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Quick Take: David Kind has announced its new sunglass line which carries on the brand’s trademark Japanese and Italian quality construction.
Wearer: High quality sunglasses with a laid back feel.
Specifics: Seven sunglass options that embody the urban beach vibe with vintage 50s inspiration. The sunglass collection features tailored, understated, on-trend frames that are a laid back tribute to Southern California lifestyle.
Selling Points: Non-prescription sunglasses will feature tempered AR coated, scratch resistant, polarized Japanese mineral glass lenses. They will also feature 100 percent UVA, UVB and UVCC protection up to 400 nanometers to block out blue light. Additionally, prescription sunglasses are available through the brand’s no obligation try on program for eyeglasses. For the past year, the brand has been offering Rx sunglasses ‘off-menu’ for customers requesting them, and selling non-prescription sunglasses via leading quality providers Black Optical, Deus Ex Machina, Durant Sessions and in its showroom in Venice, the company stated. “We wanted to nail our optical line before expanding into sunglasses and there is no better way to do that than to master the process for the most discerning clientele—the eyeglass wearers that rely on them for better vision,” said David Barton, founder of David Kind. “In addition to the refreshing, California styles, we think consumers are really going to be pleasantly surprised by a noticeable difference in clarity, crispness and feel of the lenses.”
Price Guide: $$$$
davidkind.com

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Quick Take: ic! berlin has teamed up with Jeremy Tarian for the ic! berlin x tarian eyewear collection, VegeTarian.
Specifics: Two optical styles and one sunglass style.
Selling Points: This collection features not only a new hybrid construction method for ic! berlin but also debuts five new custom acetate laminates. The new acetate laminates were curated by Tarian and named after some of his favorite cruelty-free foods: A for asparagus, B for beetroot, C for courgette, D for dragon fruit and E for echallot.
Price Guide: $$$$$
www.ic-berlin.de

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Quick Take: Maui Jim and Vinylize have partnered to create a limited edition sunglass, handcrafted from vinyl records, the frame is called Hula Blues.
Specifics: The design of Hula Blues was inspired by the original vintage printing of the sheet music booklet for Hawaiian classic Hula Blues from 1923. The sunglass frame fuses Vinylize’s proprietary production with Maui Jim’s patented PolarizedPlus2 lens technology.
Selling Points: The frame is available in neutral grey and HCL bronze lens colors. Additionally, the Hula Blues are recommended as an effective UV filter for the eyes and surrounding skin by the Skin Cancer Foundation. They are also made with Maui Jim’s optically correct, distortion-free lenses that feature patented lens treatments and color enhancing technology and are available in prescription. “The Hula Blues sunglasses merge classic vinyl, modern style and state-of-the-art eyewear technology, to create a one-of-a-kind, fashion-forward premium sunglass,” said Jay Black, vp of marketing at Maui Jim. “We had been upcycling vinyl records into premium eyeglass frames for years and wanted to make the best possible pair of sunglasses. While we were approached by other sunglass manufacturers in the past, we never found the right partner—that is until Maui Jim came along,” said Zachary Tipton, founder of Vinylize.
www.MauiJim.com; www.vinylize.com

Smith has launched an updated collection of its iconic aviator with the new Serpico 2 and Serpico 2 Slim sunglasses. The styles still feature the bold 9 x 3 toric lens silhouette and the new Serpico 2 frames are now available in two sizes, boasting design upgrades for improved fit and function. The metal frame includes redesigned temples that have been lengthened and include adjustable tailor fit silicone nose pads that are integrated into the frame. The new Serpico collection is also offered with optically tuned ChromaPop lenses and ChromaPop Polarized AR lenses.
www.smithoptics.com

Smilen Eyewear introduces four new styles to their Red Carpet Collection, designed by Scott Smilen, CEO of Smilen Eyewear. The Red Carpet collection features sophisticated fashion designs for men, women and children of all ages and ranges from large masculine rectangles to petite feminine cat eyes. The new styles, including the acetate Vibrant 6, 7 and 8, feature unique colors, metal details with spring hinges and classic shapes that blend modern and classic feminine designs. Elegant designs and vibrant colors with the finest materials acetate combine to create classic styling.
www.smileneyewear.com