Australia is home to some of the most popular tourist hotspots on the planet. There’s a lot on offer, from Bondi beach to the Sydney Opera House. Something else that’s almost always there in Australia, is hot weather. With the country receiving so much hot weather every year, you’d expect there to be one or two Australian sunglasses manufacturers out there, right? Well, that’s what I’ll be looking at in this article.
Are there any Brands that Sell Sunglasses Made in Australia? (The Short Answer)
This may come as a surprise to some readers out there, but sunglasses made in Australia are difficult to come by. There’s plenty of seemingly false and misleading information about Australian sunglasses manufacturers. Here’s what I found.
Australian-Made Sunglasses (What I Found)
I found a handful of companies that I initially took as being Australian manufacturers, however, after scraping past the surface, it turns out that the manufacturing operations of some of these companies are trickier to pinpoint than I first thought.
Local Supply (Manufacturing Location Unclear)
In 2013 Local Supply opened up as a sustainable fashion producer. The company manufactures capes, totes, and of course, sunglasses. Local Supply’s main product line is sunglasses and it has become very popular in a relatively short space of time, partly due to a few eco initiatives as well as plenty of charity work.
Local Supply works hard to minimize any negative environmental impact that comes from manufacturing its products. Its materials are plant-based materials that are sustainably farmed, it conducts its manufacturing using a zero-waste method, and it offers a recycling program for old sunglasses.
The company also donates one meal to those in need for every item purchased. So, just by purchasing a Local Supply product, you are helping someone in need.
As for its manufacturing, from what I was able to find, it looks like the company’s plant resin is made in Switzerland. Other than that, I couldn’t find a single thing regarding where its products are manufactured. Its headquarters is located in Bondi, New South Wales, but it is unclear whether or not any manufacturing takes place here.
Mari & Clay (Manufacturing Location Unclear)
Mari & Clay was founded in 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. It was created and is owned by optometrists Mari and Clay, hence the company name. Much like the previous entry, this company is focused on producing high-quality products while also being as green as possible.
Mari & Clay work using sustainable materials and manufacturing processes. On top of working sustainably, the company pays its staff fairly and ensures that its workers are looked after both physically and mentally. The company also does lots of work planting trees as a part of its green initiative.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find where Mari & Clay manufactures its products. While it clearly states that it is an Australian-based brand, that doesn’t always mean that it manufactures its products in Australia. The only piece of information I was able to find was that it sources some of its materials from Italy.
For those wanting to take a look at Mari & Clay’s products for themselves, then here’s a link to its sunglasses page.
Quay Australia (Possibly Made in China)
Quay Australia was founded in 2004. Information regarding this company is a little tricky to find as there are a few other companies that share the name, Quay. But, from what I was able to find, thanks to CrunchBase, it’s a retail company based in Melbourne, Australia.
Quay Australia manufactures and sells high-quality sunglasses for both men and women. The company is a proud supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community as well as being actively involved with several non-profit and charitable organizations that are aimed toward helping people.
As for its manufacturing, I came across a handful of third-party websites stating that Quay Australia’s products are manufactured in Australia, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. I found multiple Amazon reviews from people who have purchased sunglasses from Quay Australia, and each of them said that their sunglasses were made in China.
While I couldn’t find anything to back this up on the company’s website, one of the reviews was from someone who said that they had asked Quay Australia directly about its manufacturing and they responded with China.
Auór (Made in Italy)
Founded in Sydney, Australia, Auór is a well-known fashion brand that manufactures high-end sunglasses. It was founded in 2018 and in just a few short years the company has grown to become what it is today.
As far as its manufacturing goes, Auór is very clear regarding where its products are made. Its products are manufactured in Italy. While it does state this on its Instagram account, several third-party sites out there have this company down as an Australian manufacturer.
Whether it is intentional misinformation or not is unclear, but as mentioned, the company itself is very clear regarding its manufacturing location.
