Second l.a. Eyeworks co-founder passes

Barbara McReynolds, co-founder and designer of l.a.Eyeworks, has passed away aged 78.

Her death comes just two months after l.a.Eyeworks co-founder, Gai Gharardi passed away after a short battle with cancer.

McReynolds and Gherardi founded l.a.Eyeworks in 1979 after both working in the optical industry. The brand quickly earned a reputation as a challenger of the status quo in eyewear fashion, with hand-modified frames presented in a gallery-style store on Melrose Avenue, which has been the brand’s home until June 2025. 

l.a.Eyeworks will begin a new chapter at a new store site in Fairfax later this month.