Sunday, March 6, 2011

Vue Dc a Cateye Featured Designer.


Sharing a passion of the beautiful hand made objects is often the occasion for an exchange of ideas and experiences. Past and future, antique and modern have been a source of inspiration in designing the Vue dc collection. The eyeglass is a reference to the object and the particular attention on this refrence should be evolutionary “Tradition is knowledge”. In 2007, Yoma,Christian and Frederic, granted with their long experience in the world ,founders of Vue dc… wanted to focus on a simple idea : “Seeing the future by reflecting the past” . The love of authenticity and the knowledge of hand made craftmanship transmitted through generations of artisans , were also the basic elements of the creation of the collection
The selection of colors acetate, the choice of cutting the materials in a specific thickness highlighting the volume of the frame and the final hand polishing were the important elements contributing to the development of Vue dc… The purity of lines and the antagonism of the design created a collection defined as much by its creators than its wearers. All stages of the manufacturing process are entirely made in France, a country of great tradition in artisanal creation.
March 2008 , the 1st Vue dc… collection was presented In New York where it was
 immediately noticed and appreciated by the professionals of the eyewear industry. Since then Vuedc… has been represented across the world, and has attracted amateurs from the world of art and those who shared the love of the beautiful object who



see the future by reflecting the past.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Good Bye to a legendary Beauty.

We mourn the passing of the great Jane Russell today. Her memory will live with us forever and we will enjoy the countless elegant images taken of her. Jane Russell was truly one of the most beautiful woman to have been made famous by the film industry. Her beauty lends to the essence of the nostalgia that makes the revival of vintage...
 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

YSL a must have in everyones collection of Vintage Eyewear.

Yves Saint Laurent had made a significant mark in the world of fashion as a designer who originated from France. Having a magnificent creative bent, Yves Saint Laurent devoted all his heart and time in creating marvellous luxury items that became an important style statement among the rich and famous. Having created unforgettable landmarks and history in the field of ready-to-wear, Yves Saint Laurent has successfully forayed into accessories. YVES SAINT LAURENT Sunglasses come with the same legendary designer edge. Designed for both men and women the collection is a wonderful mix of simple and fashion forward designs. Having an acceptance in a wider age range, YVES SAINT LAURENT Sunglasses are something that every fashion lover should possess.


Yves large heavy plastic vintage eyeglass is the most asked for style to date.


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Christian Lacroix A King In Eyewear.


Christian Lacroix was born on May 16, 1951 in Arles, France, under the highly symbolic sign of Taurus.

He spent his solitary childhood between the Camargue beaches and the Alpilles pine forests, amongst the Gallo-Roman ruins and the remnants of the 1944 WWII bombings, attending bullfighting events and theater or opera festivals, immersed in both Provencal and Gypsy traditions, and enjoying museum paintings and attic books. During his adolescence, he discovered a passion for Oscar Wilde and the Beatles' England as well as Barcelona and Venice. He later studied Art History at the University of Montpellier. In 1973, he continued his studies in Paris at both the Sorbonne and the Ecole du Louvre, with the ambition to become a museum curator.

He then met individuals that would influence his destiny : Françoise, his future wife, who introduced him to the secrets of Paris and encouraged him to draw ; Jean-Jacques Picart, a press attache and advisor to several Designers and Haute Couture Houses, who found him a job at Hermes in 1978, then with Guy Paulin in 1980.

In 1981, he began working at the Jean Patou House. Here, in collaboration with Jean-Jacques Picart, he took up the challenge of Haute Couture, a profession that certain individuals claimed to be on the decline. Season after season, the two designers succeeded in defining the 1980s with their bright colors, extravagance and luxuriance. In 1986, their work was awarded with their first De d'Or, after which they received the Award for the most influential foreign designer, given by the CFDA in New York in January 1987.

In October 2002, together with the presentation of spring-summer 2003 collections and the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Couture House, Christian Lacroix received the insignia of Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur from Mr. Bernard Arnault, Chairman of LVMH.
Christian Lacroix was born on May 16, 1951 in Arles, France, under the highly symbolic sign of Taurus.


He spent his solitary childhood between the Camargue beaches and the Alpilles pine forests, amongst the Gallo-Roman ruins and the remnants of the 1944 WWII bombings, attending bullfighting events and theater or opera festivals, immersed in both Provencal and Gypsy traditions, and enjoying museum paintings and attic books. During his adolescence, he discovered a passion for Oscar Wilde and the Beatles' England as well as Barcelona and Venice. He later studied Art History at the University of Montpellier. In 1973, he continued his studies in Paris at both the Sorbonne and the Ecole du Louvre, with the ambition to become a museum curator.

He then met individuals that would influence his destiny : Françoise, his future wife, who introduced him to the secrets of Paris and encouraged him to draw ; Jean-Jacques Picart, a press attache and advisor to several Designers and Haute Couture Houses, who found him a job at Hermes in 1978, then with Guy Paulin in 1980.

In 1981, he began working at the Jean Patou House. Here, in collaboration with Jean-Jacques Picart, he took up the challenge of Haute Couture, a profession that certain individuals claimed to be on the decline. Season after season, the two designers succeeded in defining the 1980s with their bright colors, extravagance and luxuriance. In 1986, their work was awarded with their first De d'Or, after which they received the Award for the most influential foreign designer, given by the CFDA in New York in January 1987.
1989 was characterized by his first line of accessories (jewelry, handbags, shoes, glasses, scarves and ties) as well as the opening of boutiques in Paris, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse, London, Geneva and Japan.

In October 2002, together with the presentation of spring-summer 2003 collections and the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Couture House, Christian Lacroix received the insignia of Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur from Mr. Bernard Arnault, Chairman of LVMH.

Today, the Christian Lacroix House boasts approximately 60 points of sale in France (either Christian Lacroix boutiques or sales areas within a department store). Christian Lacroix fashion products and brands are sold in over 1,000 points of sale throughout the world.
Today, the Christian Lacroix House boasts approximately 60 points of sale in France (either Christian Lacroix boutiques or sales areas within a department store). Christian Lacroix fashion products and brands are sold in over 1,000 points of sale throughout the world






Monday, January 31, 2011

icon | ALPINA


 

Conceived in the 1970s and revived in the 80s by Werner Grau and Hagen Stocklausner in West Germany, with some models manufactured with parts produced in Italy, the infamous classic ALPINA brand was one of the most successful know in the industry.  The Best selling ALPINA  M1 Aviator, their most famous design, was re-released as recent as 2007 in extremely limited quantities due to the regenerated interest in the vintage and collector's eyewear market.



The renewed interest can be attributed to the superb quality of the manufacturing and the publicity exacted on the brand by celebrities seeking to "up their game a notch"  by styling themselves in pieces usually reserved for avid enthusiasts and their eyewear frame collections.  The attention to detail and quality of materials have kept many of these collections looking brand new.  World famous celebrities' interests in the brand have raised prices of collections  world wide. The very special pieces, selling for upwards of $4,000.00 dollars, are an exciting but rare find.  The ALPINA GOLDWINGS sunglass shield is one such model.  The sun shield quickly became famous as it is frequently worn as a favorite choice of recording star Lady Gaga.  She is often publicized wearing this vintage shield adorned with a pair of golden A-wings decorating each the right and left temples.














Alpina eyewear is the premier brand sought after to complete every vintage eyewear collection.  True, while there are some models that are more coveted than others, they are all extremely well made and trully timeless in their stylish appeal.





Vintage ALPINA sunglasses are glamorous to say the least...  This piece shown here is from the fine vintage sunglass collection available at CATEYE SPECTACLES boutique.  The model we are showcasing is in pristine condition.  You will find that it is a fantastic piece in that the design quality will move you into a different time period as soon as you have it on.   Wear it as a complimenting accessory to a respectively perfect vintage outfit by correlating it with it's corresponding era.   This rich golden frame with accents of cream and tan, made of a high gloss, high sheen and candy-like zyl plastic, is shown with a brown gradient sun lens, the combination of which can only be described as delicious.(only 1 available)

Friday, January 28, 2011

It's Science! | Polarized Lenses 101


What is a Polarized Lens, and how does is work?  Buckle up folks because the CATEYE Science Guy is about to drop some knowledge on you.

Here comes the Sun, doo doo doo-doo… 

The Sun shines down upon us.  As it does so, its light encounters the various surfaces in our modern and natural worlds and is reflected and scattered into a million directions.  This tricks your retinas—glare.

Enter the Polarized Lens.


the What
Polarized lenses reduce glare from reflective surfaces such as the surface of a lake or the hood of a car—or water molecules floating over a majestic meadow.




the How
Pretend your eyeball is behind that lens, and you're trying to check out that righteous wave.  Problem is that some pesky light from the Sun hits said righteous wave and scatters in all directions, trying to confuse your retinas.  Some more pesky light is coming off the sun itself, also trying to confuse your retinas.  The filter inside the Polarized Lens reflects the pesky light, but allows the light being reflected off the righteous wave (blue arrow) to pass through, allowing your retinas to drink in the glory of the righteous wave.

Think of the Polarizing filter like Venetian blinds...



and light like raw lasagna noodles (deliscious)...




If the noodles go straight at the blinds, they'll get through.  If not, then they won't.

Here's a more science-y picture to illustrate this point:


Some limitations...
Polarized lenses do not provide universal protection from glare, however. If you tilt you're head past 45° or so, some of the horizontal light can enter, causing bright spots.

Polarized Lenses can cause dark spots on liquid crystal displays (LCDs). On-board clocks,  some cell phones, navigation screens, and some instrument displays may be slightly less readable.

Polarized Lenses can not be clear—the filters only come in grey or brown.  Recent advances in the technology have yielded lighter filters.  At CATEYE Spectacles we can, of course, make you prescription or non-prescription sunglasses in the classic dark grey or brown, but for a little more fun we can take these new fangled, lighter filters and tint them to create a custom pair of lenses just for you.  We had the lab whip up some examples—these could be solid or even in gradient!  That's something that wasn't possible before.  Custom is better.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

It's Science! | UV, the Scourge


Hey everybody!  The CATEYE Science Guy is back with more knowledge droppings, so buckle-up space cadets!  We're gonna go for a ride...

What causes true lasting damage to your eyes (besides these guys)?

It came from outer space...
(cue: creepy sci-fi theremin music)
ooooooo weeeee oooooo



Okay, but seriously, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association stress the need to protect your eyes by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses that block out 99-100% of both UV-A and UV-B light.  We don't have any hats, but boy do we got glasses!

Ultraviolet rays can damage the surface of the eye and the interior structures, such as the lens and retina.  This can open a door to all sorts of badness like cataracts and, some doctors suggest, Macular degeneration.

Bottom line is that you need to protect yourself from UV rays.  It's not important how dark the tint is, or if you have a sweet mirror coating like Sylvester Stallone.  You could have clear Polycarbonate lenses (which inherently block UV) and they would protect against UV just as well as some sweet mirrored Stallone shades (provided said sweet mirrored Stallone shades are treated to block UV).

 
And don't worry, all of the sunglasses at CATEYE Spectacles, though they may be old, have lenses that block 100% of UV-A and UV-B light.  This will help protect you from UV, the Scourge—basically, think of UV rays like the Shredder and the Foot Clan and our sunglasses like the Ninja Turtles.  C-A-T-E-Y-E power!  Kowabunga dudes.


Disclaimer: Obviously there are other things out there that can be harmful to your eyes and your vision—we're not telling you that if just wear 100% UV-A and UV-B blocking lenses that you can replace your Visine with acne cream.  Take care of yourselves people!

Monday, January 24, 2011

icon | NINA RICCI

Maria Nielli, better known as Nina Ricci, was born in the baroque , rococo, neo-classical, art neuveau, french themed and edified in the classical style of Versailles,  city of Turin, Italy.  A major city with a flourishing industrious and cultural center in northern Italy, it is the capital of the Piedmont Region and is surrounded by the Alpines.  Home to the house of Savoy, known as Italy's Royal Family, this city was the country's first capital in 1861. 



Nicknamed "Nina" she spent impressionable and formative years in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy and in Paris, France where upon her arrival she began her apprenticeship in dressmaking.  She continued her pursuit of fashion, nurturing her growing passion throughout her teenage years.  She later married famous Parisian jeweler Luigi Ricci in 1904 and was then known as  Madame Nina Ricci.  She spent the next 20 years growing her family and working as a partner with the Paris fashion House of Raffin.


In 1932, at the age of 49, the House of Nina Ricci was born as a co-founded venture with her business partner and son Robert  Ricci.   Ricci's fashions released for the House of Nina Ricci shared a national stage when displayed along side other famous Parisian couturiers as they toured famous cities in Europe and the USA  begining as an exhibition at the Louvre in Paris.

In 1948 came the launch of infamous  'L'air du Temps'  the easily recognizable perfum packaged in the now emblematic, Rene Lalique, famous crystal maker,  designed and manufactured bottle with the relief sand blasted doves.  The House of Ricci reached such heights of noteriety that the boutique's window displays were at one point  designed by Andy Warhol.

The most recent good news for the House of Ricci came in 2010 when the now parent company, Barcelona based, PUIG, pursued and hired former Louis Vuitton designer Peter Copping.  The result is a re-newel of the House of Ricci and revival of the popularity and exclusivity it once enjoyed.




The Paris Match January 1978 issue front cover,  featured a similarly fashioned Nina Ricci sunglass worn by the Iconic Jackie Kennedy Onassis.   This piece shown here, available for purchase at the CATEYE SPECTACLES boutique (only one in stock), is an authentic vintage sunglass from the emblematic collecition hand made in Paris, France and which was so admired and elegantly worn by the icon herself, Jackie Onassis.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Style Guide | Buddy Holly & the Thick Black Glasses

 Often, when people think of vintage glasses, the image they have in their head (whether they realize it or not) is of Buddy Holly, that devilishly handsome pioneer of Rock and Roll.

There are many ways to achieve Holly's trademark look, but the phrase that'll send your optician in the right direction is '60s horn-rimmed glasses.

At Cateye, we have many examples of this style, including the original vintage TART OPTICAL ARNEL.




Another good choice is the SHURON FREEWAY—these are from one of our new collections.




Or the SHURON SIDEWINDER with thicker swept temples.




And then, of course, there's always the RAY BAN WAYFARER.
 


Note: All frames pictured are available in our Los Angeles store.