Ralph Vaessen eyewear: Kate Moss and 'Chas' are round the horn

More observant followers of EWG will have noticed the influence of celebrity on sunglasses, many of whom constantly want to upgrade - ain't no pleasing some.

I refer not however to the now solo pop sensation Chas (don't know what made me think of him), but to Kate Moss, who was spotted this afternoon wearing Ralph Vaessen's Katarina sunglasses (as worn in top picture) in Notting Hill.

The brand is another new one to me, Ralph Vaessen. Made by Hoffman Natural Eyewear in Germany from buffalo horn - I'm looking forward having a good look at some pieces next time I'm passing a quality optical boutique.

As for good glasses websites I implore you to visit ralphvaessen.com for a great spectacles-focused film -after you're finished here that is.

The other styles shown above are Willemijn (middle) and Spyker (bottom)... excuse my rabbiting on.

Rye & Lye Marruba - leather temples

A new collection from last weekend's Silmo caught my attention - Rye&Lye, from Immagine . If you're unsure about the leather temples, think again. The few leather frames I've come across in the past feel great, really comfortable. I like the keyhole shape around the nose.

Kirk Originals vintage Ezra glasses: thrill o' the thrift

Mrs Eyewearglasses, Beck, is the real queen of charity shops, as demonstrated by these incredible Kirk Originals Ezra spectacles which she snapped up for just £20.

I love the juxtaposition (yes, one of those) of the 1950s metal brow and temples with the modern acetate frame, including the Kirk signature shape where the outer-lower corners are diagonally trimmed away. Beautifully made.

Not sure how old these are but I expect someone in the know will leave a comment with an approx date...

[Update: Open link to find out more about the frame]

Oliver Peoples 2010 ads featuring Elijah Wood and Shirley Manson

I'm loving Oliver Peoples 2010 campaign already. It features Shirley Manson (lead singer of Garbage and star of the Terminator TSCC TV series) and Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Eternal Sunshine... etc).

As usual from Oliver Peoples, the eyewear's top notch. The styles from top to bottom: Barry and Sacha, Dannie, Rees and Riley (with the clip).

Is the clip making a comeback? I hope so - extremely practical.

IC! Berlin, Thierry Lasry, Undostrial at Silmo 2009

Four fun frames from American Apparel

Continuing on from yesterday's Prism glasses as accessories we go down-market and mass-market to American Apparel, but stick with the accessory theme...

American Apparel don't make glasses (yet) but they say they've have been collecting vintage eyewear and dead stock from opticians in their area. There's a fair bit of choice both for glasses and sunglasses, men, women and kids. I'm not sure on the quality as the prices are shockingly low, but they're undoubtedly cool specs.

These were my favourite four styles, clockwise from top-left: Aristocrat, Forte, Ritz and Campus

Prism glasses - glasses as accessories

I'd heard good things about Prism glasses, from Anna Laub, but nothing quite prepared for me for the simplicity and quality of these frames.

I love the mixture of a relatively classic look with the modern prism logo on the temple, and the simply terrific acetates.

Opticians'll be confused not only because to them "prism glasses" relates the wearer's prescription, but also because Prism's the type of glasses being sold in shops, not opticians.

"Glasses as accessories" has been going on for a year or two now and it's generating a number of exciting new looks. At last people seem to be asking why, if bags, earrings, watches, and cufflinks for God's sake are accessories why are glasses so different?

Prism glasses are handmade and hand-finished in Italy... and they're the best things I've seen in bloody ages.

Check out Anna's Prism London website and blog for more... :)

SJP wears Jee Vice sunglasses in SATC2 too

Now Sex and the City 2 is not high up my list of must-see movies: a) because most sequels suck, b) because they're still filming it, and c) while I'm fully in touch with my feminine side, SATC2 is way too girlie for me.

That said, I hear tell that the clothing and accessories are of note.

I've felt the need to explain this for three reasons: a) when embarking on a glasses blog I did not envisage the celeb angle would be quite so unavoidable; b) I have already featured a SATC2 sunglasses post just t'other week, namely "SJP" wearing Mykita and Bernard Willhelm's Flash sunglasses, and I don't want people thinking this is a fansite; and c) I found a brand that hitherto I knew very little about, Jee Vice.

The very little I did know was that a designer formerly of sports eyewear brand Arnette now designed something less sporty and more cool - fashion cool, not surf cool.

That designer, I now know, Philippe Vergez, set up Jee Vice in 2003 and I was amazed that I didn't know more.

Look at the Jee Vice website to have a browse of the wide variety of great designs (I particularly like Dyslexia) or have a look right here at SJP and KC wearing Heated Orange Jubilee and Red Hot Deep Purple.

Dolce & Gabbana glasses and sunglasses - back on the ball

Dolce & Gabbana spectacles with some quite adventurous temples and these great sunglasses. Good to see a big fashion brand putting some flair into their eyewear...

The world's coolest sunglasses - well a few anyway

Ray-Ban Wayfarers, Birkenstocks - and bricks

Ray-Ban Wayfarer glasses, not sunglasses. An advertising image? No. It's by lanuiop. Superb.

RetroSuperFuture Luciano sunglasses

Things are gonna get a bit busy as of tomorrow: Silmo (big eyewear show in Paris) begins and everyone release new collections...

This is the best thing I've seen as yet, from RetroSuperFuture - sums the brand's name up really: retro, futuristic, and super (he said in an Enid Blytonesque English accent).

The Hundreds Phoenix sunglasses - Wayfarer alternatives...

Phoenix sunglasses by The Hundreds, recently rated the best men's sunglasses in Time Out New York, look pretty good on girls too...

For people who like the Wayfarer but are after something a little different.

Flowers in the corners - vintage acetates with detail

These picture is called "I do love my glasses" and is by Jek in the box. I think everyone loves these glasses.

Emmanuelle Khanh glasses - another classic shape

EK by Emmanuelle Khanh glasses, again from Paris - thanks to this.weather for the terrific photo.

Britney Spears wears Carrera Hot sunglasses while the kids wear Carrerino

[Photo removed due to end of licensing rights]

There was once a time when young girls wanted to look like Britney Spears. I think that's changed now.


Nevertheless Carrera is making the most of the 1980s retro popularity and is already preparing for the next wave of 20- and 30-somethings reminiscing in the year 2028 with the introduction of "Carrerino" especially for the children between about 9 and 13 years old...

"Carrera", "bambino" - see what they've done there?

The Carrera collection of optical frames and sunglasses is designed by Enzo Sopracolle.

"Nerdism" - One pair of glasses, six faces

Sergio Recabarren, a photographer in Santiago, Chile, takes some brilliant pictures, a fair few of which include some great stylish specs.

This set, "nerdism" features the same pair of glasses on the consistent pose of six people. These glasses look great on all of them.

And if you think this is good, check out the white Wayfarers in this pic - class.

Round spectacles on the Paris metro

I love these round glasses - a terrific, classic look. Photo: DarkB4Dawn

Tom Ford Eyewear - bold, black bins, breasts and bums

These are the Tom Ford Eyewear 09/10 advertising images of Jon Kortajarena and Anna Maria Jagodzinska - photographed by Tom Ford himself.

Sarah Jessica Parker wears Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm sunglasses in Sex and the City 2 movie

Yes, perhaps the hottest pair of sunglasses for 2010 (as featured here in an early Mykita eyewear sunglasses post) could well be the Flash aviators by Mykita and Bernard Willhelm.

This could have happened anyway but, now SJP is wearing them in one of the early scenes to be shot of the Sex and the City movie sequel, it's looking a bit of a certainty...

Optical Affairs by Christian Roth: strong-browed 80s eyewear

Optical Affairs was launched in 1984 by Eric Domege and Christian Roth. Still going strong under the name Christian Roth, the pair are celebrating their 25th anniversary with the release of 80s-style sunglasses... the Series A, model 14305.

(Photo: René Habermacher and Jannis Tsipoulanis)

Also available with diamonds across the brow, or with fluorescent go-faster stripes:

Shoulda made your glasses from wood...

... so that's exactly what they did.

I've only come across a few wooden spectacles in my time (luxury Parisian eyewear maker Gold & Wood par example) (oh, and top British frame designer Brian McGinn introduced himself to me wearing his quirky wooden glasses) so I'm always pleased to see some more.

Each pair of Shoulda glasses are hand-made by Aaron Holtz - carefully crafted from a variety of woods and metals. Thirty woods to choose from, these are not bashed out from some factory in China.

Custom-built quality...

Elly Jackson from La Roux has lost her supercool glasses! :(

Naudwuar alerted me to this interview with Elly Jackson from La Roux, the subject of my previous post about her eyecon status...

Paul Smith glasses - great acetates, made in Japan

Josh wears Paul Smith 294 glasses - you can tell how great the acetate on these frames are. Made in Japan. The current Paul Smith eyewear collection from Oliver Peoples includes more great acetate colourways - I particularly like the Pirroni in grey smoke.