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Europa Eyewear and the city of Chicago are almost synonymous these days, and anyone who knows Europa can’t imagine it calling another city home. The company’s Chicago factory opened in 2014, and today it’s where the Europa team produces State and American Optical, two of its most iconic and timeless collections.





AO, of course, is deeply intertwined with American history—it’s the birthplace of the iconic Saratoga style worn by JFK, and has over 150 years under its belt. State, too, is inextricable from its home city of Chicago. Designed by creative director Nico Roseillier, the collection is meticulously crafted by a team of just 75 in Chicago.

CEO Scott Shapiro told VM, “When we built our American factory in 2014, we felt like the strategy fit our company values and direction perfectly. We were dedicated to keeping our brands and our mindset independent, while at the same time offering our customers something that was different, and something that meant something to them deeply. Having the opportunity to craft the product we’re selling ‘with our own hands’ has completely changed the way we view our offerings and even our place in the world.”

Shapiro and the Europa team find customer feedback to American-made eyewear to be “overwhelmingly positive. They want to offer American-made options to their patients, and more importantly, they want opportunities to discuss the quality and craftsmanship that go into the products they sell.” Having a small team based in the U.S. means ECPs and their customers can build personal connections with the people who make their eyewear—making each purchase that much more special.”

Although supply chain issues hit domestic manufacturing hard, Shapiro also found that COVID reignited interested in and passion for domestic production. Europa is continuing to grow alongside this interest and passion, and American Optical in particular has a bright future, with an expanded sunglasses collection and the launch of ophthalmics planned for 2023.