William Morris
William Morris London is a privately held British eyewear brand, founded in 1996, designing and wholesaling fashion-led optical frames and sunglasses to independent opticians in 50+ countries via parent Design Eyewear Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersHatfield Heath, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What William Morris does
William Morris London is a privately held British eyewear brand founded in 1996 by Robert William Morris and headquartered in a converted mill in Hatfield Heath, Essex. The company designs and distributes fashion-led optical frames and sunglasses organized into multiple sub-collections: the flagship London line (1998), the premium Black Label (2002, with a Made in Japan variant from 2018), Wills for young/petite faces (2003), Underground for fashion-forward wearers, and the Gallery collaboration featuring William Morris (1834-1896) art prints. Materials include Mazzucchelli acetate and German sprung hinges for premium tiers. The company operates exclusively through a B2B wholesale model, distributing to independent opticians globally via parent Design Eyewear Group's dedicated B2B webshop, regional offices in Denmark, the United States, and France, and export partners in over 50 countries. End consumers locate dealers through the brand's store locator, and the brand engages consumers primarily through organic social media on Instagram and Facebook. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set within the B2B partner network. Following acquisition by Design Eyewear Group in late 2022, William Morris London operates as part of a multi-brand portfolio targeting independent optical retailers worldwide.
William Morris firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- William Morris
- Legal name
- William Morris London
- Website
- https://williammorris.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- William Morris London is a privately held British eyewear brand, founded in 1996, designing and wholesaling fashion-led optical frames and sunglasses to independent opticians in 50+ countries via parent Design Eyewear Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
William Morris industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Designer Eyewear
- NAICS
- Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346), Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury & Designer Eyewear (CRAAAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA), Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)
Keywords
Where William Morris is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hatfield Heath
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
William Morris business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- B2B Wholesale to Independent Opticians: Primary revenue stream through wholesale distribution to independent optical retailers. Partners access collections via Design Eyewear Group B2B webshop.
- International Distribution: Operating in over 50 countries through export partners and international sales teams based in Denmark, Northern America, and France.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
William Morris product offering
Product offeringCore offering
William Morris London designs, manufactures, and wholesale-distributes British-inspired designer eyewear frames and sunglasses through a B2B network of independent opticians and export partners in over 50 countries. The product portfolio spans multiple collections (Optical, Sun, Underground, Black Label, Gallery, Wills, and Charles Stone New York), each with distinct London-themed design directions ranging from East End creativity to West End luxury.
Product overview
William Morris London is a British eyewear brand founded in 1996, celebrating 30 years of creating distinctive, fashion-led eyeglasses and sunglasses inspired by London's energy, creativity, and diversity. The company operates as a single unified product line—eyewear—organized into multiple collections: the mainstream Optical and Sun collections, the premium Black Label sub-brand, the bold Underground sub-brand for fashion-forward wearers, the Gallery Collection featuring William Morris art-inspired prints, and specialized lines like Wills (youth) and Charles Stone New York. The brand was acquired by Design Eyewear Group in 2022 and distributes globally across over 50 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Black Label: High-end premium collection with daring styles and eccentric colour ways for those striving for a bold and luxurious look. The collection takes its direction from the runway and applies it to the styles, unravelling ones alter ego and delivering high impact. Black Label Made in Japan features Mazzucchelli acetate with ECO advantages, higher quality control standard and German sprung hinges.
- Underground
- Gallery
- Sun
- Wills
Products and services
- Optical Collection Prescription eyeglass frames designed for independent opticians stocking distinctive British eyewear, featuring vibrant colors and individual style organized across multiple sub-collections including Underground, Black Label, and Gallery.
- Sun Collection Sunglasses line featuring timeless classic eyewear shapes with refined craftsmanship and fashion-forward designs, with parallel lines including Black Label Sun for the West End premium aesthetic.
- Underground Collection East End-inspired eyewear line of expressive and architectural frames blending bold silhouettes with industrial detailing and contemporary colour, designed for fashion-forward wearers who move against convention.
- Black Label Premium eyewear collection channeling the understated sophistication of London's West End, Mayfair, and Savile Row, with precision craftsmanship, refined finishes and carefully balanced proportions; includes Black Label Made in Japan with Mazzucchelli acetate and German sprung hinges, and a parallel Black Label Sun line.
- Gallery Collection Art-licensing collaboration eyewear line co-developed with The William Morris Gallery, incorporating iconic William Morris prints and fabrics (such as Strawberry Thief, Lodden, and Riverwind) into eyewear crafted from metal with acetate highlights and matching cases and lens cloths.
- Wills Collection Eyewear sub-line designed specifically for young and petite faces with comfortable fit, delivering the same design values as the main London collection.
- Charles Stone New York American-styled eyewear range inspired by New York streets, designed for budget-conscious wearers with contemporary designs at an affordable price point within the William Morris London portfolio.
Companies that use William Morris
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
William Morris technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
William Morris partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- William Morris GallerycoreWilliam Morris London collaborates with The William Morris Gallery, the world-renowned art organization that houses and preserves the work of artist William Morris (1834-1896). The collaboration launched an exclusive eyewear collection with iconic prints incorporated into eyewear designs. A re-launch occurred in 2024.
- Independent Opticians (B2B Partners)coreBusiness partners work with Design Eyewear Group to access great collections of eyewear, high quality and great service support. Partners access the brand through a dedicated B/B webshop.
- International Export PartnersmajorWilliam Morris London works closely with export partners to distribute and operate in over 50 countries globally.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
William Morris competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oliver Peoples: Premium eyewear brand distributed through independent opticians and select department stores. Comparable in serving the fashion-conscious consumer seeking understated luxury frames via the same independent channel William Morris London targets.
- Cutler and Gross: British premium eyewear brand founded in 1969, sold primarily through high-end independent opticians worldwide. Closely comparable to William Morris London in heritage positioning, channel (independent opticians), and fashion-forward British design ethos.
- Etnia Barcelona: Independent designer eyewear brand with bold, colorful aesthetics sold through opticians worldwide. Comparable as a fashion-forward, design-led independent eyewear brand targeting style-conscious consumers via the independent optician channel.
- Lindberg: Danish premium eyewear brand known for minimalist titanium designs, sold through independent opticians. Direct peer as a design-led, premium-priced, B2B eyewear brand operating in the same independent optician channel as William Morris London.
- ProDesign Denmark: Danish eyewear brand also part of Design Eyewear Group's portfolio, distributed through independent opticians. Sibling brand with shared parent, overlapping channel relationships, and similar B2B go-to-market motion.
- Kirk & Kirk: British family-owned eyewear brand sold through independent opticians globally. Comparable heritage-British positioning, premium pricing, and reliance on independent optical retail as its primary channel.
- Face a Face: Paris-based designer eyewear brand owned by Design Eyewear Group, sold through independent opticians globally. Sibling brand within DEG's portfolio with a comparable distribution model and independent-optician go-to-market, making it the closest internal comparable.
Broad incumbents
- Persol: Heritage Italian eyewear brand owned by EssilorLuxottica, distributed through opticians and specialty retail. Comparable craftsmanship and fashion-forward positioning, but at substantially greater global scale and brand recognition.
- Tom Ford Eyewear: Designer-led eyewear line sold globally through department stores, opticians, and Tom Ford boutiques. Comparable premium positioning to William Morris London's Black Label, with much larger marketing scale and broader global footprint via EssilorLuxottica.
- Silhouette: Austrian premium eyewear manufacturer with global distribution through opticians. Comparable in premium positioning, craftsmanship focus, and emphasis on independent optical retail as a primary channel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
William Morris social profiles
Digital presenceWilliam Morris financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
William Morris leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
William Morris funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
William Morris 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 William Morris
What does William Morris do?
William Morris London designs, manufactures, and wholesale-distributes British-inspired designer eyewear frames and sunglasses through a B2B network of independent opticians and export partners in over 50 countries. The product portfolio spans multiple collections (Optical, Sun, Underground, Black Label, Gallery, Wills, and Charles Stone New York), each with distinct London-themed design directions ranging from East End creativity to West End luxury.
Is William Morris a public or private company?
William Morris is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was William Morris founded?
William Morris was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is William Morris based?
William Morris is headquartered in Hatfield Heath, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does William Morris make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. B2B Wholesale to Independent Opticians are the primary driver. The others are international Distribution.
Who are William Morris's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oliver Peoples, Cutler and Gross, Etnia Barcelona, Lindberg, ProDesign Denmark, Kirk & Kirk and Face a Face. Broad incumbents are Persol, Tom Ford Eyewear and Silhouette.
Does William Morris have an API?
No public API is recorded for William Morris.
What industry is William Morris in?
William Morris's product category is Designer Eyewear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAKAD, Luxury & Designer Eyewear, with a secondary code of CRAAAKAA, Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical). Its NAICS code is 42346 and its SIC code is 3851.