![]() Eyewear companies started to truly cater to the market for feminine frames adding stylistic touches such as diamante, gold stars and elaborate flairs to the tips of the frames.Įveryone from movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, politicians like Shirley Chisholm, professional women and stay-at-home mothers favoured the cat eye silhouette, which tended to be smaller with a super-exaggerated, upswept flair. Throughout the post-war years, the popularity of the cat eye frame for prescription lenses soared. If you want to know more about this fascinating woman I highly recommend checking out the eponymous documentary "Altina". Vogue and Life magazines credited Schinasi with revolutionizing the eyewear industry and aesthetic.Īltina exited the eyewear business in the early 40s to continue her other passions including painting, sculpture, film making and the anti-fascist and civil rights movements. In 1939 Altina was awarded the Lord & Taylor Annual American Design Award for her avant-garde transformation of the eyeglass frame into a proper fashion accessory. Her original shape designs were cut away from the romantic and whimsical harlequin masks worn at ballroom dances at the time and it is from this mask that the cat eye shape got its first name "Harlequin".Īfter initial scepticism from stores, Altina grew her business substantially over the 1930s as women across America voted with their wallets and purchased these fun, playfully shaped feminine frames. Inspired by the lack of interesting frames for women available in opticians in New York, Altina designed the first prototypes of a more glamorous silhouette. ![]() It is during this period in her late 20's that she registered her patent on the Harlequin frame. These are sure to have strangers asking you. It was here that she developed a deep passion for the subject, so she changed her choice of college to art school in New York.Īltina graduated and took up work as a window dresser on Fifth Avenue for Peter Copeland, where she would collaborate with the visionary artist Salvidor Dali. Cat-eye glasses already have a reputation for being statement-makers and these take the trend to the next level. A free Home Trial can soothe nerves across many of our lines. Vibrant colours are contrasted against subtle pastels, while the chic, feminine aesthetic can quickly rejuvenate your look. ![]() The "Harlequin" FrameĪltina Schinasi was born in the Manhattan's Upper Westside in 1907, after receiving schooling in the US she made a trip to Paris in her late teens to study art. Shop the largest collection of cat-eye sunglasses and eyeglasses Vintage styles by Ray-Ban, Prada & more. Our stunning range of cat eye glasses can add a touch of glamour to your style. However, if we want to go right to the beginning of the cat eye story we need to learn a little about Altina Schinasi. This feline-inspired style really started to take off in the 1950s as the stars of the day took to wearing this glamourous shape on the big screen. An exaggerated upswept frame that forms the shape of a cat's eye.Īudrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid.
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