Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses / Claire Goldsmith Legacy
Claire is her usual bubbly self when I speak to her for this feature before the optical fair Mido. She is about 7 months pregnant with her second child, but despite having to delay a few long-haul travel arrangements, she is as busy and excited as ever about business and new projects, as well as looking forward to being a mum of 2! “I feel like I’m having my third baby! The business is so important to me, and I am very protective about it and every new step we take,” she explains. Claire Goldsmith is the great granddaughter of Oliver Goldsmith, one of the most influential designers of spectacles and sunglasses, who designed for a mass of celebrities, from 1926 through to the 70s and 80s…Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn (the Audrey style “Manhattan” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s has just been re-released) and Michael Caine…and the list goes on and on. Claire opened Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses in 2005 and now has her own flagship store in the hub of London’s Notting Hill. The newly renovated shop offers the full offering of OG styles, plus the latest additions, including Claire’s first brand in her own name, Claire Goldsmith Legacy. It also houses the archives of Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses, including a huge, unique collection of frame styles which span decades of eyewear history and fashion. 
Claire Goldsmith Legacy – classic with a twist
Launched in 2010, CG Legacy is a collection of spectacles designed by the new team Claire has put together; it’s the expression of their enthusiasm for eyewear, born out of working with the OG archive, but embodying their own new design ideas in the present day. “We launched Legacy in 2010. I felt it was time I had my own line after many years dedicated to perfecting the reissue of OG vintage classics. I have the same DNA as my great grandfather but we are not the same person, so it was time to put my own mark on eyewear with my own line. We will have a total of 20 styles in the range from this March, 6 of these will be launched in Milan at Mido. We are growing Legacy at a calm, steady rate. It suits a slightly younger customer than the pure vintage OG concept, with its colours which are fun, and the designs which are really out there! I am working on new materials for Legacy, I am exploring different metals and titanium for the first time, it’s really a new departure for us and an evolving one. I also have another completely new collection launching soon…called CG: Mod Rocker, which also makes a feature of contemporary metals, this time with a chunkier feel. I have spent some time sourcing the right production and techniques to create these models. All our frames are now produced by different skilled specialists in Italy, Germany and the UK. Over the years I have found that to offer the quality and craftsmanship I want, the most important thing is to find partners for the production who are willing to understand how we want our frames created and finished, and will go to great lengths to meet our expectations. Sometimes a single frame will have to be polished more than 10 times to get the effect that is required. But it’s that attention to detail, quality and precision that I always strive for; it is a part of our OG heritage and fundamental to the story of all our lines.” CN OG Sunglasses and the full CG: Legacy collection from Claire Goldsmith retail at £220-£250. Available at The Oliver Goldsmith Store, 15 All Saints Road, Notting Hill, W11 1HA and Harvey Nichols and Browns (London). Also available at leading opticians including Adam Simmonds (www.adamsimmonds.co.uk), Mallon & Taub and Auerbach and Steele (www.auerbach-steele.com) For more information visit www.olivergoldsmith.com. CN
