By Gloria Nicola

Patty Perreira, co-founder of Barton Perreira Eyewear, describes herself as a self-taught designer. “I have always been creative, often out of necessity,” she notes. “Growing up, my family did not have much money. My mom and I made a lot of my clothes, and I shopped thrift stores for clothes and fabric remnants. I was always intrigued by vintage jewelry and glasses that I saw at the thrift shops. I think that’s where I became aware of certain design details, but I had no idea this would help pave my way as a designer.”

Perreira went on to hone her eyewear design skills working at Oliver Peoples for 18 years. In addition to creating collections for Oliver Peoples, she was also a creative consultant and conceptualized eyewear collections for Prada, Miu Miu, Jill Sander, Helmut Lang, Paul Smith and Vera Wang. Then in 2007, Perreira, along with Bill Barton, former president of Oliver Peoples, started their own luxury eyewear line, Barton Perreira. Driven by Perreira’s passion for design and her distinctive vision, the company established itself from its very first collection as a brand that defines style and elegance and brings the “wow” factor to eyewear. The brand is now sold in 48 countries.

Perreira defines her design philosophy as a “pure, less-is-more aesthetic,” which she achieves by not cutting corners. “I want to pour everything I know and love about design into every piece I create and let instinct and intuition tell me when it’s right,” Perreira explains. “I have a relentless devotion to craftsmanship and an almost obsessive desire to make everything perfect. Eyewear design is actually similar to architecture and engineering. It might be easy to make something look good to the eye, but it is extremely difficult to make it feel great on your face. It’s amazing the difference a quarter of a millimeter can make in eyewear,” she continues.

“Personal style is the most important element when choosing eyewear,” Perreira notes. “So much depends on facial shapes. Frame designs should contrast with the face shapes, and frame and lens colors should complement skin tones. As with makeup, cooler skin tones generally look best in cool shades like black, gray, lilac or rose, whereas warm skin tones look best in warm tones such as brown, tortoise, gold, honey and red. The right frame not only adds character and distinction to a person’s face, but can also be as flattering as good eyebrows. The subtle curves and contours of eyebrows and cheekbones are so important to the fit of a frame and also have a tremendous influence on my designs.”

Perreira’s personal definition of style is “to be true to yourself.” For her personal eyewear, she prefers CatEyes and aviators because they are timeless and somewhat classic with a slight edge.

Her favorite color is Weimaraner Grey Ghost. “It’s the color of the dog breed by the same name. It’s mysterious, monochromatic and unidentifiable. My favorite colors for eyewear are beautiful, saturated hues borrowed from nature in shades ranging from olive to mocha; rich tortoises in sienna, navy and tobacco; and laminated zyls paired with custom gradient flash mirror jewel tone lenses in emerald, amethyst, topaz and aquamarine. I also love animal prints when they are done well.”

The designer finds inspiration for her eyewear in almost everything—jewelry, architecture, nature, cars, motorcycles and the island of Jamaica, which she loves and where she recently bought a home. “I like many types of styles from Art Deco jewelry to mid-century furniture with an emphasis on timelessness and continuity of form,” she says. “But it is really the visionaries in art such as Andy Warhol and music (Amy Winehouse) who remain true to their art form and do not assimilate that continue to challenge and inspire me.”

A great source of inspiration to Perreira is also her business partner Bill Barton. “Bill and I trust each other’s instincts. We both have many years of experience in the eyewear industry. He motivates, challenges and inspires me and pushes me beyond limits. Our talents complement each other. His expertise is in the business side of things, while I am the creative side. This allows each of us to focus and utilize our individual skills in ways that are best suited to the success of Barton Perreira.”

She starts the design process by doing a sketch and working with an illustrator. With each frame, Perreira emphasizes there is a specific inspiration such as a design detail or a color. “For example, I might decide a Caribbean blue or aqua lens would be amazing in an aviator style,” she notes. “Once the illustration is done to size, it is sent to Japan for a prototype, which we then modify as necessary. When I have the final product in my hands, and it looks and feels as I imagined, it is very rewarding. It brings a smile to my heart.”

The most challenging aspect of the design process, Perreira says, is the commercial side. “I have to consider what the market needs from us and not duplicate styles we already have.”

Barton Perreira sees its customers as discriminating tastemakers, individuals with a heightened sense of luxury and an appreciation for design. “They are people who enjoy the thrill of discovery and don’t need logos to validate their status or identity,” Perreira notes. “I am very clear on who I am as a designer. With each of my collections, there is cohesiveness in what I do. The DNA can never change, but it can be influenced. The product will always be made in Japan because I think the quality is the best, and I won’t sacrifice quality. The inspiration is classic with a now feel. My style and taste are quite diverse so there is not just one theme. There are smaller capsule collections within the larger collection, which may range from retro to Renaissance depending on my mood.”

What selling tips would she give to optical retailers on selling Barton Perreira eyewear? “Retailers need to remain confident and trust their instincts. ‘Out of the case and on the face.’ I am not sure who coined the phrase, but it is true. Once consumers try on Barton Perreira frames, they can feel the amazing quality and fit.”

When asked what she would do if she were to change careers, Perreira says emphatically, “I cannot imagine doing anything else. I love eyewear and feel blessed to be a part of this industry. However, if you had asked me as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have answered, ‘a go-go dancer in a cage.’”