Oprah Winfrey’s Gotti spectacles are surprise winner of Meghan interview

Swiss manufacturer experiences surge in demand after presenter wore the glasses

Oprah wearing the Gotti OR02 glasses.
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Who saw it coming? A Swiss spectacles manufacturer said it is being inundated with demand for the oversized glasses worn by Oprah Winfrey for her TV interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.

While all the headlines were about Meghan's claim that a member of the Royal household questioned what colour Archie's skin would be, her suicidal thoughts and Harry's rift with his brother and father, Zurich-based Gotti was reaping unexpected rewards.

The small brand, which makes high-end frames, said is was "a little surprised" by the surge in interest after the US talk show queen's bombshell sit-down with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Watched by at least 50 million people in the United States, Britain and around the world, in the interview the couple, who quit royal duties for a new life in Meghan's native California, make damaging allegations against Harry's family, the inner workings of the British monarchy and the UK tabloid press.

But the glasses worn by Winfrey also caught the eyes of viewers gripped by the dramatic interview.

The brand, based in Wadenswil, a small tree-lined town on the shores of Lake Zurich, was founded in 1993 by Sven Gotti.

It produces frames in small quantities, with about 10,000 pairs manufactured per month, which are then sold by independent opticians.

Made in its workshops in Switzerland, they cost an average of £300-£400 ($430-$540).

But the "OR02" frames worn by Winfrey were designed by Gotti himself especially for the US television personality after meeting her via his favourite opticians in Washington.

"I designed two different pairs for her," Gotti said.

The OR02 glasses by Gotti, as worn by Oprah. Courtesy Gotti
The OR02 glasses by Gotti, as worn by Oprah. Courtesy Gotti

"But when she saw them, she loved them so much that she didn't know which ones to choose – and took them both."

Winfrey – who owns an impressive collection of glasses – likes them "for their lightness," despite their size, Gotti said.