KAREN WALKER EYEWEAR (New York)

What's the one must-have Summer item? Beach home, fast car, luxe yacht? Nope. It's statement sunglasses - specifically, Karen Walker's statement shades. Indeed, few things really make a statement like a bold pair of Karen Walker's somewhat unusual but definitely distinctive eyewear. '80s avant garde, oversized glamazon, tastefully chunky, quirkily round -- take your pick, these cool unisex sunnies are just the Summer fashion fix you've been hankering for.

KAREN WALKER
New Zealand-born, New York-based Karen Walker has a reputation for designs "that provide a means of appearing cool but not trying too hard". A reoccurring theme in her work is taking extremes and pushing them together -- masculine and feminine, tailored and street, luxury and non-luxury, dark and super-cute. Karen Walker's creations celebrate the anti "it girl" -- characters like Ally Sheedy's heavy-fringed weirdo in 'The Breakfast Club', not the beautiful girl in the room, but the interesting one. These extremes reflect particularly heavily in her eyewear collection as an ongoing reference.

New from MOSCOT (New York)

Ever since Hyman Moscot, who arrived in the USA from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island, began selling eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street in 1899, Moscot has been one of the most venerable names in New York eyewear. This family institution is now run by fourth-generation brothers, who continue to pay homage to the brand’s heritage and influences via eyeglasses collections that are oddly elegant, mildly moronic, slightly geriatric, and therefore totally awesome.

Moscot’s Lemtosh, Miltzen and Nebb are said to be the heart of the collections. Now available in very limited quantities!

• Moscot Lemtosh
Unisex. The round frame has a pleasant-all-around shape loved by many eyeglasses wearer.


It's hard to resist a Moscot Lemtosh-wearing bebeh.


• Moscot Miltzen
Unisex. This even rounder, full-view shape, eponymously named after a family uncle, is sleek, clean, and fastidious.


Bella and Rosalie both love Edward Cullen the Moscot Miltzen.


• Moscot Nebb
Unisex. This chunky, rectangular Henry Kissinger-esque style has stood the test of time and is reportedly by far the most popular frame in the Moscot Originals collection.
As seen on Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live comedian/musician), Forest Whitaker, Justin Timberlake and Ted Danson.


Pick your Moscot and try it on and see. Trust us, people will come up to you and ask you about your eyewear ;-)
(Or if you don’t need glasses but love the frames, you can always have your optometrist turn them into sunglasses.)

LINDA FARROW EYEWEAR - Part 2

Although a clothing designer by trade, Linda Farrow knew that eyewear was just as important to the outfit as the outfit itself -- which was why she asked her optician husband to help create a range of sunglasses. That foresight has been key to the accessory’s functional SPF status being elevated to new style-centric heights.

• From Linda Farrow Luxe, the luxurious line which strives for timeless design and uncompromising quality, all the metal parts on this quality pair are, incredibly, made from titanium coated in white gold.
Perfect for your lazy “lounging-by-the-pool” days or anytime youfeel like lifting your look with a jolt of luxe.
(RRP US$540)


• Okay, so you might not know about Peter Pilotto. Well, this London label has been around for a couple of years, and there are actually two heads behind the scene: Peter Pilotto himself, an Austrian who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2004 and specialises in prints, and Christopher de Vos, an ex-Vivienne Westwood designer. The brand has become the talk of London, and not just because people are beginning to drop the designers’ names. According to style.com, among the current group of young talents who are being mentored in the free studio space of London's Centre for Fashion Enterprise, Peter Pilotto is the one whose sales graph is, against all the economic odds, heading skyward.
The colour combinations on these oversized Peter Pilotto-designed Linda Farrow Projects sunglasses are rare and tremendously effective, and IOHO giving you the perfect pair to wear with a white top.
(RRP: €269.99)

Peter Pilotto (right) and Christopher de Vos (left)

• daviddavid, also known as Chelsea College of Art fine art graduate David Saunders, is a London native of Iraqi descent. He started out as an assistant to “Brit bad girl” YBA artist Tracy Emin, and did not forget his artistic beginnings even after becoming immersed in the world of fashion. Known for his impeccable eye for colour and vibrant graphic motifs, Saunders’ kaleidoscope collection is youthful but confident, comfortable but a bit sophisticated, too, and ticking quite a few boxes that folks like M.I.A., Daisy Lowe and Agyness Deyn are looking for.

The versatility of Saunders’ graphics means he can take his ideas to all ends of the fashion and design spectrum -- like to these high-impact frames with tinted polycarbonate lenses for Linda Farrow Projects. The delightful geometric patterned enamel detailing will definitely give a fresh energy to your style.
(RRP £150.00)


daviddavid’s Spring video from a year ago is a mélange of brightly patterned tops and leggings choreographed to the rich strong sounds of Santogold’s “I’m a Lady” (Diplo mix ft. Amanda Blank). Just the right dose of brightness to cheer us out of post-World Cup funk!

New Eyewear from TOM FORD

Just like good shoes and a great bag, eyeglasses are an excellent way to give your face a big lift and rev up your style. Discover your own movie star allure, hide from the sun, look cooler than you can imagine, and -- for the ladies -- forget about wearing eye makeup behind one of these statement-making sunnies and specs from Tom Ford.

Extravagant with a 60s/70s retro appeal, the oversized Tom Ford “Nico” spells out “sex appeal” all over.
Tom Ford’s latest eyewear campaign stars model Carolyn Murphy and actor Nicholas Hoult (the nerdy 12-year-old from “About A Boy”, now all grown up!).
(Love the tan line.)


Vintage continues to be a major theme in fashion and having directed his first film, the much-praised period-piece “A Single Man”, retro style eyewear is clearly top of mind for Tom Ford.
Perhaps the designer-director was also rather inspired by the mid-20th century heavy black plastic rims worn by the film’s leading man Colin Firth. (Apparently Firth found the vintage glasses at the bottom of a box of props and convinced Ford to let him wear them.)
While Ford’s spectacles collection may be vintage-inspired, the styles are definitely modern with a distinct Tom Ford twist. The attention to detail in each frame, such as the metal inlays in the temple tips that appear to be a letter “T”, and the quality workmanship make these bookish but stylish beauties perfect for showing off your true Clark Kent colours.
(Tom Ford spectacles are unisex.)

MOSCOT "LEMTOSH" (Unisex)

Girls love him and most men want to be him, Johnny Depp is often photographed wearing a pair of retro-themed tortoise glasses: the Lemtosh by Moscot.

New York eyewear institution Moscot has been around since 1915 when founder Hyman Moscot sold hand-made spectacles from a pushcart (vintage before vintage was cool!).

Since then, Moscot has grown into one of the most venerable brands in the game.
Depp aside, Moscot specs have been preferred by artists, intellectuals, just about every cool guy through the generations -- including Buddy Holly, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Moby (they’re cool, right, hehe?).
Moscot’s designs have a definite retro charm and appeal to them -- some of the classic frames haven’t changed much since the 1930s.
While they may have that nerdy look, these time-tested frames really up your geek-chic quotient by about a hundred as soon as you put them on :-)
The Moscot Lemtosh is unisex and if it is your kind of style, then snap up the limited pairs available instore now!
(RRP US$229)

Famous faces in a variety of Moscots:-

(L to R) Dr. Henry Kissinger, Andy Warhol, John Lennon

Woody Allen

Benjamin Button aka Brad Pitt
Kanye West
(L to R) Nikki Reed (Twilight), January Jones (Mad Men)
(L to R) Korean stars MC Mong, Kim Ju-Hyeok, Lee Jeong-Jae
Japanese actor and trendsetter Odagiri Joe
Japanese fashionistas

Moscot eyewear Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaign. Nice!