Chimi was founded in 2016 in Stockholm by childhood friends Charlie Lindström and Daniel Djurdjevic. Lindström had been styling musicians, while Djurdjevic was working in fashion retail. The two noticed a gap: eyewear was either prohibitively expensive or drenched in logos. Their first production run was modest. Frames shipped in plain white boxes because branded packaging was still out of budget, but the clarity of the idea carried it. Within a year, Chimi had opened its own Stockholm store and was stocked by leading Scandinavian boutiques.
Core Silhouettes and Longevity
The philosophy behind Chimi’s Core Collection emerged from a personal moment. Charlie once broke a pair of sunglasses he had worn for years. When replacing them, he realized that even though his style had evolved, he still wanted the exact same silhouette. That thought led him to research classic frame designs from the 1940s onwards. His question was simple: “What does it take for a silhouette to live for decades?” The Core Collection became the answer: distilled, enduring shapes that resist trend cycles yet still feel contemporary. It explains why Chimi frames are designed less as seasonal novelties and more as constants in a wardrobe.
What makes Chimi frames compelling is not only the numbering or the silhouettes. They are produced in lightweight Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, with lenses offering 100% UVA and UVB protection, and hinges built for daily wear rather than delicate storage. Colors such as transparent amber or matte grey are deliberately chosen for their ability to shift in different lights. Step from a gallery’s white walls into late afternoon sun and the frame feels almost like a different object. The weight of the acetate, the polish, and the optical clarity all combine to make the frames feel like equipment as much as fashion.
"Our endeavours and offering as a brand represents a lifestyle that we want to share with the world."
