Hailing from Northeast Scotland, eyewear designer Danielle Rattray seeks inspiration from her home country, a landscape bursting with culture, “colourful characters and great music”, in her words, Rattray creates strikingly bold-yet-refined frames worn by loyal patrons of her brand in London, Paris and New York. Her style and energy is inspiring the youngest generations of fashion eyewear enthusiasts…. Eyestylist spoke to the Scottish designer…

Tell us a bit about yourself; how you grew up, what put you on the path you’re currently on…

I come from the Northeast of Scotland, it’s an area full of colourful characters, great music, and lots of talented designers. I studied graphic design in Dundee and spent a lot of time in London, so it was an eclectic path full of inspirations.

How would you describe yourself?

Committed.

What is your earliest memory of fashion? 

Fashion for me was always tied closely to music. Blondie, Patti Smith, Keith Richards, Vivienne Westwood. I always had a good understanding of colour and aesthetic; punk was a strong source of inspiration for me, it still is.

Have you always been a creative person? 

Yes, I think so. I was always drawn to colour, fabrics and aesthetics, as well as art and music.

What stands out to you most about the eyewear industry? 

That there is a place for everyone. You can be free to design in an understated way, or a really bold and outgoing way and people will support you and be open to your ideas. I love the pace of change and how new ideas emerge.

Does your culture and home country influence your work in any capacity? 

Definitely. Scotland is a small but strongly independent country. No nonsense and full of contrasts: gritty backstreets and noisy bars, but then spectacularly beautiful landscapes. My work is generally understated, but if you look closely, you see the quality and the effort that has been put in to create the relationship between the frames and the wearer.

From where do you draw the inspiration for your collections? 

Women, always. Again, a lot comes from the music I listen to; certain era’s and looks will inspire me. But it all comes back to women I see in the industry, or friends I meet. I travel between Scotland, London and Paris quite regularly, so I absorb different looks, and from that breeds new angles.

Tell us a little about your most recent line-up… 

My collections have evolved over the past few years from being heavily 60s and 70s inspired to being more unique to my personal design aesthetic. I have worked hard with my French factories, and I feel I have created a language in my collections that is strong but also understated and unique. Some of the shapes that seemed very strong in earlier seasons have developed into becoming best sellers. Obviously, colour is a signature as well as a consistently high-quality finish.

What do your designs say about their wearer?

I think on and consider my customers a lot. I create clean and uncluttered external finishes and put more intimate details on the inside of the frames. Jean and Stevie are strong and confident frames; they’re bold, whereas Teddy and Stella are more 60s inspired; softer and pretty.

We are super pleased to have Danielle Rattray eyewear available on Pretavoir. Also if you are in Scotland then you can try in person and our partner store i2i Optometrists in Glasgow. Not only that but Danielle will be a special guest at the opening of our new store in 2025 where you can view the full collection and meet the lady behind this beautiful collection..

We would like to thank Clodagh Norton for permission to use an interview by Victoria G. L. Brunton originally posted on  eyestylist.com

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