The Great Brands of Optics: Lissac

The history of the Lissac brand is intimately linked to that of its founder, "father" of modern opticians, George Lissac. His vision of the business, innovative and conceptual, will allow the brand to become the sign of "know-how and technical expertise." Back to the elements of a strong history of optics.

George Lissac: a visionary optician

George Lissac was born in 1897. Having become passionate about optical sciences, he decided to set up his first store in 1919, in Paris, rue Dauphine. Its credo is to sell quality glasses at a reasonable price, in order to provide them to a wider population. At the time, glasses cost a small fortune and only members of the upper classes could afford them.

With two of his brothers, he decided to open the largest optical store in 1938. The "Lissac brothers" set up shop in rue de Rivoli. A six-storey megastore is born. But George Lissac always seeks to innovate, and ten years later, he launches revolutionary frames. . These glasses are stronger, while being lighter because they are made from new materials.

From success to success

The success of AMOR mounts is incredible. Barely a year after their release, nearly 95% of French opticians have taken up the idea. In twenty years, more than 15 million AMOR frames have been sold worldwide, particularly in the United States and Japan.

Proof that the influence of muses is already strong in At the time, Michelle Morgan, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Paul Belmondo and even US President JFK adopted them and became important ambassadors!

Following this success, George Lissac launches ORMA organic lenses, lenses still in the Essilor catalogue. George Lissac is also at the origin of the creation of the brand which will become the world's leading glassmaker, since its two subsidiaries dedicated to the manufacture of ophthalmic lenses, Sil and Lor, will merge to give Silor. The latter then merged with the former Société des Lunetiers (SL, now Essel) to give Essilor in 1972!

A paradigm shift

Beyond innovations, George Lissac transformed the perception that we had of glasses. In a century marked by wars, he transformed an uncomfortable object into technically efficient, aesthetic and comfortable equipment. He died in 1969 and is buried in Père Lachaise.

Today, although the Lissac brand has been acquired by Optic 2000, the legacy of George Lissac continues to be perpetuated. The brand is part of the heritage of French optics, and will remain the guarantor of a unique know-how!

Sources: nlto.fr Lissac.fr Optic2000.fr