Made in the Shades
by Adriana Di Lello


This season’s sunglasses are more restrained, more stream lined. The message is clear, the lines of the 50’s and 60’s are back, returning with some bold new colors, banishing the fantastical, even bizarre designs of the last few years.


Essentiality. Linear design. Severity. These are the watchwords for this summer’s sunglasses. It’s time to leave behind the excesses of previous seasons: the oversized and gaudy frames inspired by the ‘70s. Time to return to smaller and tighter styling.



Reduced Proportions
 Reduced in size and honed down, the fantastical has nearly disappeared for summer eye-fashions.Versus Not that the fun is gone, quite the contrary. Many companies have come out with brand new colors, and a futuristic shiny-on-brushed metal effect to augment the tighter lines. This trend represents the optimal synthesis of tradition and innovation.



50’s and 60’s Revival
 This year’s reintroduction of 50’s ad 60’s styling has seen are turnRomeo Gigli to ovals, rectangles and the inexhaustible butterfly. As far as frame designs inspired by the world of sports,Fila the tendency towards wrap-style "surfer/skateboarder" holds strong, along with the popularity of large-frame ski glasses. These are dynamic, aggressive designs with thick, often metal frames. Ferre'Overall, appearances signal a turn towards simple, minimized designs. Materials include synthetics mixed with metals and a whole new ultra-light alloy line originally designed for sports which shoots this accessory item squarely into the next millenium.



Made in Italy in the Lead
 For sunglasses, Italy is decidedly in the lead. Indeed, all of the world’s major producers are Italian. Ahead of all the rest is Luxottica, who makes glasses for Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Genny, Byblos and Yves Saint Laurent. Sąfilo (who produces the Gucci, Gianfranco Ferrč, Diesel and Polo Ralph Lauren lines) is quite large as well, along with Marcolin (Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein), VersaceItalocremona (Versace and Versus), De Rigo (Fendi, Fila, Sting, Police), Allison (Romeo Gigli) and Silhouette (Swarovski).
Even Versace favored soft, clean ovals for summer 1997, Black is the dominant Guccicolor for Versus, while Ferrč, chose to go with plastic wrap-around, and Gucci with a more elegant line of frames made of a synthetic material. Diesel leans strongly towards the '50s, with its trapezoid shapes and metallic tones. Giorgio Armani has a line of metal frames, with plastic series destined for the Emporio Armani; Valentino chose essential forms, while Moschino has gone a little wild, putting a heart and the Moschino logo on the temples. Genny and Byblos have a definitely focused on a "square" look. Dolce & Gabbana have been inspired once again by the "Latina". Their line of eight styles in either synthetic or Dolce&Gabbanalightweight alloy was obviously designed with the Sicilian summers in mind. Romeo Gigli has developed a minimalist look for spectacles as well as sunglasses; Fendi has achieved an burnished gold, antiqued effect using color; Fila, true to its name, has introduced a sporty line in time for summer games; Silhouette has developed the "PureChic" line, a sort of recycled '70s look, constructed of new materials.



Italians Abroad
 Italian manufacturers do not produce glasses for the Italian market alone. A large portion of production goes toward filling orders from American and French designers. For example, Yves Saint-Laurent was looking for a tremendous range of colors; Polo Ralph Lauren stressed clean, sharp lines executed in metal and plastic. For the top line, as well as for his CK line, Calvin Klein focus on a modern style, which despite a few stylistic diversions into cyberland, is clean and decidedly minimalist in design.

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