Happy Birthday Philip Glass!

Spectacle Presents a Tribute to Philip Glass from Michael Allen on Vimeo.

Today is legendary composer Philip Glass' birthday!  Philip has worked on movies like The Truman Show, Dracula, and The Hours as well as the opera Einstein on the Beach which had a stop in Toronto.  Philip is best known for his composition in the film Koyaanisqatsi which has had an influence over numerous areas of pop culture.

Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi alone has inspired everything from episodes of The Simpsons to music videos by The Strokes and Madonna.  

Happy Birthday Philip Glass from all of us at Spectacle!

Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas Stops By Spectacle!

On Saturday, Spectacle got a surprise when Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas came by to check out our eyewear!  He was in the city for a show at Uniun and came by our Queen St. boutique before the event.

Taboo selecting his Cazal shades

Taboo admiring the Taru & Koli collection
in his new Garrison glasses 

We outfitted Taboo with Cazal 8001 sunglasses and Taru & Koli Garrison eyeglasses in colour 10/13.

The purchase!

Trevor fitting Taboo with his new Garrisons

Huge thanks to Taboo for taking the time to stop by the shop!  Spectacle Loves You!

Trevor, Emma, and Taboo with his new Cazals

New Garrett Leight Eyeglasses Available Now at Spectacle!

We just received a brand new Garrett Leight eyeglass - the Ashland.  The Ashland is unique in design with its acetate front and metal temples. 

The Ashland comes in three colour combinations

Detailing along the temples

Garrett Leight's eyewear company was founded in 2010 in Venice, California.  As the son of Oliver Peoples creator Larry Leight, Garrett deeply values his eyewear background and West Coast roots.  The company is commonly referred to as "GLCO", short for "Garrett Leight California Optical", to let his fans know California is still very much an inspiration to all of his designs and creative process.

The Ashland in Spotted Tortoise

The Ashland in Matte Black and Blonde Tortoise Fade

Spectacle is proud to be the only supplier of Garrett Leight eyewear in Toronto. Come by and check out our entire collection of great GLCO eyeglasses and shades!

An Interview with Garrett Leight from Garrett Leight on Vimeo.

Kira Loves Oliver Goldsmith!

As most eyewear lovers know, Oliver Goldsmith has a rich history in the world of eyewear design.  Oliver Goldsmith's creations have been worn by everyone from Audrey Hepburn to the late Princess Diana.

Lady Diana and Audrey Hepburn

With a reputation for creating some of the most unique and memorable eyewear around, it's no wonder Kira chose to feature Oliver Goldsmith as her favourite sunglasses of 2012.

Kira in the Moosh sunglass which she loves for its shape and colour 

According to Kira, "My vice is fashion and especially vintage items, so naturally I was drawn to the Oliver Goldsmith concept.  They are all about revolutionizing eyewear worn predominately for sun protection and propelling it into a must have accessory throughout the 1950's.  Over the years, the colours and styles remained timeless and I'm all about the visuals!"

The Oliver Goldsmith Moosh

Come by Spectacle to check out our entire Oliver Goldsmith collection!

AZARI & III at the Dior Homme Fashion Show in Paris

The band wearing eyewear from Spectacle

Spectacle clients and local Toronto house band AZARI & III played at the recent Dior Homme men's fashion show in Paris while wearing custom eyewear from Spectacle.

The band played throughout the fashion show's after party

Fritz Helder wore the RETROSUPERFUTURE Flat Top sunglasses in matte black with custom lenses, Christian Farley, aka Dinamo Azari, wore Mosley Tribes Lyndel in black, and Alphonse Lanza, aka Alixander III, wore the Barton Perreira Kero in turtle dove gradient.

Another shot of the concert

AZARI & III always put on an incredible live show so keep checking their website for tour updates.

Happy Birthday Philippe Starck!

Philippe Starck's designs are extremely diverse - he's created everything from houses to toothbrushes & eyewear to yachts. The Starck Eyes Collection is the result of collaboration between Philippe Starck and Alain Mikli, who have combined their creativity and technical expertise to fashion a new idea in optics: Biovision. 

The Biosun sunglass has upward shaped temples for increased comfort

The concept replaces the conventional screw-hinge with a "bio-hinge." Inspired by the human shoulders natural motion, the bio-hinge provides the same omnidirectional freedom of movement, which assures constant pressure on the temples to offering better comfort.

If you haven't experienced the comfort of the Starck Eyes collection, stop by our Yonge St. or Queen St. West locations for a test drive.

The World's Top 10 Architecture Projects of 2012

Azure Magazine recently compiled an article on the top 10 architectural designs of 2012 and two designs are located in Canada.  Top honours went to the CCTV tower in Beijing which was created by OMA.

The CCTV tower ranked first among the top 10 architectural designs

The Peace Bridge located in Calgary was ranked third and is Canada's top mention in the list.  The Peace Bridge was created to run across the Bow River and allow residents to cross into the downtown core using dedicated bike lanes and a walking path.

Calgary's Peace Bridge

Architecture and fashion are linked through the design process in that both are three dimensional, structured, related to the fine arts, and visual.  Inspiration for design of any kind can come from a variety of sources and outlets.  For instance, Persol's Capri edition eyewear is based on Italy's Casa Malaparte.

Persol's Capri edition sunglass

The sunglasses offer several nods to the Casa Malaparte including the silver-arrow hinges redesigned to mimic the house's silhouette and etching on the temples to reference its iconic stairs.

Casa Malaparte

To read the entire Azure article, you can check it out on the magazine's website.  Spectacle will continue to bring you the most uniquely designed and inspired eyewear from around the world!

Eyewear from Spectacle Spotted at Last Night's Golden Globes!

Christoph Waltz, winner of the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, was spotted at last night's awards in Starck Eyes glasses by Philippe Starck. Spectacle carries a variety of Philippe Starck eyewear in a range of shapes and colours at all of our locations.

Christoph Waltz in Starck Eyes

Christoph Waltz won for his role in the Quentin Tarantino film, Django Unchained, where he plays a dentist-turned-bounty hunter named Dr. Schultz.

If the Golden Globes left you feeling inspired for some new eyeglasses or sunglasses, stop by Spectacle soon to stock up!

Barton Perreira Rita Eyeglasses Are Now Available at Spectacle!

Barton Perreira has released a new piece of eyewear called the Rita.  The eyeglasses were inspired by Rita Hayworth, one of the most popular actresses and dancers of the 1940's.

Rita Hayworth - the inspiration behind Barton Perreira's design 

The new style is available now at Spectacle in three cool, unique colours.  The eyewear is a very wearable shape that suits all face types.

The Rita in Matte Teak Tortoise 

The Rita in Heroin Chic

The Rita in Black Tortoise Split

Rita once said, "the fun of acting is to become someone else" so if you enjoy life as a performance, the Rita eyeglasses may be your new favourite piece! Stop by Spectacle to see our entire collection of Barton Perreira eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Spectacle Founder Jag Dhillon and Taru & Koli Featured in FASHION Magazine!

Jag Dhillon

The February 2013 issue of FASHION Magazine features an article on Spectacle founder and creative force behind the Taru & Koli collection, Jag Dhillon RO.

FASHION Magazine February 2013 Cover

In the article, Jag explains how he came up with the idea to create Taru & Koli, his inspiration behind the brand, and how his vast experience in the eyewear industry shaped his designs.  The collection contains both eyeglasses and sunglasses in a wide variety of shapes and colour combinations.

Just some of the models and colours in the Taru & Koli collection

You can read the entire article in the latest issue of FASHION Magazine.  Taru & Koli is available exclusively at Spectacle.

Christina Cheng's Favourite Sunglasses of 2012: Linda Farrow x The Row!

As a stylist for both Global and Spectacle, Christina has spent plenty of time choosing the perfect colours and shapes to suit everyone's individual style. Even with all of this experience, Christina admits that she too has trouble finding a sunglass that fits properly without looking massive on her face.

According to Christina, "Looking for the perfect oversized sunglass frame can be tricky and trust me, as a frame stylist, I too struggle to find the perfect sunglass fit... it's always either too big and bug eye looking on me, or it never seems to fit my small nose bridge.  Nonetheless, Linda Farrow x The Row came to my rescue!  I wanted to feature these sunglasses to show females with petite facial features that they don't have to shy away from big, bold frames!"

The sunglasses are much loved among celebrities like Beyonce
who has been spotted in the shades countless times

The Linda Farrow x The Row collaboration
was also featured at the Soia & Kyo fashion show this fall in Toronto 

The Linda Farrow x The Row collection is currently housed at our Queen St. West boutique.  The eyewear comes in a range of colours and shapes so stop by and take a look!

Jenny Loves Lindberg!

For Jenny's favourite eyeglasses of 2012, she chose Lindberg.  Lindberg creates eyeglasses in a range of shapes and colours so there is something to suit every face!

Jenny explains why she likes Lindberg by saying, "I chose the Lindberg strip titanium 9540 for its light weight and durability.  Lindberg is highly customizable and so light that it feels like you have nothing on".

Lindberg eyewear is available at all of our Spectacle boutiques.  If you love fashionable, lightweight eyeglasses, then Lindberg is perfect for you!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from all of us at Spectacle!  We will be closed today, January 1st, but are opening up again January 2nd.

Thank you to everyone who made 2012 such a great success for us and we look forward to seeing you all in 2013!