Last year, there were sporadic sightings of the 1970s -- on faces of the high and mighty hip.
This year, thick retro sunglass frames have transmuted into something more contemporary and widespread.
Next year, the look will be futuristic but still inspired by the '70s, predicts Larry Leight, co-founder and chief designer of the Oliver Peoples line. That's the way it is with sunglasses, Leight said. Trends run in cycles of three or four years. So if you're thinking that the shades in stores today look strikingly similar to those you saw last year, you're onto something.
And now there's so much more of the same thing to choose from. Every fashion designer worth his Madison Avenue showroom has a line of sunglasses.
Sunglass lines are being launched this year by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Emilio Zegna and Perry Ellis. They're joining a market already teeming with runway powerhouses such as Alexander McQueen, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Jil Sander, Vivienne Westwood, Cynthia Rowley and many, many more.
"It's really almost become like a hip thing to wear sunglasses," said Paula Correri, accessory editor of Tobe Report, a retail analysis publication, "but with aging and plastic surgery, there's a functionality to it as well."
Profits, too, account for the enthusiasm. "It's no longer a first- and second-quarter business; it's becoming a year-round business," Correri said. The Vision Council of America's consumer survey found that in 2004, Americans spent close to $1.9 billion on sunglasses, up from nearly $1.8 billion in 2002.
But while designers may be expert in sunburst pleats or raw silk, their knowledge of gradient lenses and temple hinges is limited. Nor do they have the decades of technological know-how that Italian and, more recently, Japanese sunglass factories do. Consequently, designers almost uniformly use licensees to design and manufacture the lines.
Three companies, Marchon Eyewear, Safilo Group and Luxottica Group, account for the lion's share of designers' contracts. Even the oversized, distinctive sunglasses by Gucci and Chanel, for instance, are made by the Italian companies, Safilo and Luxottica respectively.
How well a style reflects its brand's aesthetic depends partly on how much a fashion house gets involved, say industry insiders.
"Some (fashion designers) have eyewear designers on staff who give us designs," said Eden Wexler, spokesperson for Safilo USA. "Some are more knowledgeable than others about what they want."
At the very least, design houses convey a sense of what they're looking for, Wexler said.
"They kind of tell us, `We want something that looks like this,' " she said. "But their idea of great eyewear may not actually be functional." Sunglasses considered to be of high quality have lenses that block most, if not all, UV rays. But vendors say that more and more, consumers are inquiring about polarized lenses, which eliminate glare. Other than Prada, few designers offer polarized sunglasses without special orders. Read more...
We are out of stock or we don't currently carry Oliver Peoples. Please check back often as we may carry this line soon.