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About


Our eyewear won’t change the world, the women who wear them will.

Hello and welcome! Thanks so much for stopping by.

My name is Chiquita Searle and I am the four eyed brains (and creative) trust behind my eyewear brand CHIQUITA. Clearly my ego knows no bounds calling the brand after myself!

A self-confessed eyewear addict, I have been wearing glasses since grade 9 when I realised I couldn’t see the whiteboard during science class. Initially I felt shame at having to wear my very unsexy (at the time) glasses and I was teased by my classmates which resulted in a stubborn and embarrassed reluctance to wear them.

It was while attending university that I could no longer deny my bespectacled needs (which are quite dire) and I decided that if I was going to submit to wearing glasses, you were going to know about it and I have since embraced statement eyewear as part of my personal and unique identity. Now I'm the girl with the weird name, weird hair AND weird glasses! #triplethreatbaby

The moment of embracing eyewear as a part of my identity was pivotal for me. I realised that an initial source of shame could be parlayed into a foundation of courage and my choice in eyewear now represents an extension of my personality, power and strength.

CHIQUITA was born after I then struggled to find statement frames to suit my bold personal style. I realised that if I was experiencing frustration at the dearth of designer eyewear which were bold and statement making in the market, other women were likely feeling the same.

I launched with a capsule collection of women’s sunglasses in 2019 however pivoted quickly during COVID when the demand for sunglasses ebbed as the world headed into lockdown, transitioning the offering to include stylish blue light frames for women who were now working from home.

I want CHIQUITA to be a stylish disruptor in the eyewear space for women as I strongly believe that bold, statement eyewear is a sexy and an empowered extension of a woman’s intelligence, femininity and strength and I want to women to feel confident and sexy while wearing them.

I am incredibly proud that CHIQUITA has been worn by high profile celebrities including feminist icon Clementine Ford, radio and TV star Kate Langbroek, media personalities Belinda Russell and Yumi Stynes, NY Times best selling author Sally Hepworth, Bachelor stars Helena Sauzier, Kiki Morris, Kaitlyn Hoppe and Gemma White and MAFS star Mishel Meshes.

The brand has been featured nationally in news.com.au, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Good Weekend and The Canberra Times.

If you need any help choosing a frame, please email us at hello@chiquita.co. We'd be delighted to help.

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