Cutler & Gross 2012 sunglasses: starry eyed surprise

Ordinarily, anyone suggesting to make a pair of sunglasses that are star-shaped on the outside and circular on the inside, might be laughed out of a design studio. But Cutler and Gross is hugely capable and its signature piece for the summer is simply out of this world.

Have a look at the Cutler and Gross Magazine for much much more...

Alberta Ferretti 2012 sunglasses by Cutler and Gross

Alberta Ferretti has launched its first sunglass collection, in collaboration with Cutler and Gross. The six styles  feature some dramatic curves inspired by Alberta Ferretti's ready-to-wear collection. We're loving the contrasting shape of the lens with the frame in this sexy white model below...

Sonic sunglasses from GILES for Cutler and Gross

These are Sonic by GILES for Cutler and Gross, the third time the British designer Giles Deacon has collaborated with C&G and they're a bit bloody good aren't they?

They come in Flesh with smoky lenses, "Grubby White" with brown lenses (above) , Red with bright red lenses and Black with electric blue lenses, as shown below. They're £350 and become available in December.

Meanwhile, Cutler and Gross this week launches its first "shop-in-shop" at the brilliant Eyeworks boutique in Kensington, London. More than 70 frames will be available from Cutler and Gross's spring/summer 2012 collection and vintage archive.

Eyeworks owner Brenda Mckernan says the London customer is looking for "something different to the standard commercial brands that everyone is so bored of seeing on every optician’s shelves". Well said Brenda - that's what we like!

Cutler and Gross: a night at the Museum

Cutler and Gross is a favourite of Eye Wear Glasses', making us weak at the knees whenever we find another fantastic frame. So imagine our reaction when we're lucky enough to have a sneak preview of The Museum, the new upstairs at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London! The display above shows only a few of the 4,000 glasses in the room, which date all the way back to 1969. And you don't have to ask where the mirror is in the bespoke service room (left) where clients – by appointment only – can choose their amazing handmade frame.

Not available? Cutler and Gross will create it in its own factory in Italy. How's that for service? Patrons Sarah and Ron, below, know good service when they see it through their amazing glasses... and, below them, the return of some shaky EWG video...

Victoria Beckham Eyewear SS 2011 - the Midas touch?

If you'd have told me in 1996 that some Wannabe popstar would have her name on some of the best eyewear designs in the world, I would have said, "Why are you talking to me about glasses? I work in a pub."

But few would have predicted that a once successful barman would've ended up writing a "blog" about glasses, and even fewer would have predicted that Victoria Beckham, would command a successful fashion brand, the first foray of which would have been of the spectacular.

Alas, here we are (we were here last year too). Who Do You Think You Are Victoria Beckham? Again, these sunglasses are exciting,  original and, coming from the Cutler and Gross stable, of supreme quality.

Goldenballs and... Goldeneye!? VB's so good I may soon have to stop referring to her poptastic past.

Mermaids, officers, sunglasses and glasses - Cutler & Gross 2011

Cutler and Gross's collection blew me away a little when I saw it, in its entirity, last week. There really is something for everyone, even mermaids. Great images above from its SS2011 campaign (inspired by Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren) and here's one great frame (1028) which sums C&G up - bold, exciting, with a nod to the past, but making the right statement for 2011...

One year on: Top 10 most-read Eye Wear Glasses posts

Happy birthday to Eye Wear Glasses, which turns one today. We kick off the week with a list of the 10 most-read posts of the past 12 months. They're not necessarily the best that we've featured, and celebrities take more than their fair share of the speccy limelight, but they are what you, collectively, looked at most:

10

Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal's wears bespoked Bugatti glasses...
























9

Two celebrity actor/actor-musicians clearly pull in more hits than one celeb chef.

It's Shirley Manson and Elijah Wood in Oliver Peoples' 2010 ad campaign...







8
Is La Roux's Elly Jackson a new eyewear icon? Probably, yes, a little.




7

Well at this rate I can't see this list being anything but celebs. Here we have Usher. Wearing Carreras...













6

Phew, people are interested in EWG for the eyewear, not just for random celebs who occasional wear it.

Here is Christina Centenera, who looks like she might be a celeb but is actually a fashion editor, wearing Super Flat Top sunglasses...

Cutler and Gross 0692 glasses in a bright translucent green

 Continuing yesterday's lawn theme, I love this green Cutler and Gross pair of 0692 glasses. Handmade of course.

Round sunglasses from Erdem and Cutler & Gross

These are by Cutler & Gross for Erdem. Another example of bulky, double-bridged, round sunglasses for summer 2010. Close ups follow...

Victoria Beckham: partnering with Cutler & Gross for a posher sunglass collection

Victoria Beckham SS10 sunglasses are looking fantastic. There's a really interesting variety of designs, created in partnership with UK glasses supremos Cutler & Gross. Very rarely do I give so much coverage to one collection. More pictures follow...

Eye Wear Glasses' top ten posts in 2009

10 la Eyeworks' Reed frames - a classic 1950s eyeglass
9 Sandra Bullock wears Face à Face sunglasses in The Proposal
8 Retro Super Future Flat Top sunglasses at Paris Fashion Week
7 Oliver Peoples glasses suit anybody - and here's the proof
6 More Cutler and Gross - latest 2010 styles
5 Tom Ford Eyewear - bold, black bins, breasts and bums
4 Paul Smith glasses - great acetates, made in Japan
3 Oliver Peoples 2010 ads featuring Elijah Wood and Shirley Manson
2 Is La Roux's Elly Jackson a new eyewear icon?
1 Cutler and Gross frames - classic, black specs

Cutler and Gross spectacles - on the street in Covent Garden

Another great style from Cutler & Gross - am loving the colour. Great choice...

Happy New Year to everyone...

More Cutler & Gross eyeglasses - latest 2010 styles

I started the month with a pair of Cutler and Gross glasses, and here are two to finish off. Brilliant. A few more on the Cutler & Gross website...

Cutler and Gross frames - classic, black specs

This is Mark wearing his Cutler & Gross specs, perhaps the coolest bins I've seen in a long time. I want!

I'm in two minds whether to go for a pair like these where the black at the top suddenly turns crystal as you go down, or a pair where the transition is gradual. Ummm, decisions, decisions.

Mark bought his from David Clulow Opticians, a few branches of which stock C&G.

Cutler and Gross is a English brand, with stores in London and Hong Kong. Started by Graham Cutler and Tony Gross in the 1960s, their reputation is huge, and I tip my specs to anyone who wears their stuff. I'll have some pics from their 2010 collection soon....

Thanks to Katherine Alano for the photo.