Jul
2002

Upfront

Edited by Jackie Micucci

Bottomless Pitt. There are certain celebs that make our Hall of Frames section just about every month. So we’ve decided to honor those true lovers of eyewear, those with a fetish for frames, the 20/20 Golden Eye award. This month, 1 Brad Pitt, seen here wearing SAMA Eyewear’s AST style, is making his third appearance this year alone. So we bestow upon him our first award. (By the way in keeping with his rep for a soft spot for specs, the actor recently purchased six different Sama styles while in Los Angeles)… She’s real. 2 Jennifer Lopez (no more J Lo for her, please) in DKNY style 6570 from Marchon Eyewear. The triple threat (singer, actress, dancer) was recently nominated for three Latin Billboard Music Awards… It’s good to be the king. Comedian 3 Kevin James, star of the CBS hit sitcom “King of Queens,” wears Flexon style 1117 from Marchon… Comical. 4 Michael Rapaport goes for that James Bond look in Kenneth Cole New York Pierce Bronzen from ClearVision in his new movie “Comic Book Villains”… Winner’s circle. Dubbed the sexiest race car driver by People magazine, 5 Helio Castroneves, winner of the 2002 Indianapolis 500, wears Momo Design Eyewear from Neostyle… Princess Diaries. 6 Princess Caroline in Line3 by SAMA Eyewear, RAYA frame… Kissable. 7 Catherine Zeta-Jones in SAMA’s Kiss frame… Beiner, too. 8 Jennifer Rodriguez, two-time Olympic bronze medalist in speed skating, and 9 Rosa Sanchez, star of “Rush Hour 2,” both wear Edward Beiner Lunettes style 507… Give it away. 10 Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, wears Ray-Ban 3159 from Luxottica. The now solo artist attended the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation’s “Kids for Kids” carnival in New York’s Central Park to help raise money for the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to funding and conducting scientific research for children with HIV/Aids. Ray-Ban was a sponsor of the event… What’s Cooking? World Wrestling Federation superstar 11 The Rock sports Nike Tarj Square in Liquid Carbon from Marchon… Don’t let me get me. 12 Pink, who’s riding high on the success of her double platinum album “Missundaztood,” in Fendi Suns 255 in Light Gep from Marchon. The “colorful” pop star is currently on the road for her North American concert tour.              
—Jackie Micucci

out and about
The girls of l.a. Eyeworks certainly know how to express themselves, not repress themselves. Which is why Barbara McReynolds and Gai Gherardi (pictured below) were honored by the VOX/OUT Voices of Style + Design Awards. The awards reflect Out magazine’s continuing mission to celebrate gay culture and style in America.

The duo were lauded for their designs that use advanced technology and their uncensored concepts to create eyewear that transforms the way people think about eyeglasses.

This is the first time the awards have honored someone from Los Angeles. Past winners include designers John Bartlett and Todd Oldham, both from New York.  —JM

material things

Trivex is making an impact on eyewear’s creative side. The impact-resistant lens material introduced by PPG last year has become a favorite of customer eyewear designer Billy E. Brock, optician and founder of Billy Brock Designs in Fort Worth, Texas.

Brock, who was introduced to Trivex by his lab, Lewiston, Texas-based Benedict Optical, says he has been using the material on many of his eyewear designs for the past year or so. His work involves cutting lenses into unique shapes. He also makes decorative cuts into lenses or adds colored borders or jeweled inlays. Trivex’s durability has made many of these designs less cost-prohibitive, he says, because he can shape and edge a lens with less fear of breakage.
“I used to lose hours of handwork when a lens broke during processing, or when I had to remake a pair that broke after a customer received it,” explains Brock, who has been custom-designing lenses for more than 20 years. “Since I’ve been working with lenses made from Trivex, none have broken. That improves my bottom line. Today, younger single-vision patients are interested in funky shapes and hand-painted color borders. There’s an increasing interest in etched lenses for men, and the growing senior population wants as much flash and fun as their junior counterparts. The introduction of new materials like Trivex helps eyecare professionals meet these varied needs.”

To see samples of Brock’s work, visit www.billybrock.com.

 

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