Valentino VAL 5766
The term "designer" seems to be in trend nowadays for everything from shoes to furniture. In fact, it's been used so much out of context that people no longer react to it. It became a main stream, overused and abused.
Term designer, historically applied to fashion. These were people who create new looks and ways of clothing pieces to combine them into complete outfit. The word designer often makes sense when added to more specific industry. Interior designer, jewelery designer, furniture designer, shoes designer, sunglasses desinger etc. It is important to understand that large fashion conglomerates employ all of these specific people and it's not one celebrity name who creates all parts of fashion collections. That person is often to provide vision, inspiration and put a final word on what is being included.
Tiffany TF4048B
Glasses and sunglasses is a completely different story. Since designing eyewear needs much more expertise in shapes and glasses elements that get fitted onto the face, fashion celebrity designers often take little part in designing an eyewear for their own labels. Just to give you an idea such complex studies as ergonomics, aerodynamics, material science, historical sales data are just a few fields that are taken seriously when creating a new pair of sunglasses of glasses. For that reason creation of eyewear is most of the time trusted to what now known distribution companies. Among the largest are Luxottica and Safilo. 80% of big brand names are being taken care of by them. Two rivals constantly compete for new brands and at times switch hands on the right to manufacture and distribute. Most recent switch is Valentino eyewear that as of Januray 1, 2012 will change houses from Safilo to Luxottica.
There are certain brands that are in more control by the actual fashion celebrity designer. For example Tom Ford. He, a known perfectionist, didn't just hand over his name to Marcolin, a distribution house. He set rules. Each model of sunglasses and glasses is personally approved by Tom Ford himself. He, among the few, who personally visited the plant where glasses are made spending a few weeks perfecting the manufacturing process and bonding with the team. Tiffany and Bvlgari, jewelery brands, are very particular about the new styles following their seasonal releases. Bvlgari glasses always match Bvlgari actual diamond and gemstone collections and are always advertised together.
Designer glasses are charachterized by details. Shape, temple, logo, presentation, packaging, marketing - all comes together for each pair of such glasses or sunglasses. Glasses may look simple, but if you take them in your hands you will see the details.
