Vinylize

Zack and Zoltan Tipton turn old vinyl records into eyeglass frames in their Budapest workshop. The idea was born in the flea markets of the Hungarian capital, among communist-era records nobody wanted anymore. The material is perfect - vinyl is lightweight, durable, unique in its patterns (every record carries the grooves of its music), and above all it's recycled. Every frame is handcrafted, with techniques constantly refined since 2004. Wear the music, literally.

In 2000, Zachary Tipton, an American based in Budapest, searches for a way to manufacture eyeglass frames from vinyl records. He visits factories in Italy and China before finding the solution locally: a former Hungarian socialist factory willing to develop this new type of production.

In 2004, Zack and his brother Zoltan found Tipton Eyeworks and launch Vinylize. The first collection is made from communist records salvaged from Budapest flea markets - recordings of political speeches, propaganda music, forgotten folk. The material is transformed through heating and moulding, preserving the subtle grooves of the record in the frame's texture.

Since then, the Budapest workshop has constantly refined its manufacturing methods. Every pair is entirely handmade. The concept has won over independent opticians worldwide, and Vinylize is distributed in specialist boutiques across Europe, the US and Asia.