Watch: Behind the Design with C. W. Dixey & Son

Think of Sir Winston Churchill and you’ll probably see an image of a stocky politician dressed in a trench coat and bowler hat, wearing circular, half-eye spectacles. But do you know the story behind those spectacles?

Designed and handcrafted especially for the politician by royal spectacle maker C. W Dixey & Son, the frames were tortoise shell and featured two small dots in the corner, at the request of Churchill himself. His relationship with C.W Dixey spanned over half a century.

Fast-forward sixty years and the company behind those frames, is still producing spectacles for notable figures and going one step further. Dixey is creating contemporary collections based on the company’s most distinguished patrons of the past – including Churchill.

Elite Traveler spoke to Simon Palmer, Managing Director of C.W Dixey, about the fascinating design process behind each collection, and their remarkable links to the past.