Brent Zerger, Communications Director, l.a. Eyeworks
Los Angeles, California
20th February 2012 Are men more daring with colour now than in previous years? “Without a doubt. And just in case it’s still a secret: men are starving for colour! Particularly in the case of clothing, we have all been cast adrift in a sombre sea of brown, khaki and grey for soooo long. It’s always a challenge to find colour that truly excites. No surprise, then, that men are seizing upon glasses as a key component for exploring the potential not only of colour, but of pattern and proportion too.
Have you seen any specific changes in how men view wearing glasses during the past several years? “Absolutely. Glasses are out of the closet! More and more, I see men discovering eyewear as a way to project their sensibility and define a mood. There seems to be a renewed embrace of eyewear as a key aspect of wardrobing, and as a vital stamp of personality. Our clients often report on how the colour and graphic impression of their glasses have effected changes in what they wear, and how they see themselves. Barbara McReynolds (co-owner/co-designer of l.a. Eyeworks) has often said: ‘Glasses are the fashion. Clothes are the accessory”. In short, free your glasses and the rest will follow”.
Whom do you think are the male style icons nowadays? “To be honest, I hardly ever think of icons in the present. What interests me most is when any person – regardless of their fame, occupation or income – creates a style or signature completely their own; when a person achieves a kind of effortlessness and comfort in the transformation of their look”.
Who are your personal designer favourites for men’s clothing? “I always pay attention to what ‘the majors’ (Paul Smith, Christopher Bailey, Marc Jacobs, Rei Kawakubo, Kris van Assche, et al.) are thinking, but in my own selection, I veer towards smaller brands and more enigmatic items – like the amazing shoe designs of John Fluevog. I probably take most of the direction of what I want to wear from the world around me, be it a Japanese vinyl figure, a Technicolour film from the 50’s, some paste-up graffiti on an electrial box, or some obscure track I might hear late at night. In any case, the most compelling style is tuned from the inside out.” www.laeyeworks.com www.laeyeworks-wideworld.com JG