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Founded in 1993 and based in Italy, Thema now proudly calls Miami, Florida home to its company factory, which produces its brands iGreen Hi-Tech, O-Six, Giorgio Valmassoi 1971 and MIA Private Label Collection.



Giulia Valmassoi, Thema’s North American director, brought the company’s production to the U.S. from Italy, replicating the manufacturing process that her father taught her. It was a dream come true for Valmassoi—one that she expected would take many years to accomplish. The decision to open an American factory was accompanied by a major change in the way Thema operates as well.

Valmassoi said, “We shifted the traditional concept of buying inventory because our product is usually sold to patients before it’s even produced, so in 2017 when we decided to open the factory in the U.S. we did it for two reasons: first, our goal was to become the first company to offer Italian eyewear made in the USA for a ‘win win’ situation, and then because we know that delivery time is critical for our customers. By making our production in the U.S., we can ship all our orders including custom designs within three to five business days from the order date.”

This balance works perfectly for Thema. The brand has been able to embrace its Italian roots and its American dreams at the same time—and keeping production in the U.S. has made connecting with customers more effective than ever before. Valmassoi said, “In life, we tend to see the finished product and rarely consider the effort and hard work behind it. This is why we share the Thema experience with the customers that come to visit us. We find that each customer that gets the experience leaves understanding the art behind the manufacturing of each frame and loving the product even more.”

It also means the opportunity to connect with the local community. Thema offers education partnerships with Miami Dade College, coordinates events for local vision care students and offers class tours of the factory. For Valmassoi, integration with the local community is crucial. She said, “If you buy your bread from the local family-owned bakery, you are supporting your community. Buying American-made goods doesn’t just support the workers who make those goods, it builds a strong community and strong economy.”

Like many others, Thema found their business on hold throughout March and April, but sales rose again in May. Valmassoi found the downtime to have at least one silver lining. “I actually had more time to sit down with my team and think of what we wanted to create, without rushing in between shows to design and produce new collections. I am happy to have used this time to come up with new amazing projects that we’ll present in October.”