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

Sometimes you run across a pair of sunglasses with such a distinct personality that everyone who sees them uses the same adjective to describe them.

That’s exactly what happened when we first set our eyes on the Chloé “Tilia” sunglasses.

When our Chloé rep pulled out the Tilias, the first word out of all our mouths was: “Beach!”

From the oversized, 50s-inspired cat-eye shape to the muted, earth-tone pastels and adorable little metallic star in the corner of the lens, the Tilia just seemed to evoke images of toes-in-the-sand or lounging poolside with a mojito in your hand.

It turns out, though, that the Chloé Tilia is a remarkably versatile sunglass.  Combine it with a pair of vintage jeans and billowing peasant blouse and it takes on a decidedly Boho vibe.  Not bad for a single pair of shades.That said, we still think the Chloé Tilia’s personality really comes out when it’s accessorized with beachwear.  To inspire you, we put the Chloé Tilia together with a couple of our favorite seasonal pieces from Missoni, Shay Todd and Michael Kors. We topped the whole look off with a fantastic Melissa Obadash straw hat that would look simply amazing with these big, oversized suns.

What we especially love about this look is that it goes from the beach to dinner-on-the-water in a matter of minutes: Just slip into the Missoni dress and Kors wedges and stow the Valentino flip-flops in your straw tote.

Effortless … just like summer ought to be.

Steal This Look: Beach Chic Featuring the Chloé Tilia Sunglasses

The Chloé Tilia is available in three colors: Black, Creme and Brown and Pink and Creme.

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

One of the things we wanted to accomplish with our “Sama Heart of Gold Five Ways Over Five Days” was to demonstrate how exceptionally versatile these handmade sunglasses by Sama are as an accessory.

The Heart of Gold is really jewelry for your face;  so like a ring, necklace or pair of earrings, you want to know that your investment has legs in terms of how many different ways you can pair it.

The first two looks we put together were a little more opulent — perfect for a summer wedding or formal event when the days are still long and you can wear your sunglasses into the evening hours.

Today’s look is a bit more understated.

We wanted to show how you take the Heart of Gold and accessorize them with day wear — letting you transition flawlessly from the office, to lunch, to dinner without doing much more than perhaps swapping out your shoes.

The look below combines the cool whites and neutral grays of an sophisticated shirt dress from Alice + Olivia with jewelry in yellow gold, diamonds and precious stones that once again play off from the Swarovski crystals in the Heart of Gold’s temples.

If you want to tone-down the flash factor on the 24K gold plated lenses, you can always opt for the Sama Heart of Gold in “Desert” which combines the gold-plated frame shown here with a brown, non-mirrored gradient lenses.

Finally, we punched the entire look up with a fierce pair of L.A.M.B “Delva” booties which may or may not be office appropriate (maybe if you worked at Vogue?)  But they just worked so well with the ensemble, that we couldn’t resist adding them.

Don’t worry though, we’ve added a couple of additional shoe options below that should work in the office and then you can slip into the L.A.M.B.s after work for cocktails or dinner.

Day to Night

Here are several other options in terms of shoes that work well with this look:

Camilla Skovgaard “Saw” Plateau Pumps

Fendi Raffia Pumps

L.A.M.B “Zada” Sandals

For more inspiration, check out the Day One Look: Guilded Pleasures and Day 2: Platinum Play.

It’s Day Two of  our “Sama Heart of Gold Five Ways Over Five Days“  and we’re changing things up with a platinum and white gold look.

Yesterday it was all about the warm, golden hues of the Sama Heart of Gold sunglass in yellow gold,  but today we’re creating an entirely new look around the cool, sleek Heart of Gold in Platinum with 18K white gold lenses.

In the look below, we’ve paired Sama’s platinum Heart of Gold sunglass –   featuring 18K white gold couture lenses — with an amazing black Jersey dress and pair of silver python sandals from Micheal Kors.

To top it off, we added a fabulous multi-chain bracelet courtesy of Versace.

Today’s look is all about contrasting the luster of platinum and 18K white gold off against the  classic little black dress.

Check out the look below!

Platinum Play

To order the Sama Heart of Gold, please contact us at Urban Optiques.

Halle Berry is the latest Hollywood actress to be spotted in the the hottest shades on the planet: Sama.

In this picture, she’s wearing the Sama “Meret” sunglass in “Sand” — one of the latest additions to the Urban Optiques Sama Couture Eyewear Collection.

This frame is amazing and we’re not surprised Halle picked it out …

The Sama “Meret” is available in four colors: Desert, Kohl, Oasis and Sand.

If we don’t have the exact color you are looking for in-stock, we’re more than happy to special order it for you.

Give us a ring or send us an email to be one of the first to get your hands on this simply gorgeous sunglass.

This week  Marcolin, the U.S. distributor of Tom Ford, Tod’s and DSquared2, stopped in to show us the new sunglass lines from John Galliano and Tod’s.

At first we were a little skeptical.

We’ve been searching for some new eyewear lines to add at Urban Optiques for several months now, and what we’ve seen so far (outside of Francis Klein) hasn’t particularly impressed us.

We pretty much knew what we didn’t want:  Yet another line of sunglasses from some giant corporate design center with yet another fashion designer’s name stuck on the temple with something akin to Super Glue as an afterthought.

There are tons of those brands out there, and outside of the designer logo itself, there’s really not much in terms of unique design to differentiate these eyewear lines from each other.

John Galliano and His Sunglasses to the Rescue!

But when Marcolin pulled out the John Galliano sunglasses, all of our eyes lit up around Urban Optiques.

Based on what we saw, we’re pretty confident the new John Galliano and Tod’s suns are going to be huge hits with our clients and patients this summer.

Even better, they truly embody the brand and design aesthetic associated with the designer and fashion behind the name.

The collections are extremely deep out-of-the gate for a new line, providing a great mix of aviators and Italian Zyle frames in both men’s, women’s and unisex designs.

Even better, the collections represent a clear contrast in styles and design aesthetics that we think fill unique niches for our clients and will appeal to different fashion sensibilities.

The new John Galliano sunglasses are pretty much exactly what you’d expect from this fashion maverick.

They are trendy, a bit edgy, and clearly convey the creative, artistic — and often controversial — philosophy that has made John Galliano one of the most daring and respected fashion designers in the world.

That said, the Galliano sunglass line is extremely diverse. We saw plenty of sunglass frames from John Galliano that we are certain will appeal to even our more conservative clients.

On the other hand, if you want to walk more on the wild side, he has plenty of options for you as well. If you want to play it safer (but still fashionable), you are covered also with this sunglass collection.

One of Galliano’s fashion muses is the Bolero dancer of his native Spain and the new Galliano Sunglass Collection — like his couture fashion — draws inspiration from the Bolero.

The sunglass pictured above was inspired by the intricate, decorative hair clips worn by Bolero dancers and he incorporated the Arabesque-like designs of the hair clips into the sunglass temples.

All of Galliano’s sunglasses (each of which Galliano personally designed), feature these unique visual twists, making the collection one of the most exciting and unique entries  into the designer fashion eyewear market that we’ve seen in several years.

We can’t wait to start putting these suns on people’s faces.

The Tod’s Sunglass Collection: Inspired by Tod’s Heritage of Fine Leather Accessories

And then there are the Tod’s.

Just when we thought the Gallianos surely couldn’t be matched, Marcolin pulled out the Tod’s for us.

Best known for their luxury leather goods (including the Tod’s leather driving shoes, the Gommino loafer and D-Bag handbags), this renowned Italian luxury design house has infused its new eyewear collection with the same level of attention to detail and use of  fine materials (including leather) that mark their shoes and handbags.

While the Galliano and Tod’s eyewear collections are quite different, one thing they both share is their attention to unique shapes, designs and materials.

Particularly impressive was the way Tod’s balanced acetate and metal frames, and put some novel spins in the classic aviator.

In a clear nod to Tod’s legacy of designing and producing luxury leather products, the sunglass collection offers a line of aviators that have leather covered frames, which are simply gorgeous and will fly off the shelves, in our opinion.

There is no other sunglass on the market that we know of that literally wraps the entire frame in leather.

Like Galliano, Tod’s should be commended for providing a broad range of shapes, styles, sizes and materials in their sunglasses.

The versatility across these two collections is what makes them really attractive. We wish we had more pix of the Galliano and Tod’s sunglasses, because they really are amazing.

If it’s any consolation (and, yes we know we are being teases tonight) within a few weeks we’ll have them in the store for you to try on and experience for yourself.

We’re particularly excited to be one of only four Michigan eyewear boutiques that will be authorized to carry the new Galliano and Tod’s sunglass collections.

Nationally, availability of the line will also be constrained to a very limited number of retailers (we’re talking less than 100 here.)

The sunglass lines from Tod’s and John Galliano fit perfectly with our philosophy of offering designer and luxury eyewear product that you can’t easily find anywhere else and we know our clients will love them.

In the coming weeks, we’ll highlight more of the Galliano and Tod’s sunglasses as we get them in.

If you would like to pre-order from the collections or are interested in attending a yet-unscheduled trunk show of these two new lines, please e-mail us to placed on the the invitation list.

Tiger is out, Maria Sharapova is in.

And we’re overjoyed.

Last fall, TAG Heuer announced that tennis star and fashion-lover Maria Sharapova would be the new ambassador and muse for a women’s series of TAG Heuer Eyewear, adding a much needed feminine perspective to the Swiss company that’s most recognized for its luxury watches and racing-inspired eyewear.

While the announcement of Sharapova as an ambassador for TAG Heuer Eyewear preceded the scandal surrounding TAG Heuer’s other marquis spokesperson, Tiger Woods, there is no doubt that marketing execs in Zurich are breathing a sigh of relief that they decided to bring the 6′ 2″ Siberian tennis star on-board when they did.

Even better, we just got a glimpse at Urban Optiques of the fruits of the TAG Heuer-Sharapova Eyewear collaboration and we’re extremely happy to say that it’s the complete opposite of last year’s Lindsey Lohan-Emanuel Ungaro partnership.

In other words, the Sharapova eyewear line rocks and we can’t see what else emerges in the coming months.

Frankly, TAG Heuer Eyewear has been ripe for a women’s line now for several years.

With women making more than two-thirds of the eyewear purchasing decisions in a household, the addition of a strong, athletic and fashionable partner like Maria Sharapova was a major coup for TAG Heuer.

The brand has traditionally focused on men, even though many of their frames and sunglasses look fantastic on women as well.

By making Sharapova — widely recognized as a style and fashion trend-setter — the face for the new TAG Heuer women’s eyewear line,  TAG has made it clear that they are committed to  providing sporty, stylish and fashionable eyewear not just to men, but also women.

The amount of PR TAG Heuer has dedicated to the Sharapova roll-out — right down to the on-site Sharapova fashion sunglass shoot –  suggests that they are serious about building out their women’s eyewear collection.

The first of the Sharapova Series Eyewear is making its way into Urban Optiques this month.

We have several of the TAG Heuer Sharapova Sunglasses on their way, and we can’t wait to see what happens with the ophthalmic line which is slated to roll out in the coming months.

From what we’ve seen so far, this is going to be one hot eyewear line in 2010/11.

In the meantime, check out the eyewear fashion shoot with Maria Sharapova below, courtesy of TAG Heuer:

When we think of Chloé, we think gorgeous French ready-to-wear fashion, handbags — and yes — beautiful eyewear.

Just in time for the Spring and Summer sun, we’ve received more than 20 new eyewear pieces from the Chloé 2010 Eyewear Collection, ranging from subtle and sophisticated, to bold, funky and avant garde.

Urban Optiques was the first eyewear boutique to carry Chloé in Southeast Michigan and we’ve moved so many Chloé frames in the past six months, that we decided to bring more, fresh stock in.

This is truly gorgeous eyewear that you’ll want to stop in to try on — especially the new narrower eyeglass frames that work on more petite faces and Chloé’s stunning line of sunglasses that will help you see and be seen … as well as protect your eyes from UV  rays this summer.

Enjoy!

Urban Optiques 2010 Chloé’ Eyewear & Sunglass Collection

Last month, Sunglasses Magazine — the leading trade magazine for buyers and sellers of quality sunwear — approached us about doing a interview and profile on Urban Optiques in the magazine’s regular “Sun Selling: How the Pros Do It“  column.

The magazine’s editor, Ana Montoya, discovered Urban Optiques online, and was intrigued by the way we use our website to present and promote our eyewear and sunwear online.

Ana wanted to know if we’d like to be interviewed as an example of a full-scope optometry practice that also put a strong emphasis on sunwear product alongside our vision health care services.

Since the whole vision behind Urban Optiques is to literally change the experience of going to the eye doctor from something sterile and clinical, to something exciting, high-touch and memorable, we were happy to see Sunglasses Magazine describe our website as “stylish” and our practice as out-of-the-ordinary.

We also had a chance to discuss some of the ways we select sunwear, including how we research trends online as part of the eyewear buying process.

The magazine just hit the stands this month. Check it out below.

To see a larger version, just click on the image.