78% matchBao Bao
Sculptural accessory engineering as the whole product
What changes: Bags and geometry-driven construction, no eyewear
Brand profile
GENTLE MONSTER
Seoul eyewear brand founded in 2011, known for sculptural oversized frames, art-installation retail, and a Google-backed push into smart glasses.
SeoulOrigin
UnisexFocus
Avant-gardeStyle
$$$Price
21 brands like GENTLE MONSTER like Bao Bao, ADER-error, Han Kjøbenhavn →
What to know about GENTLE MONSTER
Oversized frames cut for Asian fit
The house signature is sculptural, deliberately large sunglass and optical shapes, with proportions and nose bridges engineered for Asian face fit.
Stores run as art installations
Flagships are built like galleries with rotating installations, and the same parent company runs Tamburins beauty and Nudake dessert cafes alongside the eyewear.
Backed by eyewear and tech money
L Catterton and EssilorLuxottica are investors, and in June 2025 Google put in around $100 million for roughly 4%, tied to Android XR smart glasses work.
If you like GENTLE MONSTER
See all 21 brands like GENTLE MONSTER →78% match
84% matchADER-error
Seoul design collective with same gallery-retail theatrics
What changes: Apparel and unisex streetwear rather than eyewear
74% matchHan Kjøbenhavn
Vintage-leaning frames instead of oversized sculpture
What changes: Full menswear collection alongside the eyewear
72% matchStaffonly
Concept-driven Asian design with playful accessory ideas
What changes: Smaller label, tailoring-led rather than accessory-first
Brand facts
Gentle Monster is a Seoul eyewear label founded in 2011 by Hankook Kim, operating under parent company IICOMBINED. It designs sunglasses and optical frames with oversized, sculptural silhouettes and Asian-fit proportions, sold through gallery-style flagship stores built around rotating art installations. Backers include L Catterton and EssilorLuxottica, and in June 2025 Google invested about $100 million for a roughly 4% stake tied to the brand's work on Android XR smart glasses. Sister brands include Tamburins beauty and Nudake dessert cafes.
- Founded
- 2011
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Made in
- China, South Korea
- Price
- $$$
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Styles
- Avant-garde, Minimalist / Contemporary, Streetwear