LONDON—When making a movie, countless aspects come together seamlessly to create a memorable—and believable—work of art. From acting and directing to setting and costuming, everything is vital and everything makes a difference. That includes eyewear. In fact, eyewear is instantly iconic in many films, from "Men in Black" to James Bond to, of course, "The Matrix." The newest movie in The Matrix series, "The Matrix Resurrections", premieres this week and the movie has a special eyewear star: Tom Davies.

Davies supplied over 200 bespoke frames for the movie, including those worn by lead characters Neo and Trinity, as well as a new version of the famous nose-clip sunglasses worn by Morpheus. To create the designs, Davies worked alongside costume designer Lindsay Pugh and the rest of "The Matrix" production team.

The first design was for Neo, the film’s central character. “I was very conscious of the need both to pay tribute to the original designs but also to produce something new. It was evolution, not revolution,” Davies said in a release. “In 'The Matrix,' Neo wore rimless frames. I had a nod to that design in my design by floating the lens from the center of the frame, like it would in rimless, but with a frame shell around it. This gives something totally unique and innovative but recognizable to the viewer.”

Davies also underscored just how iconic eyewear can be in film. He said, “In my view, there is nothing in the creative industry that has such a fundamental impact on someone’s appearance as eyewear. A well-designed pair of spectacles can completely change how people perceive an actor onscreen.

"The glasses worn by the characters in "The Matrix" series are a key element of each look, so this was the most creatively challenging Hollywood commission I have ever had. It was a huge honor to be chosen to create all of the eyewear for "The Matrix Resurrections," and terrific to work with the legendary costume designer Lindsay Pugh and the brilliant production team. I can’t wait to see the film—and all my frames—up on the big screen.”

Pugh echoed Davies’ sentiment: “My first feeling was: we’re doing 'The Matrix Resurrections' and we have got to make a lot of iconic glasses. They were a really important part of the costume design. Enter Tom Davies stage left. I’m really proud of what we have achieved.” Davies and Pugh discussed the design process in a special interview, shared on Instagram.



Davies’ designs will be front and center in the film—but that’s not the only place you’ll see them; a limited quantity will be available in select stores around the world including Hicks Brunson Eyewear in Tulsa and Ocean Optometry in Halifax, Nova Scotia.


Ocean Optometry in Halifax is one of the locations with limited quantities of Tom Davies’ designs for "The Matrix." Image via oceanoptometry on Instagram



In Tulsa, Daniel Brunson of Hicks Brunson Eyewear showed off some of the new Tom Davies X "The Matrix" designs. Image via hicksbrunson on Instagram



Tom Davies holds up the Morpheus frames. Image courtesy of Tom Davies



Tom Davies eyewear appears in "The Matrix Resurrections." Image courtesy of Tom Davies



Tom Davies models the Neo frames. Image courtesy of Tom Davies