Why We Carry PRESS Eyewear at Visionary Optics

Most of our customers walk in already knowing Jacques Marie Mage. Many know AHLEM. A smaller number have heard of PRESS. That is changing fast, and we think it is one of the most important new names in independent eyewear.

Here is why we carry it.

Who Designs PRESS

PRESS is the namesake brand of Jeff Press, who launched the line in spring 2024. If you have shopped serious eyewear in New York over the past two decades, you have already worn Jeff Press's work without knowing it. He started his career at Robert Marc NYC in 1996, became the lead designer at Morgenthal Frederics in 2006, and in 2018 was named Chief Creative Officer of Luxury Optical Holdings, overseeing both names. He is a licensed optician, a CFDA member since 2015, and a frequent collaborator with fashion houses including Rag & Bone, Oscar de la Renta, Monse, and Rosie Assoulin.

In other words, the designer behind PRESS spent almost thirty years shaping how independent American eyewear looks before he put his own name on a frame. PRESS is the distillation of that career.

What Makes PRESS Different

PRESS frames are designed in New York and handcrafted in Japan. Every frame is built in small batches from Japanese titanium, with OBE spring hinges, silicon-coated titanium nose pads, and precious metal plating finished to heirloom quality. The titanium-only frames are extremely light and quietly luxurious. The combination frames pair Japanese titanium with Mazzucchelli M49 bio-acetate, a plant-based, biodegradable version of the legendary Italian acetate that supplies most of the world's finest eyewear.

Sustainability is a real claim here, not a marketing line. Bio-acetate is plant-derived rather than petroleum-derived, and PRESS has committed to safe manufacturing processes and eco-conscious materials across the collection. Jeff Press also built one of the largest collections of buffalo horn eyewear in the world during his Morgenthal years, so his fluency with natural materials is not new.

Models We Love

The Stingray

If you are new to PRESS, start here. The Stingray is the frame we recommend most often because it works in nearly any setting. Clean lines, a refined shape that reads modern without being trendy, and the kind of build quality you notice the moment you pick it up.

We carry it in both optical and sunglasses, plus the Marble SE limited edition for collectors who want something less expected.

Shop Stingray Optical · Shop Stingray Marble SE

The Rebel

One of the bolder PRESS designs. Japanese titanium paired with Mazzucchelli M49 bio-acetate, with proportions that suit medium to larger faces. It is our highest-stock optical right now, which says something about how often it leaves the shop.

Shop The Rebel

Bel Air

A refined pure-titanium frame that disappears into a professional wardrobe. Customers who want the PRESS build quality without a frame that draws a lot of attention tend to gravitate here. Available in optical, standard sunglasses, and a gold-leaf sunglasses edition for something with more presence.

Shop Bel Air Optical · Shop Bel Air Sunglasses

Sunday Morning

One of the more relaxed shapes in the line. The titanium build keeps it light enough for all-day wear, and the silhouette has a comfortable, lived-in quality that works as well with weekend clothes as it does with a suit. Available in optical and sunglasses.

Shop Sunday Morning

The Song

A combination frame in titanium and Mazzucchelli M49 bio-acetate. The acetate brings a softer quality to the front while the titanium temples keep the weight and engineering credentials intact. A good choice if you like the look of acetate but want the comfort and durability of metal.

Shop The Song

How to Choose

PRESS frames sit in a quieter register than some of the louder independent brands. The details reveal themselves close up rather than across a room, which is part of why they suit so many faces and so many wardrobes. The right model depends on your face shape, your lifestyle, and which materials and weights feel best to you.

At Visionary Optics, our opticians will walk you through the differences between models and help you find the right fit. We carry PRESS at all three locations: Upper East Side, Chelsea, and Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

We also fit all PRESS optical frames with ZEISS prescription lenses, most ready the same day.

Browse our full PRESS Eyewear collection online or visit us in person.