Almost a decade after disrupting the eyewear game, Warby Parker is launching its very first daily contact lenses. Scout by Warby Parker has a breathable and smooth texture and is made from a material that combats dryness. The lenses are further equipped with Centraform technology that reduces the contact from being irritating and straining on the eye. Not only are the contacts brand new, but so is the practical packaging — each daily eye pack uses 80% less packaging than the average contact brand. Scout can be purchased in a three-month supply.
In order to make the process more seamless for customers to receive their new contacts, Warby Parker is offering a one-stop-shop for prescription glasses, sunglasses, and now contact lenses offering even eye exams and contact lens fittings at select locations.
Warby Parker, the eyewear brand beloved by young creatives and people who want to look young and creative, has evolved into a full cultural institution since its launch in 2010. Its simple business model — choose five frames to try for five days and return what you don’t want — set a new industry standard that has expanded into actual retail stores all across the country. Now the New York-based glasses company is expanding again, this time by increasing its size options for a variety of its most popular styles.
From now on, some of the brand’s signature frames, like the Durand and Hughes, will be available in extended sizes, ranging from extra-narrow to extra-wide. The new sizing model was determined following two years of research and customer feedback to ensure an optimum fit for each face type.
For 20 years, DITA has been at the forefront of merging innovative research with bold design. Now the Los Angeles-based label has launched DITA-Lancier, a 16-piece collection of eyewear imbued with performance technology to take on land, sea, and air. To test out the frames, the brand has tapped some of the world’s top athletes. Formula One racers Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly opt for a titanium style that dramatically reduces blinding glare. Olympic gold-winning sailor Peter Burling prefers a pair with embedded polarization technology. And Kirby Chambliss—a champion aerobatic pilot—sports lenses that guarantee minimal distortion at every elevation.
Virgil Abloh is making sure we have a technicolor summer with the new Louis Vuitton Rainbow sunglasses. The eyewear is clearly evocative of the designer’s recent rainbow-heavy Spring/Summer ‘19 collection, available in two funky frame styles that add a twist to classic styles.
Some wayfarer-like options are available in black, tan, yellow, and red. The other pairs, aviator style, come in burnt orange and bright blue with transparent accents. Most of the lenses are left simple with all black, but the clear frames offer a more futuristic reflective chrome — remember the LV chrome bag? This might just be phase two.
The Louis Vuitton Rainow Sunglasses are available online now.
For its latest eyewear release, Versace cast actor Luke Evans as the face of its new campaign. The summer capsule includes two sunglass styles and one optical model, each inspired by various Greek motifs including a key pattern and the designer’s signature Medusa-head icon. The Grecamania Pilot pair interprets the classic aviator style in gold with sleek opulence and the Grecamania Visor option offers a cleaner and flatter fit. Meanwhile, the optical style balances its gold metallic structure with reinforced black wireframes for a simple yet suave look — Evans, in all his Welsh nonchalance, looks the perfect vessel to showcase the convenience and versatility of each frame. It might just be his best role yet.
Take a look at some behind-the-scenes footage of the campaign above.
Supreme has really had a year. Just last month it released a collaborative collection with the great Haute-couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier. Then it resurrected its epochal box logo — this time coated in Swarovski crystals — for a special 25th-anniversary collection that sold out in approximately .25 seconds. And now the cult skate brand has unveiled its sunglasses collection for Spring/Summer ’19.
The limited range of eyewear consists of 3 distinct styles — the Orb, the Marvin, and the River — which reference certain eyewear trends without overkill. The Orb is an oversized frame that’s very Y2k-raver-slash-hacker. The Marvin boasts a more traditional round frame but elevated with a snakeskin-like material coating. The River is a thin and delicate frameless option (kinda like the ones Ryan Phillippe wore in Cruel Intentions) that I’m already worried about breaking. So there’s something for everyone.
The Supreme sunglasses are out in select stores and online tomorrow.
The Barcelona-based funky eyewear maker Kaleos is expanding beyond optics with a new crisp RTW line. The new development from the European brand is a safe yet comfortable take on contemporary menswear — lots of tailored button-down shirts, smart trousers, and premium basics. The whole line has a clean and minimalistic tone that’s definitely reminiscent of Acne Studios (even the websites are kinda similar) but without the street-savvy weirdness. The Kaleos apparel is definitely grounded in functionality rather than spectacle. Fortunately, the pieces are timeless and will likely look fresh when styled with the brand’s innovative and flashy eyewear.
To correlate with the brand’s eyewear releases, there will be two 50-piece collections released a year, with the inaugural release launching online tomorrow. Check out some of the looks below.
Designed in collaboration with Thélios, the LVMH-owned eyewear maker, Kenzo has released its SS19 eyewear collection at Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles. The fantastic retro assortment of sunglasses mixes the French/Japanese designer’s contemporary city edge with a mellow California vibe, perfect for riding around town or heading to the beach. The combination of vintage cues with futurism is surprisingly effective and gives you an idea of what the Beach Boys would wear if they ever were to pilot a spaceship.
Every year, Milan plays host to MIDO Eyewear Show, the largest commercial eyewear show in the world. This year’s event saw over 1,000 international exhibitors and 50,000 guests over the course of three days in what was the biggest show since its inception in 1967. Cyberpunk and retrofuturism dominated the event, with slender frames, small lenses, and exposed metals being key trends this year—we select a highlight of new designers featured at the show, just in time for summer.
You’d think you had the wrong address and accidentally wandered into a gallery instead of an eyewear shop, but that’s the French way that Anne et Valentin prefers. The novelty eyewear shop is a Parisian transplant, boasting three locations in NYC where they offer a boutique approach to the accessory.
Anne et Valentin Madison Ave Store | Photo Courtesy of Anne et Valentin.
In fact, upon entering the store one cannot see the eyewear. It’s hidden away in drawers to not overwhelm the client. Instead, one is invited to take a seat, drink an espresso, and chat. “We think about the type of person is going to wear them (glasses) and the type of lifestyle and profession or age that the person could be,” says Estelle Bonheur, store manager at Anne et Valentin Madison Ave boutique. “We try to translate that to our customers.”
Inspired by the variating color ways and geometry of modern art, Anne, the wife of Valentin wanted to translate the same idea into eyewear design. Valentin on the other hand, an optician, took care of the technical aspect. It’s a French love story.
“It’s high quality, made in France, lightweight, comfortable eyewear.” says Bonheur. “They have to be perfect.” The shopping experience focuses on perfection, on engaging the future owner of the glasses, and bring out their personality. From flirty, to cat-eye, to traditional, they’ve got it all.
Estelle Bonheur, Store Manager at Anne et Valentin Madison Ave boutique | Photo Courtesy of Anne et Valentin
Each ambassador at the store is specifically trained to know each of the frames and determine the perfect frame for each individual. Out of those options, if one seems a poor fit, the brand offers completely honest feedback. Each session doesn’t last less than 20 minutes and is tailored to express the individual in the eyewear.
“‘Expressive’ is really an important word in the Anne et Valentin world,” says Bonheur. Indeed, Anne et Valentin is at then helm of chic and quality eyewear that really, really fits.
Karen Walker steps across the gender divide to finally bring men’s eyewear to her delightfully out-there label, having spent the better part of the past two decades providing her unapologetic lenses to Hollywood’s feminine elite.
Image: Karen Walker.
Undisputedly masculine, the new line—quite rightfully named Monumental—bears all the eccentric markers of the New Zealand brand, shedding none of its unusually quirky charm. Taking methodology from ’30s simplicity and tense ’50s perfectionism, the line features clear, black horn, and tortoiseshell acetates, as well as smoke, brown, and green polarized lenses. Even the accompanying campaign, starring musician Connan Mockasin, features historical references to masculinity, the bird topper a nod to Julius Caesar’s preferred depiction of societal stature. The bold new lenses, as promised by Karen Walker herself, act as an inaugural foundation, an initiating release that will branch off into exciting new ventures as the upcoming seasons arrive.
The Karen Walker Monumental eyewear collection is available online now.
British label Belstaff releases its inaugural eyewear line, partnering with Melbourne-based Imatta on the 18-strong collection. Known for its artisanal quality production, the eyewear manufacturer offers up a lineup of Beta Titanium, hand-waxed leather, and Japanese acetate elegance to pair with the rough-and-tumble label’s explorative history.
Image: Belstaff.
Image: Belstaff.
Image: Belstaff.
With classically arched aviators sitting beside space-age structures and ’60s flower-power geometry, the silhouettes toe a delicate line between vintage and contemporary design. Offered in a range of contrasted colors, the pieces utilize Italian-produced goods to frame the wide-eyed lenses, contributing to Belstaff’s rich, global heritage.
The Belstaff eyewear line is available online now.
