Prince Khalid bin Salman and US counterpart discuss over phone prospects for defense cooperation    Saudi Arabia highlights long standing relationship with UNESCO during Executive Board meeting    Princess Haifa: Sporting events draw 14 million tourists with SR22 billion spending in 2024    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to 78.8 years    Hajj Ministry sets April 29 as last date for departure of Umrah pilgrims    TASI recoups losses, records highest close since December 2024    Dar wa Emaar hosts annual Eid Al Fitr community celebration with residents at Saraya Al Narjis in Riyadh    6.8 million people travel via four Saudi airports during 2025 Umrah season    Ithra to showcase its art collection at Riyadh Art Week    Israeli protesters urge Netanyahu to secure hostage deal during meeting with Trump    Palestinian teen died in Israeli prison after suffering 'likely prolonged malnutrition', autopsy finds    Saudi U-17s qualify for 2025 FIFA World Cup after win over Thailand    Saudi Arabia imposes SR100,000 fine on Hajj and Umrah firms for not reporting visa overstays    US defends tariffs on remote island of penguins and seals    The Seven Dogs wraps filming in Riyadh with a budget exceeding $40 million    Trump's crackdown on university protests is casting a long shadow    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Moussa Diaby praises Al Ittihad's resilience after Jeddah Derby draw "When you can't win, you take a point"    Riyadh Art Week launches with over 50 galleries showcasing global artistic dialogue    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Perfect circles
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 21 - 03 - 2008


HARRY Potter was ahead of his time. Round eyeglasses, the distinctive kind worn by the young wizard, are shaping up to be the next big thing in eyewear. Seriously. Over the past decade or so, myopic hipsters have favored rectangular frames. More recently, amusingly oversized sunglasses - a la Jackie O - have become a celebrity mainstay. Now design houses like Paul Smith, Balenciaga, Lunor Eyewear, Theo, and Anne et Valentin are pushing a return to classic round and semi-round frames for spring. “There's definitely a move to more conservative eyewear and vintage shapes,” said Filipa Fino, senior accessories editor at Vogue. “For a while, everything has been oversized. In the sunglass market especially, it was all about overpowering the face. Now, the trend in fashion is to go back to the classics.” Classic with a modern twist, that is. Paul Smith's new Boys Only collection of sleek round frames come in bold colors like orange, royal blue, and translucent gray. Balenciaga, which will roll out its first sunglass line this spring through manufacturer Safilo USA, is showing large round frames reminiscent of looks from the 1970s. They were inspired by sunglasses from the Balenciaga archives, said Eden Wexler, a spokeswoman for Safilo. Robert Marc, a New York-based designer who operates a retail store on Newbury Street, has introduced two modified round (a cross between round and square) frames for the spring, called style 195 and 196, as well as a rounded sunglass frame. The eyeglass frames are available in five colors including smoke gray and chestnut brown. The glasses, which were introduced in October, are a huge hit, Marc said. “It's absolutely taking off. We have an incredible back-order on the 195,” he said. “Every time we get a shipment in, they don't even hit the floor. We have a two- to six-week waiting list.” Marc also believes the country's serious mood translates to a more conservative image. “People are really thinking about things: the economy, the elections, the war, the green movement,” he said. In fashion, that has translated into more retro nerdy looks. “Look at Harry Potter and Ugly Betty. We are celebrating the nerd,” he said. “Wingtip shoes are in fashion again and Thom Brown's very preppy, slim suits. On the streets, there is a desire to have a more intellectual look.” Celebrities are already embracing the bookish look. Bono, the eyewear bellwether who's rarely photographed without sunglasses, was spied recently in France sporting a pair of round frames. Mary Kate Olsen made the scene at the Sundance Film Festival in round frames, too. Larry Leight, founder and creative director of Oliver Peoples, which also designs eyewear for Paul Smith, said he believes the public is bored with rectangular and rimless frames. “They have less character,” he said. “When looks get tired and there's nothing fresh coming out, that's when designers pull out things from the past.” Oliver Peoples, in a nod to its 20th anniversary this year, selected vintage designs from its original collection in 1988. “I wanted something old school,” Leight said. Round eyeglasses, of course, have never been officially off the market. The Anglo American Optical Co. in Illinois and London has been making round frames since 1882. But Allan Caliman, the company's co-owner, concedes that round shapes can be a tough sell. “Round faces can't wear round glasses,” he said. “You need to have a long, slim face. Round glasses are really for the eccentric types who want their glasses to be seen.” This spring, Anglo American has seven round styles in a range of colors from red to yellow to light brown. “They're definitely bold,” said Caliman. For the fashionista who's resistant to the bookkeeper look, Vogue's Fino says take heart. “I think it's all a question of getting used to it,” she said. “In fashion, there are often things we think we'd never wear again and then they pop up on the runway and look new again.” __

Clic here to read the story from its source.