About Us

Celebrating 20 (Awesome) Ugly Years

What a ride! Here at Ugly Fish we're celebrating an epic 20 years of engineering eyewear for Aussies who want to grab life by the handle bars. Yeah, we’re a little bit irreverent but we take the business of protecting your peepers very seriously. Our innovative range of Ugly’s is designed to protect your irreplaceable eyeballs from harsh conditions, whether it’s the sun’s glare and harmful UV rays or random flying objects. All while making sure your vision is crystal clear when you need to give it everything you’ve got..

Grown for Aussie Conditions.

Ugly Fish founder Manuch Darabi migrated to Australia from Iran in 1989. While the move came with a bucket-load of challenges, Manuch was quick to embrace the outdoor Aussie lifestyle – spending his free time fishing and exploring the beaches, lakes and rivers of the NSW South Coast. With just $500 to his name, Manuch began working local market stalls selling sunglasses. As he got to know his customers, inspiration struck. He realised there was a gap in the market for affordable sunnies that provided the glare reduction, vision quality and durability he and other keen fishos were looking for. “You could get very expensive glasses that most couldn’t afford, or you could get cheap rubbish,” Manuch shared. On a mission, he joined forces with son Faraz, and set out to fill that gap.

From Market Stalls to Over 2 Million Pairs Sold.

The iconic Ugly Fish logo, still in use today, was hand-sketched by Faraz at the kitchen table. Selling out of the family’s garage in Wollongong, the first polarised lifestyle ranges hit the market in February 2003. Loyal customers were quick to embrace our lightweight Unbreakable frames, tough Polycarbonate polarised lenses, and anti-fog and salt resistant lens coatings.

We didn't rest there. With our eye on function and comfort, we've continued to look for new ways we can offer better eye protection at an affordable price. Twenty years in, we've sold a whopping two million pairs of glasses!

Everyone's Ugly.

Two decades on, after countless small business ups-and-downs (and a few global financial hurdles along the way) we're on a mission to ensure Everyone's Ugly. Our range now covers Motorbike, Safety, Kids, Ladies, Optical and Blue Light Blockers categories... and we're just getting started!

We back our products. We go above and beyond with compliance to Australian Standards, and we stand by our range with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Our Ugly Crew of customers know they can trust our products. Many have been with us from the beginning, and they come back for their favourite Ugly's again and again.

If it’s attitude you’re looking for, we’ve got it in bucket loads. So if you haven’t wrapped a pair of Ugly’s around your head it’s about time you tried them, after all... Everyone’s Ugly.

A huge thanks to all of the customers and crew who have gotten Ugly with us - we couldn't have done it without you!