Behind Our California-Inspired Collaboration With Garrett Leight

Rip & Tan: What first inspired you to launch your namesake eyewear brand? How did your father’s experience in the industry shape some of your decisions in the early days of GLCO?

Garrett Leight: Growing up with Oliver Peoples, I was able to witness first-hand the profound positive impact my father had on his co-workers. It was always such a great place to work. It was like a true family and it seemed everyone genuinely loved the brand and the company. When I started working for my father in 2006, he had just sold the company and it was somewhat visible and seemed inevitable that things were starting to change. I just felt like it was time for a new generation to come along with a different perspective for a younger generation. And if nothing else, I wanted to duplicate that family atmosphere where people loved coming to work and loved the people they worked with. I think the main thing from my father’s experience that I learned was that I just needed to be more organized from the beginning.

When I started I had a nice balance of creatives but also more operationally minded people. This allowed us to never really be overwhelmed with excess inventory or cash flow negative. I know that’s not the most exciting answer, but it’s the truth and it was integral in allowing us to get through those first few years without having to take on partners because we didn’t have enough money to grow. We grew responsibly.

Rip & Tan: When and where do you feel the most inspired?

Garrett Leight: When I’m traveling to new places. Somehow, I always find inspiration on the road. Whether it’s the conversations I’m having or the various cultures that make the world such an inspiring place, I can always count on the road to get my creative juices flowing.

Rip & Tan: How would you describe your brand’s aesthetic? How has it evolved over the years?

Garrett Leight: I’ve always said that I’m inspired by the stylish people of Venice that fly under the radar. They embody a classic timeless cool that is understated yet recognizable. I opened my store on Abbot Kinney and launched my brand when I was 26, so the brand has grown as I’ve grown.

I still seek out that understated timeless look but am constantly searching for unique iterations of it and elevated materials that are more precious and limited. An example would be a frame like Kinney, which is from my initial collection launch in 2009 that I still wear today. But since then we launched a limited edition collection called Mr. Leight, and we have a frame that is called Getty that is similar but it has titanium components and is made in Japan in limited quantities. I turn to that when I want to step it up just a little.

Rip & Tan: What role does California play in your designs? How does it influence the overall ethos of your brand?

Garrett Leight: The California spirit is just so ingrained deep in my soul. It’s a way of life and a way of treating people and treating the earth. I believe the best Californians have an appetite for growth and education and are always seeking ways to be better. It’s more of an ethereal thing than it is tangible. From time to time we draw inspiration from California icons like Paul Newman or Grace Kelly or there may be a Big Sur collection, but we also draw inspiration from all over the world. So the designs aren’t limited to just California. It’s really more that the lens filter we look at everything through is hyper Californian.

Rip & Tan: The GLCO x Jenni Kayne collaboration is as Californian as they come. What do you love most about this collection?

Garrett Leight: I think Jenni and I just have a lot in common. We both love our home and have built brands around our namesake and our interpretation of what California living is. It’s truly as holistic and authentic a partnership as you can dream up. And creating this together came very naturally. I think if you love what we do, then there are a handful of items from the collaboration that you can have to complete the California living experience.

Rip & Tan: From restaurants to hidden gem destinations, what are some of your favorite spaces or places in Los Angeles at the moment?

Garrett Leight: I used to have all the cool answers here but on top of running what’s become quite a big company, I’m also a father of two, not to mention I love watching my LA sports teams, and I do have a small golf obsession. Between all that and the pandemic keeping me home for a year and forcing me to learn how to cook, I haven’t explored what’s new. I’m a westsider through and through and anything I choose would definitely be on this side of town.

Rip & Tan: What does living well mean to you?

Garrett Leight: It’s about loving yourself first and foremost. I was always taught that if you don’t love yourself you can’t spread love to others. So, however you go about making sure your personal happiness is in the right place, that’s living well to me.