Eyeglasses.com Blog

‘Celebrity Eyeglasses’

Interested in seeing what you favorite stars are wearing? A number of celebrities were recently spotted wearing great looking eyewear. The first celebrity spotted was well known actress Kate Hudson. Kate came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in the movie Almost Famous. When Kate arrived in London she was sporting an oversized butterfly sunnies style Bianca 149 from Ørgreen Optics. The designer eyeglasses frames certainly look great on her. Although Kate has been in the news less recently because she is spending more time with her family, we are expecting to see a great 2012 from her. Later, Bonnie Raitt was found wearing SPECtacular Sigrid Olsen style SO117 from Altair Eyewear. Bonnie is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. Although her fan base may be smaller than more well known stars, people who know her work are large supporters of the artist.

Additionally, NBA all-star Carmelo Anthony was seen in John Varvatos Eyewear Style V903 from Base Curve/A Luxury Division of Rem Eyewear. Carmelo Anthony is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the NBA. The Knicks have certainly been exciting to watch ever since Carmelo moved to the city. The team is expected to compete for championship this year. Lastly, the son of superstar Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne was seen wearing Carrera Champion shades from Sàfilo USA. Jack shot to fame in 2002 after appearing in his family's reality television show The Osbournes, which aired on MTV and won an Emmy Award in 2002. Although he tries to stay out of the lime light today, he is still recognizable through the country. People cannot hide their interest in the famous family. Stay tuned for more on your favorite stars and their eyewear.

Here is something we had not expected to see. Famous Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt has just announced his new designer eyeglasses collection. Although we often see celebrities launch eyewear collections, this is the first we have seen from a Nascar driver. Athletes in that industry seem to stay away from the fashion world. Perhaps Dale Earnhardt is trying to pioneer a new trend. From first looks at his new collection, he has done a good job. The new line reflects the style of this member of racing royalty. Drawing inspiration from Dale Jr.’s likable personality, the collection is defined by its casual look. Larger than most collections, this line includes two dozen styles in stainless steel, titanium and zyl. The designer eyeglasses collection is targeted to both men and women between the ages of 20 to 60 who can identify with the celebrity. Dale Jr. has quite the fan base, so we are expecting this line to do very well. Whether it can break into top tier of fashion brands is yet to be seen, however it will be exciting to watch. If sports fanatics end up buying the frames in droves, the collection could exceed a lot of expectations. Unlike many round eyeglasses lines, this new line is economically priced. The company seemed to be very cognizant of the market they were targeting. If you are interested in looking at these eyeglasses, they will be available at select locations throughout the US. The man behind the line, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., is a professional American race car driver and team owner. Many know him as the son of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt.

Have you hard the chance to see the movie “The Ides of March”? If you have not yet seen the movie, you are are missing out on an opportunity to see a great film, and some great designer eyeglasses. The movie is about an idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate, who gets a crash course on dirty politics during his time on the campaign trail. The film features star actors George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. The film has received great reviews thus far. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 85% of 190 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.3 out of 10.

One of the highlights of the film for us was watching the great designer eyeglasses on display. A prime example of this was with Academy Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei. Through the movie, Marisa is seen wearing great designer eyeglasses. In this scene, she wears the frames Modo Eyewear 3012. These frames have a classical and intellectual look to them. They seemed to be the perfect fit for the character working on a political campaign. The color of the frames also fit well with the outfits she were throughout the film. These were not the only great looking eyeglasses frames that we saw throughout the movie. If you have free time this weekend, we recommend you watch the film and keep your eye out for the great looking lenses.

The perfect summer vacation combines relaxation and fun—and you didn’t need to jump on a plane to get there. This year,Carrera Escape returned to NYC for a third time with a rooftop soirée at the Mondrian Soho hotel. Attending guests took a break from the big city grind to get pampered with soothing amenities including complimentary massages, tranquil morning yoga sessions and a brow bar. Event attendees previewed the latest Carrera sunglass collection and sipped on specialty cocktails and beverages while mingling to tunes spun by DJs Jeffrey Tonnesen, Mike Nouveau, Lucas Walters and Franco V. In the evening, the open rooftop turned into a nighttime rendezvous surrounded by spectacular views of NYC. Guests danced under the stars to special performances by Rye Rye and Samantha Ronson and The Undertakers, with Paul Sevigny, Theophilus London and Mia Moretti providing the DJ sets. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Christine Yeh.)

On the west coast, Carrera Escape returned for a second time at a poolside bungalow at the famous Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles. Tinsel town guests tried on the latest Carrera sunglass styles and sipped on drinks and cocktails while listening to the beats of DJs Chris Masterson and Myles Hendriks. An exclusive, celeb-studded party took over at night as guests including Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lynn-Sigler and Mischa Barton rocked out to Samantha Ronson and The Undertakers, and DJ sets by Rumer Willis, Ana Calderon and Jonny Abrams. The Carrera Escape began in 2009 as an urban retreat for celebrities and influencers to experience in their own cities. This special “getaway” provides a relaxing environment to unwind in by day and a party atmosphere to indulge in by night—the ideal combination of R&R and festive revelry for Carrera’s “fast-laner,” jet setting guests.

Portraits by Stephen Sullivan.  Behind-the-Seens Photos by the 20/20 Editorial Team. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James J. Spina.) Don’t sniff around here for a typical interview feature with Marc Ecko. Been there. Done that. The debut of the new Marc Ecko Cut & Sew Eyewear Collection created in branding partnership with ClearVision Optical needed something special for a number of nifty reasons:

• This magazine has been on a mission these last few years purporting men’s eyewear as a driving force in optical fronting style, quality and retail swagger with a commanding presence.
• Interviews are a dime a dozen in these days of world wide blabbering. This celeb said this. This designer thinks this. This artist told this Twitter-site this tidbit of misinformation. Tweet. Tweet. Tweetle-your-thumbs.
• There’s a media mountain of info out there about Marc Ecko and his adventures as a marketing artist and much of it is invaluable especially accessed from his enviable and entertaining website www.marcecko.com. Fact is 20/20 strongly suggests you go there ASAP for a terrific tour of Ecko’s world. Suffice to say, Ecko is epic when it comes to creating a world draped in his actions, his attitude, his humanity and... His... gear.

So 20/20 wanted ALL of him and not just verbiage. Marc is luminously evolving Ecko as a brand. Growing and maturing, Ecko deftly realizes he can have it all by never losing sight of his root accomplishments as an attitude artist moving on from airbrushed T-shirts through to the rhino charge of Ecko Unltd. for young men, Eckored for women and sport gear a la Zoo York. Heck, when my 10-year-old son Gram wants to show off his classic rock roots he dons a silver-grey and glittzered Ecko T-shirt, air guitars to AC/DC and asks me when he’ll be old enough to read Complex, Ecko’s magazine. That brings us to Cut & Sew, Ecko’s personal vision of growing up cool, part James Bond (the novels, not the flicks) and part uncle/dad looking to his family heritage for tailoring and mentor inspiration. And so... the gauntlet. We wanted Marc to put his mettle to the metal. Earn the 20/20 cover story by fitting some real guys in the new Cut & Sew Eyewear collection. No celebrities. No fashion models. Real men... of our choosing. What you see here is the result of that multifunctional “photo” shoot. Marc Ecko gave 20/20 a full day and we, in turn, gave him a brood of three guys in a variety of demographics, ready to be inspected, bedecked in Ecko and spec’ed in Cut & Sew Eyewear. Our guys? Easy, yet challenging in age range and attitude: the men of the Ferrara family. That’s right, we delivered 20/20 publisher Marc Ferrara and sons Michael and Matt. And on the morning of the shoot Marc Ecko walked in to Eagles Nest Studio in New York greeted by a table full of Cut & Sew Eyewear, overflowing racks of Ecko apparel, 20/20’s ace portrait and fashion photographer Stephen Sullivan, and the 20/20 edit/art team ready to document Marc Ecko delivering the look of Ecko... or three... or four... since we were also there to record his face for the 20/20 cover. Ecko got in close and deep in short order, questioning all three Ferraras on their music tastes, their backgrounds, likes and dislikes. He needed to get the picture... THEIR picture. Ecko studied their faces and the life forces fueling a father and two sons. He didn’t do deep scrutiny of what they were wearing, instead riffing through the Ecko wardrobe choosing Marc Ferrara for the first “makeover” in what initially seemed like a radical rethink on the somewhat conservative-looking dad. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.)But Daddy Ferrara is NOT conservative. He has cutting-edge music taste rooted in classic rock icons Neil Young and Dylan, but always ready to experience new sounds. His respect of history and its impact on the future roars through in his answer to Ecko’s question about who he would most like to share a meal with: Abraham Lincoln. That’s Ecko’s choice as well, a fact he later shares with Ferrara’s younger son as he prepped him for his moment in front of the camera. The Ecko-prepped dad, from spec to toe, is in fact so comfortable with the choices he chooses to stay decked in the shoot clothing for the duration of the day. You can see peripheral pics of him here making cell calls for work and completely at ease in his new look. The challenge with college-grad Michael (Dylan is his middle name so yet another testament to dad’s and mom’s cool) is initially tougher for Ecko. A hat makes Michael flounder as too hipster. Various shirt choices seem too studied. Even the first eyewear option delivers a studious message that is basically ALL WRONG. But when it finally clicks the somewhat complex Michael breaks out in a genuine smile of earned satisfaction. And now for Matt. On-the-verge-of-college Matt gets the day’s MOST special Ecko-ism. And it’s not even about the glasses, although the eyewear does drive home the deal. Ecko wants Matt laid-back and hoody but with the twist of a white tie. Uh oh. No. White. Tie. Nobigdeal. One of the clever20/20 editors (me!) remembered to bring a fabric scissor (a visual keynote to Ecko Cut & Sew) and with just a few confident snips, Ecko savages a cotton T-shirt into a sleek, white tie looking like rich cashmere. Matt smiles. Marc smirks, satisfied. The glasses add the subtle twist to the look. And the final portrait is complete. Wait a second. We need to take a picture of Ecko for... THE COVER. That particular shot happens in nano seconds. Fast, secure and picture perfect. And what glasses should Ecko wear? Ever gracious, he asks 20/20 to guide him to the right eyewear and sunwear. So did you notice that this whole feature happened without one single quote from Marc Ecko? Why? We wanted you to see that this engaging man is a person of actions speaking far louder than words. See? You CAN see an Ecko.

The Ernest Hemingway Eyewear collection, known for its retro appearance, is back. Based on the famous author, this collection is sure to turn heads. Although Ernest Hemingway is recognized as an author, he was also quite the adventurer. This side of his life is overshadowed by his Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning literature, although it is not lost in this new eyewear. Hemingway’s adventurous side shows through in the jet black and tortoise frames in this new collection. In this line there are over a dozen frames, many with temple plaques. These retro eyeglasses are meticulously crafted for both men and women, and truly embody the legendary author. We recommend these retro eyeglasses for individuals who are 20 years and up.

According to management, the upcoming Ernest Hemingway retro eyeglasses line is all about classic styling. The designers of the line felt that from what is known about the famous author, this eyewear collection would be the best way to portray his recognized name. For this reason, an eyewear collection was launched before any clothing line was released. In fact, his literature was heavily studied before the frames were designed. Hemingway Eyewear reflects a beckoning back to true America and the adventures of the United States. The designers did not want to lose this in the designs. It is great to see a designer remain so true to an individual. This is so critical to any designer collection, and particularly with a classic line. Unfortunately a number of recent celebrity inspired lines have not been successful for this exact reason. The company introducing this new line is New York Eye, which is a Hart Specialties company. Fortunately for interested customers, the new Ernest Hemingway Eyewear collection can be purchased at retail stores throughout the country. These glasses are not the most affordable, however with the high quality metal used these will last a long time. One pair we particular like is the Ernest Hemingway H4612 glasses. With the purchase of the Ernest Hemingway retro eyeglasses frames, a special plaque is available to customers, and each new retro eyeglass will come with a hard metal case with faux distressed leather. The company hopes that these extra additions can make up for the full cost of the retro frames. If you’ like to find out more information about the classic frames, you can call the company or visit them on the web. We are looking forward to hearing more about this exciting new line.

FGX International presents its Body Glove Youth ophthalmic collection for boys ranging from 8 to 14, who are looking for a cool brand with sporty styling. Included are 22 frames offered in metal and acetate. All styles are equipped with spring hinges and several have adjustable nosepads. Designs are clean, rectangular shapes that incorporate playful interior temple treatments such as graffiti hand prints, adding a hidden, prankish character to the line. Colors consist of black, brown, navy, tortoise and gunmetal, many with yellow or red accents. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.)

INSIGHT Since its founding in 1953, Body Glove has focused on the needs of water sportsmen and sportswomen, creating innovative, high-quality product and becoming a global leader in the water sports performance industry. Taking its direction from the brand, Body Glove eyewear offers high-tech form, fit and function, while providing cutting-edge designs and comfort.

Sometimes what seems like an exciting “eyewear-specific” incident or event takes a turn for the bigger, becoming an entity proving the overall importance of vision as a necessity of real life. The recent aura surrounding the Giorgio Armani “Frames of Your Life” campaign and its ongoing interaction with art, reportage, social networking and... real people is just such an instance. It started with the release of a frame collection steeped in Armani’s original eyewear heritage. Then came enticingly classic advertisements. Followed by powerful visuals of an interactive video project charged in the current essence of online social networking. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James Spina) And now that Internet phenom has taken to the road with its on-the-street impressions touring cities globally with a personality all its own, yet dedicated to the class and cool of ordinary REAL people, albeit trendsetting real people. Initiated in Europe, 20/20 experienced “Frames of Your Life” as eyewitnesses at Selima Optique in New York and Optica in Los Angeles. The project strutted the creativity of photographers and bloggers such as Tommy Ton and Jared Eng going head to head and face to face with their European counterparts Jackie Dixon and Eleonore Bridge, bringing the frames to life on the faces of intensely engaging people on the street portrayed in powerful art gallery manifestations.

GANT BY MICHAEL BASTIAN Geek from Viva (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Gloria Nicola. Portrait By JR Delia.) Michael Bastian did not plan a career in fashion. He had no formal training. He studied business at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., and planned to work in marketing or finance. “My major goal after completing college was to live in New York City. The first job I got just happened to be in retail as an assistant buyer at Abraham & Strauss. I didn’t even realize the company was located in Brooklyn,” Bastian laughs. “After that I bumped around to a few other jobs, always in fashion-oriented businesses: Sotheby’s, Tiffany & Co., Polo Ralph Lauren and Bergdorf Goodman. My career in fashion just started building and unfolding step by step.” It was when Bastian was at Bergdorf Goodman, where he was men’s fashion director for five years, that he saw the need for a new American voice in the men’s designer world—something modern and luxurious. In 2006, he launched the Michael Bastian brand. “I see the Michael Bastian customer as a man in his 30s and 40s and in transition from big brand designer names to the luxury market. These men want quality and a good fit. They still go to the gym and don’t want to look like their father, but they want something a little more traditional,” he explains. “My brand is really classic American sportswear done at a luxury level.” In 2010, Bastian began a collaboration with Gant for a menswear line under the Gant by Michael Bastian brand. This collaboration led to a Gant by Michael Bastian Spring/Summer 2011 womenswear collection, the first venture into womenswear for Bastian. The Gant partnership also led to a Gant by Michael Bastian Eyewear collection with Viva International Group. The ophthalmic collection launched early this year and the sunglasses will follow in the fall. The collaboration with Gant has provided Bastian an excellent opportunity to expand his customer base. “I don’t see this collection as just cheaper or a bridge collection. I have a definite profile of whom I see as the Gant for Michael Bastian consumer. He’s about a generation younger than the Michael Bastian customer, probably right out of college, opens his closet and knows he’s ready for an upgrade. He wants good stuff, but doesn’t want to lose his personality. He wants something modern and sexy at a good price,” the designer explains. “That’s not saying somebody in their 40s, like me, can’t wear Gant, but I think it’s important to have a profile of your customer—something to hang your hat on.”

Getting something you can just put on and not worry about—That to me is true luxury.

The customer profile is especially important to Bastian because he says his design philosophy is directed by his customers. “I tell them ‘buy less, but buy better and enjoy it.’ The key to personal style is not to over think it. Or if you do, you should look casual and natural as though you haven’t thought about it. Do what feels natural to you… and most important, comfortable,” he notes. “I’m obsessive so my customer doesn’t have to be. I wear all the men’s styles I design myself and consider how they fit, if they wrinkle, how easy they are to care for. I work all those things out so the customers don’t have to worry about them,” the designer emphasizes. “That to me is true luxury—getting something you can just put on and not worry about.” Bastian feels his clothing designs are primarily classic. “I think at this moment in fashion we are revisiting looks from the ’60s, ’70s and even ’80s. We are always looking for something we can’t find anymore. For example, with eyewear I’ve been searching for a style that’s good for mountaineering like one I had in the ’80s with side shields and cable temples. So we created one for our new sun collection (Gant Sun by Michael Bastian Snow). To me that design is a classic American moment in eyewear.” Although Bastian sees his clothing as classic, he feels it’s different with his accessories. “You can push fashion a lot more with accessories, whether it’s a scarf, bag or sunglasses. Accessories put the real style and personality into an individual’s look. People are more inclined to buy a red or orange scarf or sunglass but will stick with classic navy for a sweater,” he notes. Just as Bastian sees his clothing and accessories as being separate entities, he also sees sunglass and ophthalmic frames as two different stories with different objectives. “Sunglasses are a fun accessory you can push more to the extremes whereas ophthalmic frames shouldn’t overwhelm the face or personality,” he explains. “I feel ophthalmic frames are like watches. I have never liked fashion watches much. I like classic looks. You never get tired of them,” he says. “Eyewear should be like that and it should relate to the shape of the face.” It’s different though for Bastian with sunglasses. “When working on the sunglass collection, I thought about all those street fair sunglasses in bright colors costing five dollars. That’s the spirit I want to capture in my sunglasses, but with excellent quality. That’s what’s so great about my collaboration with Viva. Viva is not afraid of color or size or design. I give them my craziest ideas and they push them even further. It’s very easy to be creative with Viva,” Bastian notes. Liz Tontodonati, Viva’s general manager for the Gant brand, adds, “It’s great to be working with Michael. Our sunglass business tends to be driven by black and tortoise. Now we are able to do colors and even glitter.” For his own sunglass wardrobe, the designer likes aviators, navigators and rounds. “I’m slowly getting into plastics in colors. I love white sunglasses. I got that from my mom. She has always loved a good pair of white sunglasses.” Bastian emphasizes that eyewear is essential to the fashion business. “It’s often the entry level into a brand. And sunglasses, especially, are an easy purchase. You see something you like and you buy it. You don’t even have to go into a fitting room. I think our sunglass collection is a great way to get into the spirit of the Gant by Michael Bastian line.” Whether he is designing clothes or eyewear, Bastian feels each new collection needs a strong inspiration: “Someplace to start. A definite direction also helps us in presenting the collection to our buyers, retailers and consumers,” he notes. As an example, for his Spring/Summer 2011 collection, he drew inspiration from the 1953 movie “Niagara” and from Marilyn Monroe and the men in her life—Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio. “I wanted to capture a certain feeling by reaching back to the style references from Marilyn’s decade, when American sportswear was at its high point,” he comments. “Inspiration is an intricate process,” Bastian continues. “Designers are like sponges. As they are living their lives, ideas just fall into their laps when least expected. Eventually everything comes together from a lot of different ideas.” As for his favorite color, the designer has always been drawn to red. “I have a little bit of red in each collection. Even when I say I’m not doing red, I sneak in a little,” he says as he points to a red frame in his new sunglass collection. When asked what advice he would give to optical retailers selling his collection, he says, “Have fun, especially with the sunglasses. Call attention to them. Put them in the windows. Place them on mannequin heads. Give your customers a real blast of the spirit of Gant by Michael Bastian.”

A true artist of the frame, Cari Zalloni has been designing eyewear for more than 30 years, following his simply stated design philosophy, “Good design must be thought provoking. A designer eyewear line that pleases everyone is unlikely to inspire.” Nowhere is this statement more clear than in his legendary Cazal collection, which has inspired legions of fans worldwide since its debut in 1975. Now Cazal Legends, a selection of the original styles, authentic down to the last details, have been released by Eastern States Eyewear and Ultra Palm Optical. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Gloria Nicola.) Below are several of Zalloni’s original sketches drawn more than 25 years ago together with “Zalloni-isms” spoken by the designer. Zalloni did the adjacent composite sketch recently in conjunction with the Legends launch.