Chanel Illustrated

The continued attention on the Chanel 5018s is pretty wild, especially when you consider they first debuted in the Spring 2007 RTW show. They made the New York Times Style Section yesterday in a piece on fashion illustrators, "What a Lens Can't Capture." Danny Roberts' "Chanel Girls" features a small army of 5018-wearers.


Danny Roberts' other illustrations are worth checking out (via his Flickr and his blog, Igor and Andre). You can even order yourself a "Chanel Girls" t-shirt!

Lara Stone: Suddenly a Super

You've really got to hand it to Lara Stone, who is the cover model for and profiled in ("Fashion's It Girl") this month's W. Here in New York, she has been praised as "the anti-model" by Cathy Horyn, but she is perhaps best known for being the only model featured in the "all-Lara" February 2009 edition of French Vogue. In fact, editress Carine Roitfeld has described her as a muse, saying: “Sometimes a girl just touches you.”

That said, let's take a look back at some of Lara's flashier moments. Below, her campaign in 2007 as the face of Givenchy, where she made her major modeling debut.

[Photo: supermodels.nl]

On the left, Lara wore shades on the runway of Roberto Cavalli's Fall 2007 show. Below right, a moment backstage at Versace's Fall 2007 show.

[Photo: Style.com]

Bazaar: Fabulous at Every Age

practically tear my Harper's Bazaar apart when it comes in the mail each month. January's was no exception, particularly "Fabulous at Every Age" which got me psyched for spring's graphic prints, bright colors and florals.

"Even though it's technically still winter, there's no reason you can't get excited about spring. There are so many trends to look forward to, from the futuristically charged ensembles seen at Calvin Klein and Balenciaga to the balletic pieces shown on the runways of Michael Kors and Vera Wang and the requisite LWDs seen all over (but perfected at Versace and Stella McCartney). So why not start making your wish list now?"

Here are their recommended shades:

30s - KEEP IT CLASSIC WITH A CLEAN NAVY-AND-WHITE PALETTE FOR DAY OR NIGHT

Vogue 3552 S:
Cost: $99
Colors: Black, Gold
Retailer: Sunglasshut.com

40s - TRY BOLD PRINTS IN SOPHISTICATED HUES AND SMART CUTS

Giorgio Armani 317/S:
Cost: $200
Colors: Shiny Black, Havana, Bordeaux (as seen at left), Blue
Retailer: SunglassSpecialist.com

60s - TRANSFORM NEUTRAL BASICS WITH VIBRANTLY HUED YET REFINED SHAPES

Dita Lotus:
Cost: $150
Colors: Tortoise, Red, Black
Retailer: 80sPurple.com

70+ - EMBRACE THE NEW CROP OF ELEGANT AND ALLURING SEPARATES

Blinde by Richard Walker - Oh My Ooh Me:
Cost: $260
Colors: Black, Red, Tortoise
Retailer: Saks Fifth Avenue


I personally think any of these sunglasses would be lovely for a woman of any generation, but I am certainly looking forward to spring.

New Releases

lashyShades.com would like to wish a warm welcome to two newly launched sunglasses lines!

This week, two delightful brands from opposite ends of the fashion spectrum announced their plans to enter the sunglasses market: the highly accessible Banana Republic and the more exclusive Thakoon.

For their eyewear collection, Banana Republic entered into a five year deal with a proven winner, the Safilo Group, the powerhouse responsible for the following splendor:



A wise choice! Marka Hansen, the president of Banana Republic addressed the new shades line in a statement, saying:

"We continue to grow Banana Republic as a lifestyle brand and eyewear is a natural extension of our plans."

[Source: Gap Inc.]

Banana Republic eyewear will be available in Solstice, independent stores, and Banana Republic locations by late 2007. Giddy up!

* * *

The second newbie is Thakoon, the acclaimed line designed by Panichgul Thakoon (a former editor at Harper's Bazaar).

"Thakoon has set its sights on the eyewear business. The ready-to-wear label designed by Thakoon Panichgul in New York has unveiled a collection of sunglasses. The collection represents the first step into the accessories category for the two-and-a-half-year-old brand and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up, following its collaboration with Nine West this fall on footwear, handbags and gloves."

[Source: WWD]

Thakoon's new venture is not super surprising, as his Spring/Summer '07 runway show featured several models in sunglasses (as shown above). View the entirety of that show HERE. [Source: NYMag]

I, for one, am waiting with bated breath!

Balenciaga: Redux

ashion Bible Vogue has declared that Balenciaga's Spring 2007 avant-garde glasses are the way of fashion's future. This seems fitting, given that designer Nicolas Ghesquière was inspired by The Terminator.

The venerable magazine's Fashion Market and Accessories Director, Virginia Smith, has instructed readers to:

"Forget rose-colored glasses. For spring, Balenciaga's cyber-goddess goggles are the way to go."

[Source: Style.com]

Frequent readers may recall that I reviewed the Balenciaga runway show back in early October in a post entitled "Robotic Articulation, Car Parts, Droits".



Revisiting the sunglasses, I find I am less offended by them the second time around, which is not to say that high school chemistry labs and hearty games of paintball do not come to mind. The clear lenses I still cannot possibly consider, but the opaque lenses may even almost border on -- dare I say it? -- cool.

Nevertheless, with the sunglasses not hitting stores until late January or February of 2007, it seems premature for Vogue to declare them:

"The cult buy of the season."

This will mark the first collection of Balenciaga eyewear. The sales clerk at the New York store estimated the cost to be approximately $550. Yowzers!

Stellllllllllllaaaaa [Spring/Summer 2007]

tella McCartney showed her Spring/Summer 2007 Ready to Wear line in Paris on Thursday of last week. The collection was heralded for its breezy, Californian vibe.

Though there were only a few pairs of sunglasses in the show, they were interesting without bordering on the absurd.


[Source: Style.com]

I think Safilo Group has done a tremendous job with her eyewear collection. The frames reflect her funky, pared down style. Of Ms. McCartney's shades, Safilo's website states:

"The latest Stella McCartney sunglasses collection offers a decidedly sensual feel and vintage spirit conveyed through large frames, harmonious combinations of materials and retro influences, in a perfect seventies style."

[Source: Safilo]

Sir Paul would be proud!

PS - Kanye West was there. With his sunglasses. And his skeleton suit.

[Source: Vogue.co.uk, ThePianoPages]

Robotic Articulation, Car Parts, Droids

n Tuesday of last week, Balenciaga's Spring/Summer 2007 collection was shown in Paris. Designer Nicolas Ghesquiere's inspiration? The Terminator.

"I was thinking of robotic articulation. Car parts. Droids," Mr. Ghesquiere told Style.com.

Janet Jackson, the Olsens and Anna Wintour were on hand to see the future of fashion for themselves.

His collection may have been avant-garde, but what is with the chemistry lab goggles? Were there projectiles on the runway? These safety masks can't possibly offer UVA/UVB protection.

If this is the future of sunglasses, I prefer the past.

[Source: Style.com]

Louis the 2K7

arc Jacobs gave me but one sunglasses look at his Louis Vuitton show in Paris yesterday. One look? One look!


The collection was described as "romantic-cum-sporty, casual-but-pretty" by Style.com, but who cares? It only featuerd one pair of sunglasses! And I'd describe the collection not as romantic, sporty, casual or pretty, but as "grandma-chic." [Source: Style.com]

The lonely sunglasses had funky arms though.


[Source: Vogue.co.uk]

Paris Fashion Week: Chanel Spring/Summer 2007

ary-Kate Olsen will not be remembered as having worn the stupidest sunglasses for Paris Fashion Week [See: Uhhhh.... MK?], if Karl Lagerfeld has anything to say about it. With Friday's Chanel show, the designer paraded high hemlines, ponytails, garments with pill- and tablet-embellishments, and two-tone shades down the catwalk.

But one pair of sunglasses was shown on the runway: curve-armed frames with half-opaque, half-translucent lenses . Questionable as the shades were, they were far superior to the clear plastic platforms Mr. Lagerfeld was trying to sell us.

[Source: Vogue.co.uk]

Though these sunglasses may look silly, they (and other moderately-priced accessories) are serious profit heavy-weights for the fashion house. Mr. Lagerfeld advised customers that the shades are available, but to act quickly:

"The models carried the handbags and wore the oversized sunglasses that are all important for profit margins at luxury goods houses.

'I don't show anything that is not for sale,' said the 68-year-old Lagerfeld.

'Whatever you seen on the Chanel runway you can have it in the show. You have to go early because those things disappear quite quickly and the sales girls have a tendency to hide them for their favorite clients.'"

[Source: NYTimes]

Oh, yeah, and these two were front and center. Nice shades, ladies. Couldn't swing seats next to Anna Wintour? (Who was present, and yes, also wore sunglasses.)

[Source: KatieHolmes.com]

Versace: Somebody Stop Me!

ILAN, September 29, 2006 -- Donatella Versace presented her well-received Spring/Summer 2007 Ready-to-Wear collection. The go-go 80s-inspired line was heralded as a "tour-de-force performance" and a "full-on glamour stomp" by preeminent fashion critics.

[Sources, respectively: Style.com, NYTimes]

Donatella, the designer and carrier of the Versace torch, finished off the season's look (proclaimed as "especially polished" by the luckiest woman in the world and The New York Times' fashion critic, Cathy Horyn) with oversized, earth-toned sunglasses that will almost certainly adorn the faces of starlets, celebutards and stylish mere mortals come springtime.

Above: Close-ups of Ms. Versace's models (there you are, Carmen Kass!), in the shades. [Source: Style.com You can also view the runway show's actual clothing, if that's your thing.]

The Versace website does not currently offer this particular pair. I'm sure Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and his super-human female counterparts will be striking in them.

Like any self-respecting runway show, Ms. Versace's show featured brilliant celebrity front-rowers. Here, Prince was the guest of honor and came flanked by two disarmingly identical "Twinz", his back-up dancers. The trio remained shielded by dark shades throughout the show; I am going to go out on a limb here and peg Prince's sunglasses, as well as those of the pretty young things, as the designer's own.



[Source, clockwise from left: PageSix, Vogue.uk, People]

I believe them to be the Versace 2057 model, but man-glass is often a mystery to me. Its also always possible (probable, even) that Donatella sent the Former Artist a flashy prototype or a pair unavailable to the masses.

Cost: $199
Colors: Brown, Grey, Black, Green, Shaded Brown
Retailers: SunglassesItaly.com*

Prince was not content to merely sit on the sidelines and cause a stir: it was reported that it was his custom-made soundtrack the models sashayed to and his "smashing" live performance the after party revelers grooved to. With no less than three reported costume changes, that Prince is a legendary performer, albeit a high maintenance one. Cheers to a well--executed show, Ms. Versace!
[Source: Hello!, Fashion Windows]

The Twinz don't warrant sunglass specifics. Perhaps if they began to dress themselves individually, dropped the "Z", and purified themselves in the water of Lake Minnetonka. Perhaps.

* Sunglassesitaly.com is another site I recommend for the difficult task of online shades shopping. They offer current, really desirable designer sunglasses -- we're talking Tom Ford, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, et cetera -- that will cost you less (including the shipping from Italy) for less than what you'd spend in Neiman's or Barney's. Enjoy a 5% discount for joining their newsletter.

All in all, quite a satisfy day for sunglasses. More on the upcoming European fashion shows (and those I have neglected to cover in the past week or so. Let me know if you still want New York).

Karen Walker's Eyewear Debut

ast week: Karen Walker took her eponymous line to the New York runway shows for the first time. This week: Her eyewear collection premiered in her native country, New Zealand.




Her inspiration for the collection was the eyewear of 1970s dictators. A different theme, I like it.

The collection features uniformly oversized lenses, typically encased in large, dark plastic frames. A pair of large aviators is also offered.

Ms. Walker's premier collection is modern and quite fun; one of my favorites is pictured at right.

Thread, a New Zealand-based fashion magazine, covered the launch party and had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Walker:

"The campaign, shot by Derek Henderson and styled by top fashion stylist Rachael Churchward, shows models posing as dictators in Walker's shades in a cheeky take on world politics. 'I’ve always been amused by that South American and African dictator look and how the size of their eyewear always seems to have some sort of correlation to the size of their power, perceived or real.'"

[Source: Thread]

Ms. Walker's launch party also included a photo call for guests to model the sunglasses on stage as the 1970s dictators behind some evening news-style mics. You can check out the results here. The entire collection is visible on her official eyewear website.

The New Zealand Herald also covered the launch party and interviewed the designer, who shared her enthusiasm for the line and some insights into the latest sunglasses trends:

New Zealand Herald: What was the inspiration for this range of sunglasses compared to last year's range?

Karen Walker: We really looked to the dictators and revolutionaries of the 60s and 70s... strong, classic, very masculine shapes, moving on from the round, soft feminine shapes of last season. These are quite angular.

NZH: What's your favourite style in the new range?

KW: Very hard to say. I couldn't give you my favourite, I've got about four pairs of them! I can't make up my mind. It's quite fun, I have different ones for different moods.

[Source: NZHerald]

The coverage went on to report:

[The] guests loved the glasses so much some discreetly disappeared.

[Source: NZHerald]

I applaud your flashy shades, Ms. Walker, and look forward to seeing them in stores.

Fashion Week! His Shades [Spring 2007]

y word! Fashion Week is nearly over and I have yet to begin documenting the Spring 2007 sunglasses!

Let's begin with the guys.

1. Lanvin

At the Lanvin show, muted colors were all the rage on suits and Hammeresque pants. Clothes schmoes. Their eyewear designers seemed to exhibit environmental concerns, as they were obviously (and perhaps overly) influenced by An Inconvenient Truth. Or that is my explanation for their excessive eye protection.

2. Givenchy

In their runway show this week, Givenchy showed a modern, masculine take on cat-eye frames, a sprinkling of white shades, and a few pitch-black mirrored lenses.

Their collection of mens sunglasses was, in my opinion, one of the strongest.

I liked their mod suits, too.

3. Yves St. Laurent

Eh. More muted palette. Less sunglasses.

4. Dries Van Noten

White sunglasses on dudes? In April?

I don't know, Dries.

5. Dior Homme

Do I hate it? Do I love it?

I just don't even care, Hedi Slimane.

6. Louis Vuitton

Nice job, Pharrell!

My only complaint is that there could be a stronger sunglasses presence. I do love the runway's background print, though.

7. John Galliano

The overall "look" here is very caveman meets Ibiza rave chic. Ha.

The sunglasses? They were small. Boo.

8. D & G

D&G's Spring 2007 collection was the lovechild of American Eagle and American Indians. They omitted shirts for their male models and instead sent each and every one of them down the runway in some just-the-right-amount-of-funky shades.

I loved it. I want to buy them. I'm getting choked up just typing about it.

9. Gucci

Another confidence-inspiring show from Gucci. These are the shades I'd wear if I was a guy. Maybe I'd wear them anyway.

10. Etro

Ugh. I am offended. Is no one else offended? This is eyewear for inside a tanning bed.
Be gone, Whig Party.

11. Giorgio Armani

Basic black. No objections here.

12. Dolce & Gabbana

Nice, crisp uniform look. True to form, this collection exhibited more maturity than the D&G line, I like.













[Source: NYMag; They have tremendous coverage of fashion week. Create your own album like Tim Gunn, Tinsley Mortimer, Melania Trump and I did.]