See and Be Seen in Lanvin-Paris Eyewear from Urban Optiques!

We love deliveries at Urban Optiques — especially big, brown boxes from the UPS guy filled with box-upon-box of new eyeglass frames and sunglasses. We get even more excited when the box is filled with a new designer eyewear line that we haven’t previously carried.

So when we received our first shipment of Lavin-Paris eyeglasses and sunglasses this week, the office was filled with “ohhs” and “ahhs” as we unwrapped each these chic, sophisticated frames (and yes, we typically try on each of them while we do it.)

Lanvin Eyewear:  From Paris with Love

Previously unavailable in the United States, getting your hands on a pair of Lanvin eyeglasses or sunglasses meant either jumping a jet to Paris, or calling up that long-lost French pen-pal from grade school and having them ship you a pair.

Luckily, Lanvin-Paris struck a international distribution deal, so this high-quality, very fashionable eyewear line is now available in the U.S.  As soon as we had an opportunity to add Lanvin to our designer collection, we did. From our market research, Urban Optiques is one of the few Metro-Detroit eyewear boutiques to carry Lanvin-Paris eyewear.

Fantastic Eyewear from France’s Oldest Couture House: The Lanvin Story

Fashionistas will already be familiar with the Lanvin-Paris label.

It’s actually the oldest couture fashion house in France, born in 1882 when 22 year old designer Jeanne Lanvin opened a boutique on the prestigious rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré in Paris. Lanvin opened the boutique after wealthy Parisians began noticing and requesting copies of the exquisite clothing she was making for her daughters.   In 1909, it was inducted into the country’s Syndicat de la Couture – sealing its rank as a highly respected fashion house.

By the 1920s, Jeanne Lanvin had become one of the most influential designers in the world. Lanvin also became famous for a series of perfumes she created, including her signature fragrance Arpège in 1927. The perfume was inspired by the sound of her daughter practicing her scales on the piano.

In the 1980s, the Lanvin-Paris design house ping-ponged between a number of owners, and their designs suffered. However, in 2001 Israeli designer Alber Elbaz’s took over the helm at Lanvin, and revitalized the label — bringing back the exquisite elegance that marked the original, legendary design aesthetic of founder Jeanne Lanvin.

Why We Want You To Be Seen in Lanvin-Paris Eyewear

We love Lanvin-Paris eyewear for a few of reasons:

First, it’s very well-made. In fact, as we were unwrapping our Lanvin pieces, we had a few clients try them on. Their reaction was that it “felt good” and “substantial.” All good indicators of a well-constructed frame.

Second, the Lanvin-Paris eyewear line has a unique design aesthetic.

The frames are deliberately designed to be a bit wider than other eyewear lines.  Not only does this make Lanvin-Paris eyewear visually distinct, but it also offers people with broader faces (or large heads) a frame that naturally complements their facial structure. Even better, if you have a narrow or smaller face, and want to make a bold fashion statement with your eyewear, the Lanvin will work do the trick. So it’s extremely versatile as you can see from the number of celebrities who have discovered the charms of Lanvin.

Finally, our eye wear purchasing philosophy is really all about bringing unique, distinctive designs and brands into the shop that you can’t find at other optical stores or chain retailers. Yes, we carry many of the more-well known brands like Prada, but being independents ourselves, we have a soft-spot for the hidden gems out there. Lanvin-Paris is one of them. There will be more in the coming months.

The Lanvin-Paris eyewear collection includes both men’s and women’s ophthalmic (optical) frames, as well as sunglasses. Materials include acetates and metals, and the collection includes a wide-range of shapes and models, including rectangles, ovals, rounds, semi-rimless, and aviators.

Also, check out Lanvin’s film-noir-inspired Fall/Winter 2009/10 campaign to get a feel for the aesthetic of this legendary Paris design house.