Anne et Valentin

Anne & Valentin was born of the wild dream of a couple of opticians in Toulouse in search of unique glasses with striking graphic lines for their friends.

Our secret to creating original glasses that dress you, without disguising or betraying who you are, resides in the love and the interest we instill into the objects themselves. We’re involved in each stage of their manufacture. In the creation phase, our designers approach certain frames the way they would of certain people.

What today, and probably more than anything, characterizes the work of Anne & Valentin is expression. Expression of our freedom and independence, as much as of our values, which remain aesthetic and human above all. Expression, also, of the respect we have for our customers, with their rich and singular personalities, and for their desires... of expression.

Yes, everything is about feelings. Yes, everything is based on emotion.

Intelligence can only serve its purpose if it is cultivated with the greatest sensitivity. The Anne & Valentin creative studio is both a research workshop and a design space, where our designers work alone or as a team. We welcome any given opportunity to share our finds, whether it’s playing a new track for a co-worker, or leaving behind a book that will pass from hand to hand. Our collections express the unlimited wealth and inspiration, as well as the high standards that certain artists trigger in us, which we in turn put in our work. The very heart of our collective mind focuses on line and on color.

The Made In France label is also an ongoing commitment. We have been working with the same factories in the Jura region for more than 20 years, save for a few titanium models, because Japan is where the best titanium is to be found.

“Don’t try to stand out. Try to do something remarkable”. That’s what we repeat to ourselves, each and every day.

Anne et Valentin History

Anne and Valentin’s sole existence is due to... Anne and Valentin. When these two forces of nature were struck by lightning during a chance encounter, fate offered them a future, which they shared professionally and personally for thirty years, their hearts beating as one. The deeply united couple spent their lives nurturing and expanding their brand over time. In Toulouse, where the company was founded and where its headquarters still harbor the core of the team, Anne and Valentin’s lively spirits have been an inspiration to many. The adventure truly begins in September, 1980, when Valentin the neo-hippie obtained his optician’s degree. The two lovebirds were eager to start an optical store with a different approach than what is available at the time, with a unique selection of original, unique frames and a radically different sales philosophy.

From day one, rather than trying to adapt the customer to a frame, Anne and Valentin opted for a deeper comprehension of who their customers are - how they move, live, and think. This allowed them to create the perfect frames to match their customer’s unique personalities and particularities. In those days, such an approach was nothing short of a small revolution. Valentin managed the optical side of things while Anne decorated the boutique and the windows. Both of them handled customers together, and their smiling faces were game changers in the business to create a thriving optical boutique. After a while, their approach quickly encountered limitations due to a scarce offer of frame selections. There were not enough models available, and little choice to select from to offer their customers. As boredom hovered... Anne started to draw their first frame designs sent to be prototyped in a small workshop. In 1984, they launched their first collection, soberly named Anne et Valentin. Their creations are original, colorful, lively, and ergonomically crafted entirely to respect those who wear them.