We decided to celebrate the arrival of Spring by throwing a cocktail party at Urban Optiques.

But this isn’t just any cocktail party. While the  martinis, champagne and hors d’œuvres might be tempting enough on their own, the real centerpiece of the event will be the fabulous FRED-Paris Eyewear we’ll be featuring.

One of the world’s most coveted luxury eyewear brands, the FRED eyewear line features finishes in five microns of 22K  gold, platinum and palladium combined with diamonds, rubies, gems and temples inlaid with precious materials like iguana, exotic woods and buffalo horn.

FRED is rivaled only by Cartier for it’s jewelry-grade craftsmanship and quality.

Designed and produced by the legendary Paris jeweler FRED, each piece of  optical jewelry is meticulously-crafted by hand and takes seven days to create.

Many of the designs are inspired by pieces in the FRED jewelry collection, and styles range from sophisticated and elegant to chic and trendy.  Many of our clients will give the gift of FRED eyewear to others (and often themselves) for  special occasions or events where they might normally choose jewelry: anniversaries, birthdays, a promotion, or a daughter’s graduation from college.

Urban Optiques has partnered up with Deborah Signorello of Premiere Vision, the U.S. distributor of the FRED-Paris Luxury Eyewear Collection, to host an exclusive event showcasing the entire FRED collection.

This includes all of the FRED sunglass and eyeglass models (including different finish and material variations) as well as frames from the FRED Prestige Line, which combines diamonds, pearls and gemstones with precious metals and exotic woods.  Eyewear from the Prestige line can even be custom-designed to create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry.

The Prestige line is truly optical jewelry at its finest and many of the pieces that Deborah will be presenting during the cocktail party are not normally part of our standard FRED collection at Urban Optiques.

This is a rare chance to view and try on some of the finest luxury eyewear produced on the planet.

The “Springtime in Paris” FRED Cocktail Party will be held Saturday, March 27th from 4 pm to 7 pm at Urban Optiques at 105 MainCentre in downtown Northville.

All guests who attend will be registered for a chance to win a pair of FRED PEARLS sunglasses and the first 20 people who RSVP and then attend the party will receive exclusive, complimentary Goodie Bags.

All guests will also receive a one-night-only discount on any purchase of FRED eyeglass frames or sunglasses.

Complimentary cocktails and hors d’œuvreswill also be provided.

The guest list will be limited, so RSVP online early to ensure your reservation.

For more information, please contact us at 248-347-9090 or RSVP online here.

We’re seeing five trends in fashion this fall that we think are going to be shaping choices in both eyewear and clothing and accessories through fall and winter.

From big shoulders, to animal prints and Twenties- inspired glamour, the runways this season served up a decidedly eclectic fusion of past, present and future.

Girl Meets Boy

Donna Karan Fall 09 Collection

First, men’s-inspired shapes made a return, including built-up shoulders, tuxedo jackets and narrow fitting blazers.

While we saw early signs of an ’80s revival as far back as 2008 with the resurgence of Ray-Bans and Wayfarers, the presence of so much ’80s-inspired clothing on runways this fall suggests that the decade that brought us “Wall Street”, Madonna and Tom Cruise singing in his underwear in a pair of Ray-Bans has clearly weaved its way into this season’s styles.

For those of you who have been waiting two decades for the return of the 80’s “power suit”,  2009/2010 might finally be the year.

Big, padded shoulders have returned, as well as oversized buttons balanced with long flowing silk scarves.  On eBay we’re seeing vintage ’80s suits from the likes of Dior and YSL get snapped up, so it seems this is one fashion trend that has some legs.

For men, it’s a continuation of some of last year’s ’80s inspired clothing, including the return of solid or striped shirt with white collar, popularized by Michael Douglas’ Gorden Gecko in the 1987 movie Wall Street.  Can suspenders be far behind?

Vogue VO-2584

In terms of matching the “Girl Meets Boy” look with eyewear, you’ll do best to choose a frame with strong geometric shapes and a heavier, more robust materials.

Keep the overt bling to a minimum on these frames, and instead opt for something that incorporates more subtle, integrated embellishments like small crystals, polished metals or unusual textures into the temples.

Pulling off the “Girl Meets Boy” look demands bold, power-eyewear that is balanced with softer, feminine touches.  We like Ray-Ban Wayfarers with this look as well, since they are the quintessential ’80s eyewear.

Ray-Ban RB4140 Wayfarers

Prada PR65HS

For men, pair that solid or striped shirt with the white collar with a pair of classic round Oliver People’s eyeglass frames in gold or silver metals, or a Prada men’s aviator sunglass like the Prada PR 65HS in silver.

Or, depending on your facial structure, we love the bold sophistication of the Tom Ford men’s frame.

Animal Instinct

Animal prints and safari-inspired stripe, spots and materials also made a strong appearance on runways this fall.

We’re not talking Nanny Fine head-to-toe double suede leopard, but rather the use of both bold and subtle animal prints alongside earthy palettes of khaki, beige and tan. Texture-rich materials like leather, fur and snake skin (whether real or faux) also were a re-occurring theme on the runways, especially from designers like Miu Miu and Ferragamo.

This same nature-inspired aesthetic made its mark on shoes and accessories. Check out the fabulous reptile-inspired Anaconda booties from Donna Karan.  Love them.

Choosing eyewear to work with these looks is actually a cinch.

Select subdued colors in browns, beiges, tans, bronzes and tortoise-shell acetates.

Ray Ban RB-3415Q

Lafont Parasol

Gold framed aviators with brown tinted lenses work particularly well with the whole “safari-in-the-city” vibe of the Fall collections.

For the bold-at-heart, try adding a pair of leopard spotted frames or sunglasses (like the Lafont Parasol we have in our front window) alongside a outfit predominated by solids. We’re big fans of this look, since a little bit of animal print goes a long way.

Twenties’  Glamour

DKNY Fall 2009 Runway Collection

Classic “Jazz Age” opulence and drama made it’s return in fall-winter fashion with clothing featuring sumptuous shapes and layered textures that harken back to a day when the stock market was on the rise, gin was made in bathtubs, and bobbing your hair was deliciously scandalous.

Adding to the Twenties-inspired dazzle are rich embellishments and over-the-top colorations of cherry red and deep gold.

In terms of accessories, we’re seeing layered jewelry (especially antique silver and gold and pearls) combined with Noir eyewear in dramatic, contrasting textures of both matte and gloss.

Badgley Mischka Josephine Sunglass

Glittering stone detailing and charming bow-ties add additional flair to eyewear.

We like to pair this look with a Badgley Mischka couture eyeglass or sunglass (the “Josephine” works particularly well or the “Dorothy“) or a classic, colored Lafont with some subtle crystal work.

A big, black bold Vogue sunglass also meshes well without breaking the bank.  As always, vintage eyewear provides a twist of authenticity — especially if you find a frame with some little splashes of crystals or gemstones.

Lafont Audace

For a sense of the different ways designers are reinterpreting this look, check out the Lanvin-Paris Fall/Winter 2009-2010 ad campaign, which does a remarkable job of rolling together three of the fashion trends this fall (Boy Meets Girl, Retro-Noir Glamour and Futuristic) into a surprisingly cohesive blend of yesterday, today and tomorrow. I also love all the black cats in the ad campaign.

Poetic License

Chanel Fall-Winter 2009 Runway Collection

As if to counter-balance the stronger, more masculine, 80s-inspired designs of Donna Karen, both Chanel and Chloé debuted looks that incorporated delicate floral patterns in feminine pastel tones.

For these lines, the emphasis is on clothing that is curvy and flowing, with a timeless look that expresses a sense of romance and poetry-in-motion.

Eyewear designs that work well with this aesthetic include eyeglasses and sunglasses that complement the ethereal nature of these collections — styles that feature soft silhouettes and light, translucent colors.

Chloe 1165

Wavy temples, floral motifs and Art Deco accents seem to work especially well.

In a optical/ophthalmalic frame no one typifies this look better than Chloé — one of the most recent additions to the Urban Optiques eyewear collection.

A vintage frame can also work wonders  with this style.

Fred Pearls

We also really like the idea of pairing up the stunning FRED Pearl Lunettes with this romantic and airy look.

While the shield-style of the FRED Pearls might make it at first seem like an unlikely pairing, the FRED Pearl embodies the same transluscence and lightness as the fashions we saw come out of Karl Lagerfeld/Chanel.  Also, because the FRED Pearl is available in several lens tints — including a pink — we’re dying to see someone try this match.

Futuristic

While the past certainly played a major role in defining this year’s runway looks, designers didn’t shy away from presenting futuristic designs alongside their vintage muses.

YSL Fall 09 Fashion Collection

Interestingly enough, even the forward-looking designs this fall had a clear “retro” feel to them.

Lively graphics from head-to-toe and shiny metallics evoked a world of holograms and futurism not unlike what you’d expect from a couture version of the Jetson’s.  Clearly, the inspiration was 1960s Mod meshed up with The Matrix.

Ralph Lauren, Prada and YSL all served up some version of this “back-to-the-future”  concept.

There was definitely an emphasis on shades of black, gray and silver, with pops of bright florescent colors adding interest and excitement. Playing around with the many lens tint options now available on eyeglass frames and sunglasses can also let you personalize your look. From mirror lenses to smoky tints, they all work.

There are a surprising number of different eyewear shapes and materials that work with this futuristic look — everything from funky “Atomic Age” inspired eyeglass frames in metallics and metals, to boldly-colored acetate Ray-Ban Wayfarers in shades of yellow, blue and purple.

Prada PR04IS Sunglasses

High-tech metals like carbon fiber or titanium also complement this look well. In terms of shapes, wrap-arounds and shields are natural fits.

Prada shields, as well as some of the modern, sleek frames from ProDesign | Demark  are especially suited to the whole into-the-future vibe of these collections. We especially like the Prada PR04IS sunglass.

ProDesign Zense 7349

The  ProDesign Zense 7349 optical frame is another great fit for this style.  The Zense 7349 as an ultra-modern look, with mixed metallics in blues, bronzes, silvers and blacks.

Since this style is all about past meets future, you can create some bold juxtapositions and really rev up the retro-feel by layering on a pair of Lanvin-Paris 3132 round acetates.

Lanvin-Paris Mystical 3132

Yes, if you don’t wear them right, you can end up looking like Harry Potter — but these frames can really pop on certain people, creating a daring, sophisticated look.

If round isn’t your style, then try the Lanvin-Paris 3136 rectangular frames in grey for a great optical frame to complement this season’s future-forward styles.