Capri Edition

In a brilliant mix of nature and architecture, Casa Malaparte, the masterpiece of Italian modernist architecture, plays muse to the latest Persol design.  Casa Malaparte remains one of the best examples of Italian modern architecture. 

Look for a redesigned Arrow hinge which recalls the Casa's perimeter shape, or the temple tip etchings which are taken from the Casa's distinctive trapezoidal staircase.

From inspiration to reality, a delightful introduction to the new Capri Edition.  The entire line is based off the gorgeous Casa Malaparte architecture and is well suited for everyday wear.

"Suprema" from the new "Capri Edition" collection available in a wide range of colours

Harry Lary and Thierry Lasry: Bright, Fun Style

Harry Lary's is a brand which was founded by Harry Lasry and has been taken over by his son, Thierry Lasry.  All of the frames are handmade in France.

"Diversity" in colour 633 adds a splash of pink, purple, and orange hues

"Ceremony" frame in a bright yellow shade

The brand is driven by creativity and uniqueness and it really shows through their frame designs.  Another cool aspect of Harry Lary's collections is that it relies solely on its appearance to stir interest as it does not offer a visible logo anywhere when wearing the glasses.  With a heavy focus on coloured patterns and bright hues, Harry Lary's 2012 collection is perfect for Spring and Summer.  If you are the type who enjoys making a bold statement with your eyewear, Harry Lary may be the perfect brand for you!

"Shooty" in black with colour splatter pattern

"Primitivy" in black -- even Harry Lary's solid frames are bold and unique!

Harry Lary's fun, fresh take on eyewear frames makes it one of the prominent leaders in stand-out glasses and shades.  Thierry Lasry also has his own line of sunglasses which includes more bold prints and interesting frame textures.  Thierry's frames are also handmade in France.

"Adultry" creates a textured look and is very modern with more feminine lenses

"Agony" in an ivory style -- much like "Adultry" it also has a textured look on the top half of the frames

Thierry hopes to create futuristic frames and lenses with a vintage touch, and he really captures this style throughout his collections.

"Annalinny" in a colour-splatter style

"Sexxxy" in dark blue makes a bold statement and is a stunning look

Horn-Rimmed Vs. Horn Rim

Although we’ve seen our fair share of chunky acetate frames, we still chuckle when a client asks to see a "horn-rim" style.

Many collections offer horn-rim style eyeglasses, however very few actually design real horn rim eyewear.

Buffalo horn had been used since the 1890s and was a common material for spectacle frames, however with technological changes and environmental awareness, buffalo horn eventually become less widely used.

 For a certain discriminating and stylish few, buffalo horn never went away. and is now experiencing somewhat of resurgence with younger generations.

 There are many benefits to wearing horn frames. Horn is a hypoallergenic material, very light weight and can be beautifully polished to an almost transparent airiness.

As well, horn used for eyeglasses is a natural by-product of Asian water buffalo, which are used domestically for farming, transportation and food...thinking buffalo mozzarella.

Spectacle has the Lindberg precious line featuring all types of Buffalo horn and diamond luxury on display at our West Queen West and Yonge St boutiques and it is available by viewing at the Distillery any time you like.

Stay tuned to the blog for some more exciting Buffalo Horn related news later this year...........

ic! Berlin @ VEE in NYC

Some shots of our friends over at the ic! Berlin space before the Vision Expo show in NYC.

A little music to start your day.

Ralph grabbing some R&R before the big show.

Have fun guys...looking forward to seeing the new pieces.

THOM BROWNE and Spectacle. The Perfect Pair

Thom Browne and Spectacle have a lot in common, Thom has been called by some the "designer of the decade" for his high concept fashions and super awesome designs.

Spectacle has been doing what we do for over 10 plus years and while we haven't gotten all the international praise of Mr Browne we sure have collected our fair share of awards and feel the love for our services all over.

 It only makes sense then that Spectacle be the exclusive sight of Thom's debut collection done in collaboration with Dita Eyewear. The results of their efforts are stunning and we are proud to have them on display.

TB-011A/46

Handcrafted Black Acetate rim in a titanium frame, plated with 12k gold. For comfort Thome Browne has incorporated custom titanium nose pads with Four Stripe detail, with signatiure tri-color red, white and blue temple tips.

Handmade in Japan, the piece draws inspiration from architecture and machinery of the mid-20th century, complimenting todays modern aesthetics.

Bold and distinct with a definite NYC feel to them the Thom Browne x Dita collection can be seen in Toronto at our West Queen West flagship at the moment but can be viewed at either our Yonge St or Distillery District boutiques by request whenever you like.

Happy Birthday Michael Caine!

We had to wish one of our favorite actors, Michael Caine, a Happy Birthday.

With or without glasses, he's one of the most recognizable faces on the silver screen.

Whether he's playing British secret agent Harry Palmer, concerned father Matthew Hollins or making us laugh hysterically as the shagadelic Nigel Powers, he will always be an icon of style and originality.

Happy Birthday Mr. Caine...Spectacle loves you!!

Moscot's Are Here!

Moscot is an NYC institution renowned worldwide for its iconic eyewear.

The Moscot roots were first planted in America in 1899 by great grandfather and family patriarch, Hyman Moscot. Hyman began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street on Manhattan’s famed Lower East Side, and the rest, as they say, is ophthalmic history!

You can find the Moscot collection exclusively at our Yonge St location. We've been told by more than a few eyewear aficionados that Spectacle is the only place in the GTA you can find Moscot...happy hunting!

How To Pick the Perfect Frame

Some inspiring footage on how to pick the perfect frame for your facial features. Don't let the vintage footage foul you, the knowledge & logic is as true today as it was back in 1955.

The Oliver People New Releases are Here!

Just as we promised with our "heads-up post" a few days ago, we now have the new releases from Oliver Peoples in store at Spectacle on Queen Street West!

The Denison in the brand new colours!

 

 

 

 Some new colour options are in stock for the Denison and the Gregory Peck commemorative frame! Other popular models include the Deacon in a custom matte finish from Oliver Peoples.

The Gregory Peck.

Following in the spirit of the vintage styles is the Anderson shown here with a unique mismatch colour design, the temples complement the dark and or crystal front.

And be sure to check out the newest addition to the Oliver Peoples Sunglass collection that includes the Daddy B Square (DBS) Sunglass with Polarized lenses! A more sharp, angular version of the originally round Daddy B, the DBS has been released in Espresso and split-tone to add variety.

More are on the way soon so pop in this weekend to try on the newest releases as only made available to you by Spectacle, now in stock at 752 Queen Street West!

Art Department - Now Magazine

Friends of Spectacle, Jonny White and Kenny Glasgow, AKA Art Department are featured on the current cover of Now Magazine.

Kenny is wearing a vintage Linda Farrow, supplied by yours truly.

   

You can catch them this Saturday @ Footwork Bar.

  

If you can't wait til Saturday, you can check out Art Department on the BBC Radio 1 Essential mix

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Piet Mondrian and Neo-plasticism Inspire RayBan's New Color-Block Wayfarer

Take an iconic style and mix in some artistic Dutch flare and you get the Piet Mondiran inspired RayBan Wayfarer.

 

Mondrian evolved his form of art to consist of white background, upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors.

RayBan has followed suit and incorporated Mondrian's use of colour and shapes in their exclusive Color-Block Wayfarer. With hues of blue, red, yellow & orange, the patterns look absolutely stunning in the sunlight.

 

If you're interested in seeing the RayBan Color-Block Wayfarer's in person, they're available exclusively at our Distillery District location, located inside Building 53.

Coming Soon, the Oliver Peoples 2012 Spring Collection!

It's just about that time of the year when we start itching to see the unpcoming spring releases from Oliver Peoples.  This year, we're lucky enough to get a peak at the the new Oliver Peoples Resort 2012 Spring Collection before anyone else and naturally we thought we'd share them with you, our lovely Spectale Clients even before they arrive!

The Gregory Peck in new colours.

The Denison now available in a new 49 eyesize.

Among the new additions are more colours options for popular models like the Denison including a new size option, and more colours for the commerotive Gregory Peck, modelled after the frames worn in the film To Kill A Mockingbird. 

The Daddy B Square is the Follow up to the popular Daddy B round style.

 

Some new releases include the Square variant of the popular Daddy B sunglass, as well as the soon to be release Braverman, and Mande (pictured below in Matte Black) models among so many other amazing new styles!

The Braverman.

The 2012 collection will be arriving over the next several days - be sure to check our Blog, Facebook and Twitter pages because as new pieces arrive for Spring, you're definitely going to hear about it first because Spectacle Loves You!






Happiness is a Hot Gun

It's hard to miss, especially when "it" happens to be a gold-plated Kalashnikov AK47. We get quite a few second takes from visitors to our West Queen West shop after they notice the Philippe Starck gun lamp, but you need to look beyond the gun to understand why Starck designed such an item.

"The gold of the weapons represents the collision between money and war. The Table Gun symbolizes the East, the Bed Side Gun symbolizes Europe & the Lounge Gun stands for the West. The black shade with its crosses on the inside are to remind us of the lives lost" says Starck.

All the proceeds from the purchase of these lamps go directly to Doctors Without Borders to assist the organization which is "committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation."