Launch of new Made in England brand

Walter & Herbert, a new ‘Made in England’ eyewear brand aimed at the independent sector, has been launched by The Optoplast Actman Eyewear Company. The name of the collection is taken from the company’s founding fathers who were optical pioneers, the late Walter Conway and Herbert Thorn, who died just 10 days before the launch. Together, in the 1940s, they established the Optoplast Manufacturing Company and developed the PIMO machine. The company merged in 2009 to form The Optoplast Actman Eyewear Company. The models in the collection are named after iconic figures such as Bronte, Churchill and Kipling. The 20-piece optical and sun collection has been two years in development. Each model was created by the four designers in the company’s studio in Surrey before being crafted in its factory in Liverpool, which employs 75 people.