Blindfold spring-summer 2011: California Rose

These are images from Blindfold Eyewear's SS2011 collection - California Rose.

Created by Charlie Brianna, these vintage frames are customised with flowers, pearls, chain, swarovski stones and iridescent beads.

EWG is a fan Charlie!

MATT acetate sunglasses from Alain Mikli are available now...

As featured on Eye Wear Glasses late last year, here are a couple more from Alain Mikli's MATT collection, now becoming widely available:  AL1069 and AL1070. Retailing for $545.

Factory900's stained glass window sunglasses

Japan's Factory900 breaks the record for the number of lenses in a pair of glasses. I can see Lady Gaga in this frame-and-a-half. Hope she doesn't need prescription lenses... 8)

Forget make-up, just wear a pair of glasses: Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm's Violetta

Bernhard Willhelm and Mykita have created the Violetta using lens colouring to great effect. The frame at the front above features fine gold rims and teardrop-oval lenses, which have a subtle green glow in the upper half that turn to a rosé colour above the cheekbones.

In the second version, made of light stainless steel, the blue-to-cognac colour scheme is complemented by a matt-silver frame.

It's not the first time Mykita has had a brush with cosmetics - remember last year's nail varnish colab?

Mykita says 
the upper colour acts like a green or blue eye shadow, while the lower section emphasises the cheeks as rouge would.

Looks good to me!

Finest Seven sunglasses: luxury collection launches in London

Finest Seven launches next month in London with a rather stunning collection of v. high- end sunglasses (Harvey Nichols to begin with) and a rather impressive pedigree in good eyewear design.

New Zealand-born Jesse Stevens has designed for EWG favourites Cutler & Gross, Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses and Prada.

"Finest Seven" refers to the the key aspects of eyewear production: components, lenses, materials, finish, design, comfort and manufacture. The first range consists of six styles featuring precious metals such as platinum and yellow gold, as well as top-quality acetate in exclusive colours such as chestnut and plum.

Prices start at £495.

Round white sunglasses from Clare Lopeman for SS 2011

Clare Lopeman caught our attention last year with images of models wearing optometric testing frames on the runway. Her 2011 sunglasses are a tad more conventional although the design is pretty distinctive as can be seen in more detail on her homepage...

B wears vintage Carrera aviator glasses in Soho

Thanks to B for being happy to let me snap him in his vintage Carrera glasses in Soho, London at the weekend. He bought them on eBay. He purchased wisely! I'm not sure how old these are - any ideas?

Waiting for the sun: Saison #2

Waiting for the sun, or W/SÜN for short, is a good name for a sunglass maker. It sums up what we've been up to all winter. Especially in a place like London where crisp, sunny freezing days are a rarity.

W/SÜN are as welcome as the arrival of spring. As well as being rather cool, they're made from bamboo or teawood, so weigh almost as little as the little ray of sunshine you've been waiting for. Above is Une, below is 27.2g and 19.6g. Have a good look at Waiting for the sun's website, where you can buy or just look at some more lovely wooden shades.

Thanks to Bap at Kapok in Hong Kong for suggesting these.

Ray Flector: bang-on budget visors

Good sunglasses can be cheap too. Other than the rather cheesy name - Ray Flector, I like these. Available for only £6 from Chemical UK

Are these the best glasses of 2011? Mykita Holly and Elsa

Want specs that nod at the 1950s and 60s (which is of course v good), but don't make you look like old snaps of your grandma? Then get your peepers round Holly and Elsa from EWG favourite Mykita.

Amazingly, Mykita has been going for less than seven years' but it has already established itself as one of most innovative manufacturers - and one of the coolest designers - in the world.

Above is Holly in gold and light blue, an addition to the No.1 collection, while below is Elsa, from Mykita No. 2. If you like the look, go and find a pair and fold those hinges. For a rave on Mykita hinges looky here...

Available from any optician with taste.