RETROSUPERFUTURE was created in 2007 by Daniel and Simon Beckerman, who were then producing the independent music magazine PIG. Their move into eyewear grew from a simple intuition. The market felt predictable and muted, so they introduced thick Italian acetate in clear and expressive colours. The idea resonated instantly within Milan’s cultural circles. Artists, musicians and designers began wearing the frames not as accessories but as part of a visual identity that felt intelligent and assured. The brand’s rise was driven by this natural alignment rather than by marketing, which remains a defining part of its character today.
Italian Craft Guided by Weekly Studio Research
The design process at RETROSUPERFUTURE is shaped by weekly discussions in the studio where proportions, colour clarity and structural details are examined with the discipline of product design. Everything is produced entirely in Italy, allowing the team to work closely with manufacturers who have decades of technical knowledge. This proximity influences every element, from acetate finishing to the tactile balance between frame thickness and comfort. Early collaborations with lens specialists such as ZEISS strengthened the brand’s reputation for functional precision, a quality that continues to inform each collection.
The name of the brand reflects a method that studies meaningful references from the past and moves them forward with precision. Recent collections draw from street culture, music and early two thousand visual language without relying on nostalgia. Frames such as Zaga, Thelonius and Komori show how the studio creates character through proportion and intention rather than decoration. This clarity of vision places RETROSUPERFUTURE naturally within the COY universe, where design intelligence and cultural awareness guide every selection.
"All the companies that are in the market today are led by people who are interested in standard and established markets. But what about all the other street couture brands? We were asking ourselves, ‘Where are the shades for me and my friends?”
