Jewelled Sunglasses - The Only Way to Sparkle and Shine This Summer

Come summer, I want only one accessory, a pair of jewelled sunglasses. It all started when Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz designed the most perfect Peggy Guggenheim–meets–wild child sunglasses, all oversize black plastic frames bejewelled with bold coloured rhinestones in complementary shades of azure and magenta. My fashion instincts tell me there will be more alluring opulent eyewear frames hitting the fashion world for 2012.

These gem-lavished shades need to be your focal point right now on any outfit, forget the earings let alone the necklace. “A statement pair of sunglasses is really all you need in the summer.” That’s certainly what Solange Azagury Partridge, the London jeweller believes. “Sunglasses and shoes,” she says, “are the key items of my wardrobe, possibly more so than the clothes.” Azagury Partridge can be credited with some of the earliest spangled sunglasses when her Swarovski-studded designs debuted for Boucheron back in 2002. Bulgari presented signature crystal-adorned collections beginning in 2005. In this moment of recession, people want what’s exuberant, and colourful; it makes them happy.

Still, how exactly do you wear them? “You can be conservative in your clothing and then let the jewelled glasses do the fashion talk. For the more adventurous, we love the oversize Pucci studded with triangular rhinestones and Dolce & Gabbana’s frames embellished with jewel tones and clear cabochons, even pearls. I am also loving Andrew Logans transformed Cutler and Gross jewelled collection for 2012.

Extravaganza eyewear is here and will be so much more a focal point this summer. In this moment of recession, people want what’s exuberant, and colourful; an accessory that makes them feel happy. One thing is for certain, I will be exchanging my Prada sunglasses converts to a vision of Jewel eyewear opulence this summer.

Jewelled Sunglasses - The Only Way to Sparkle and Shine This Summer - Douglas Friedman