For Prada’s new eyewear collection, Minimal Baroque, the fashion house turned to three fashion illustrators to create their advertising campaign.

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Complementing their Game Day, Sunday collection, ZANEROBE’s debut eyewear range has dropped just in time for summer in the southern hemisphere. Fashion-forward styles and trusty ZANEROBE build quality combine to create these damn fine shades suitable for work, play and anything in between.

Revive that vintage sixties look with a pair of Italian gold square aviator frames by Silver Lining Opticians. These babies are available in two lens types: slick sunglasses or clear lenses for that ultra smooth, hot nerd look. The optical boutique also stock more than 6,000 never-worn vintage frames, including 500 one-of-a-kind shades by Persol, Balenciaga, and many more independent designers and labels.

We checked in with Catherine Federici, one of the creative forces behind Australian sunglasses company, ISSON Eyewear, and asked her what lead to her take her industrial design training and apply it to sunglasses design: ‘I worked in Optometry practices since I was fourteen. It just seemed like the better option to working the cashier at McDonald’s or Woolies. By the time I was at University, I was working at George Skoufis Optometrist in Paddington, renowned for quirky, unusual, unique frames and sunglasses and my passion for eye-wear design really evolved there. Coming from an I.D background, it seemed that the eyewear designer’s artisan approach to mass production was unique. I found this to be inspiring and a creative challenge I wanted to take on’.

Do you look back into the past or forward into the future for your design inspiration?
‘If I look too closely at other designers, I subconsciously end up designing like them so I try to be aware of the world but without looking too closely at it. Interesting to me, I seem to have turned a page in my own creative journey. Opting now for design experimentation and discovery as opposed to anything fashion related. I’d liken the process to a musician improvising and from that you get some great things and some crap things, but the thought process is free and fun’.

Why was there a need for Isson in the market? What was your agenda upon entering this space?
‘I should probably say it was because I identified a void in the consumer market, but Isson was really about fulfilling a creative dream. If you’ve ever made a kick-arse billy cart as a kid, you’ll know what I mean. As it turns out, when we kicked things off in 02/03 there were very few independent sunglass brands, none from Australia. There’s been a significant shift away from licensed fashion brands with confident and style savvy consumers turning to alternative brands and styling. Isson’s evolution has been a bumpy ride, with more life lessons than I care to admit but it’s all worth it when I get my prototypes and see someone on the street wear one of my designs’.

Tell us about the thinking behind the new range of sunglasses: what were the buzz words you riffed off when creating the range?
I created the latest range sitting in the State Library. The quiet, expansive space, surrounded by academia and feeling an openness in people there seemed to work for me on many levels. When designing I set out to be true to my own creative process and then when I’d come back to my drawings, I had to feel that I had challenged the norm otherwise I would bin it. Some of the words I reminded myself of were “Explore, innovate, free thought, random, unexpected, contradiction, bold, balance… often followed by “why the f— not?” It was by far the most challenging and rewarding collection to design so far’.

The residents of Chicago have another option for all those special events. The famous Tony Taglia, aka The Ferrari Guy, offers a unique service: a one hour trip in his Ferrari decorated with 24k golden parts. The chauffeur? Tony himself. He says he’s the most photographed person after the American President. Perfect for birthdays celebrations, weddings, bachelor’s parties, banquets and special gifts, and all for only $300 an hour. The Ferrari Guy takes you on a real trip in his Ferrari Spyder Cabrio, with a horsepower of 495 and a speed of 211 miles per hour. Oh, and at the same time as he is driving, he can play with his vintage electric guitar. All the while wearing crocodile skin Texan boots, sunglasses and sporting a rockstar attitude. Quite a deal!

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I’m super hyped about the Australian Summer lurking around the corner, so I’ve been on the lookout for some new protective sunnies for driving. Surprisingly, I found some uber-lovely Le Specs that look funky yet designer-esque due to the stylish sides. I know everybody whores the brand, but it’s a nice feeling when you find a unique model that stands out from every other kind. It’s even nicer knowing you’ll prevent undesirable wrinkles from developing because Le Specs promise ‘to have your eyes covered’. Yay for that!

Luxury goods have been getting a bad rap lately, and for good reason. Now I don’t know how you roll, but we don’t know many people who enjoy covering themselves head-to-toe in someone else’s initials. Yet for some reason designers think that diamante logos and monogrammed tapestries are the best mediums to communicate their brand. So it’s just as well LA based eyewear label Barton Perreira doesn’t play by the rules. Starting out less than a year ago, you won’t find their designs getting over-excited by insignia. Instead, these guys hand make their frames in Japan to rely on precision, fit and design. And that’s the way it should be.

Now I know what you’re thinking. This Australian summer you’re going to see the wayfarer style ripped-off and ruined by flouro festival wearers all over the country. But these babies aren’t just for show. Handmade by one of Italy’s most prestigious factories, using Zeiss lenses, they’re a far cry from the flimsy market numbers you’ll catch the masses wearing. With the wayfarer style picking up where the aviator left off, get ready to hear a lot more from Super. Creators of Italy’s Pig magazine, Sean Beolchini and the Beckerman brothers are the team behind this eyewear brand, and responsible for the recent retro shade revival. We’re loving the cream and black combo, but you can take your pick from Super’s palette of cool colours and designs.

It’s summer in New York, it’s sunny, and I’m bored of my everyday pair of sunnies. But who has the glasses for me? Designer Linda Farrow does! Her range has so many innovative designs, without the stripes on the lenses like the Kayne West glasses sold at every street vendor in the village. Linda Farrow has the most fabulous vintage shades, and the collaboration between her and House of Holland is a gem in a sea of sunnies.

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LA-based designer label Grey Ant has been under my radar for quite some time now, but the Spring 08 collection is what really made me a ‘Grey Ant junkie’.The over-sized glasses, which is an under-exaggeration because these glasses are actually over, over-sized, are a lot of fun. Also, the jumpers and button ups work nicely as layering pieces. Usually known for their baggy look, this season the designers have perfected their silhouettes. The dresses are flattering, classic, and edgy. Every hipster from LA knows where to find Grey Ant, but for all others, check out the collection online.