Isabel Marant, the insouciantly cool Parisian designer, has teamed up with Larry Leight, the Californian optometrist and founder of Oliver Peoples, to create two sunglass styles for spring, just in time for the opening of the shade line’s first San Francisco boutique on Grant Avenue. The frames, a classic pilot aviator and a more circular wire-rimmed model, both have hollow temple ends and come in five pastel-hued lens colors each. “They look like little sweets, like macaroons,” laughs Marant. “In Paris, we don’t have a lot of sun, so you don’t need dark sunglasses,” she acknowledges. “With these, you can keep them on whether you’re inside or outside.”

As Marant, a longtime fan of the eyewear brand, spent more time in California opening her Melrose Place store in Los Angeles, a collaboration felt natural and easy. The pair draws inspiration from California’s surf and skate lifestyle, and they share a similar attitude toward wearable designs. “They’re classic and simple, sporty but also casual—just like Isabel’s line,” says Leight, describing the intentionally minimalist frames.

“When you wear sunglasses,” notes Marant, “it has to fit with who you are, your personality.” Leight vigorously nods in agreement. “What can I say,” smiles Marant. “We share the same vision.”

By Kristina Dechter

 

Pictured: Isabel Marant
Photo by Inez & Vinoodh

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