Sneaker Culture at the Bata Shoe Museum

On April 25^th, the Bata Shoe Museum opened their latest exhibition, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Out of the Box is the first North American exhibition to showcase the history of sneaker culture and features over 120 sneakers representing the past 150 years. Recognizable sneakers from rap legends Run DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia aka Kool Bob Love and Dee Wells from OSD are also featured gems. A particular highlight is the handpicked sneakers and sketches by Nike designers Tinker Hatfield, Tobie Hatfield, Mark Smith and Eric Avar. 

The exhibition is open now until March 30, 2014.

Written by Christina Cheng, Freelance Journalist & Stylist at Spectacle

Thom Browne 701 Sunglasses are Available Now!

The Thom Browne 701 is now available at our Queen St. West boutique as a sunglass just in time for the beautiful weekend ahead.

Come by and pick up a pair for yourself and enjoy the weather!

New Garrett Leight Eyewear Available Now at Spectacle!

The Altair is one of our favourite models.  It's made of vintage plastics and is attractive, clean, and simple

Spectacle has received some new Garrett Leight styles and colours in both eyeglass and sunglass models!  

The Kinney is a clean, classic, comfortable, and stylish eyeglass option that now comes in a smaller eye size and colours

The Harding is inspired by the iconic author Arthur Miller who wore it in the 1950's and now comes in these new colourways

Garrett Leight California Optical eyewear is all designed in California.  Garrett is the son of Oliver Peoples founder, Larry Leight, and his styles reflect his laid-back attitude. 

The Lucille is inspired by Hollywood starlets of the 1980's and offers the perfect amount of sass and dainty - just released in these brand new colours

The Lucille

The Wilson is back in stock!  It features mineral glass sun lenses and detailed metal filigree

Spectacle always has a variety of Garrett Leight eyewear on hand, so come by this weekend and take a look!

Exclusive, Limited Edition CAZAL Cari Zalloni Tribute Shades are Now at Spectacle!

The CAZAL model 607 in Matte Black is available now at our Queen St. West boutique.  The shades are a tribute to CAZAL founder Cari Zalloni who passed away in 2012.

CAZAL founder Cari Zalloni

Each piece is numbered out of 999 to mark the amount produced.  It's a very limited edition piece and Spectacle is the only shop in Toronto to house the newest CAZAL style.

The CAZAL 607 in Matte Black

The tribute message inside the temple

We are also the first in Toronto to have other CAZAL models in Matte Black like the 163, 623, and 616.

The new CAZAL 163, 623, and 616 models all in Matte Black

If you love CAZAL eyewear as much as we do, make sure to pick up your new 607s and other Matte Black styles before they're all gone!

Spectacle Eyewear for Petite Face Shapes!

Finding the right eyewear can be difficult, especially for those of us with small faces. Well look no further - Spectacle has you covered with these trendy, current styles that will look like they were made just for you!

Anne et Valentin MINIBA

Anne et Valentin MINIBLUE

The Anne et Valentin MINIBA and MINIBLUE eyeglasses are perfect for small facial features. They are colourful and bold without being overwhelming on a petite face.

Barton Perreira Cassady

The Cassady is a more subtle eyeglass in a classic shape for everyday wear. It's perfect if you like the squared, slight cat-eye trend but have had difficulty finding a pair that isn't massive and ill-fitting on your face.

Oliver Peoples Denison and Follies

Oliver Peoples is known for their classic American eyewear made of great colour tones and high-quality acetates and metals. Both the Denison and Follies are suitable to small face shapes and come in colours that are bold without being overpowering.

Oliver Goldsmith CONSUL - SS

The Oliver Goldsmith CONSUL - SS is the smaller version of the classic CONSUL piece.  They stand out and are a thicker acetate model, but it is created in a way that highlights a petite face without appearing overly chunky.

Whatever your face shape may be, Spectacle carries eyewear that will fit you perfectly!

Spectacle Presents British Eyewear Designer Claire Goldsmith!

Last night Spectacle welcomed one of the most iconic eyewear designers around: Claire Goldsmith.

Claire Goldsmith with Some Stylish Fans!

Everyone at Spectacle was very excited about the visit and Claire was a blast to host in the shop for the evening!

Claire Goldsmith Sunglasses on Display

Claire's Bespoke Fitting Kit

Thank you to everyone who came out to view the new Claire Goldsmith collection as well as some amazing vintage Oliver Goldsmith styles!  A special thank you to Claire and her staff as well for coming out to Spectacle to meet with fans.

Oliver Goldsmith Vintage Pieces

Spectacle always has a variety of Claire Goldsmith eyewear available, so come by and take a look.  We hope to see you again next time!

Brand New Claire Goldsmith Eyewear Arrival!

A fresh shipment of Claire Goldsmith eyeglasses have arrived at Spectacle!  There are new shapes and colours including the cat-eye SLOANE in Crystal Tortoise.

BAILEY Chocolate on Jade & SLOANE Black

FINDLAY Tortoise Frost & LEGACY WATSON Indigo

WATSON Tokyo Tortoise & SLOANE Crystal Tortoise

You can check out the new pieces during Claire's visit to Spectacle on March 11th!  She will be at the Queen St. store from 4pm - 7pm where you can preview her Spring / Summer 2013 line and receive a personal fitting. For more information you can join the event page, email pr@spectaclelovesyou.com, or call 416-603-0123.

Hope to see you there!

Floral, Patterned RETROSUPERFUTURE Sunglasses are Now at Spectacle!

Spring 2013 is going to be a season where decorated sunglasses really stand out and are prominent in the upcoming fashion trends.  New York Fashion Week showcased countless shades with both floral and intricate designs and so we wanted to recommend a new model to you that incorporates both of these elements!

RETROSUPERFUTURE Lucia Kilim in FABRIC

This limited edition Lucia, a popular model from Super Sunglasses, is wrapped in fabric to create a very unique look. According to Super, "the FABRIC series is inspired by world culture and man's ability to turn natural elements into art... thick and soft printed fabrics have wrapped our beloved Super acetate, completely covering the Lucia for an all-out retro-ethnic vibe".

The custom case that comes with the sunglasses

The Lucia Kilim in FABRIC is currently available at our Queen St. West boutique so come by and take a look!

Spring '13 Trends: Colours, Textures, Prints - Oh My!

We’ve been through the chunky sunglasses time-and-time before, we’ve seen many classic black styles and countless classic tortoise shell shades but guess what? Get over it! Seriously. Being too classic all the time becomes so vanilla. This is Spring ‘13 we’re talking about over here. So expect to see colours, textures and prints galore.  This Spring ‘13 rule is to have your eyewear pop! 

RETROSUPERFUTURE Giaguaro Tapestry B

The Retro Super Future Tapestry sunglasses are perfect for those SUPER fanatics who like their shades to stand out from a distance. Dipped in murky Seventies acetates, this model is embellished with mosaic, Persian-inspired prints. Eclectic, loud and brave, this frame is a definite statement piece. 

RETROSUPERFUTURE Classic Francis Silver Puma

Now I know this isn't colour per sé but look at that beautiful and intriguing marble acetate print. This style also plays with the mixture of acetate and titanium textures to give it that sleek and sexy look. Now imagine pairing these stunning sunnies with a pop of colour. Badass, right?

Thierry Lasry Orgasmy 6131

Now this is what I’m talking about! Ladies, this is what you call a not so classic tortoise shell! Thierry Lasry takes a very unique, fresh, avant-garde approach to sunglasses especially in this Orgasmy model. Although it uses deep reds and oranges, when the sun kisses you, the colours immediately activate and you’re left shining.

Various styles and vibrant colours of the Taru & Koli collection

Another humungous Spring ’13 sunglass trend is the coloured frames and coloured lenses combo. The eyewear showcased are a brand called Taru & Koli, handmade in Italy and designed by Toronto based optical owner, Jag Dhillon of Spectacle. The use of various coloured fashion tints on lenses has become an out of this world huge trend. Having trendy eyewear is one thing but pairing it with trendy coloured lenses takes it to a whole new level. Give it a try with your swaggy Spring ‘13 attire but I warn you, you may break necks. 

Written by Christina Cheng, Freelance Journalist & Stylist at Spectacle

Come Into Spectacle for a Chance to WIN an Oliver Peoples Eyewear Gift Basket!

Our 12 Days of Spectacle Giveaways is underway!  For 12 days, we're giving away prizes including t-shirts, gift cards, and custom sunglasses.

These sunglasses could soon be yours!

Check out our Facebook, Twitter, and stop by one of our shops so you don't miss any chances to win!

See you soon!

Kelly Loves Her ic! berlin Frames!

Kelly's favourite frames of the year were an easy choice - the Provocante by ic! berlin.  The shape is perfect and it's a very stylish, flattering piece!

Kelly explains her love by saying that "ic! berlin frames are one of the lightest, strongest, and best made frames in the world today.  Wonderfully crafted and architecturally beautiful, these frames don't have screws or solder points which makes them incredibly durable.  I love the edginess of these sunglasses with jeans and a t-shirt and the simplicity of them with a black dress."  

ic! berlin became famous for their hinge that is designed to allow for incredibly easy removal of the temples which is why the frames are so durable.  ic! berlin is also known for personal touches - like Ralph's own phone number engraved on every temple!

Both men's and women's styles are available at all Spectacle locations so come by and view our entire collection!  

Toronto Fashion Week: Soïa & Kyo Fashion Show

If you were able to attend the Soïa & Kyo fashion show last night during Toronto Fashion Week, you would have noticed the amazing sunglasses many of the models were wearing.

Paul Smith Elson

Barton Perreira Dillinger

Linda Farrow x The Row

Soïa & Kyo is a Canadian brand from Montreal founded in 2004 by Ilan Elfassy. Soïa & Kyo is famous for its fantastic fit, intricate detailing, and unique styling.

Barton Perreira Dillinger

Linda Farrow x The Row

Super Sunglasses Panama

Thierry Lasry Platony V 011

All eyewear from the show was provided by Spectacle and is now available at our Queen St. West location!  For more information on Soïa & Kyo, check out their website.