The English Algha company was established by Max Wiseman & Co. in 1932, due to post-war inflation in Germany, Max Wiseman moved manufacturing to East London. The name ‘Algha’ represents the merging of two Greek letters, alpha and omega, meaning the beginning and the end. The Algha factory manufactured gold metal eyewear frames, each pair frames are inspired by classic designs and styles. During the Second World War Algha manufactured Aviator spectacles for pilots along with eyewear for gas masks, both of which were used by the British Armed Forces throughout the war. Then in the 1950s, Algha was transformed into a household name when it became the official producer of opticals for the NHS, which it did for more than 40 years. John Lennon and Queen Elizabeth II both wore Algha frames, but then in 1988, Margaret Thatcher ended the NHS' free glasses programme and overnight, Algha lost its customer base. The brand reinvented itself as Savile Row Eyewear.
Savile Row glasses are handcrafted in London of 18 karat rolled gold, and then finished in gold or silver. Working with the same vintage-style custom-made frame shapes, each Savile Row eyewear design is made by hand and uses the same machines that were brought over from Germany in 1932. Savile Row's bespoke eyewear collection is beloved across the world, and many celebrities have worn their designs in films such as Denzel Washington as Malcolm X, Johnny Depp in The Ninth Gate, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in Indiana Jones, Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, and Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter series.
#PRETLOVES Savile Row
