Some while back, my good friend Anna gifted me a pair of original Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses called Winston. A truly amazing frame, which I loved to wear at shows, cause they made me look nerdy baby (There’s nothing more pathetic than an ageing hipster…).
I love to wear eyewear at shows, but with my 20/20 vision, I have no need for correction frames. I think it’s weird to walk the shows wearing sunnies indoors. So my other good friend Eelke fitted them with some photochromic Hoya Sensity lenses with Stabilight Technology and a protective coating that was hard as nails (Oh behave baby…).
As a former eyewear designer, I still know little about lenses, but I must say these Sensity lenses are super comfortable in all different light situations. We tested them outside Eelke’s shop, and the time it took the lens to go from fully clear to its max of a cat 3 was faster then I ever saw before. And it faded back to full clarity as soon as we stepped back inside because of this amazing lens.
While visiting shows, I am constantly walking in and out of the halls, so it’s perfect to not have the struggle of changing between different eyewear all the time. And while my goal was to look nerdy, I went for their flamboyant “Bronze Brown” option. (I also like to live dangerously…).
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While I was super happy with my Claire Goldsmith frame and amazing Hoya lens, Claire herself was in London, where she discovered something new in the OG archive! A collection of “Winter Sunglasses” developed in the late 1960s which used pale tinted mineral lenses.
The original idea being that lighter “Winter Sunglasses” should be worn during the winter months when there was insufficient sunlight to warrant wearing dark lensed “Summer Sunglasses”. With that discovery, her relaunch was born, and Anna proudly passed by to hand me the new OG WINTER SUN version of Winston.
Naturally, she was unaware that I kinda had the same idea to fit this frame with a semi-transparent sun lens, but this new version had some more features that make it absolutely stunning. Because of this, this slightly bigger version is now part of the OG ICON collection and features their iconic three pin hinge system, a 7-barrel (yes baby, seven!…) hinge and comes standard with a category 1 tinted lens.
Like the originals, OG WINTER SUN comes standard with light fashion tint lens, is ideal for lowlight days, offer full UV protection, and can be used indoors to reduce glare and strain caused by brightly lit offices. Sizing is ideal for optical use as well.
So I am now the proud owner of both the first issue/production run of Claire’s first own design addition to the OG ICONS collection–Winston (2020) WINTER SUN. And the original CLAIRE GOLDSMITH frame which it was derived from under the same name.
I truly hope to be rocking these at the international shows this year, and meeting all you great people again, wearing this sexy frame! I’m not saying it’s hot… but I’m pretty sure the thermometer reads ‘Satan’s Balls.’ See you soon, and Oh Behave!…
About Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses
Oliver Goldsmith is a British heritage brand with nearly 100 years of experience in eyewear design and innovation. With four generations of knowledge behind us, we continue to make some of the most beautiful eyewear in the world. Eyewear that pushes the boundaries of expectation, self-expression and individuality.
In 1926 Philip Oliver Goldsmith stood at the door of his first mobile showroom presenting his latest designs to the London public. His frames were made mostly from metal, since this was the only material readily available, apart from real tortoiseshell, which was expensive, brittle and difficult to work with. Fuelled by his passion to find new ways to revolutionise the eyewear industry, he came across a local button factory who were using a ground-breaking raw material, coloured plastic.
From Vidal Sassoon to Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly to Michael Caine, Peter Sellers and John Lennon, The Rolling Stones to Princess Diana and more – Goldsmith was meteoric in its appeal, dressing the faces of some of the most famous and iconic names in history.
By the mid 1960’s, Charles’s two sons had joined him in the business and the brand continued its dalliance with the bold and adventurous, creating frames to match the desires of the 70’s disco era. By the 1980’s however, licensing and the early stages of fast fashion were introduced resulting in a short hiatus for the brand.
In 2015, it was now Claire Goldsmith, Philip’s great-granddaughter and the fourth generation Goldsmith’s turn at the helm.
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Passionate about the maintaining the legacy of her forefathers – her promise is to ensure that the collections continue to deliver the prestige of the Goldsmith name. Archival designs are brought back to life alongside new and unique styles, but each frame carries the significance of an unparalleled design heritage.
Read more about this brand on TEF Magazine or visit their website.
Shooting: TEFdoesAMSTERDAM
Eyewear: Winston by Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses in Night-Blue
Lens: Customized Hoya Sensity
Model: Maarten Weidema, TEF Magazine
Photographer: Jeroen Zorgdrager Fotografie
