The story begins “simply” at the beginning of 2023, when during an afternoon in Los Angeles, LeBron James found himself in the boutiqueAHLEM, an eyewear brand created by Parisian Ahlem Manai-Platt in 2014. Having appreciated the collections presented, he purchased a model. The founder then noticed that the pairs were in reality “too small” for this mega-star of the NBA peaking at… 2m06.
“After a discussion with her stylist, we said to ourselves that we had to create a custom frame for her,” she confides to 20 minutes. I then contacted our workshop in France, Optic 2R, to explain the project to them, and it was really a team effort to make it a reality,” she continues.
“Who is LeBron James?” »
The rest of this visual adventure therefore continues in a village of “200 inhabitants and 400 cows”, in the Jura, in Censeau. “When Ahlem called me for this order, I replied, ‘LeBron James, who is that?’” recalls Sandrine Rivière with a laugh. The co-manager of Optic 2R then looked on the Internet. “When I saw the number of subscribers on Instagram – almost 160 million – I said to myself “oh the cow!”, she continues, still with a little laugh. And I immediately realized when I saw his photos that the big challenge of this order was that the model fit him! »
The manufacturer insists: “All the work was to adapt the model without being able to take measurements directly on his head. We couldn’t go wrong with such a request, dimensions being the essential aspects of a good pair of glasses. » From the branches to reach the ears to the exact contours of the nose, everything had to be reviewed. “We also had a deadline. LeBron James’ glasses had to be made in two weeks, whereas we usually deliver to our customers in a month, or even a month and a half,” specifies Sandrine Rivière.
And this work was a success. The four pairs were validated and directly “adopted” by the man we nicknamed The King. Proof ? The multiple events he attended with his AHLEM. “The employees were very proud to see LeBron start the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year with the glasses they had made,” underlines the brand’s creator. Before adding: “That does something! It’s a great success, the fruit of teamwork which counts enormously. »
A company “accustomed” to celebrities
The “immense pride” is shared by Sandrine Rivière. “My parents had great success with Philippe Starck and Louis Vuitton,” she says. We can say that AHLEM and LeBron James are us. With my sister, we are not just “daughters”. »
Indeed, Optic 2R is a reference in the French manufacturing of glasses and supplies many brands. Stars from all over the world often find themselves wearing one of their accessories. “For LeBron James, we knew because it was specific,” explains the co-manager. But usually, we just know that we’re working with designers from big brands. We make the products for them, they sell them and we don’t know who is going to wear them. Finally, we realize it while leafing through a magazine when we come across this or that celebrity with one of our pairs of glasses on their nose! » She then cites Lewis Hamilton and Elton John as “role models” in spite of themselves.
A family matter
The two sisters therefore continue this momentum, driven by their parents. “We are the 4th generation to take up the torch,” explains Sandrine Rivière. My great-grandparents and grandparents only made components. It was my parents who started making whole glasses. As they had never made glasses, they approached the problem in reverse. So we are not at all like the others. Today, we are known throughout the world for making six-legged or luxury sheep. »
This reputation has been built over time. Notably when Alain Mikli, the French No. 1 at the time, had an idea for “an improbable shape that resembled a clock” and that “no French manufacturer wanted to work with him,” says Sandrine Rivière. “My parents took up the challenge and had great success thanks to it,” she says. At the same time as the brand was growing in complexity, my parents were growing in technology and know-how. » Alain Mikli therefore called on them again by launching his brand with Philippe Starck. The quality of the Jura workshop then attracted brands like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy. “By placing themselves in the complicated and high-end category, my parents managed to stand out,” concludes the manufacturer.
Despite these successes, Sandrine Rivière and her sister Virginie Blondeau remain “humble”: “ DIn this field, you never know what tomorrow will bring. »