New York has always been a city of observers. A place built on fleeting encounters, knowing glances and the quiet art of watching. It is a city where anonymity and visibility exist side by side — and perhaps no accessory captures that tension quite like a pair of sunglasses.
Enter THISTLES, the New York City-based eyewear brand founded by New Zealand-born photographer, stylist and creative director Thistle Brown. Handcrafted in Italy, each frame takes inspiration from traditional eyewear silhouettes and reinterprets them through a distinctly New York lens: considered, confident and with an unmistakable rawness.
Founded in 2023, THISTLES is the natural extension of Brown’s creative practice. Over the past decade, he has built a multidisciplinary career spanning fashion, photography and creative direction, developing a distinctive visual language rooted in material, shape and storytelling. With THISTLES, that considered eye moves from image-making into something tangible — objects designed to be lived in.
THISTLES eyewear as an anchor to an outfit
The story of the brand begins, fittingly, with eyewear itself. Brown’s first job in New York was working at an optometrist in Greenwich Village — a full-circle moment that would eventually lead him back to the world of frames, but this time through his own creative vision.
Starting with a single shape, THISTLES has grown organically into a collection defined by restraint and character. The intention is simple: eyewear as an anchor to an outfit. A frame that completes a look, changes an attitude and becomes part of the wearer’s identity rather than simply an accessory.
At the heart of the brand is community. THISTLES has developed through genuine connections — friends, creatives and an ever-expanding network of people drawn to Brown’s unique perspective. The act of discovering, buying and wearing a pair of THISTLES sunglasses becomes an entry point into that world: one built around creativity, individuality and a shared appreciation for thoughtful design.
It is a sensibility that feels just as at home in London as it does in New York. The two cities share an instinctive understanding of personal style — a confidence that feels lived-in rather than performed, a curiosity for what is next, and an appreciation for pieces with a story behind them. THISTLES’ New York spirit translates effortlessly to London: two cities connected by their creative energy, their cultural exchange and their ability to turn the everyday into something distinctive.
This connection makes htown the natural London home for THISTLES, becoming the brand’s only stockist in the city. Bringing Brown’s vision to a London audience, htown offers its community access to a label that reflects the same values at the heart of its own identity: independent creativity, considered design and a commitment to discovering what comes next.
The brand’s growing cult following speaks for itself. THISTLES has already found fans among some of fashion and culture’s most recognisable names, including Harry Styles, Alexa Chung, Tyla, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski. The ATLAS frame, in particular, has become a signature — embodying the label’s effortless balance of classic form and contemporary attitude.
To celebrate THISTLES’ arrival, htown brought together our own community for an intimate launch drinks event in collaboration with ice cream maker, and htown's friend Charms Charms Charms. Combining eyewear, conversation and a shared appreciation for creativity, the evening reflected the same spirit that has shaped the brand from the beginning: less about following trends, and more about creating moments and connections that feel personal.
THISTLES captures something uniquely metropolitan — the desire to be both hidden and noticed, to observe and to be observed. From New York to London, these are frames made not just to be worn, but to become part of the story.
