Dec

9

Trends of 2008 and Expectations for 2009

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2008 was a year of reemergences. Vintage styles as far back as the 40’s were back in style among the elite and Hollywood stars as the US and UK experienced a mainstream flashback to the 70’s with large, rounded sunglasses and bold, square eyeglasses reemerging as the top style accessory for 2008.



We expect the vintage fad to continue well into 2009, so don’t throw out your Jackie O’s with the New Year. In addition, we expect the vintage flashback to grow stronger in 1950-60s style, meaning old newscaster style black frames, Wayfarers and Aviators.


Peresol has a fantastic vintage inspired line of sunglasses in light brown with brown lenses, perfect for men and women alike. Dior, also, has picked up on the vintage trend. Check out their latest line of retro eyewear for 2008-2009 (see picture of Dior retro style shades). Police 1561 brand and style are my favorite vintage throw-back and look classy in black of brown. The Police shades are subtle, unique and show a bit of class, and are my top pick for vintage eyewear for 2009.


Tortoise shell is expected to come into style in 2009, as are slightly horn-rimmed eyewear styles. Note that Hollywood has been enjoying these throw-back styles for several months, usually a prime indicator of mainstream fashion trends for the following year.


Whatever your pick of vintage, whether subtle 50’s style or full-fledges 70’s flare, be sure to jump on the bandwagon with your retro eyewear in 2009.

Oct

13

Horn-rimmed Glasses from Hero

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The man with the horn rimmed glasses in the hit NBC show Heroes lurks throughout the series as somewhat of a mysterious schizophrenic. Part father and part government company man, Noah Bennet is both the face of fear for the majority of the civilians with superpowers and a loving and protective father to his adopted daughter.


Bennet’s double life makes his characteristic eyewear somewhat of a costume necessity. Throughout the series the camera angle shows the world through these horn rimmed frames, as if showing the predicaments Bennet finds himself in through his own eyes. His adopted daughter, Claire, is also a mutant (in the sense that she has the ability to heal any wound) and in series one was labeled as the savior of the globe. Bennet was forced to decide between turning her over for experimentation by his mutant-tracking government gang, or escaping with her into the desert. He chooses the later course, but leaves his family on several occasions where he returns to his dark side (though for good reason).


The glasses are Demi-Amber/Gold Universal Country Squire brand glasses with tortoise shell coloring and gold accents, a very old fashioned style and color choice for a modern TV hit. Tim Kring, the creator and co producer/writer for the series claims that Bennet’s character wears this particular style and brand of glasses because he felt they were reminiscent of early CIA style frames, and looked “very company-man.”


It is noteworthy that Bennet’s features are somewhat remote and bland. His classic hairstyle, plain grey suits and unassuming shoes and accessories make him a fairly forgettable character. His calm but monotone voice paired with pale skin and a plain car also help to make Bennet disappear into the crowd. Yet the glasses themselves stand out in people’s memories in the series, and he becomes known to the mutants only as ‘the man with the horn rimmed glasses.’


He first acquired the glasses when shopping with his daughter, Claire. He was wearing grandpa-style thick, dark frames that shaded most of his face and added to his bland appearance. Claire picked up the horn rimmed glasses for her father and complemented him on the change they made to his appearance. Pleased with his daughter’s choice, and obviously infatuated with her, Bennet purchased the frames and is hardly seen without them. It is striking that his daughter heard of a dangerous man with horn rimmed glasses several times before connecting the super-villain to her father, whom she helped create the persona for.


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Throughout the seasons, Bennet’s glasses have been broken several times, spit on, and have appeared in visions painted by a fortune telling artist. He is known around the globe as a killer and the lone assassin of a government program tagging and killing mutants. His glasses are symbol of his former life as a killer for The Company. Though he tries to flee with his family for a normal life and safety, he finds it hard to let go of his former self, and expertly plays the villain when needed, and the father when called upon. His glasses, then, are the most poignant throw-back to his company days, and to the internal battle that rages inside his character. This writer predicts that the glasses will vanish in later seasons when the character defeats the company.

Sep

22

Company Profile, Prada

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Prada is one of the most well known design labels in the fashion industry, a name that comes with both reverence and awe. Their designs are characterized by high-quality materials cut into high-class, clean shapes.

The company was started as Prada Brothers in Milan, Italy in 1890 as a leathergoods shop. Fratelli, the owner and sole designer, was a chauvinist who did not allow any female family members into the design studio or shop. However, when Fratelli died, his son Mario was not interested in the business and daughter-in-law took over running the company. In an act of irony and defiance, Fratelli’s daughter Miuccia also joined the company, thus Prada came under the leadership of two very strong and capable women. Miuccia convinced Patrizio Bertelli to join the company in an advising role, and as a result soon abandoned their antiquated styles in favour of revolutionizing and streamlining their leather designs. Several years later, the company was selling the new bag designs in upscale markets, and revenue was pouring in. After expanding across Europe and opening shoe and clothing lines, Miuccia and Bertelli finally married. The label became known for its durability and clean, straight lines—a kind of anti-establishment high-end fashion.


BY 1990 the company had landed in the big leagues with over US$31m in profits. In the US, the style was labelled as ‘working class fashion’ and was widely adopted in the country as people began to shy away from opulence and glamour in favour of practicality and simple style.


Throughout the company’s rise they were in dire competition with Gucci, and CEO Bertelli even went so far as to attempt to acquire a controlling interest in Gucci by buying up their shares. This idea flopped, and the company returned to focusing on design. However, as a result of their ongoing competition, Prada nearly bankrupted itself buying the Fendi label, which Gucci had been vying for. The company is still massively in debt from that ego-focused purchase. Bertelli has decided to attempt to take the company public as early as 2009, by listing on the Milan stock exchange. The company hopes to raise enough funds in their IPO to pay off debt and fund expansion.


Internationally, Prada has lagged behind other labels, choosing instead to focus on Europe and the US. Louis Vuitton is the most well-known international design house, with stores all over Asia. Prada even missed the China craze because it was in such dire financial straits.


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However, the company has continued to dominate the fashion world, with Miuccia’s designs looked to each year as a source of inspiration for other designers. She alone propels the company forward with new designs, and her husband tried to fund this with his wheeling and dealing. One of Miuccia’s major pushes recently has been in the field of accessories. Prada launched into the accessory market three years ago with their distinguished Prada sunglasses. The glasses have been sold widely and are highly regarded as a just comparable to Dior’s well-established sunglasses line. Prada hopes to make a comeback with the glasses, as they are more widely affordable than their clothing and bag lines. 


Popular culture has picked up Prada’s iconic status, and several mentions of the design have appeared in Hollywood recently. Most notably, Prada was featured in the hit, The Devil Wears Prada, wherein a young magazine hopeful is faced with a powerful magazine editor clothed in high fashion. Though the young woman initially resists the power of Prada, she eventually falls victim to its charms, as do all fashion-frenzied ladies.

Aug

4

Choosing lens materials

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materials

            In today’s market there are countless decisions to make when purchasing a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses. What type of frame, what colors, what features, and finally, what lens additions, materials, coatings, tints or varnishing. There are options galore, some merely cosmetic, others health conscious and other still sensitive to lifestyle and habit. Before heading to the online store to pick out your frames, consider some of the options, bearing in mind that you’ll be using the glasses daily and will not want to skimp on the one accessory everyone is bound to notice.

            Antireflective coatings reduce glare and, when your picture is taken, reduce the reflection of light thus ensuring your eyes show through the glass in the image. Studies show that you can see up to 75% more with coated lenses, which obviously is a safety benefit for drivers or serious sports fanatics. Additionally, your glasses will not be blamed for making your golf partner miss his swing, as not light will reflect off your glasses to blind poor onlookers. I find this coating invaluable, and have it applied to every pair of my sunglasses and corrective lenses.

materialsPlastics and polycarbonate lenses have the ability to block ultraviolet rays, and increase protection 100% from normal glass lenses, which do nothing in the way of protect as much as correct your vision. Additionally, plastics are stronger and more durable, though are more likely to scratch and smudge (though, naturally, there are remedies for these ailments).

Anti-scratch coatings can be applied to all plastic and synthetic materials other than glass. Glass is naturally more scratch resistant. If you chose plastic lenses, make sure they are varnished in scratch resistant and smudge reducing coatings to ensure longevity. Treatments can be applied to natural glass lenses to make them shock resistant, and thus more durable. Ultimately, the glass versus plastic decision is one of personal taste.

Tinted glasses can be useful if you have highly sensitive eyes, which many fair-eyes people complain of. Tints of various shades can assist in various tasks; see my previous article on tinting for more details. When choosing lenses, be aware that tints cannot easily be added after your glasses are purchased. You will need to consider the tint you would like beforehand. A more recent development in the lens industry is changing tint glasses, where lenses are clear or beige when indoors, and turn into sunglasses when confronted with light. Though a bit more expensive, these are especially useful for highly active people who spend a great deal of time moving between the indoors and out. While some complain that the dark tinting when confronted with light can be annoying when driving in twilight, most find the adapting lenses useful, though a bit out of their control.

            A few additional tips. Properly fitted frames should be comfortable, above all. When wearing glasses to correct vision, the most common concern is that glasses will get in the way or hinder your mobility. Though style and design are important, consider that uncomfortable glasses will not be appreciated or enjoyed.

            Glasses and sunglasses should not touch your temples, cheeks or eyebrows, but should be held in place by your nose and ears, distributing the weight evenly. They should not shift or slide when you change your facial expressions. When trying on glasses, smile, wink, yawn, laugh and scowl—making sure there is no movement in the frames and no pinching of the nose. Should you fall in love with an uncomfortable pair of frames, you can have them resized or fitted professionally, and have the nose and earpieces realigned.

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