Anne et Valentin Frehel: The Petite Geometric Pantos (42-23-145), Colorways and Fit

20 de septiembre de 2026

In short: The Anne et Valentin Frehel is a Formacolor combination frame — acetate front, metal bridge and temples — measuring 42-23-145, at $545. Nine colorways are available to order, every one of them current, and none are held in stock: Frehel is a special-order frame at Gazal Eyecare. All nine are photographed on the Frehel product page.

By Andy Tabrizipour, Licensed Optician · Gazal Eyecare

Anne et Valentin's own description of Frehel arrives in fragments, which suits the frame: "FREHEL. A petite, sharply geometric pantos. Straight trapezoidal bridge. Tightened lines for a graphic edge. Round without any softness. Energetic—no, electric. Curious. Daring. Almost pop. Retro-futuristic."

Two phrases in that are load-bearing. "Round without any softness" tells you this is a pantos that has had the curves disciplined out of it. And "straight trapezoidal bridge" is a specific piece of construction, not a flourish — the bridge is a flat run rather than a keyhole or a curve, and it is a large part of why the frame reads as graphic rather than gentle.

Reading 42-23-145

The three standard measurements:

42 — eye size. The width of each lens opening, in millimeters.
23 — bridge (DBL). The distance between the two lenses, across the nose.
145 — temple length. The length of each arm, hinge to tip.

Frehel's numbers are unusual and worth sitting with. A 42mm eye is genuinely small — across the five Formacolor models we carry, only Feist and Fanzine match it. But the 23mm bridge is at the other end: of those same five, only Fanzine's 24mm is wider. Together they come to roughly 107mm across the front before the rim edges, so the overall frame is compact, but the proportion inside it is distinctive: small lenses, set far apart.

That combination is what makes a round shape read as geometric. Set two small circles close together and you get an owlish, soft result. Set two small circles far apart, join them with a straight bridge, and the eye starts reading the negative space between them as a shape of its own. The brand's "round without any softness" is a description of arithmetic as much as of drawing.

The 145mm temple is standard-generous and does not shrink with the front — a 42mm frame with a full-length arm, which is the right pairing for comfort on an adult head.

Formacolor: acetate front, metal behind

Frehel is part of the Formacolor line. Anne et Valentin list the material as stainless steel and acetate, produced in France. In the photographs the division is clean: the front is acetate, the bridge and temples are colored metal.

On a frame this small that construction does real work. Metal temples are thinner than acetate ones, which keeps the side profile from bulking up a petite frame, and the two-material split is what lets Anne et Valentin put a second color on the frame without doubling its visual weight.

The nine colorways

Anne et Valentin identify colorways by code rather than by name, and the same code means different things on different models. We went through the product photography for all nine current Frehel colorways and named them ourselves, with the factory code kept in brackets so there is no ambiguity when ordering:

Black with Warm Caramel Bridge (21B17) — black acetate against tan-caramel metal; the most classic contrast on the list.
Tortoise with Blue Bridge (24B11) — tortoise acetate with bright blue metal.
Navy with Silver Bridge (24B22) — navy acetate with neutral silver-gray metal; the quietest of the nine.
Black with Vibrant Red Bridge (25B22) — black acetate with bright red metal; the highest-contrast option.
Charcoal with Orange Bridge (25B31) — dark charcoal acetate with warm orange metal.
Tortoise with Turquoise Bridge (25B34) — tortoise acetate with turquoise-teal metal.
Caramel with Citrine Bridge (26B07) — warm tan acetate with bright yellow-green metal; the most cheerful pairing.
Tortoise with Wine Bridge (26B11) — tortoise acetate with deep burgundy metal.
Tortoise with Black Bridge (U104) — tortoise acetate with stark black metal.

Unlike some longer-running models, none of Frehel's colorways have been retired — all nine in Anne et Valentin's catalogue are current, and three of them (Charcoal with Orange Bridge, Caramel with Citrine Bridge and Tortoise with Wine Bridge) are recent additions.

Black with Vibrant Red Bridge is the argument for the whole line in one frame: a completely neutral front and a bridge that is not neutral at all.

Caramel with Citrine Bridge is the warm-weather version of the same idea — two colors that are both bright, pitched close enough together that the frame reads as a single warm object rather than a contrast.

Navy with Silver Bridge is the one to look at if the premise of a two-tone frame appeals but the execution usually does not. The contrast is there, it is just turned down.

Who Frehel suits

It is built for a small front. At 42mm, the lens opening is small enough that the frame will look under-scaled on a wide face. If you have consistently found frames too large, this is the end of the range to be looking at.

The 23mm bridge is wide. Check it against the numbers printed inside the temple of glasses you already wear comfortably. A wide bridge on a small frame is a specific fit — it suits a lower or wider nose bridge better than a narrow one.

The shape is a statement. Anne et Valentin call it "almost pop" and "retro-futuristic" and they are not overselling. Frehel is not the discreet option in the collection.

Price and ordering

Frehel is $545. Every colorway is a special order at Gazal Eyecare — none are held in stock. Choose the colorway, quote the code, and we will walk you through the production and delivery timeline.

How it compares

See it

Full specifications, all nine colorways and current availability are on the Frehel product page. The rest of the range is at the Anne et Valentin collection. The house's own eyewear case is on the site as well, in five colorways.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Anne et Valentin Frehel measurements?

Frehel measures 42mm eye size, 23mm bridge and 145mm temple length — written as 42-23-145. Each lens opening is 42mm wide, there are 23mm between the lenses across the nose, and each arm is 145mm long. The two lenses and the bridge together account for roughly 107mm across the front, before the outer rim edges are counted, which makes it a small frame built around an unusually wide bridge.

Which Frehel colorways can I order?

Nine Frehel colorways are current: Black with Warm Caramel Bridge (21B17), Tortoise with Blue Bridge (24B11), Navy with Silver Bridge (24B22), Black with Vibrant Red Bridge (25B22), Charcoal with Orange Bridge (25B31), Tortoise with Turquoise Bridge (25B34), Caramel with Citrine Bridge (26B07), Tortoise with Wine Bridge (26B11) and Tortoise with Black Bridge (U104). None of Frehel’s colorways have been discontinued — all nine in the catalogue are current, and three of them are recent additions. Every colorway is a special order at Gazal Eyecare.

What is the Frehel made of?

Frehel is a Formacolor frame, which Anne et Valentin build from stainless steel and acetate and produce in France. The front is acetate and the bridge and temples are finished metal — a useful combination on a frame this small, because metal temples keep the side profile slimmer than acetate ones would.

Who does the Frehel suit?

Frehel suits a small front: at 42mm the lens opening is among the smallest Anne et Valentin frames we carry. The 23mm bridge is wide for that scale, so it favours a lower or wider nose bridge — check it against the numbers printed inside the temple of glasses you already wear. It is not the discreet option in the collection; Anne et Valentin themselves call the shape "almost pop" and "retro-futuristic".

How much is the Anne et Valentin Frehel?

Frehel is $545 at Gazal Eyecare, in every colorway.

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