Leonard and Frieda sunglasses by Illesteva

Illesteva Leonard sunglasses 01


Believe it or not, I don't own a single pair of sunnies. I haven't really been compelled to buy since I neither drive nor stay a long time under the sun. Even at the beach, or at any other sunny destination, I have always preferred to see things in their natural colors. Glare be damned!


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But maybe, just maybe, these pieces from Illesteva's debut 2010 Spring-Summer collection (available at Oki-ni) can convince me to take the necessary leap of faith.


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I'm sure, like me, many of you have seen countless releases of plastic or acetate frames in all the possible colors, across all the budget brackets.


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But something notable about the Leonard pairs is their shape, which is a combination of many designs – from the pointy curve at the nose to the swimming goggle-thickness of the bridge and around the frame.


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Also the double screws and the exposed wire: they betray a cooky personality, that may be a deceptively shallow but always interesting.


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Of course, what next caught my attention are the plain gold and speckled gold color designs.


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The mechanism of the sunglasses is purposely set in contrast to the acetate material to prove that not all loud types lack substance.


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Are actually sophisticated.


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Like treasure after cracking open a shell.


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Illesteva Frieda sunglasses 01


The Frieda model is more understated, at least I can say that for the cloudy black pair.


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The red striated model requires a livelier, if not more dramatic outfit.


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So let's see, maybe someday I will let my frames do the talking.


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Illesteva Frieda sunglasses 09


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