J.F. REY: four decades of bold design and innovation
- By Clodagh Norton
The French eyewear brand is celebrating its 40th anniversary, looking back at its rich heritage of design and forward to the new era ahead. 20/20 Europe spoke to Fabrice Albert, General Manager, and Olivier Mollard, Designer, before the Paris show and a wave of new ‘daring’ releases for Autumn/Winter 2025/26.
Q: This year, J.F. REY is celebrating 40 years. What are the key events you are holding through the year in honour of this occasion?
Fabrice Albert: This year marks four decades of bold design and creative independence for J.F. REY, and we’re celebrating this incredible milestone in true Beyond Limits spirit. Throughout the year, we have been organizing exclusive launches, capsule collections, and a special edition that pays tribute to our heritage. But the centrepiece will be an unforgettable evening during SILMO in Paris — a unique moment of celebration where we will unveil some of our most daring creations and invite our partners to a truly immersive J.F. REY experience. It’s not just a celebration of the past, but a bold statement about where we’re heading.
Q: For the company, what does this series of celebrations represent?
FA: It’s much more than an anniversary. It’s a powerful opportunity to reflect on the brand’s legacy while projecting ourselves into the future. These celebrations symbolize the continuity of a creative adventure that has always refused to follow trends and instead aimed to set them. But they also represent something deeply human: the commitment, passion, and talent of the men and women who shape J.F. REY every day. We’ve built a strong collaborative dynamic with our teams — from design to production, from sales to supply chain — and this collective energy is what gives meaning to the brand’s evolution. We want our 40th year to be a tribute to all of them.
Q: SILMO always represents a key focus for J.F. REY as one of the representative independent French design companies at the event each year. What will you be showing at SILMO and launching, and how will you celebrate in Paris?
FA: SILMO is a major moment for us — not only commercially, but emotionally. It’s where we meet the world and where we reaffirm our identity. This year, we’re coming with a particularly strong and audacious collection, including new explorations in colour, structure, and materials. We’ll highlight innovation through exclusive new technologies like our Carbon Wood and Sledge evolutions, as well as our latest explorations in sustainable materials and bio-based design. The celebration in Paris will be immersive, joyful, and vibrant — an experience as unforgettable as the brand’s DNA. But again, no spoilers — we prefer to let the emotion speak for itself when our partners walk into our world.
Q: What are your ambitions in preparing for the next era of the brand, and what will be your central focus going forward?
FA: Our ambition is clear: to take J.F. REY even further, both creatively and structurally. We want to remain a benchmark in premium, independent eyewear design — but also to become a model of modernity and operational excellence. That means investing in innovation, of course — through new materials, design processes, and digital tools — but also building a stronger, more agile organization.
We’re focusing on international expansion, particularly in Asia, and we’re working hard to modernize our supply chain and digital ecosystem. But above all, we want to cultivate a culture of passion, collaboration, and empowerment — because at the heart of this brand is a team that dares, creates, and moves forward together. To borrow and twist the title of Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men — at J.F. REY, it’s really a story of Frames and People. Bold frames, shaped by passionate people. That’s been our journey for 40 years — and the best is still to come.
Q: J.F. REY’s creative heritage and innovative spirit is unique in eyewear…..how are you nurturing the brand’s key aesthetic features this year for the anniversary and developing them for the future?
Olivier Mollard: For our anniversary, we wanted to celebrate J.F. REY’s unique creative legacy while instilling an innovative vision for the future. J.F. REY’s DNA lies in our bold approach to materials, shapes, and colours, and we carefully cultivate these fundamental elements. This year, we focused particularly on experimenting with material combinations, such as pairing ultra-lightweight metals with acetates, using our own proprietary assembly techniques. The goal is to achieve lightness, comfort, and durability, while reinforcing our environmental commitment. The brand’s iconic shapes are also evolving. We’re revisiting more organic, sculptural, and assertive lines, enriched with new contemporary geometric influences. On the colour side, we’re experimenting with unexpected colour palettes —metallic finishes, gradient effects, and subtle tones that interact with light to reveal the unique character of each frame. Looking ahead, we’ll keep pushing the boundaries between aesthetics and technology – our “Beyond Limits” philosophy, with innovative materials and modular designs that adapt to the needs of an increasingly demanding clientele. The avantgarde style and pioneering spirit that defines J.F. REY will remain the driving force behind our creative vision for years to come.
Q: Which collection or product series is most indicative of the brand in 2025 and why?
OM: Preserving the essence of our original designs is about more than simply referencing the past. It’s about honouring a legacy of bold creativity, technical mastery, and artistic independence. We stay true to the brand’s DNA by maintaining a strong focus on architectural lines, colour exploration, and unexpected material combinations. Each new collection respects this foundation while reinterpreting it through modern sensibilities and technological innovation. A prime example of this is the evolution of our Titanium series, first introduced in the late 2000s. Initially celebrated for its sleek minimalist structure and lightweight durability, the original frames pushed boundaries with milled details and industrial-inspired aesthetics. A radical departure from the mainstream eyewear of the time. As the series evolved over the decades, we maintained its essential qualities, lightness, precision, and a futuristic spirit. But infused it with contemporary techniques. Our SLEDGE Concept is arguably the most emblematic expression of J.F. REY’s identity and design direction in 2025. It encapsulates the brand’s ongoing commitment to innovation, structure-driven design, and construction and material experimentation, while boldly asserting its independence from conventional eyewear trends.
SLEDGE is not just a frame series: It’s a statement. Inspired by mechanical architecture and the aesthetics of performance gear, the collection pushes the boundaries of construction by integrating visible/invisible, functional elements as part of the design language. The result is a bold, assertive silhouette that carries the graphic intensity and technical refinement that have long defined the brand DNA. What makes the SLEDGE Design particularly representative is its fusion of power and precision. At the heart of the Concept, the patented screwless hinge represents a technical achievement that perfectly embodies J.F. REY’s design philosophy: bold, functional, and fiercely independent.
Q: How do you preserve the essence of the original J.F. REY designs dating back through the archive? Can you give an example of a frame or a frame series that has evolved through the decades and explain the evolution?
OM: Preserving the essence of our original designs means staying true to our founding values: architectural design, technical experimentation, and bold individuality. Rather than replicating the past, we reinterpret it using the archive as a source of inspiration and a guide for innovation. A perfect example of this approach is the SCORPION Concept, which has a strong place in the brand’s design history. Launched in the early 2000s, SCORPION stood out immediately for its technical audacity and graphic strength. The name itself reflected the frame’s core idea: a dynamic, segmented temple structure, reminiscent of a scorpion’s tail, articulated with double hinges. It was a breakthrough design: bold, expressive, and highly recognizable. And quickly became an icon of the brand’s mechanical, avant-garde aesthetic. As the years progressed, the SCORPION Concept evolved, but without ever losing its original identity. The segment articulation was refined: sleeker, lighter, more ergonomic, but still with that signature kinetic feel. In 2025, the SCORPION spirit still lives on.
Q: Colour has always been a creative focus in all the collections by J.F. REY. How do you develop the colour palettes and the signature “unexpected” colour combinations today?
OM: Colour is not just an aesthetic choice. It’s a design language in itself. From the beginning, our use of colour has been instinctive, expressive, and intentionally unexpected. Today, that legacy continues through a dedicated in-house colour development team, working closely in our design studio to craft unique palettes for each collection. We don’t follow trends passively. Instead, we observe, interpret, and reimagine them. Our colour work is informed by a wide range of influences: fashion, industrial design, art, architecture, and even science-fiction culture. These references are never literal. They serve as stimuli for creating surprising, often contrasting combinations that set our frames apart. The process is deeply collaborative and experimental. We play with layered acetates, custom and holographic laminations, anodized metals, and matte/textured finishes to create depth and interaction between colours and materials. Each frame is considered as a sculptural object: colour is treated three-dimensionally, across surfaces and structures, not just as decoration. While we remain attentive to global colour directions, we prioritize artistic freedom and visual impact over seasonal conformity. Our signature “unexpected” combinations – think burnt orange with petrol blue, or acid green against brushed titanium – reflect a desire to provoke curiosity, not just to please the eye. In 2025, colour continues to be one of the most powerful identifiers of the J.F. REY brand. It’s not about being loud. It’s about being bold, intelligent, and unmistakably different.
