2024, the global eyewear market was valued at over $146 billion dollars and is forecast to reach nearly $173 billion, according to Statista.
“I can’t imagine where and who would be making those glasses,” said Garret Leight, who is launching his own retail and online concept on June 25, referring to Wizman’s products. “What costs a $1 at retail?”
“I can’t imagine that it would threaten my customer base,” Leight said. “Maybe Warby Parker’s. A Gucci pair of glasses is $500 to $600. After COVID my glasses from China cost 30% more.”
Leight said Wizman is charging Walmart prices. “We’re going upstream,” he said, explaining that he’ll target more of a luxury customer. “The middle class customer doesn’t exist any more.
“Maybe it’s not the same quality or made by robots,” Leight said of Blacksheep’s glasses. “All of our glasses are made by hand. Different types of hardware and lenses are the most expensive part, half of the cost of the glasses.”
“There’s nothing made in the U.S., maybe the etching or assembly, but everything else is made In China,” Wizman said. “About three-quarters of all eyewear is made in Danyang, China, which processes 400 million lenses per year, Wizman said.
“China has been the place to make eyewear for 50 years, he added. “China doesn’t mean bad quality. They’re providing frames and lenses for the entire world.
“I don’t want to be another Warby Parker or IBuyDirect,” Wizman said, and ever the rebel, added, “We have pop-ups in Paris and the Netherlands. Traditional stores are useless. What matters the most is the doctor who gives you the prescription for your glasses.”
Leave a comment