Thursday, October 30, 2008
4Occhi - The Aspesi 1910 Four Lens Glasses
4Occhi has solved this issue with an innovative pair (should I say pair?) of sunglasses that are basically two pairs attached to each other at the bridge. Designed by Giulio Iacchetti, you can flip them and wear either set of lenses. You could fit one level with your prescription and the other with sunglass lenses.
Do you have the moxy?
They definitely look interesting enough, but I don’t know if they look good enough for anyone to actually wear them. It couldn’t be more convenient for someone but at some point looks becomes more important than convenience. Still, these innovative glasses are sure to interest designers and awards all over.
The retail for this is unknown.
Source: 4Occhi
6:45 PM View Comments
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Nike Hindsight Sunglasses by Designer Billy May
Nike eyewear is certainly not the biggest of Nike categories but perhaps it should be. I hardly ever see people wearing Nike sunglasses, despite them having a nice looking and reasonably priced line of products.
Maybe this will change in the future. Designer Billy May has chosen Nike as the front for a concept design he has created. Called Nike Hindsight, it is supposed to provide the wearer with an extra 25% in their range of vision extending beyond your normal peripheral vision. The technology states that the sunglasses have fresnel lenses (similar to those used in a lighthouse) which can refract a wider range of light on the eye. Take a look at his design photos and explanation.
Innovative and cool looking
Source: Yanko Design
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Monday, October 27, 2008
Shameless Fixation #3 – Dita's Splendour
Ok, so I write a lot about Dita here, but there is good reason for it. They are making some of the best sunglasses right now in both design and quality. They are made in Japan, whereas a lot of the bigger name brands have been made in China for years. They have been popular with celebrities for some time now, and with designs like this they’ll only get more popular.
When they release a new design I pay attention. This is a recent release and it is simply fantastic. It is called Splendour. It has the feel of an Oliver Peoples or Barton Perreira, but with Dita cachet, which can not be imitated. I simply love the vintage style nose piece. Take a look:
Splendour indeed
The above pair is the White Gold model, but they also come in black, brown and camo. I’ve seen this style on David Beckham among others and it is just getting popular.
They retail for about $300. If you are not familiar with Dita, take a look at their website.
Splendour available at:
Source: Dita
7:20 AM View Comments
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunglasses in the Movie Quantum of Solace
When I saw the first of the new James Bond movies, I can’t say how much I was impressed with Daniel Craig’s Bond. The cocky self-love fest was over. Bond was stripped down now to a more realistic, albeit primal character. He is more human in his weakness, but more precise in his killing. There is a dash of Bourne in him now.
The new film, Quantum of Solace, has Bond flying all over the world trying to foil the plans of evil Dominic Greene, hell bent on ruling Bolivia. It also involves a revenge plot surrounding events from the first film. That’s all I know.
Want to look like James Bond?
Bond can be seen wearing a pair of sunglasses throughout the movie and it actually took me some time to find out what it is. Apparently a lot of people have been arguing about whether the frame is Tom Ford TF108 19 or are actually a discontinued pair of Oliver Peoples called Airman. I’ve read that Daniel Craig actually selected some of the items to be worn in Quantum of Solace, sunglasses included and he choose Olive Peoples, but as Tom Ford is doing all the clothing, they've actually supplied him with the TF108 19. Well, Daniel Craig has got excellent taste.
They are available at: 
6:52 PM View Comments
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Review: Giro Filter – New Sunglass Release from the Cycling Masters
For someone who specializes in cycling products, it’s not surprising that Giro has a few excellent sunglass models for just that. Even though they’ve only been in the game for a year they are already becoming industry leaders in innovation in the sports sunglasses area. The first example of this is their agreement with Carl Zeiss to use Zeiss lenses for their very first range of models.
Their latest release, coming out in October, continues this innovation and the model is called Filter. Using something called PopTop technology, the lenses are removed quickly and smoothly. This system involves rotating a hinge built into the frame, which releases the lenses without having to actually pull on them. This removes the problem of getting finger prints all over the lenses and is just simply really cool. The hinge is so smooth and it has sort of a snap to it.
Technology in action
My excellent camera
Frames: The frames are made of TR-90, a kind of flexible plastic. The shape is 7-base, and the fitting around my eyes is near perfect. There are not open spots on the sides or top to let sunlight in. The ends of the temples have a good size strip of rubber which keeps them securely in place. The only thing I would have to complain about the frame is just that there is a lot of it.
Features: Obviously the PopTop technology sticks way out. Some other brands (Smith is one I know of) have some sort of system for getting the lenses out (aside from directly pulling them out), but this is by the slickest and smoothest. On the way out the lenses got a little stuck a few times, but you get used to the system quite easily.
Testing: Much like the Havik, the Filter lives up to expectations (and price). I wore them while doing a long biking session and had no problems with slipping, fogging or discomfort. The only issue I have is changing the lenses. The PopTop technology obviously is very slick and smooth, but the spare lenses were only provided in a plastic bag, so storing them is quite tedious, as I would have to take the box everywhere I go, and that is not going to happen. Also, I’m not going to shove two Carl Zeiss lenses randomly into my pocket because I would worry about them getting scratched. So changing the lenses isn’t as quick as it should be. Perhaps if there was a slot for the lenses in a hard case, then it would be quicker. It took me about a minute to change them.
Packaging: They came in a flip-up paper box. Inside the box contained the extra lenses and the micro-fibre bag carried the sunglasses. Also included were the instruction booklet and a booklet about Carl Zeiss lenses.
Cost: Filter retails for about $160 - $180. The model I have is $180.
Conclusion: Giro takes their sunglasses line a step up with Filter, no doubt. They are getting into new realms with their focus on innovation and technology like some other brands used to. The quality is excellent and the finished product is quite polished. Having Carl Zeiss lenses and a spare pair of clear lenses added for good measure is simply amazing. When you need to switch to the clear lenses, they are there waiting. On the negative side, the required space to put the PopTop technology into the frame means there is just a lot of frame, which some people commented diminishes from the overall look of it, but I myself didn’t see it. It’s all personal preference. Also, there is still no hard case with them, so there’s no real way to store them unless you are going straight from your door to the bike. Finally, there could be a better way of storing the spare lenses. A soft pouch might work, because the plastic bag that came with them means they could rub up against each other and scratch. Overall, this is an excellent pair of shades and I would recommend them to anyone.
Rating: 9.2571
Note: I have been informed that the product I've looked at was pre-production and the final product will include not only a hard case but also a pouch for the lenses. This basically clears up all of the negatives I had towards Filter and creates a really complete product. Oct 29, 2008.
Photo/Website: www.giro.com
11:30 PM View Comments
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Celebrity Sighting - Rihanna and Chanel CH 4160Q Sunglasses
Becoming a pop and fashion goddess all in the same year, Rihanna is everywhere. From her videos to different magazine covers, she’s hard to miss. Her songs are catchy and her fashion is impeccable.
I don’t know if anyone has gone from pop star to fashion icon is as short of a time as she has. Her clothes are very finely selected, as is her eyewear. She also looks excellent with a bob-style hair cut, which is saying a lot.
Making a bob look good
Above is a recent photo of her wearing Chanel CH 4160Q sunglasses. She is often seen in Chanel sunglasses and Chanel in general. Every time I see her, she has a new pair of sunglasses, so it is hard to keep up.
This style is fairly loud because of the sheer size, but is fairly basic aside from the golden strip which follows the top of the lens and the leather strap twisting through it. On its own I am not a big fan of the shape or accents, but they honestly look really good on Rihanna. This pair definitely needs to be tried on before buying as the sizing and accents will not match everyone. They retail for $350 and up.
2:20 AM View Comments
Monday, October 13, 2008
Oakley Sunglasses Artist Series – Robert Pimple (Barry McGee)
Since being bought out by Luxottica last year, Oakley has yet to produce a new model. This is perhaps due to the time it takes to transition from one company to another. In the meantime, they have released a lot of speciality items, most being an artistic remake of an old model, as well as re-releasing Frogs earlier this year.
The latest release from them is an artistic remake of the HiJinx model by the artist Robert Pimple (one of the many aliases of Barry McGee). It’s very cool looking.
Where are the new Oakleys?
The urban graffiti feel of McGee’s former work shines through on this model. His patterning and shapes are very distinctive and his popularity has really exploded in the last ten years.
Now instead of seeing his work on the streets, you can wrap your head with it. This is a limited edition, so if you want a pair you had better get them now, as almost all of the earlier artistic and special limited editions are sold out. They retail for $160.00
Source: Hypebeast
7:59 AM View Comments
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Venting on Sunglasses and Goggles
Almost all sunglasses designed for sporting have a venting system on at least a few models. Fashion sunglasses; not so much.
The first and most obvious reason for this is drag. Drag is reduction in speed caused by air pressure at high speeds. Drag is why Indy cars are shaped the way they are and are tested in wind tunnels. Sunglasses have been tested in wind tunnels (I’ve seen a few videos of this), and the application is the same. Having venting on sunglasses will make you faster. The effect on your overall speed is not much, but swimmers shave their legs to give themselves a one-hundredth of a second, so it’s not unreasonable. Also, depending on the design and shape, the nose piece of will be pushing against your face at high speeds, and this may become uncomfortable.
I'm a photoshop wizard
When buying a pair of sunglasses for high-speed sports, think about getting something with vents on them. However, take note of the direction the vents will cause the air to flow, as some sunglasses and goggles from cheaper brands (who put no research into the actual usage of their products) will actually direct air onto your eyes, which is very uncomfortable. I’ve experienced this more with goggles while snowboarding, because the air is not only moving quickly, but is also cold. Moreover, some venting systems look like they are actually designed to bother your eyes. This problem is not so big with sunglasses, but I’ve seen some pairs which look like it could be one. Let the buyer beware.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
2:17 AM View Comments
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