Sunglasses get the bejewelled treatment

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In November, Pharrell Williams took a bow at Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall 2024 menswear show in Hong Kong in a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses encrusted with over 24 carats’ worth of diamonds — the same pair he coolly wore in a music video shortly thereafter. They were one of several headline-making pairs designed by Tiffany & Co the rapper has worn over the past two years at high-profile fashion events and the Grammys.

Tiffany knows the marketing power of a pair of blinged-out shades. The jeweller also created numerous gem-encrusted sunglasses for Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour last year, bringing charged-up razzmatazz and glitz via a pair of futuristic, Star Trek-style glasses encrusted with stones, or a wraparound design with lenses in signature Tiffany blue. Another model sparkled with gem-set flowers. 

But can these bejewelled creations find their way offstage? While Tiffany does offer sunglasses adorned with its signature jewellery motifs, such as HardWear and Tiffany T, the styles worn by Williams and Beyoncé have yet to be adapted for the retail market.

But other jewellers are giving the category a go. Francis de Lara, the jewellery brand established by photographer John-Paul Pietrus in 2018, offers extravagant bejewelled eyewear set with precious gemstones such as rubies and sapphires, each piece requiring around 300 hours of hand-craftsmanship and priced upwards of £8,000.

After fans said they “couldn’t quite pull them off because they’re a little bit too ‘creative’”, says Pietrus, he was spurred to launch a more affordable diffusion line last summer. FDL Editions retains the same touchpoints, such as a “rigato” (ribbed) texture evoking silk grosgrain ribbon, the gold replaced by gold-plated titanium, and the signature teardrop-shaped gemstone, now in non-precious stones including garnet or amethyst. A cool Pentagons design is priced at £660, while the Supersize Aviators (£540) is a shape that Pietrus especially loves. “They’re like giant spy glasses — a very glamorous, ’70s-chic aesthetic. They come with rose-tinted lenses, so you can wear them at night,” he says.

Both lines use gemstones from the likes of Gemfields (which can attest they have been responsibly sourced) and Henig, a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. FDL Editions also uses “deadstock” stones that were cut in the 1970s. “I bought tons and am giving them life again in new designs,” says Pietrus. The cases for the glasses are also a statement: doubling as a bag with a chunky metal shoulder chain and hardware details, the vegan, mock-crock finish is crafted from pineapple fibre. 

Thai jewellery brand Patcharavipa, whose hammered-gold jewellery and vintage watches have won celebrity fans including Rihanna and Gigi Hadid, is also now applying its art to vintage sunglasses. Co-designers Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura and Kenzi Harleman like hunting down pairs to transform while on trips to Los Angeles and Bangkok. A pair of angular jet-black 1970s Pierre Cardin sunglasses, for example, are flecked with textured white gold — a two-week process that jazzes up and modernises the frames.

“We don’t want to destroy the design but embellish it,” explains Harleman. “We [also] don’t want them to be tacky — we give them a little touch of art, a little touch of gold. Many vintage sunglasses were made of plastic, a material we’ve never worked with, and we love the idea of having gold and diamonds and plastic together. It can still be very chic and quality as well.”

“It’s jewels for the eyes,” adds Bodiratnangkura, who views such sunglasses as “part of dressing up, not functionality”. She imagines the Pierre Cardin pair being worn with a vintage Paco Rabanne metallic dress, matching shirt and bag. “It’s that thing that’s missing,” she says. The brand has customised around 10 frames, including a 1990s Versace pair, the signature medusa head replaced with a textured gold coin. 

Paris-based Vision Janine also refurbishes frames from the 1950s to 1990s, sourced from flea markets and specialist opticians. They’re fitted with deadstock lenses, such as those made but never sold by the German optical systems manufacturer Zeiss. Although not gem-set, these “forgotten” frames are still one of a kind.

“Unique items are usually reserved for luxury brands and people who can afford them. But with vintage you can have a unique piece without spending a fortune,” says Janine co-founder and chief executive Zoé Lechevalier, whose pieces are priced from €150.

Bejewelled sunglasses certainly stand out. “It’s a great way to enhance your look and make you a bit different,” says Harleman. “It’s an immediate statement because it’s on your face — and the first thing everyone sees.”