Modern Classics: A Seasonless Approach
Sunglasses may be an everyday item, but they’re still evocative of individual style and craft.
Current eyewear designs are testing the boundaries of fashion with unconventional silhouettes, classic colors and tinted lenses for shades that radiate creativity. With heritage brands starting to welcome a more intuitive approach to their collections, empowered styles that address authenticity and independence are becoming prevalent.
Renewing their commitment to fashion and self-expression, luxury houses like Gucci and Saint Laurent last year announced a new way to approach the fashion schedule. In an industry where catwalks have become more regular and often, it was a time for these brands to rethink their ability to create.
Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele announced last May that the Florentine brand would be reducing their runway collections down to two seasonless shows a year. For Michele, he addressed it as a moment for him to reconnect with his vision as a designer as well as renewing Gucci’s long history as a heritage house committed to quality.
Similar to the Tuscan label, Saint Laurent also decided to strip down to two shows a year and chose to skip out on Paris Fashion Week in 2020. When it comes to eyewear, the luxury brand reinvents traditional looks for silhouettes that are ideal for any season. Embodying just that are the label’s contemporary SLM60 cat-eye sunglasses. Featured in a golden brown Havana effect ,these slightly oversized glasses set their own pace.
Ray-Ban is a brand whose frames are always on-trend. Their commitment to quality and evolving eyewear technology ensures immaculate design, regardless of time.
Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses showcase the brand’s high style standards with their uniformity and vintage browline rim, it’s a model that exhibits their devotion to crafted technique.
Vintage-inspired aesthetics with modern details prove that flawless design is always in style. Oliver Peoples evokes this attention to detail with their curated eyewear and golden age influences. Old Hollywood comes alive with the L.A. label’s Cary Grant sun shades, a model envisioned by the label in collaboration with the actor’s estate.
For a bolder feature, Oliver Peoples Melery sunglasses in glossy black spark a distinctive glamorous look, reminding us of sunny California days and windswept hair.
Sustainability is yet another leading reason for brands to showcase their exceptional quality. Heritage eyewear house Lesca Lunetier exhibits their eye for detail with their traditional craft. Since 1964, the family-run label has continued to evolve eyewear design with their limited edition collections. Lesca’s Crown Panto sunglasses continue to introduce a unique touch with their geometric shape and upcycled acetate construction. These frames are creatively made from old materials, for a new silhouette that stands the test of fashion trends.
Blending iconic sophistication with contemporary elements, seasonless designs always imbue a timeless modernity. Ray-Ban highlights this love for playing with old inspirations with their revival of teashade frames, exemplified by their oval-shaped 1970 sunglasses in legend gold.
Creative Direction: Daniela Vutera
Photography: Ignazio Marsolo