Okay, summer is pretty much over, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of sun-filled mornings and afternoons ahead of you requiring a great pair of shades.

In celebration of the Fall fashion season, 944 Detroit and Urban Optiques are giving away another fab pair of couture sunglasses:  This time a pair of  Special Edition Badgley Mischka Boyd acetate aviators  with 18K white gold couture lenses valued at $780 dollars.

A unisex sunglass, the Boyd has been spotted on everyone from Brad Pitt to singer Kelly Rowland to models Heidi Klum and Alessandra Ambrosio.  While the Boyd is celeb favorite, no one has yet been seen in the Special Edition version of the Boyd we are giving away this month.  So if you win the Boyd, you’ll be setting the trend here.

How Do I Enter to Win?

Entering for a chance to win these lux sunglasses from Badgley Mischka Eyewear, Urban Optiques and 944 Detroit is easy: Just click over to the 944 Detroit Swag page and fill out the short registration form (it’s only a couple of fields.)  Not only will you be entered in the sunglass giveaway, but you’ll also have a chance at winning a print by emerging local artist Mark Sarmel.

Accessorizing eyewear with other pieces in your wardrobe is often less about the eyewear, and more about the rest of the outfit.

Today’s look, which again features the Loree Rodkin Hunter Special  Edition sunglasses, is the perfect example.

The first words that usually come out of people’s mouths when they see the Loree Rodkin Eyewear Collection is “edgy” or “gothic.”  And it’s true:  Loree’s distinct style of jewelry and eyewear design is rife with daggers, skulls, serpentine embellishments and crosses.

So you might be tempted to think the only way to wear her jewelry or eyewear is with a pair of leather pants and stilettos.

But as many of Loree Rodkin’s devotees will attest, her designs are combined with formal wear all of the time.  Watch the red carpet at any Hollywood or major fashion event, and you’ll likely see at least one luminary wearing Loree’s jewelry alongside their couture dress.  A quick glance at Loree Rodkin’s press book will settle any lingering doubts you might have.

The key to accessorizing the Loree Rodkin Eyewear line is to treat it like jewelry. When stylists put their clients in Loree Rodkin jewelry, they will typically use it either as a surprising contrast against an elegant or chic outfit, or will use it to amplify an already edgy look.  Because the designs are so striking, a little bit of Loree Rodkin goes a long way.

Just to prove it, we put together a look today with the Loree Rodkin Hunter that is night-and-day from the last pairing we did.

For this outfit, we built everything around a Derek Lam wool crepe dress from Saks.  While the jewelry, shoes and handbag all play off from the browns and silvers in the Hunter sunglasses, this is a daytime look that most women could pull off.  The Report Signature booties could easily be swapped with this pair of Stuart Weitzman croc slingback, the Bally Eddi pumps or L.A.M.B. Finsburys if you wanted to tone things down even more.

Of course, the real icing on the cake are the Hunters, which give this fairly conservative, but still chic, ensemble just a little bit of danger — especially when paired up with the John Hardy Naga head ring, stainless steel leather cuff bracelet and truly amazing Donald J Pilner chain satchel.

Remember, we’re giving away a pair of these exact Loree Rodkin Hunter sunglasses as part of this month’s 944 Detroit Swag.  So register now for your chance to win them.

Tell us what you think ….

A Little Bit Mild: Featuring the Hunter Sunglasses from Loree Rodkin.

Featured Accessories

• Report Signature Vandalia Bootie
• Donald J Pilner Adela Chain Satchel
• Leather and Stainless Steel Cuff Bracelet
• Derek Lam Wool Crepe Dress
• John Hardy Naga Head Sterling Silver Ring
• Loree Rodkin Hunter Special Edition Sunglasses with 18K White Gold Lenses

We love it when designers prominently feature their eyewear lines in their seasonal fashion collections.

It’s even better when they put their eyewear on the runways.

Which is exactly what Mark Badgley and James Mischka did during their Spring/Summer 2010 preview at the 11th Amsterdam International Fashion Week.

The spring/summer ready-to-wear collection from Badgley Mischka was stunning enough on its own.

But what really made it sizzle was Badgley Mischka’s decision to place its couture sunwear on every single model on the catwalk:

This made for one of the most conspicuous displays of sunglasses in any major collection this year (and possibly in history), which of course makes us overjoyed, since we carry both the Badgley Mischka Couture Eyewear Collection and the very sunglass models featured in Amsterdam.

After more than a decade of silver dominating eyewear, it was also refreshing to Badgley Mischka pair gold sunwear with their spring/summer fashions.

White gold made a showing as well, but the emphasis was definitely on yellow, which perfectly complimented the warm browns, bronzes and golds in the Amsterdam collection.

Badgley Mischka and Sama deserve much of the credit for reviving the aviator style sunglass and making it chic and fashionable again.

The Perry with 22k gold lenses (which is repeatedly featured in the Amsterdam show) is a favorite of Angelina Jolie and other celebs and recently made an appearance in Rhianna’s So Hard video.

According to Brian Glascow of Sama Eyewear, the sunglass designs featured in the Badgley Mischka Amsterdam collection were custom made by Sama with special couture lenses especially for the show.

Out of this concept was the birth of the 22k and 18k gold lenses that are available as a premium couture option on select Badgley Mischka frames like the Boyd and Perry.

While aviators have been slowly making a comeback for the better part of two years, there really hasn’t been an ultra-premium, couture alternative to the classic Ray-Ban until Badgley Mischka and Sheila Vance of Sama introduced the 22k gold version of the Perry and Boyd sunglasses.

The Amsterdam show from Badgley Mischka also shows how versatile the aviator truly is (once you lux it up a bit.)

Notice how effortlessly the gold Badgley Mischka sunglasses move from formal wear, to flirty summer dresses, to swimwear.

There’s a reason that certain designs in eyewear become “classics” and the Badgley Mischka Spring/Summer collection clearly demonstrates the enduring appeal of the metal aviator.

The Badgley Mischka Eyewear models featured in the Amsterdam collection include: Perry, Boyd, Alfie, Corset, Bradley, Grant (Optical Frame) and the Marilyn.

Tomorrow we’ll post the second half of the Amsterdam show, which pairs these fantastic sunglasses up with beach and swimwear designs from the Badgley Mischka summer 2010 collection.