As celebrity ambassador for julEYE (an annual charity campaign established by The Eye Foundation) Pengilly, and his adventurous pair of l.a. Eyeworks PICK UP frames, took a leap from the heavens above Sydneys south coast to help raise funds for research into eye disease – WATCH PENGILLY’S FUNDRAISING SKYDIVE CLIP AT -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3TyHDuSb20

The VMA promo feature shows Beiber in a Elvis-meets-Beatles scenario, his l.a. Eyeworks BENT frame ensuring Beiber’s celebrity-cool is in check. Winning the award for ‘Best New Artist” of 2010 and with Beiber-Fever currently taking over the world….this kids future’s so bright…he’s gotta wear shades!

The l.a. Eyeworks BENT frames are available in both Optical and Sunglass frames in a rainbow palette of Cremora Latte, Plum Camel, Bottle Green Matte and Blue Abbey.

For more information on the l.a. Eyeworks collection or to get your hands on one of these cool-inducing l.a. Eyeworks BENT frames, Please contact us on (Toll Free) 1800 008 139 or Contact Us.

Oliver’s great grandaughter Claire Goldsmith has relaunched his label and put a modern twist on the classic shades that will thrill today’s fashion frontrunners as much as it did their predecessors. These revitalised designs, still handmade in England (overseen by the original craftsmen, many now in their 70s) have featured heavily in all the chicest, glossiest magazines and are now spotted on the likes of Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue (Bude) & Robbie Williams (Mistinguet).

As Claire says, “We have been handmaking the highest quality sunglasses for over 70 years and have no plans to move away from our core values of quality, craftsmanship and innovative design”.

In 2005 Claire introduced to the world an inspiring and innovative fashion story along side some of the most iconic sunglasses from within the private family archive. But 2010 marked the start of something new. A new generation. A fresh outlook on design. Refinment of classics and innovative creations.

“I decided it was time to put my own mark on eyewear design and see if I had what it took to create timeless classic eyewear too. If you want a beautiful hat you would go to a milliner like Philip Treacy. If you want incredible shoes you would go to Christian Louboutin. But if you want glasses that are amazing quality and are unique and timeless in their design, then it’s worth giving us a call. I hope CG will be the vintage of the future!” (Claire Goldsmith, 2010)

The designers have also redefined those perceptions with trademark humour and politically charged messages. l.a.Eyeworks frames are immediately recognizable for their modern strokes and bold color innovations, infiltrating the popular culture landscape in everything from art to movies. The frames, hand-designed and hand-made in Italy and Japan.

The l.a.Eyeworks partners met in high school in Huntington Beach, California. Immediately inseparable, they found they had innumerable traits in common, including a deep love of eyewear. After a decade of assorted jobs in the optical business (and lots of hi-jinks on the side) the two decided to open their own store, in a revolutionary gallery style, which opened on then-quiet Melrose Avenue in 1979. Realizing they couldnt find the types of glasses they wanted to sell, Gherardi and McReynolds began to design the l.a.Eyeworks collection. Their first frame, the Beat, was inspired by a classic chunky plastic frame, but in over twenty-two outrageous colors. The material was also drilled, mirrored, and made over. The intent was always to accentuate personality.

The Latest Collection

Bold ideas are the new global currency and the new 2010/11 collection from l.a.Eyeworks is rich with forward thinking.

The bright spark designers Gai Gerhardi and Barbara McRenyolds optical imaginations let fly in a groundbreaking and diverse collection of optical frames and sunglasses. l.a. Eyeworks musings range from technological innovation in craftsmanship to fresh ideas in shaping, which compliments the companys reputation for their unashamedly bold colour pallette.
l.a. Eyeworks leaps ahead with trailblazing innovation and craftsmanship for the new collection, with the Rebar frame featuring a skilled fusion of acetate frame front and titanium backing. Lenses are mounted in a soldered rim with nylon support  much like a semi-rimless frame. Newly released frames at the Mido optical trade fair in Paris – Alto, Bing, Hanko and Clement have all been artfully milled from a colour spectrum of acetates such as Fire Ant Red, Sassy Purple, Mixed Marble Matte and Inner Blue.

The design imagination of l.a. Eyeworks has long been obsessed with graphic explorations of form. By freeing the frames from unnecessary detailing each frame speaks for itself and reveals the true integrity of these timeless designs. An l.a. Eyeworks frame will always invite instant curiosity and irresistible exploration!

The Ad Campaign

In 1981, with the store a single retail establishment, l.a.Eyeworks took out a full-page ad in the flaming hot Andy Warhols Interview Magazine. The oversized magazine was the first to celebrate celebrity and was the place to be seen. The campaign — tagged “A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame.” — instantly branded l.a. Eyeworks worldwide. The black and white ads, shot by Greg Gorman, have featured nearly 200 extraordinary faces wearing l.a.Eyeworks glasses, from Jodie Foster to RuPaul and John Waters. The Andy Warhol shot is the trademark image for the Warhol Museum (wearing l.a.Eyeworks L.A.X. frame). Even the State of Illinois copied the ads for a national campaign reading A State is Like a Work of Art. Celebrities lined up to be photographed for the campaign, which have run continuously since the inception in magazines internationally. The first color Great Face ad, featuring Italian performance artist Ennio Marchetto, debuted in fall 2006.

Retail Shops
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l.a.Eyeworks landmark Melrose Avenue shop opened in 1979 (as seen in Blade Runner), and is a destination point for eyeglass lovers worldwide. The South Coast Plaza store, in Costa Mesa, California, opened in 1988, and has drawn architectural tours. A third Los Angeles store, by acclaimed architect Neil Denari, opened June 2002 and features solely l.a.Eyeworks product. The American Institute of Architects recognised the store with the prestigious Outstanding Interior Award for 2005, and it is featured in landmark publications including the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary Architecture as well as the cover image of the hip review œCool Shops L.A. l.a.Eyeworks was nominated for a prestigious L.A. Fashion Award for October 2006.

Long recognised for innovative and directional sunglass frames for a discerning market, ISSON celebrates its 10^th anniversary with the release of its inaugural optical frame collection.

ISSON has created an indelible market niche with frames that strike just the right note of quirkiness combined with the unexpected, resulting in collections that are quintessentially avant garde.

Highly regarded by the international eyewear community, three distinct design concepts form the foundation of ISSON’s optical collections;

·         Stainless Illustration – an illustrative play on vintage shapes formed in stainless steel

·         Celluloid Form – a bold collection using vibrant and intriguing Italian acetates

·         Mind the Gap – a collection intended to challenge conformity and defy the norm

ISSON’s optical collection sees a character driven aesthetic that is largely inspired by contempary European architecture and industrial design. Leading architectural proponents including Zahid Hadid, Achille Castglioni and Dietmar Rams, alongside the furniture designs of Franco Albini, remain favoured reference points and the convergance of their influence, alongside the particular properties of the various materials used in ISSON’s optical collection, result in eyewear designs that are as striking and playful as they are ‘intellingent’and functional.

“This is a continual journey of playing with new shapes, forms and materials, the combination of which leads to a somewhat diverse range of styles.  All my recent designs were hand sketched while listening to high energy ‘techno’ within the old world reading rooms of Sydney’s State Library”, says ISSON designer Catherine Federici.

Further to the inaugural optical collection, ISSON further celebrates its 10^th anniversary with their new sunglass collection.  The 2012/13 ISSON sunglass collection presents flattering shapes and bold styling…accentuated by specialist lenses, as well as materials and construction techniques…that further forge this internationally recognised brand’s distinctive signature.

The 10^th anniversary sunglass collection introduces for the first time designs fitted with flat aspheric sun lenses which deliver a distinctive reflective quality. Custom made hinges which superbly fuse form and function take ISSON into the next decade of eyewear design exploration.

While form and function remain at the forefront of the ISSON design process, our desire to push the boundaries in terms of shape, colour and texture have resulted in character defining designs which are as collectable as they are wearable.

As with the optical collection, the ISSON sun collection was inspired by contemporary European architecture and industrial design.  “The industrial designer Franco Albini, whose masteful ‘Luisa’ chair is to me a perfect expression of balanced design, not only as an experiment in minimal form to achieve function, but via the sheer purity of its line, remains the most inspiring of late. I strive for this balance of function and beauty in each and every design I create”, said Federici.

All ISSON frames are made from high quality materials including Italian acetate and Japanese steel, ensuring strength, durability and ultimately longevity.

By challenging expectations in eyewear design from the onset, ISSON continues to earn high praise and an increasingly global profile which now sees both their sunglass and optical collections available in over 26 countries, including the leading design capitals of Milan, Paris, Tokyo, London and New York.