Sunglasses

When You Deliver The Millionth Closed Loan, Your Shades Better Match The Mission! Check Out the Sunglasses from Urban Optiques Featured in Quicken Loan’s “The Millionth Loan” Movie …

Yesterday, Detroit-based national mortgage company Quicken Loans announced their millionth closed loan with a letter on their homepage (written in Comic Sans, no less) from founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert, a full-page ad in USA TODAY and a truly entertaining “mini-movie” about the guy who is put “in charge” of watching for the “millionth loan.”

Urban Optiques provided the sunglasses that appear on the two “men in black” in the elevator, the guys charged with making sure the millionth loan arrives safely to its destination.

The featured sunglasses are the Badgley Mischka Charles and the Prada PR65HS.  Both are rectangle-shaped aviators. Great choices to get that FBI/Secret Service/Private Security dude look.

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Put a Some Sizzle in Your Suns with the Badgley Mischka “Steve” Men’s Aviator Sunglass — The Latest Release from Sama and Badgley Mischka!

You’ll remember in late June that a brand new Badgley Mischka sunglass model — the Steve — was spotted on NBA forward Danny Granger at Sama’s West Hollywood boutique.  While the model hadn’t been publicly-released yet, we called up Sama and asked if we could get our hands on two of the Steves for ourselves.

We loved the big, bold frame — especially when coupled with the special edition 24K yellow gold and 18k white gold flash coated lenses from Sama.  The first of the Badgley Mischka Steve sunglasses arrived this week at Urban Optiques and all we can say is “wow.”

Guys, understand that this is not a sunglass for the man who wants to fade into the crowd. Nor is it for the faint of heart.

There is no way that you can put on the Steve and not get noticed.  It’s a very sexy sunglass, made all the sexier by the brilliant genuine 24K gold flash coating on the lenses. We see this working its magic best paired with a fantastic, custom-tailored suit — but Danny Granger shows that you can also pull it off with workout gear (not recommending this, just saying …)

The Badgley Mischka Steve is so new, in fact, that there’s a good chance that whoever buys the first pair will be one of only a handful of lucky men to be first seen in this very cool sunglass.  Will it be you?

Check out the pictures below that we snapped of the Badgley Mischka Steve in the boutique this week.

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Urban Optiques Takes the Loree Rodkin “Hunter” Sunglasses & Goes a Little Bit Wild

As we mentioned earlier in the week, Urban Optiques has partnered with 944 Detroit Magazine to give away a pair of fab Loree Rodkin eyeCouture Special Edition “Hunter”  Sunglasses with 18K white gold lenses as part of 944’s new “Detroit Swag” feature.

I won’t go into all the reasons that these are amazing sunglasses worth every cent of their $1,200 price tag (okay, I will: They have genuine hand-cut calfskin leather inserts, 18K gold couture lenses and, of course, the jewelry-grade sterling silver Loree Rodkin signature skulls at the temples.)

The real question on everyone’s mind is how do I wear them?

So to provide some inspiration, we’re putting together five looks this month ranging from mild, to a little bit wild — to completely wild — to show you how easy it is to accessorize these super-lux aviators.

This is a unisex frame, so be patient men … we’ll provide some looks for you also. But today we’re going to start with a cool, urban look that combines the Special Edition Loree Rodkin Hunter with a pair of Alice + Olivia seamed biker pants, Brooke Western Snake Tee, and a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti pumps.

We also tossed in some great accessories that play off from the leather, sterling silver and platinum finish on the Hunter sunglasses, including a vintage Chanel ring, Sonora Leather bracelet and dog-tag style monogrammed charm from Helen Ficalora (you can customize it with your initial.)

All of the elements of the ensemble (minus the Loree Rodkin sunglasses) are available at Shopbop.com.

To enter the 944 Detroit/Urban Optiques giveaway and have a chance at winning the Special Edition Loree Rodkin Hunter sunglasses, visit the 944 Detroit Swag Microsite.

A Little Bit Wild

944 Detroit Magazine, Urban Optiques and Loree Rodkin eyeCouture by Sama Team Up to Offer One Lucky Winner a Pair of Special Edition Loree Rodkin “Hunter” Sunglasses with 18K Gold Couture Lenses

In celebration of 944 Magazine’s debut of “Detroit Swag” this month, Urban Optiques, 944 Detroit and Loree Rodkin eyeCouture by Sama are giving away a fab pair of Special Edition Loree Rodkin Hunter Sunglasses featuring 18K gold lenses by Sama.

These aren’t just any sunglasses.  Like nearly everything we carry at Urban Optiques, you won’t find Loree Rodkin at Sunglass Hut, Lenscrafters, S.E.E. or even Nordstrom or Saks.

Designed by world-renowned L.A. luxury jeweler Loree Rodkin, these magnificent suns feature a silky platinum finish over pure titanium frames, genuine brown calfskin leather insets in the temples, and Loree Rodkin’s trademark skulls in sterling silver.

To top it all off, Sama has luxed-up these already amazing aviators by adding Special Edition 18K white gold lenses.

The Special Edition Loree Rodkin Hunter retails for over $1,200 dollars, but we’re going to put one lucky person in this fantastic, rock-star sunglass for free. All you have to do is visit the 944 Detroit Swag site and register to win.

The winner will be announced in the August Edition of 944 Detroit Magazine.

The New Modo ECO Eyewear Collection at Urban Optiques Melds Style with Sustainability.  Eyewear Made from 95% Recycled Materials!

Okay, let’s just get this out of the way: If you are over 25 you’ll remember a time when “eco-friendly” and “fashionable” would not be uttered in the same sentence.  While Birkenstocks are great for your feet, I’m pretty certain “stylish” was never a term that applied to them.

But over the past few years, all of that has changed. Designers and retailers have come up with all kinds of creative ways to produce truly stylish eco-friendly and sustainable products from recycled materials.  One of our favorites is the Harvey Tote made from recycled seat belts, which sounds utterly horrible until you actually see it.  Turns out that seatbelts can be actually quite beautiful when weaved together into a purse or handbag.

Or take the new Modo ECO Eyewear Collection that we just added at Urban Optiques: More than 25 eyeglasses and sunglass models made from 95% recycled plastic and stainless steel. Not only are they environmentally-responsible, but they also look amazing.

MODO ECO Eyewear: Certified “Green”

The Modo ECO (Earth Conscious Optics) line is an eyewear collection marked by “firsts.” It’s the first optical and sunglass collection to be made entirely of recycled materials.  It’s also the first-ever consumer brand and eyewear collection to receive an Environmental Claims Validation (ECV) from UL Environment (ULE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a world leader in product evaluation. Getting a Environmental Claims Validation is not an easy process, so it’s quite an achievement for the New York based boutique eyewear maker.

Everything about the new Modo ECO line is about sustainability, right down to the packaging. In addition to using recycled and repurposed materials to create the frames, the collection is packaged in recycled materials and each new pair is accompanied by an easy to use mail-in recycling kit that allows you to donate your unwanted frames to charities that help supply eyeglasses to developing countries.

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Experience First Hand The Sama Eyewear Runway Show at the Angiolucci Lunettes Boutique in Catania, Italy.  Featuring Sunglasses from the Sama, Badgley Mischka and Loree Rodkin eyeCouture Collections.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, we adore Sama Eyewear around Urban Optiques.

Why?

Well,  Sama is simply producing some of the most amazing, contemporary couture eyewear on the planet.  Forget about Chanel, D&G, Dior, Burberry and Coach.  Anyone can buy that at Sunglass Shack or Lenscrafters.  If you want something truly unique, you’ll want Sama.

If you don’t believe us, check out this great video filmed at the Angiolucci Lunettes Boutique in Catania, Italy. Not only does it feature some of Sama’s hottest sunglasses, but it also includes some great clips from Sama founder and lead designer Sheila Vance.

It speaks for itself.

The footage includes sunglasses from Sama, Badgley Mischka Eyewear and Loree Rodkin eyeCouture.

Enjoy and Grazie! to Angiolucci for sharing this with us all:

A Little Known Perk from VSP Lets Lasik Patients Use Their Eyeglass Benefit for Non-Prescription Sunglasses

If you’ve had Lasik surgery and want to upgrade to a new pair of sunglasses this summer, we’ve got a great tip that could save you over $100 on your new shades.

Thanks to a little known benefit from VSP, VSP vision insurance members who have undergone Lasik vision correction surgery can use their bi-yearly eyeglass benefit toward a pair of non-prescription sunglasses.

Yes, we said that right: If you’ve had Lasik and you have VSP, you can get your non-prescription sunglasses completely or partially paid for.

Normally, the frame benefit can only be applied to prescription sunglasses (for non-Lasik patients.) But if you’ve had Lasik surgery, VSP wants you to still protect your eyes from damaging UV rays and is willing to let you apply your usual frame benefit toward a pair of fantastic suns.

Depending on your particular VSP plan, this benefit can save you up to $150 dollars on non-prescription sunglasses.  That will pretty much cover a brand new pair of Ray Bans or get you into a pair of fab Badgley Mischka, Prada,  Sama, Tag Heuer, or Chloe suns at a savings of up to 50% off the retail price (or better, depending on brand and model.)

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Our Final Look for the “Sama Heart of Gold Sunglass Five Ways in Five Days” Style Series Draws Its Inspiration and Materials Straight from Nature

The final look in our “Sama Heart of Gold Sunglasses: Five Ways Over Five Days“ Style Series is all about nature.

We centered the entire look around the beautifully light and airy purple and orange Diane Von Furstenburg “Layly” Tiger dress, which puts a new, colorful twist on this season’s continued obsession with animal prints.

We tried to carry the “Au Naturale” theme through the entire look, choosing accessories that utilized natural materials like wood and cork:  Purple D Squared wood platform heels, a Tahari cork clutch and a wood and gold bangle bracelet to finish it off.

Of course, there are also the Sama Heart of Gold sunglasses, which complement the rich, royal oranges and purples that dominate the ensemble.

Enjoy!

Au Naturale

You’ve Seen this Look, Now See the Rest!

Don’t forget to check out the other four looks we put together with the Sama Heart of Gold sunglasses:

• Look One: Guilded Pleasures
• Look Two: Platinum Play
• Look Three: Day to Night
• Look Four: Street Scene
• Look Five: Au Naturale

Can the Sama Heart of Gold Sunglass Hold Up to A Casual, But Chic Urban Look? You Tell Us After You’ve Seen Today’s “Heart of Gold: Five Ways Over Five Days” Look from Urban Optiques.

With just one more day left in our “Sama Heart of Gold Sunglasses: Five Ways Over Five Days“ Style Series we decided to put together a more casual, street-smart and urban look with the Sama Heart of Gold Sunglasses.

Today’s look starts with a pair of sleek, latex-look leggings from Alice + Olivia paired with a cool, over-sized graphic jersey by Pagano.

We then added the Sama Heart of Gold sunglasses in platinum and 18K white gold, a fantastic Costume National black leather purse with silver accents and finished it off with a dangerous flash of red under the outfit’s monochromatic theme thanks to some truly killer Michette Daniele black leather patch sandals with sky-high red heels.

If the Michette Daniele heels are bit too edgy for your taste, this ensemble also works great with a pair of black leather booties, pumps, slingbacks or even chunky leather knee boots.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Street Scene

The Gold Aviator Sunglasses Seen on Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw Character in Sex and The City 2 Are Causing an Eyewear Buzz. Who Makes Carrie’s Gold Sunglasses in SATC 2 and Where Can I Buy Them?

With this week’s box office debut of Sex and The City 2, we’ve received a deluge of e-mails asking who makes the gold aviator sunglasses that Sarah Jessica Parker wears in her reprise of the Carrie Bradshaw role in Sex and The City 2?

The good news is we’ve identified Carrie’s gold aviators from SATC 2:  They are Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm’s “Franz” Limited-Edition Aviator Sheet-Metal Sunglasses ($525.)

The bad news is you’ll likely be waiting some time to get your hands on these sunglasses (maybe as long as the end of summer.)  The Mykitas have been on back order at Patricia Fields since the gold sunglasses first showed up on Sarah Jessica Parker in advanced publicity shots last year. No word on when they’ll be available.

How to Still Get Carrie’s Gold Plated Look: Sama

Although Urban Optiques doesn’t carry Mykita,  the lens coating technology that is used on the Mykita “Franz” Limited-Edition Gold Aviator sunglasses in Sex and The City 2 was actually developed by Sama Eyewear out of Los Angeles and is currently available on a wide-range of  Sama, Badgley Mischka and Loree Rodkin eyeCouture models at Urban Optiques.

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