Selima Optique on Vogue Italia Online

Italian Vogue featured Selima Optique as one New York institution that should not be missed along with some other great shops around the city, check them all out!

Above- A pic of our Soho holiday windows created by artist & S.O crew member Amanda Browder, so cute no?

Slices of Inspiration: 70's Christian Dior Eyewear Ad

 

Late photographer Chris von Wangenheim's 70's era eyewear ad for Christian Dior is a perfect example of his signature use of dark sensuality and voyeurism juxtaposed with stark elegance to create something startlingly unique and serves as a mesmerizing source of inspiration for us to this day.

Artist Gustabo Rodriguez for Selima Optique

After sharing an image of his illustrated work with the Bond 07 by Selima crew, artist Gustabo Rodriguez set about creating a series of works featuring Selima Optique eyewear for our shops beginning with a poster for Fashion's Night Out this past fall. The illustrations he created for us were inspired during a stay in Miami which conjured up visions reminiscent of 1940's Beverly Hill's hotel bungalows. And while his work instantly brings to mind associations with updated takes on the iconic work of Juan Antonio Lopez, it also stands on its own with its vivid color-ways and digital mastery.

Working with watercolor, acrylics, pencils, pens and photoshop, Rodriguez most often finds muses for his work through his own expansive imagination.

Hopefully in the next year we'll get a chance to work with this talented artist once again, until then, we hope you enjoy these lush images he created for us.

At just $225, his large scale prints decadently portray women in Selima Optique frames and make a great addition to any room. Avilable in-store at Bond 07 and by special order.

Lost at Sea: A Customer finds his Glasses in the Sea Three Years Later

 

The crew at Selima Optique Soho had a customer share a remarkable story with them about a pair of frames he bought from them three years ago that he subsequently lost in the Baltic Sea shortly after. On a recent trip back scuba diving in the Baltic, one of his friends actually happened to find that same pair waiting for him several years later! 

Talk about full circle- Life is so beautiful!

Above, an aerial view of the Baltic as seen from space

Miami Dispatch & Selima Optique Sighting's at Art Basel

Earlier this month Selima Optique's Soho team member & artist Amanda Browder made it down to Miami to take part in Art Basel and came back with a few snaps for us to share with you including a few featuring patrons in frames from yours truly.

For the festivities Browder and art forum Bad at Sports were sponsored by art residency Ox-bow to record interviews in a temporary structure(above) as well as transmit a pirate radio station on 88.5 FM in Miami.

Browder(left) with artist Coco Fusco wearing a pair of purple Selima Optique Axel frames.

Browder and New Orleans based artist Mariana Smith- the daughter of artist Ray Smith, who our Ray frames were inspired by.

Bottom, buttons Browder made for the "Amanda Browder Show" section of the podcast featuring "eyes after they have seen too many art fairs!"

Vintage Eye: 80's Silhouette Sunglasses

Our latest vintage frames of the week from our endless archive feature an exaggerated shape in a unique purple hue from Silhouette. Imagine the conversations these jaw-dropping frames are destined to bring about as all eyes will be on you...

Don't forget that all of our stores have a curated vintage selection on hand for you to peruse!

80's Silhouette Sunglasses, available at our Bond St. location and by special order worldwide.

Contact us for more info.

The Gift of Sight, The Best Holiday Gift You Can Give...

Looking for that perfect, practical holiday gift that'll last a lifetime? Or something that'll help boost your loved one's New Year? Why not help them update their frames? Our stores are open til mid afternoon tomorrow, Christmas Eve, and if choosing the right pair seems too tremendous, consider gifting them with a gift card- nothing impersonal about that.

Don't forget that all of our stores sell more than just glasses. From eyewear to accessories to gifts of all kinds- we've got you covered! 

And in case you want to avoid the mad crowds, you can always shop online at SelimaOptique.com.

Selima Optique Chad Frames- "Sunglasses of the Year"

After another great year, we are thankful to see everything come full circle as BrandsAndFilms.com has named our Chad frames as their "Sunglasses of the Year!"

Thanks to a certain dashing(and talented) young actor going against his wardrobe stylist's desires and donning his own personal frames from yours truly in two of his films this year, they've gotten ample amount of screen time.

Discover them for yourself today!

Rasa Swank by Donna D'Cruz Available at Selima Optique

Just in time for the holidays comes the ultimate mix album from performer and renowned d.j Donna D'Cruz  now available at all Selima Optique New York locations for a limited time. Featuring a heady mix of unique & eclectic gems curated by D'Cruz, Rasa Swank is certain to boost your spirit well into the new year.

Donna D'Cruz on Rasa Swank:

Slices of Inspiration: Chay Lazaro's Ode to 'Pretty in Pink'

Graphic artist Chay Lazaro's series of blockbuster Hollywood film posters re-imagined caught our eye when we spotted his take on John Hughes classic film 'Pretty in Pink' featuring two timeless frames floating against a mellow pink background.

While we understand his intention was geared towards the film itself, there's something to be said about the simplistic harmony and cool allure that his artwork lends to any associations previously held regarding the film. And for an eyewear firm like us, there's plenty to be inspired from with his subtle ode to a masterpiece.

Toys For Tots Charity Drive at Selima Optique Soho

 

Take part in our Toys For Tots toy drive benefiting homeless children in NYC for the holidays at our Soho location by dropping off gifts for children in need! And if you can't make it in, visit their website at ToysForTots.org to help those in need this holiday season. 

Above, an image from Life Magazine circa 1945.

Reconvilier Timepieces are now at Selima Optique Soho

 

In addition to our Madison Ave locale, our Soho outpost is now carrying Reconvilier watches til mid-Jan as an exclusive stockist in the U.S with 10% of the proceeds from this limited pop-up shop benefiting Action Against Hunger / ACF.

Stop by and discover Reconvilier, known for blending innovative thinking with the tradition of fine Swiss watch-making since 1905. Reconvilier artfully combines strength & functionality with classic design & understated elegance.

Available at:

Selima Optique Madison Avenue- 899 Madison Ave. Nyc 10021

Selima Optique Soho- 59 Wooster St. Nyc 10012

Vintage Eye: 70's Christian Dior Gold Aviator Sunglasses

From our vintage frame archive come these elegant gold 70's era Christian Dior aviator sunglasses that are sure to add a decadent disco-minded note to just about any look year-round.

70's Christian Dior Sunglasses, available at our Bond St. location and by special order worldwide.

Contact us for more info.

Two Must-Read Blogs perfect for any Eyewear Devotee

While our blog serves more as a journal for all things Selima Optique and whatever is on our minds, we've come across two fantastic blogs dedicated to the world of eyewear that are must-reads for any serious eyewear devotee.

Bonocle-

Founded earlier this year by Barbara Canales(above) and Jasmin Yaya, Bonocle.com is dedicated to the world of eyewear. Utilizing their expierience in the eyewear industry (Yaya is an optometrist and has been in the eyewear business since 2006 and Canales is currently a marketing student, and has been in the eyewear business since 2008), they both share an interest for high quality glasses with unique style. They met each other while working at at Bågar & Glas, an optician in Stockholm, where they both currently work. 

Visit Bonocle.com to find inspiration, news & anecdotes on all things eyewear...

EyeHeartGlasses-

Founded in 2008 by Jo(above), a resident of Wellington, New Zealand, Eye Heart Glasses came about from Jo's practical obsession with frames of all types and features a trove of fun facts, news and updates.

Visit EyeHeartGlasses.com today!

Selima Optique is now stocked in New Orleans

We are proud to announce the opening of our first stockist in The Big Easy- New Orleans' Art & Eyes! It happens to be our first retailer in the south and we are excited to be a part of the historic Magazine st. community. If you are a resident of the city or happen to be in town visiting, be sure to pay them a visit!

 Visit Art & Eyes New Orleans at 3708 Magazaine st.

Lady Gaga Wears Selima Optique in her 'Marry the Night' Video

For her latest video 'Marry the Night,' Lady Gaga paired our Onassis frames with a graphic ivory jacket from the Moschino archives to compliment another stand-out, statement making look from the star.

You can catch our sunglasses towards the end-enjoy!

Slices of Inspiration: Late 90's Chloe Sunglasses

This week's inspirational Chloe frames may not be as vintage as the others we have highlighted over the past few posts, yet there's no denying their forever-cool appeal as they could be considered a harbinger for fashion's 80's infatuation we saw throughout the last decade. And while they remain a permanent fixture in Selima's vast archive of vintage frames, there's also something to be said about the sense of delirious provocation one feels at first glance of this late 90's advertisement featuring them.

As you can see, their ski-inspired shield shape is offset by a defining asymmetrical front, making them all the more distinctive.

Our Anouk Sunglasses in Marie Claire

Marie Claire featured our Anouk frames as their favorite pair of sunglasses in an ode to channeling the elegant street style of model/actress Rosie Huntington-Whitley. Discover our Anouk frames today to cut a chic swath yourself while combating the sun and streets.

Selima Optique on The Huffington Post: Present Perfect

We felt honored this afternoon as The Huffington Post recommended all four of our Nyc shops as the best spots for holiday shopping this season amongst 20 other renowned New York retailers including Jeffrey, John Derian, Fred Leighton, Moss, Scully & Scully & more!

Read the full article here to check-out their other suggestions. Above, our Madison Ave. outpost at 899 Madison Avenue.

Nyc, Our Four Day Sample Sale at Bond 07 has begun!

The Sale has started! For those of you in Nyc, come by and check out the goods featuring over 500 pairs of unique frames at must-have price points. Plus, in addition to our sample sale, all regular priced frames are 20% off until Sat evening(Bond st location only)!

 

 One of the tables at our curated sample sale full of covetable frames of all kinds at 07 Bond st. Nyc, Ny 10012.

Computer Love: Holiday Shopping Made Easy at SelimaOptique.com

 

It's Cyber Monday, marking one of the most convenient ways to get your holiday gift-giving self into motion.

And from us, finding that perfect, elusive pair of frames has just gotten easier with the re-launch of our website. Check out our web-shop if you can't make it in store to find a practical and timeless however fashion-forward gift for your friends & loved ones today at SelimaOptique.com.

Vintage Eye: 80's Maurice St. Michel Color-Blocked Sunnies

From our extensive collection of vintage frames comes this graphic pair of 80's era Maurice St. Michel sunglasses that are the perfect addition to fashion's color-blocked trend this season. Try them on for yourself today at our Bond 07 location or request a viewing appointment through our website.

And if vintage is not for you, take a look at our contrasting Virginie frames that boast a timeless shape in navy & tortoise.

80's Maurice St. Michel Sunglasses, available at our Bond St. location and by special order worldwide.

Contact us for more info.

Chad Frames: Back-in-Stock Early December

Thanks to a certain dashing young actor using his personal frames from our range to compliment his character's looks, we've had a wave of interest in our best-selling Chad & Money frames. Not that we are about boasting here, we simply wanted to let you know that our Chad frames will be back in-stock early December just in time for the holiday season.

Add your name to the wait list today to ensure holiday delivery by contacting us at info @ SelimaOptique.com

Ryan Gosling in his Chad frames, above.

Selima Optique's Holiday Playlist

With the busy holiday season here, the team at Selima Optique has culled a playlist of some of our favorite tried & true tunes to get you through the times. Whether you are traveling, kicking back at home with friends & family or just in need of something new to hear, we hope you enjoy the tracks below.

The Majestic Arrows "If I Had A Little Love"

Serge Gainsbourg "Love On The Beat"

Telepathe "Throw Away This"

Elli Medeiros "Toi Mon Toit"

Lizzy Mercrier Descloux "Fire"

Moon Duo "Killing Time"

Malcolm McLaren "Madame Butterfly"

James White & The Blacks "Contort Yourself"

Mott The Hoople "Roll Away This Stone"

Work from Robert Longo, above.

Selima Optique NYC Sample Sale 11/30 to12/3

Just in time for the holidays comes our annual sample sale perfect for the gift giving season and the collector in you!

What: Selima Optique Sample Sale featuring handmade Selima Optique eyewear & hats and frames from Alain Mikli, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci & Tom Ford as well as a large assortment of unique vintage frames.

Where: Bond 07 by Selima Optique at 7 Bond St. Nyc 10012 

When: Wednesday, November 30th to Saturday, December 3rd 

From - 11am to 7pm

 Selima Optique  |  7 Bond St.  New York  NY  10012 |  P: 212.677.8487   http://SelimaOptique.com

Slices of Inspiration: 70's Pierre Cardin Signature Frames

This week's pair of inspirational frames happen to speak volumes on the genius of Pierre Cardin as they make for the coolest set of bold logo statement makers and strike a chord with the designer's preoccupation with space-age design. Can you imagine how fun it would be to own a pair of these? We can... and we are on a mad hunt for them now!

Auction Exclusive: Bid to have custom frames made for a cause!

Visit CharityBuzz today for an exclusive chance to have a pair of custom handmade frames created just for you in benefit of preserving Tibet's unique culture with Tibet House.

Keep your eye on the auction as it ends Tues. Dec 13th!

Nolita No More: Au Revoir Ray's Pizza

We are sad to see the one and only Ray's Pizza(and our old neighbors) close after over 50 years in business. Ray's was a landmark that started a slew of copycat pizzeria's boasting similar names(49 in 2011 according to Wikipedia) and was something casual, light, and most of all familiar, posessing all the makings of an institution. A simple pizza shop it may have been, but to us it also signifies the changing commercial climate of this city's Nolita neighborhood and the constant evolution of our streets. 

Ray's we will miss you, and Nolita, we are still neighbors!

Prince st before(above, with old Selima Optique crew member Kenneth standing outside) and Prince st. after:

Vintage Eye: 80's Yves Saint Laurent Angular Sunglasses

From our vintage archive come our latest vintage frames of the week from 80's era Yves Saint Laurent that lend a sci-fi and super cool update to what one normally associates with traditional tortoiseshell. Brass details, an exaggerated browline and a rimless lens piece make these truly statement making, unique & highly covetable. Try them on for yourself today at our Bond 07 location or request a viewing appointment through our website.

80's Yves Saint Laurent Angular Sunglasses, available at our Bond St. location and by special order worldwide.

                                                                 Contact us for more info.

The Holidays Chez Selima on J.Crew.com

Selima shares her thoughts on the holidays with collaborator J.Crew as well as items on her gift wishlist, here's a preview:

Visit J.Crew to see the full spread...

Arts Watch: Selima Optique's Amanda Browder

On a recent visit to our Soho location, our directrice Selima was amused by the colorful and imaginative installations that Selima Optique crew member and artist Amanda Browder had installed throughout the shop. What immediately struck her was the pop of juxtaposition between Browder's work and the shop's own old-school gilt frames and ornate accommodations.

It brought to mind Murakami's groundbreaking show at Versailles where his colorful characters & works were housed within the confines of the institution's rigidly glamorous bourgeois-chic halls. Which made Selima chuckle and retort that "this is not Murakami, and we are not in Versailles." True, our Soho location obviously can't compare, but it does speak volumes on the kind of improvisational, felicitous nature that is central to Browder's work and left us curious about what she does. We sat down and created a short q&a for her, enjoy!

Q: How did you meet Selima & crew?

A: I met Selima at Silmo(optical show) in France about six years ago while working in Chicago at an optical shop that carried her line. Coincidentally, I was sporting a pair of her Liam frames...old school!

Q: What brought you to NYC?

A: After teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for six years, and selling eyewear on the side, I decided it was the time to make a move and see what NYC could offer me as a practicing artist. I had no idea what to expect and moved here without any plan. What I found was a fantastic community of creative people working on all levels of unique work. From eyewear to contemporary art, I found more and more people using every creative outlet they had to make a living and to create new and exciting artistic projects.

Q: What & who inspires your work?

A: As a kid I read a lot of comic books that I collected with my dad who blended R.Crumb, the Fabulous Freak Brothers and Donald Duck into one collection. Their bright colors and fantastical stories inspired me to cross the line between fantasy and reality. I wanted to make what we see as awe-inspiring and shocking into something real and tactile. Artists that inspire me include Louise Bourgeois, Mike Kelly, Jessica Stockholder and Polly Apfelbaum.

Q: Work wise, what's a dream goal/project?

A: My goal is to keep working big! Building facade installations are just a beginning! I enjoy working with local communities and connecting with people I might not have met via the art world. I'm also working on a new large-scale public art piece set to debut April 2012 in Brooklyn! I have a student from London who is coming to work with me in the Spring and we plan to construct a new public art piece together. I'm also looking forward to Lucky Magazine featuring my Logs and Fire in their winter issue!

Visit Browder's site for more info: www.amandabrowder.com

From bottom to top: a portrait of Amanda amidst our art filled wall, a large scale fabric chain-link piece hangs from the ceiling, Browder's Logs & Fire atop a display case- all at our Soho flagship. A customized Future Phenomena facade in Greenpoint Brooklyn(NY 2010) and Amanda Browder in a pair of our Amanda frames.