Mykita

Mykita is a German high-end eyewear brand and manufacturer headquartered in Berlin. Founded in 2003 by Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Moritz Krüger, the company developed a distinctive position by combining industrial design, unusual construction methods and small-scale manufacturing. Its products include prescription spectacles and sunglasses, with production centered on the company’s Berlin manufactory, commonly called Mykita Haus. Frames are hand-assembled and the brand presents manufacturing, engineering and design as closely connected parts of its identity. The company’s name refers to its first premises, a former day nursery. “Kita” is a common German abbreviation for a day-care center, while “My” creates the brand name MYKITA. After starting in Berlin, the company moved in 2006 to Brunnenstraße in the Mitte district. In 2014, its headquarters and manufactory moved to the historic Pelikan-Haus in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The Berlin base remains important to the brand’s image and production model, distinguishing Mykita from eyewear labels that primarily outsource manufacturing or operate mainly as licensing businesses. Mykita’s first metal-frame range, Collection No. 1, appeared in 2004. The stainless-steel frames used a patented hingeless construction that avoided conventional screws and welded joints. Collection No. 2 followed with acetate frames covering both optical and sunglass styles. Subsequent lines expanded the design vocabulary: Lite focused on particularly light, thin three-part frames; Decades drew on eyewear silhouettes associated with different periods of twentieth-century design; and Luxe emphasized naturally sourced materials and a more premium material expression. A major technical milestone came with the development of MYLON, introduced in 2010 and presented as a new eyewear material based on polyamide. Frames can be produced through selective laser sintering, allowing individual forms without the tooling restrictions associated with conventional molding. The process also permits unused powder to be recycled, supporting a production approach that Mykita describes as zero waste for the material process. MYLON frames are lightweight and can be thermally adjusted, giving the material both design and fitting advantages. The brand has repeatedly used collaborations to connect eyewear with fashion, product design and popular culture. Its 2009 collaboration with German designer Bernhard Willhelm produced the mirrored Franz sunglasses, which gained international attention after being worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the film Sex and the City 2. Other creative partners have included Moncler, Romain Kremer, Marios Schwab and Alexandre Herchcovitch. In 2020, Mykita worked with Leica on a sunglasses collection, extending its design relationship into the world of precision optics. In 2025, it announced a limited-edition eyewear collaboration with German luggage maker Rimowa. In 2015, founders Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans and Philipp Haffmans announced their departures. Moritz Krüger subsequently became the company’s chief executive and creative director, consolidating operational and creative leadership under one of the original founders. In 2024, Thélios, the LVMH eyewear company, acquired a minority stake in Mykita. The transaction connected Mykita with a major global luxury eyewear platform while leaving the Berlin brand’s independent design and manufacturing identity central to its positioning. Mykita sells through international wholesale channels, its own retail locations and other specialty distribution. Its cited international stores include locations in Berlin, Cartagena, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Monterrey, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Zermatt and Zurich. The brand’s overall positioning is premium and design-led: it emphasizes German engineering, hand assembly, material experimentation, lightness, distinctive silhouettes and collaborations rather than mass…

Mykita was established in Berlin in 2003 by Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Moritz Krüger. The name was inspired by the company’s first premises, a former day nursery; “Kita” is a familiar German abbreviation for a child-care center. From the beginning, the company combined eyewear design with in-house manufacturing and positioned its Berlin workshop as an important part of the brand rather than treating production as an invisible back-end function. In 2004, Mykita introduced Collection No. 1, its first metal-frame range. The stainless-steel frames used a patented hingeless construction without conventional screws or welded joints. Collection No. 2 followed with acetate frames for both prescription eyewear and sunglasses. Later lines such as Lite, Decades and Luxe broadened the range. Lite concentrated on low weight and very thin three-part constructions; Decades interpreted historical twentieth-century eyewear forms; and Luxe explored naturally sourced materials and a more elevated material proposition. Mykita moved to Brunnenstraße in Berlin’s Mitte district in 2006. The manufactory remained there for approximately eight years before the company moved its headquarters to the historic Pelikan-Haus in Berlin-Kreuzberg in 2014. Its products continued to be hand-assembled in Berlin, supporting the company’s emphasis on craftsmanship, engineering and close control over production. Material innovation became a defining part of the brand’s development. Mykita introduced MYLON in 2010, a polyamide-based material used to create frames through selective laser sintering. The technique allows individualized shapes without form-specific tooling and permits unused powder to be recycled. The resulting frames are lightweight and can be thermally adjusted, giving the material both aesthetic flexibility and practical fitting benefits. The first MYLON collection was presented at the Silmo eyewear trade fair in September 2011. The company also expanded through collaborations. In 2009, Mykita worked with German fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm on a collection whose mirrored Franz sunglasses received broad media attention after appearing on Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City 2. Further collaborations involved Moncler, Romain Kremer, Marios Schwab and Alexandre Herchcovitch. In March 2020, Mykita collaborated with Leica on sunglasses, and in April 2025 it announced limited-edition eyewear with Rimowa. The founding management structure changed in 2015, when Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans and Philipp Haffmans announced their resignations. Moritz Krüger remained and became CEO and creative director. In 2024, Thélios, the eyewear business associated with LVMH, took a minority stake in Mykita. The investment gave Mykita a connection to a larger luxury eyewear network while preserving the brand’s stated identity as a Berlin-based design and manufacturing company. Mykita’s retail and distribution footprint is international. Reported retail locations include Berlin, Cartagena, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Monterrey, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Zermatt and Zurich. The brand is best understood as a design-led luxury eyewear manufacturer whose differentiation comes from lightweight construction, patented frame architecture, advanced materials, hand assembly and carefully selected fashion and industrial collaborations.

1. 2025Rimowa limited-edition collection

   Mykita collaborates with Rimowa on limited-edition eyewear.

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2. 2024Thélios acquires a minority stake

   Thélios, LVMH’s eyewear entity, takes a minority position in Mykita.

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3. 2020Leica collaboration launches

   Mykita and Leica introduce a jointly developed sunglasses collection.

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4. 2015Founding executives depart

   Three co-founders announce their resignations, and Moritz Krüger becomes CEO and creative director.

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5. 2014Headquarters move to Pelikan-Haus

   Mykita transfers its headquarters and manufactory to the historic Pelikan-Haus in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

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6. 2011First MYLON collection is presented

   The first MYLON collection is premiered at the Silmo eyewear fair in September.

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7. 2010MYLON material is introduced

   Mykita develops MYLON, a polyamide-based frame material made through selective laser sintering.

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8. 2009Bernhard Willhelm collaboration

   Mykita and Bernhard Willhelm create a collaborative eyewear collection, including the mirrored Franz sunglasses.

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9. 2006Manufacturing moves to Brunnenstraße

   The company relocates to Berlin’s Mitte district, where its manufactory remains for roughly eight years.

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10. 2004Collection No. 1 launches

    Mykita introduces its first stainless-steel metal-frame collection with a patented hingeless construction.

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11. 2003Mykita is founded in Berlin

    Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Moritz Krüger establish the eyewear company.

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Independent, Berlin-made luxury eyewear combining minimalist industrial design, advanced materials, lightweight construction, hand assembly and fashion-oriented collaborations.

• Collection No. 1Metal-frame eyewear2004

  Launched in 2004, Collection No. 1 established Mykita’s early design language through stainless-steel frames and a patented hingeless construction. The frames avoid conventional screws and welded joints, using a simplified architecture that contributes to the brand’s lightweight, engineered appearance.

• Collection No. 2Acetate eyewear

  Collection No. 2 expanded Mykita into acetate construction and included both prescription models and sunglasses. It complemented the technical metal range with thicker, more sculptural silhouettes and helped establish a broader platform for the company’s optical and sunwear designs.

• LiteLightweight eyewear

  The Lite line focuses on minimal weight and thin construction. Its frames use an ultra-thin structure made from only three parts, extending Mykita’s interest in reducing components while maintaining a recognizable, wearable frame shape.

• DecadesDesign-led eyewear

  Decades draws on spectacle forms associated with different eras of twentieth-century design. The line translates historical references into contemporary Mykita constructions, allowing the brand to explore recognizable period silhouettes without abandoning its modern engineering approach.

• LuxeLuxury eyewear

  Luxe places greater emphasis on naturally sourced materials and a premium material experience. It represents the more elevated end of Mykita’s core product architecture while retaining the company’s design-led approach to optical frames and sunglasses.

• MYLON3D-manufactured eyewear2010

  MYLON is a polyamide-based eyewear platform produced through selective laser sintering. The process supports individualized forms without conventional mold restrictions, recycles unused powder and produces lightweight frames that can be thermally adjusted for fitting.

• 2025Mykita x Rimowa

  International

  Mykita collaborated with German luggage manufacturer Rimowa on a limited-edition eyewear collection.

  Outcome. The project reinforced Mykita’s German design and engineering narrative through a cross-category luxury collaboration.

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• 2020Mykita x Leica

  International

  Mykita and Leica created a sunglasses collection connecting Mykita’s eyewear engineering with Leica’s reputation in camera and optical equipment.

  Outcome. The collaboration extended Mykita’s partnership model into precision optics and technology-associated design.

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• 2009Mykita x Bernhard Willhelm

  International

  Mykita partnered with German fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm on an eyewear collection featuring highly expressive forms, including the mirrored Franz sunglasses.

  Outcome. The Franz model gained international media visibility after being worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City 2.

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• 2024Minority investment by ThéliosM&A

  Mykita entered a transaction with Thélios, the eyewear entity associated with LVMH.

  What changed. Thélios took a minority stake in Mykita.

  Aftermath. The investment connected Mykita to a global luxury eyewear group while the brand remained identified with independent Berlin design and manufacturing.

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• 2015Leadership transition after founder departuresStrategy

  Three of Mykita’s four founders announced their resignations from the company.

  What changed. Moritz Krüger assumed the combined roles of chief executive officer and creative director.

  Aftermath. The company continued under the leadership of its remaining founder while retaining its design and manufacturing focus.

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• 2014Relocation to Pelikan-HausStrategy

  After operating its manufactory in Brunnenstraße for approximately eight years, Mykita changed its Berlin base.

  What changed. The company moved its headquarters and manufactory to the historic Pelikan-Haus in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

  Aftermath. The move maintained Berlin as the center of Mykita’s identity and production operations.

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• 2010Development of MYLONProduct launch

  Mykita sought to expand beyond conventional metal and acetate construction and explore a materially and geometrically flexible production method.

  What changed. The company introduced MYLON, a polyamide-based material manufactured through selective laser sintering.

  Aftermath. MYLON became a central example of Mykita’s material innovation and lightweight, individually shaped frame strategy.

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• 2025Mykita and Rimowa announce limited-edition eyewear

  The eyewear brand collaborated with German luggage manufacturer Rimowa on a limited-edition collection.

  CampaignProduct launch
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• 2024Thélios takes a minority stake in Mykita

  Thélios, LVMH’s eyewear entity, acquired a minority interest in Mykita, linking the independent Berlin eyewear company with a major luxury-sector eyewear platform.

  M&A
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• 2020Mykita and Leica launch a sunglasses collaboration

  Mykita and camera manufacturer Leica introduced a jointly developed sunglasses collection combining the two companies’ design and precision-optics associations.

  CampaignProduct launch
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• 2015Mykita founders announce their resignations

  Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans and Philipp Haffmans announced that they would leave the company, after which Moritz Krüger assumed the roles of CEO and creative director.

  Leadership change
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1. Mykita