One Family & Four Generations: MOREL’s History

MOREL holds the title of the oldest active family-owned eyewear design company. Since making our mark in the optical industry in 1880, we’ve expanded our resources, talents, and innovative ideas to craft iconic styles. From humble beginnings to a global presence across several continents, this is the MOREL story by generation.?

Jules and the early years

Jules Morel was considered a pioneer at the age of 25. In 1880, he?founded the company?in the heart of the Upper Jura mountains in France: the location of our headquarters to this day! Jules was among one of the first to start his own eyewear business, finding himself in the middle of two different professions: a farmer and an eyewear designer. In the summer and spring, his time was dedicated to taking care of the family farm; in the winter, his?gifted talent for eyewear craft?became his focus. The pince-nez (or “nose clip”) was his most acclaimed invention: the precursor to modern eyeglasses.?

Over the years, Jules suffered many hardships; he lost both of his parents at a young age and later lost his home to a devastating hurricane in 1890. Jules feared for his future in the optical industry, believing that a strict change in overhead costs and manufacturing would be detrimental to his small countryside workshop. Despite this, he also did not want to abandon the family farm and move to the city. When it was time for his son, Marius, to continue the MOREL legacy, a change in the company’s work environment became unavoidable.?

Marius and the industrial age?

Unlike his father, Marius did not have the desire to continue working on a farm. He found himself at his happiest when he began his optical training under his father’s client, Laloue. Despite his interest in optical, Marius elected to work on the manufacturing side of eyewear rather than becoming an optician. In 1927, Marius and his wife moved to the city of Morez where he took over the Bonnefoy-Dumont eyewear shop, giving the MOREL name a professional connection in the process.??

In the mid-1940s, Marius partnered with a well-known trading company in France, Archives Optic, to act as a distribution network. Having worked closely with Archives Optic for a few years, Marius granted them exclusive rights to MOREL’s frames, ultimately making them a major client. Though the future seemed bright at the time, complications with Marius’s health left him in recovery and unable to work. This led to his oldest son, Jacques, a recent graduate student, helping to run the MOREL family business in his father’s absence.??

Jacques and the era of the cat?

Jacques wouldn’t become the next successor until the 1960s. Still, he worked closely under his father’s direction: his role would be on the operational management side, while his father picked up the reins after his recovery period had concluded. The 1950s would become a crucial decade in MOREL’s history, as Jacques began manufacturing high-quality, incredibly durable gold frames.?

As elegant as these frames appeared, Jacques couldn’t help but feel something was missing. He wished to have a signature stamp on the frames. Drawing his influence from jewelers who used animals as their signature maker’s mark, MOREL’s iconic cat surmounting a capital “M” made its first appearance in 1957. Though its design has changed over time, the MOREL cat still brandishes its curious presence on our releases today!??

Three siblings carry the legacy?

A wave of partnerships and?innovative releases?would spread throughout the next several years. Major events included MOREL’s first appearance at SILMO in the 1970s, the introduction of the Sophia Rossetti collection, buying out Cottet, and establishing a US market. Three siblings would lead the MOREL brand into its fourth generation: Francis, Jér?me, and Amélie. In 1999, the innovative drill mount models were given the silver SILMO award, with a gold award given to KOALI seven years later. By the early 2000s, MOREL's collections were appearing in?the global market, and our nostalgic 1880 line would follow with its US debut in 2020.

Today, with an expanded US market and numerous partnerships, the family business has only grown stronger and more close-knit than ever. Four generations in the making, MOREL has achieved an international presence: consistently looking ahead to the future while ensuring we haven’t forgotten our roots. Here’s to another 140 years of inspiring eyewear!