Warby Parker, the Keroac-inspired, Wharton brainchild of four friends, was born out of a need: one of the founders had left his $400 glasses on a plane and his grad-school budget couldn't afford to relive a similar mistake. (At least, that's how the story was told to us by one co-founder Neil Blumenthal.) So the MBA students set out to upset the monopolistic regime of the Luxottica Group by producing well-crafted eyewear for $95. For those less familiar with the eyewear industry, Luxottica owns the eyewear licensing rights to the majority of fashion brands—from Chanel to Prada to Ray Ban to Oakley. According to Blumenthal, the inflated prices in the industry are set by brand recognition and not by quality. "Often times, glasses are manufactured in China even if the engravings on the frames [state otherwise]," he said. "It's deceiving."