We Got A Glimpse of the New John Galliano and Tod’s Line of Sunglasses and You Are Going to LOVE Them!

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.

continue

Tennis Star and Fashionista Maria Sharapova Launches TAG Heuer’s First Eyewear Line Specifically Made for Women

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.

continue

These five fashion trends straight off the runway will be shaping eyewear this fall and into 2010

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.

continue

We Love Stylecaster at Urban Optiques  …  And We Love Their “Fly By Night” Video Even More.

Shopbot and Stylecaster recently released an extremely fun video produced by  N.Y. boutique short-film makers Last Pictures.

What we love about this vid is its gritty, documentary feel  — it’s deliberately unpolished and it works.

There is no doubt that its “MySpace” voyeuristic vibe visually makes the video interesting … but what really amps it up is the choice of music that accompanies  Poppy Delevingne and Isabelle McNally in this video: We can’t get enough of Islands “Switch On” music. This song is completely infectious and it totally captures the whole N.Y.C. vibe perfectly.

continue