French-designed eyewear built on colour and sculptural form, for those who want a frame that reads as considered rather than familiar. Available at Ocula in Howick, Merivale, Arrowtown and Wanaka.
Anne et Valentin frames
Anne et Valentin’s range spans both optical and sunglass frames, unified by a consistent design language rather than a single silhouette.
Across the collection, shapes lean sculptural: rounded fronts paired with angular temples, or asymmetric details that shift a classic frame into something more considered. Colour sits at the centre of every design decision, with most frames combining three or four tones rather than settling for one.
Sunglass styles favour bold, saturated combinations suited to a statement piece. Optical frames take a more restrained approach to shape while keeping the same layered use of colour, so the frame still carries personality in daily wear.
Colour and Form as a Discipline
Anne et Valentin treats colour as a design language, not decoration. Each frame is built around a deliberate combination of tones, layered and positioned with the same intent a designer would bring to a graphic composition, rather than added as a finishing touch. This approach traces back to the brand’s founding principle that eyewear should express the wearer rather than sit quietly on the face.
The sculptural quality of each frame comes from the same discipline. Fronts and temples are shaped to hold their form and colour clearly from every angle, which is why the frames read as considered even at a distance.
Anne et Valentin frames are made from Mazzucchelli acetate and produced with artisanal partners in France’s Jura region, a material and manufacturing choice that supports the precision the colour work requires.
A Brand Built by Its Founders
Anne et Valentin was founded in Toulouse in 1980 by Anne Gauglof and Valentin Paul. Both came to eyewear from the arts: Anne from visual art, Valentin from theatre and writing. That background shaped the brand from its first collection, with colour and composition treated as a creative discipline rather than a commercial strategy layered on afterwards.
The brand has stayed independent since its founding. Design direction and ownership remain with the family and the original Toulouse studio, rather than being licensed out to a larger fashion house. That independence is part of why the collections read as consistent and deliberate season after season, built by the people who established the brand’s design language rather than a rotating design team working to someone else’s brief.
Anne et Valentin at Ocula
Ocula holds a curated selection of Anne et Valentin frames within its boutique brands collection, chosen for clients who want a frame that stands apart through design rather than logo recognition. The range can be viewed and tried in person at Ocula Howick, Ocula Merivale, Ocula Arrowtown and Ocula Wanaka.
For clients fitting a prescription, Ocula’s optometrists and dispensers handle the optical and selection process in the same appointment, with ZEISS lenses available to pair with the frame. For clients focused on frame styling alone, the team brings the same level of attention to finding the right shape and colour combination. Explore the wider designer glasses range to see how Anne et Valentin sits alongside Ocula’s other boutique brands.
Book a Styling Consultation at Ocula Howick, Wanaka, Arrowtown or Merivale
The Anne et Valentin collection is held in-practice at all four Ocula locations. To view the range or arrange a fitting, book an appointment at the practice nearest to you.