If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): luella cat eye glasses

Anyone who's a true fashionista is already familiar with Linda Farrow's collection of luxe, vintage and limited edition designer sunglasses. They appear in the chicest of boutiques and on the runway models of the hippest designer's shows, fashion mags and more. If you've never heard of Linda Farrow or their eyewear, then this will be a treat for you.

First, a little background for those of you who do not know of Linda Farrow eyewear.

First established in 1970, the Linda Farrow brand of luxury eyewear rose quickly to acclaim amongst stylish Londoners and the international jet set. Originally a fashion designer herself, Linda Farrow was one of the first to treat sunglasses as fashion, producing collection after cutting-edge collection, her finger always on the pulse of the times. A tireless experimenter, Farrow pioneered many of the shapes and styles that remain au courant today. Exploring the use of screws on frames, for example, Farrow developed the avant-garde wraparounds that became Yoko Ono’s trademark style in the 70s. Farrow’s relentless pursuit of luxury, innovation and cutting-edge design continue to mark the brand almost forty years on.

Above: Simon Jablon

It was in one of their warehouses in London that the artistic director, Simon Jablon, son of the legendary designer Linda Farrow, rediscovered old models of original sunglasses created in the 70s and 80s by his mother. In April 2003, Linda Farrow Vintage was launched.

They now carry three collections; only a few of which from each line are shown below.

The fine jewellery collection which are glasses whose frames are made with precious metals, diamonds and other gemstones:

A few from The Luxe collection:

And some examples from the Vintage collection:

The Linda Farrow Vintage range consists of 2000 models, which includes styles produced in limited edition of only 500 copies. The glasses are sold in their original packaging, through exclusive and international distribution.

But what I find more interesting than their three lines are the collaborative efforts with other fashion designers and the sunglasses worn by the runway models during fashion shows.

Above: Models sporting Linda Farrow designs at the runway shows

Above: Model wearing the collaborative effort of Linda Farrow and Jeremy Scott

Linda Farrow Vintage has launched several collections in collaboration with brands such as Giles Deacon, House of Holland, Dries Van Noten, Peter Pilotto, Yohji Yamomoto, Ponystep, ACNE, Basso & Brooke, Bernhard Willhelm, Buddhist Punk, Eley Kishimito, Jeremy Scott, Sophia Kokosalaki and Linda Farrow Vintage for Tsuba.

Many of these were designed for select fashion designer's runway shows, below are some of my favorite collaborations with fashion designers:

With Bernard Wilhem:

With Jeremy Scott:

With Luella:

Above: Model wearing the Linda Farrow Luella Cat glasses on the cover of Mario Testino's book

With Rodarte:

With Erickson Beamon:

Learn more and see more at Linda Farrow Vintage

Today, Linda Farrow Vintage and its original concept, Linda Farrow Gallery, are produced exclusively for other designers, and are present in more than 300 outlets. Several styles (not all) can be found only at specific boutiques like Harrods (London) Joyce (Hong Kong), Le Printemps (Paris), Harrods Men's Department (London), L'Eclaireur (Paris), Maria Luisa (Paris), Penelope (Italy), Quartier 206 (Berlin), Jeffrey (New York) and Isetan (Tokyo).