l.a.Eyeworks Anniversary Celebrations
9th September 2014 An innovative chapter in eyewear history began exactly thirty-five years ago today. On 9 September 1979, Barbara McReynolds and Gai Gherardi opened their optical shop on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Their concept was to challenge the then prevailing norms of eyewear with proposals for new and provocative frames. More than three decades later, l.a.Eyeworks remains a privately owned business, now with two retail stores, and influential designs that reach a global network of independent opticians and boutiques. Top photo: The legendary Bodhi frame with sun clip 1994, and the l.a. Eyeworks signature “frog toe” temple tips.
McReynolds and Gherardi were high school friends who trained as opticians, and believed it was time to open a new kind of conversation about glasses. They launched l.a.Eyeworks with a mission to encourage people to stop looking and to start seeing. Bold shapes, imaginative handling of materials, and vivid, expressive use of colour became their hallmark, and the frames are a harmonious combination of technology and handcrafting.
Art and artists are an abiding love for McReynolds and Gherardi, and since 1981, the brand’s signature portrait ad campaign has been photographed by Greg Gorman. The ads have featured an eclectic mix of more than 200 high-profile celebrities and cultural provocateurs, in an ever-evolving series of stunning black and white images, anchored by the legendary tagline – “A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame.”
The original, invigorating sunglass and optical designs by McReynolds and Gherardi are the result of their inner intuition and the ability to take risks. “We design eyewear to celebrate the diversity of faces and the uniqueness of individuals. The glasses we make are sparks of our imagination. You complete these thoughts and bring the dreams of l.a.Eyeworks into being.” The latest influential and original designs will be shown at SILMO at the end of this month. Warm and joyous anniversary greetings to l.a.Eyeworks from Eyestylist! www.laeyeworks.com www.silmoparis.com JG