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November 2009 / Lifestyle / Fashion / Brands / Sunglasses

The most popular vintage-sunglasses

Analysis by the market leader “Vintage-Sunglasses.de”

Sunglasses which are no longer being manufactured, especially sunglasses from the eighties, are the vintage accessories most in demand. The Berlin based company “Vintage-Sunglasses.de” has become a global player during the last years, so the statistics concerning especially the European and US market may be viewed as being representative.

We wanted to know which labels and models of the 70’s through the 90’s were currently the most popular vintage-sunglasses.

In evaluating the statistics which encompass a 3-year period, we discovered names and manufacturers which to this day are famous for creating trend-setting fashion and accesso-ries, but also some brands which, even back in the old times, specialized exclusively on sunglasses and frames.

Ray Ban (formerly a brand of the US-optician company Bausch & Lomb) is with a 20 % share of all sold products the definite “No 1” among vintage sunglasses.

The older products of the Italian sunglasses specialist Persol come in as the runner-up on the popularity scale. They were nicknamed “Ratti” with reverence to the company founder Guiseppe Ratti. Since the company Luxottica bought the label and the glasses therefore are no longer being produced in Turin (Italy), this nickname may not be used anymore. At Vintage-Sunglasses.de, Persol Ratti accounts for 15% of the entire sales volume and so, after Dunhill and Ray Ban comes in third place with regard to male buyers. Even though some models like, for instance, the extremely rare Persol “Ratti” 714 can hardly be found anymore - in an unused condition that is - the majority of the sunglasses and glasses in demand are still available on the market.

Cazal, the renowned German company especially popular with the Hip Hop-scene, next to extremely expensive designer sunglasses, also designed and produced a variety of different glasses-frames for everyday use. The glasses of the Bavarian company are, when compared to sold units, disproportionately more popular than the sunglasses – although the original sunglasses have become extremely rare. Customers have increasingly come to know and appreciate this exclusiveness, especially when it concerns the 900 series. Every eighth sold article is by Cazal.

Mainly the female clientele defines the lasting and strong demand with regard to vintage models of the famous label Christian Dior. Nearly every fifth pair of vintage sunglasses bought by women is a Dior. The sunglasses-fashion global market leader in the 70’s and 80’s was produced by the company Optyl. Optyl is also the material used in manufacturing the frames. Its main features are extreme longevity and flexibility.

What Christian Dior is to women, Dunhillis to men. Even in the old times Dunhill was the dominant men’s label and with a market share of 25 % still remains the main force when it comes to men’s vintage glasses.

Carrera, with an appr. 10% share of all sold items (including the occasional cooperation-models with the aircraft manufacturer Boeing), definitely belongs to the exclusive circle of customer favorites. The sunglasses of this famous sports-brand are characterized by their light weight, their variety of color and also by their high recognition value.

Three labels which in the current year have been attracting a growing interest, and by now have become a permanent fixture at the Vintage-Sunglasses Online Shop, are Nina Ricci, Paloma Picasso and Ted Lapidus (Optyl).

The sunglasses by the French labels Nina Ricci and Ted Lapidus continue to impress and inspire customers with their large spectrum of different and strikingly fresh “Oversize” designs, as well as with their classic men’s and women’s sunglasses.

The former Optyl brand Paloma Picasso, with its elegant and colorful creations, offers understatement on a high aesthetic level – for a relatively small price. Together, these designer labels account for a 12% share of all sold items - and the trend is still going up.

All of the above mentioned labels were draft horses of the industry – and still are today.

Still, the demand- and disposal situation on the vintage-sunglasses market cannot be solely explained or justified by only a few strong labels. The variety of other brands with their extremely differing designs, shapes and colorings especially come into play, when requests and notions of the predominantly female clientele are concerned.

The Vintage-Sunglasses category “Other Brands” features renowned names such as Valentino with their exciting interpretations of the “Cat-Eye” design, Willy Bogner, a name for connoisseurs, known for their sensational technical finesse, Emilio Pucci, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and many more. The variety of shapes, colors and sizes is nearly unmanageable, meaning that almost every eccentric notion may be satisfied with the corresponding model. A 12 % share of all sold items among the “Other Brands” is proof of the clientele’s desire for a unique or especially flamboyant “Look”.

The above mentioned “strong” labels have established themselves over a period of many years. It is pure conviction rather than short-lived trends that have made these labels so popular. Which labels will gain prominence in the future though still remains an exciting and yet unanswered question. Certainly there are a variety of sunglasses out there, produced by so far unknown labels, which are just waiting to be discovered by the experts at Vintage-Sunglasses.de.

Press contact

Christian Prokop, Phone +49 30 89 54 37 47, press@vintage-sunglasses-shop.com

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January 2009 / Lifestyle / Fashion / Trends 2009 / Sunglasses

The trend is moving from the replica back to the original

10 Tips for the authentic sunglasses-look

The summer of 2008 gave reason to believe that in 2009 the reflection of the past decades will continue to be a major fashion trend. With regard to the fashion accessory “sunglasses” the trend from a rebuild back to the original found its beginning in the year 2007. Original vintage glasses as worn for instance by Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Jackie O. und Brigitte Bardot are especially popular in the United States and Japan, the emphasis here being on the rare items which reflect the exclusive fashion style of its owner. But in Europe the demand for authentic items is also growing constantly. In consequence the search for well preserved original glasses becomes increasingly difficult. Retro-rebuilds often copy only the most obvious design features and by comparison across brands hardly differ from each other anymore. Frequently the products have lost their trademark identity.

The Berlin based company Vintage-sunglasses.de is a supplier of original and unworn vintage sunglasses. With passion and a well trained eye they continue to search for unworn original models on a global scale. Whenever the Vintage-Sunglasses.de team successfully locates an exclusive item, it is made available to the customers through its internet online-shop of the same name. Surprisingly this can be done at rather modest prices when compared to current trademark sunglasses. The value though of special and extremely rare items has increased substantially. To German customers the authenticity and quality of the glasses seems to be a priority: next to the United States most customers are located in Germany. But what distinguishes vintage sunglasses and how do you recognize if this luxury accessory is a replica or an original? With the support of Vintage-sunglasses.de we have compiled the most important criteria, just in case you are looking for one of the rare originals from the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s.

Tip 1

As a source for prolonged enjoyment, a high quality original should be unworn. Although many suppliers promote “Vintage” or “Original” products, only unworn glasses offer the essential pristine quality.

Tip 2

Due to the used materials, originals tend to be heavier and more massive when compared to replicas. Ray-Ban and Persol, for instance, used high quality mineral glasses for their vintage models. New editions in contrast are regularly produced with plastic lenses in order to maximize profits. But there are also old models where extremely light materials like aluminum and titanium were applied.

Tip 3

The originals were often individually crafted by skilled specialists. Accordingly many vintage models wear the label “handmade”. This is the case, for example, with the label “Cazal”, where the frame color was applied manually.

Tip 4

Originals are often distinguished by small and sometimes legendary design features like the engravings in the lenses which have made Ray-Ban and Persol sunglasses instantly recognizable. The vintage glasses by German designers like Cazal and Alpina show the imprint “Made in W. Germany” – new editions are usually labeled “Made in Germany”. The same can be said of the cult label Ray-Ban. The original classics were engraved with “Made in USA” – rebuilds are usually labeled “Made in Italy”. With Persol, the imprint “Ratti” on their vintage models unmistakably identifies the glasses as originating from the famous “Ratti manufacture” in Turin.

Tip 5

Some editions of vintage sunglasses were produced by companies which have ceased to exist. Unfortunately the producers of replicas often lack the appropriate background knowledge. Adequate imprints are often missing.

Tip 6

Many of the famous vintage sunglasses were manufactured with a special plastic alloy named “Optyl”. Among them are labels like Christian Dior, Carrera, Porsche, Boeing, Playboy und Dunhill. Accordingly an “Optyl” logo can be found on the inside of the frame handles.

Tip 7

Rebuilds often only resemble the design of the originals and are not 1:1 replicas. They were merely inspired by the original 60’s and 70’s design. For this reason the originals are frequently larger and more extravagant than the rebuilds. Example: Porsche design sunglasses with exchangeable lenses – the characteristic originals are larger than the current retro-models.

Tip 8

The production of the originals was more expensive and richer in detail than the replicas. Many vintage models were assembled from several small single parts with numerous links, so damaged parts could easily be replaced. New editions often refrain from this expensive luxury.

Tip 9

Vintage sunglasses are usually available only in small quantities. But this can still only be an indicator. The currently extremely popular Ray Ban Wayfarer is a vivid example that a sunglasses model produced in large numbers is easily able to initiate a gigantic global fashion trend. On the other side, to find an unworn original copy of some models is increasingly improbable. Some of the best examples here are: the legendary Persol Ratti. Steve McQueens folding glasses from the movie “The Thomas Crown Affair”. Or the massive model “Nautic 2” from Neostyle which was worn by Elvis Presley at his 1972 Madison Square Garden concert. Or the Linda Farrow model 6031 which was worn by Al Pacino in the movie classic "Scarface".

Tip 10

When searching for an original you are best served by a specialized supplier. He will be able to certify origin and genuineness of the glasses. You should probably abstain from buying expensive sunglasses at the flea market, for instance, at least if you’re not a true expert.