Zyloware Eyewear
Zyloware Eyewear, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Port Chester, NY, is a family-owned B2B manufacturer and distributor selling 16+ licensed designer and celebrity eyewear brands to optical retailers and eye care professionals across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1923
- HeadquartersPort Chester, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Zyloware Eyewear does
Zyloware Eyewear, founded in 1923 by Joseph Shyer and headquartered in Port Chester, New York (since 2010), is the longest continuously operating U.S. optical frame supplier. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of 16+ licensed eyewear brands spanning budget to designer price tiers, including Sophia Loren (licensed since 1980), Gloria Vanderbilt (since 1976), Stetson (since 1982), Shaquille O'Neal, Randy Jackson, Daisy Fuentes, Via Spiga, and the proprietary lines Invincible (the original 1963 nylon frame, ANSI Z87-2+ safety certified) and Yardley London. Recent additions include Rye 1923, a contemporary line targeting Gen Z and Millennial consumers, and CEV, a culturally inspired collection.
Zyloware operates a B2B, account-based distribution model serving optical retailers and eye care professionals across the U.S. — including national and regional chains such as MyEyeDr., Eyemart Express, Eye One, ESP, and Bard Optical (a 40+ year customer), independent opticians, and managed-care-affiliated networks such as Optiport. Sales are executed via dedicated account managers and an e-commerce portal at zyloware.com; pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by brand tier and channel. The company also operates a Canadian market entity, Zyloware Canada. Zyloware pioneered several eyewear firsts: the first nylon frame (Invincible, 1963, with over 30 million units sold in 30 years), the first American designer eyewear license (Gloria Vanderbilt, 1976), and the first celebrity eyewear brand (Sophia Loren, 1980).
The company remains family-controlled by the Shyer family (third generation, Chris and Jamie Shyer) and in December 2024 received its first institutional capital partnership with Austin-based CenterGate Capital. Headcount is reported at 101–250 employees; revenue and deal size are undisclosed. The business model centers on licensing royalties, wholesale frame distribution, and exclusive co-developed collections (e.g., the MyEyeDr. × Shaquille O'Neal line) rather than direct-to-consumer sales.
Zyloware Eyewear firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zyloware Eyewear
- Legal name
- Zyloware USA
- Website
- https://zyloware.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1923
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Zyloware Eyewear, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Port Chester, NY, is a family-owned B2B manufacturer and distributor selling 16+ licensed designer and celebrity eyewear brands to optical retailers and eye care professionals across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zyloware Eyewear industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Eyewear Frames
- NAICS
- Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Eyewear Manufacturing & OEM/ODM (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury & Designer Eyewear (CRAAAKAD), Luxury Eyewear (Sunglasses & Optical) (CRAKAFAG)
Keywords
Where Zyloware Eyewear is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Chester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Zyloware Eyewear business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Eyewear Frame Sales: Zyloware generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of optical eyewear frames to optical retailers and eye care professionals. The company sells a diverse portfolio of licensed designer and celebrity brand eyewear through an account-based B2B model.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Zyloware Eyewear product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zyloware Eyewear manufactures and distributes ophthalmic frames and sunglasses across 16+ licensed designer, celebrity, and lifestyle brands to optical retailers and eye care professionals in the U.S. and Canada. The company sells exclusively through an account-based B2B wholesale model, supplying everything from budget safety eyewear to luxury fashion collections. Operations span a Port Chester, NY headquarters and an original Long Island City, NY manufacturing facility.
Product overview
Zyloware Eyewear is a portfolio of 16 licensed eyewear brands operating as the longest-running family-owned optical frame supplier in the U.S. The product lineup consists of sub-brands spanning multiple market segments: designer/fashion brands (H Halston, Leon Max, Max Studio, Via Spiga, Gloria Vanderbilt, Gloria by Gloria Vanderbilt), celebrity-endorsed lines (Sophia Loren, Shaquille O'Neal, Randy Jackson, Daisy Fuentes), Western/lifestyle brands (Stetson, Stetson Off Road), safety eyewear (Invincible Safety Eyewear, Invincilites), and contemporary/youth-focused collections (Rye 1923, CEV). The company sells exclusively to optical retailers and eyecare professionals through a B2B wholesale ordering platform, offering comprehensive support including product design, marketing, quality assurance, and inventory management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Invincible: The first nylon frame introduced by Zyloware in 1963, selling over 30 million units in 30 years.
- Invincilites
- CEV
- Rye 1923
- Daisy Fuentes
- Gloria by Gloria Vanderbilt
- Gloria Vanderbilt
- H Halston
- Invincible Safety Eyewear
- Leon Max
- Max Studio
- Randy Jackson
- Shaquille O'Neal
- Sophia Loren
- Stetson
- Stetson Off Road
- Via Spiga
Products and services
- CEV (Clear Eye View) Eyewear Culturally inspired, trendsetting eyewear collection from Zyloware, marketed under the Clear Eye View (CEV) name, designed for style-conscious consumers and sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Daisy Fuentes Eyewear Celebrity-endorsed eyewear collection capturing contemporary Latina beauty and feminine style, sold through optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Gloria by Gloria Vanderbilt Eyewear Contemporary, everyday eyewear collection at a moderate price point aimed at the modern woman, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Gloria Vanderbilt Eyewear Zyloware's flagship licensed designer eyewear collection, offering versatile, stylish, and timeless frames at a moderate price, sold through optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- H Halston Eyewear Luxury lifestyle eyewear brand featuring iconic feminine shapes and glamorous design details blending Halston legacy designs from the 1970s and 1980s with modern styling, sold to optical retailers.
- Invincible Safety Eyewear Rx'able safety eyewear engineered to protect eyes from debris and hazardous particles and meeting ANSI Z87-2+ safety standards, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals serving industrial, sports, and recreational use cases.
- Invincilites Eyewear Ultra-lightweight eyewear collection designed to feel almost weightless when worn, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Leon Max Eyewear Upscale eyewear brand dedicated to rich materials and fashion-forward shapes with limited and exclusive styles, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Max Studio Eyewear Sophisticated eyewear collection by designer Leon Max featuring bold yet refined, understated, and timeless styling aimed at modern women, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Randy Jackson Eyewear Celebrity men's eyewear collection featuring on-trend masculine shapes and colors, drawing on Randy Jackson's 30+ years in the music industry, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Rye 1923 Eyewear Fashion eyewear collection designed for Gen Z and Millennials, celebrating authenticity and connection within an inclusive cultural landscape, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Shaquille O'Neal Eyewear Athleisure-style celebrity eyewear collection offering style, performance, and comfort with masculine shapes, specialized temple treatments, and larger 'Shaqsized' frames, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Sophia Loren Eyewear Zyloware's first celebrity eyewear brand (since 1980), a top-selling women's collection for over 40 years featuring multi-focal accommodating styles and jewel-like feminine accents, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Stetson Eyewear Leading men's eyewear brand since 1982 offering comfort, long-lasting durability, and a wide range of colors, shapes, sizes, and materials with multi-focal accommodation, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Stetson Off Road Eyewear Durable, masculine eyewear built and priced for a younger man with a rugged disposition, carrying the Stetson brand quality, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Via Spiga Eyewear Italian-inspired fashion eyewear featuring innovative design, specialty metals, distinctive decor, and comfortable fit aimed at modern women, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
- Invincible Nylon Eyewear Frames Pioneering nylon eyewear frame collection launched by Zyloware in 1963 as the company's first nylon frame, selling over 30 million units over 30 years and establishing a foundation for the brand's materials innovation, sold to optical retailers and eye care professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 million Invincible nylon frames sold in 30 years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Zyloware Eyewear
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Zyloware Eyewear technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Zyloware Eyewear partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Zyloware Eyewear competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Safilo Group: Italian eyewear manufacturer that designs, produces, and distributes a large portfolio of licensed and proprietary eyewear brands globally. Safilo competes head-to-head with Zyloware in designer and celebrity licensed eyewear supplied to optical retailers.
- Marcolin: Italian eyewear manufacturer with an extensive portfolio of licensed fashion, luxury, and sport brand eyewear including Tom Ford, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Adidas. Directly comparable to Zyloware as a B2B licensed eyewear manufacturer supplying optical retailers.
- De Rigo: Italian eyewear company producing and distributing licensed brand frames (Police, Sting, Lozza) worldwide. Direct competitor in the licensed designer eyewear wholesale model that Zyloware operates.
- Marchon Eyewear: U.S.-based eyewear manufacturer owned by VSP Global, producing licensed frames including Nike, Calvin Klein, and Lacoste. Closely comparable to Zyloware as a B2B eyewear supplier with a deep licensed brand portfolio.
- Kenmark Optical: U.S.-based wholesale eyewear manufacturer and distributor of licensed designer eyewear brands. Operates a similar B2B model supplying optical retailers, making it a close private-company comparable to Zyloware.
- McGee Group: U.S. eyewear company distributing licensed brand frames (Vera Bradley, John Varvatos, kate spade among others) to optical retailers. Operates a nearly identical B2B licensed eyewear model to Zyloware.
Broad incumbents
- EssilorLuxottica: Global eyewear and optical retail conglomerate owning Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, and numerous licensed luxury brands, plus retail banners (LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut). A much larger incumbent that competes with Zyloware across licensed eyewear and downstream retail.
- Charmant Group: Japanese eyewear manufacturer producing licensed frames (e.g., LineArt, Esprit) with global distribution. Comparable as a larger licensed eyewear manufacturer operating across multiple geographies.
Emerging players
- Revolution Eyewear: U.S.-based eyewear company offering licensed and proprietary fashion eyewear through B2B channels to optical retailers. Comparable as a smaller emerging player in the same U.S. licensed eyewear wholesale category.
Others
- Hilco Vision: U.S. supplier of optical products and eyewear accessories including safety eyewear, frames, and ophthalmic supplies. Adjacent competitor and supplier in the optical channel that Zyloware serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zyloware Eyewear social profiles
Digital presenceZyloware Eyewear financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zyloware Eyewear leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Zyloware Eyewear subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Zyloware Eyewear funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zyloware Eyewear M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zyloware Eyewear
What does Zyloware Eyewear do?
Zyloware Eyewear manufactures and distributes ophthalmic frames and sunglasses across 16+ licensed designer, celebrity, and lifestyle brands to optical retailers and eye care professionals in the U.S. and Canada. The company sells exclusively through an account-based B2B wholesale model, supplying everything from budget safety eyewear to luxury fashion collections. Operations span a Port Chester, NY headquarters and an original Long Island City, NY manufacturing facility.
Is Zyloware Eyewear a public or private company?
Zyloware Eyewear is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Zyloware Eyewear founded?
Zyloware Eyewear was founded in 1923. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Zyloware Eyewear based?
Zyloware Eyewear is headquartered in Port Chester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zyloware Eyewear make money?
One revenue line is on record: eyewear Frame Sales.
Who are Zyloware Eyewear's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Safilo Group, Marcolin, De Rigo, Marchon Eyewear, Kenmark Optical and McGee Group. Broad incumbents are EssilorLuxottica and Charmant Group. Revolution Eyewear is listed as an emerging player. Hilco Vision is listed as an others.
Does Zyloware Eyewear have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zyloware Eyewear.
What industry is Zyloware Eyewear in?
Zyloware Eyewear's product category is Eyewear Frames. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAKAJ, Eyewear Manufacturing & OEM/ODM (Frames & Sunglasses), with a secondary code of CRAAAKAD, Luxury & Designer Eyewear. Its NAICS code is 339115 and its SIC code is 3851.