round sunglasses

You all must have seen the John Lennon Poster (Mr. Lennon’s image, in round sunglasses) allover the NYC town, peering at us from subway walls and billboards since May, publicizing a Lennon exhibition at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex in SoHo. That show ignited requests for round sunglasses at stores around the city.

...john lennon and yoko ono...

The hot eyewear look of 2008 was pretty much defined by plastic Wayfarer knockoffs, garish neon trapezoids often seen color-coordinated with a plaid shirt and sneakers. Or else it was “shutter shades,” those ventilated blinders popularized by Kanye West (that was really too much).

It's 2009 and sunglasses must be round! Why? Only last year round sunglasses were considered square?

...a pair from the linda farrow collection...

Round frames last appeared as a fashion trend about two decades ago. In 1989, when Alain Mikli introduced a thick-rimmed version. One of my very first were Mikli's!

Before that, they were a defining element of hippie style during the 1960s counterculture movement — just about the only time that round glasses could be described as an unqualified fashion hit. Throughout the last century, round glasses have been associated with celebrated architects, literary stars and intellectual thinkers — Philip Johnson, Le Corbusier, Dominick Dunne, Gandhi — almost all of them men and rarely a figure noted for his cutting-edge personal style.

...hippie...

And yet something about the style, as uncommercial as it may seem, has clicked with designers. Or, as it turns out, several things happened at roughly the same time, in 2007 and 2008, that help explain why you are seeing round sunglasses again.

The story of round would not be complete without a nod to the hippies. This year’s Broadway revival of “Hair,” while not exactly fashion friendly, had its first performances last summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. At a preview last May, its cast performed at the Costume Institute gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before an audience that included a spectrum of international fashion designers.

...photograph by Mr. Sidibé...

Remember the black-and-white portraits taken in the 1950s and ’60s by the Malian photographer Malick Sidibé, who was given a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Biennale art fair two years ago? That was when Mr. Sidibé, now in his 70s, began to have an unexpected fashion moment. Designers sought out monographs of his work, notably a 2004 edition published by Steidl that conveyed the exuberance of postcolonial West Africa with images of stylish young men and women, many of them wearing incredible sunglasses.

...another Sidibé photograph...

But it was not Mr. Sidibé’s influence alone that set off the trend. John Lennon deserves some credit, too. In July 2007, Mr. Lennon’s name was again in the news when a pair of his wire-rimmed round glasses were sold at auction, drawing bids of more than $1.5 million, the BBC reported, though the final sale price, which was never disclosed, was believed to be far less.

But it also just makes plain sense that round glasses would return because they mesh with other eyewear themes occurring at the moment, like vintage, geek-chic and Hollywood.

This round shape is the most natural shape for designers to embrace and maybe, another signature Lennon style — an upside-down pear shape — would be the next big thing after that?

making waves

photo: joe curren

Fitting, considering the various exotic vacations we New Yorkers are going to enjoy this Summer - I am kidding, of course, as this year we're all staying home and grumping about what the weak dollar has done to us, as we can't even afford to visit family in our hometowns in Europe, not to mention, join them and share the Sicily vacation villa - damn it! But, again: Fitting, in a sarcastic kind of way, was the show at Soho Grand on one of the recent warm evenings.

I've been a long time admirer of all things surfing - hey are you kidding me? I am such a fan and I am already prepared for the question, which undoubtedly will come one day where I am asked what my regrets are: Never to have properly learned to surf and catch the waves!!

My goody, and it seams that Chris Gentile and Joe Curren who both contributed photographs to the accompaigning exhibition "Cut/Break,", hosted by Stella Schnabel, which screened short films by Richard Kenvin, Britton Caillouette and Jakob Daschek, are thinking the exact same thing - are on the same wave length, I mean.

At the moment I am not able to bid on any of the great works of art despite that they were really cool! For now I am just happy to stick with my collection of surf patches on my jean jacket....

... and there was an impressive, fashionable crowd in the lounge yard of the Soho Hotel Institution, which I enjoyed...

...paparazzi...

...smoking beauty...

...posing beauty...

...wow, zac posen??...

...english paparazzi photographer...

...young and preppy...

...more posing, later at night...

...serious bling...

... bling...

... bling...

... click!




all photographs courtesy of carl posey

mine are prescription glasses

I am clueless how, out of the blue, there is a whole new generation of near sighted individuals, in NYC at least. And they do favor the old movie star 1950's type bold frame my dad was wearing until around after the time I was born. But do they all contain prescription lenses like mine? As I dared to mention there may be a new generation perhaps...? We should check the water supply from Upstate New York....

These are my new glasses with transition prescription lenses.

So yes, I have been wearing glasses since I can remember, really. Styles offered at the shops change with the seasons and trends. From the perspective of a fashion designer glasses can be a welcomed style element, permitted they are in fashion at the time, or they can pose a challenge when they are not necessarily. Well right now you better be nearsighted or you've got to fake it!

When the 80's come back, outrageous glasses are not far and so when the trend started a few years back, I think Kanye West brought that frame back to the masses. Kinda ridiculous if you ask me. But Kanye ALMOST gets away with it. Emphasis on the ALMOST.

But guys! It does NOT mean YOU should WEAR them on the street!! Yes they come in all shades of color but they do look ridiculous and they do not protect you from any harmful rays.... so let's stop this already!



Go to a great glasses shop like Selima Optique NY, who has several shops across town and features really cool one of a kinds and vintage frames that are really the thing to be wearing during this trend of larger frames, which I think IS cool.

So I just wanted to share my opinion and my new frames, which I will still be changing up with all my other frames, depending on what I will be wearing any given day.
And lucky me: I never threw away my dad's old original frame he was wearing in the 50's, (never get rid of quality frames!!!) so I am right on target with these too!

me in my dad's old frames from the 50's/60's

If you are still looking for some of these frames and are not the flea market, thrift stores browsing type, check out the 90 year old NY institution Moscot on 14th street in Manhattan, they got them all brand new!