Photo: Patrick McMullan
It’s no secret that designers put on expensive runway shows and jump through all sorts of hoops to get the Sarah Jessica Parkers and Cate Blanchetts of the world into their dresses. And they throw extravagant anniversary parties and associate themselves with a sense of luxury and cache for one simple reason: to sell more perfume, pantyhose, and sunglasses.
Jewelry companies are catching on to the idea of lucrative licensing agreements and are now scrambling to be the next names providing saucer-size shades to Mary-Kate doppelgängers everywhere. Bulgari has been doing sunglasses for a few years, Tiffany & Company followed suit this spring, and last night, David Yurman held a rooftop party at his Tribeca headquarters to unveil the company’s own line of luxury eyewear. There are shades for guys and dolls, all adorned with the appropriate Yurman signatures: silver rope detailing, oversize precious stones, and hefty price tags. They hit stores this fall, starting at $395 and going all the way up to a whopping $1,100. Sounds like a rather precious way to roll incognito, but hey, if they’re good enough for Kate Moss… —Tracey Lomrantz
