Jeff Press

NEW YORK—Luxury Optical Holdings (LOH) has announced the promotion of Jeff Press to chief creative officer, overseeing product design and creative for Robert Marc NYC, Morgenthal Frederics,and its designer collaborations, including Oscar de la Renta and Monse. (LOH) is a leading designer and purveyor of independent eyewear with a global footprint.The company owns the Robert Marc NYC and Morgenthal Frederics brands and has the exclusive distribution rights for the Lunor brand in the U.S. LOH manufactures and distributes its handcrafted specialty frames and lenses in 28 eyewear boutiques throughout North America and through an expanding global wholesale network.

“Jeff is inspired when he’s surrounded by extraordinary eyewear. With his exhaustive knowledge of the category and his insight as a licensed optician, Jeff brings with him a very unique perspective and expertise,” said Timothy Mayhew, CEO of LOH. “Over the past 20 years, he has been instrumental in building Morgenthal Frederics into a world-class brand and demonstrated tremendous range in designing eyewear collections for brands as diverse as Monse and Oscar de la Renta. He has already begun to apply that same creative spirit to Robert Marc NYC.”

Press began his career at Robert Marc NYC in 1996 before training under Richard Morgenthal, eventually becoming an optician in 2001. As he continued to hone his talent over the years, Press touched nearly every aspect of the business, and saw an opportunity to experiment with natural materials, eventually creating the largest and most successful buffalo horn eyewear collection in the world. His innovative designs and techniques earned him membership to the CFDA in 2015 and have made him a sought-after collaboration partner, the company pointed out.

With LOH’s commitment to invest in product and creative, Press has already begun to reshape his organization including the development of world-class design and marketing teams, the announcement said. In collaboration with top New York-based creative agencies Some Kinda Love and ForceMAJEURE, Press spearheaded the rebranding of Morgenthal Frederics and Robert Marc NYC, respectively, with the former having relaunched last summer and the latter making its debut at Vision Expo East.

Robert Marc NYC’s “New Light” campaign celebrates the brand’s Gotham roots with photography by Arnaud Montagard that plays with the evocative shadows and light of New York City. For Morgenthal Frederics, Press worked with photographer Chris Chieco to develop “The Expressionists,” honoring the creative individuals for whom he designs. Featuring striking imagery of talents as diverse as American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside, photographer/filmmaker Warren Elgort, tattoo artist Friday Jones, and astrophysicist Christine Angel McLaren de Riordan, the campaign explores individuals’ very personal relationship with eyewear, the company pointed out.