Trends
Sidereal
Towards chromaticism
Words Alessandra Albarello
24/05/2023
Silver glasses project us into other worlds. A chromaticism that lends itself to defining models suspended between the past and the future. Combining hints of the urban and sidereal lights.
Who doesn't remember Jane Fonda in the cult film of the 60s "Barbarella" with her sensual outfits with metallic flashes? Futuristic or inspired by the past, glasses with silver frames, sometimes combined with mirrored lenses, are becoming increasingly popular because of their icy appearance that immediately projects you into another dimension. Spatial or urban, present or future, it doesn't make a difference, because it all depends on one's personality.
And, speaking of personality, the charismatic model Ollie Edwards is the ideal interpreter of Cesarino-M by Brunello Cucinelli & Oliver Peoples (in the opening photo), sunglasses with removable side shield offered in the silver version with the persimmon lens. Even the backdrop to the photos in the advertising campaign is exceptional: Penthouse 29 by the legendary Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, a suite chosen as a tribute to the hotel that was completed in 1929.
Celine, on the other hand, offers a geometric shape, essential and tiny, with a thin but incisive outline in the mod. CL40254U, in contrast with wide temples, characterised by the inevitable historic Triomphe logo taken from the past: the intertwined double C inspired by the chains of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. A cold light also passes through the AR6146 model by Giorgio Armani. Already spotted on the catwalk, it has a rounded shape and a matte finish, the emblem of discreet luxury and an understatement that has always been the designer's hallmark, recently awarded an Honorary Degree from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Piacenza, his home town. Because the trait that often distinguishes this shade is a pared-back elegance, a neutrality that blends perfectly with every style, with every type of clothing, without influencing personal aesthetic choices in the slightest.
Another element, purity, enhances essential designs such as that of the FF Match men's mask by Fendi, where the double F of the monogram is transformed into a central graphic detail that acts as a trait d'union between the two silver mirrored lenses that make the gaze impenetrable and mysterious. Fluid metal for contemporary architecture. Are the surfaces of the skyscrapers of big cities not also reflective in this way? A single lens on the other hand for the SL 605 Luna model by Saint Laurent, where the frame creates different thicknesses by softening the edges and assuming a decidedly lunar appearance.
So far we have only talked about metal, which has a natural tendency to take on silver tones, but what happens when acetate or a plastic material is used to obtain the same chromatic effect? The result is somewhat pop, as is the case of the enveloping and bold Re-edition ODG6188 model by Dolce & Gabbana, iconic unisex sunglasses from the 2000s taken from the Maison's archives and which recently returned to the fore in the latest fashion shows. Or which is also the case of the BV1210S model by Bottega Veneta, which reinterprets a classic shape of vintage inspiration with a sophisticated play of volumes, thus managing to capture and restore light and shadow. The model also reveals a strong mastery of the material, which is skilfully shaped and sculpted to convey a strong sensory appeal. Because glasses don't just protect us from the sun or enable us to see better, but they can also often become a kind of privileged portal to access other worlds and other stories. But we had already understood as much for a long time now.