MOSCOT: cult New York eyewear brand

MOSCOT is a New York eyewear institution founded in 1915. Still family-owned after five generations, the brand combines archival-inspired design with artisanal know-how.

What is the history and identity of MOSCOT in the eyewear industry?

MOSCOT’s roots go back to 1899, when Hyman Moscot sold eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In 1915, he opened the first shop at 94 Rivington Street. Remaining in family hands, the company is now run by the fourth and fifth generations and claims more than a century of New York heritage.

What materials and aesthetic codes define MOSCOT eyewear?

Designed and prototyped in New York, MOSCOT frames are handmade using premium materials, true hardware, and riveted hinges across front and temples for durability. The brand’s aesthetic relies on period details and classic styling rooted in its archival heritage.

What collections and product segments does MOSCOT offer?

MOSCOT offers several key lines: MOSCOT ORIGINALS™ (archive-inspired frames with period details), the MOSCOT SPIRIT Collection (same DNA with unique color palette and metal temple tips), as well as prescription and sunglass frames. The Custom Made Tints™ program adds hand-dip dyed lenses in over 20 shades.

How does MOSCOT design and manufacture its eyewear? Is there a documented sustainability approach?

Design and prototyping take place in New York. Frames are handmade, while prescription lenses are produced in-house at the MOSCOT lab in NYC with strict quality control. No detailed environmental policy is published; however, the brand highlights social engagement through the MOSCOT Mobileyes Foundation, providing eye care and community support.

Where and how is MOSCOT eyewear distributed?

The brand operates MOSCOT Shops — with several flagship stores in New York — and an international network of authorized retailers. A store and stockist locator is available on the official website.

What is MOSCOT’s market positioning in the eyewear sector?

As an independent New York heritage brand, MOSCOT positions itself in the premium segment with archival-inspired collections, handcrafted frames, and an internal optical service.

Further reading :

Eyewear Photography for E-commerce, POS and Campaigns: The Brand’s Guide

Online as in a shop window, the image comes before the words: it is what the customer studies, what reassures them or cheapens a frame chosen with care. Yet eyewear is one of the hardest objects to photograph — lens and material bounce light in different ways. This is the practical guide to eyewear photography […]

Meta Glasses: EssilorLuxottica and Meta launch a standalone AI eyewear brand

On June 23, 2026, Meta and EssilorLuxottica unveiled Meta Glasses, a new line of smart eyewear. After Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta, it is the first time the wearable carries Meta’s own name — a sign that connected eyewear is establishing itself as a standalone optical category rather than a piece of technology grafted onto […]

Linda Farrow Iconic Collection: 1970 Heritage, Engineered for Today

Linda Farrow doesn’t do nostalgia. With the Iconic Collection, the British house revisits its founding vocabulary — the forms that defined it in 1970 — and reengineers them for a generation that never saw the originals. This is not a reissue. It is a restatement. A Return to Origins That Refuses to Romanticise Founded in […]