Bling ring? Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams and Bella Hadid are all rocking bejewelled sunglasses – you can do elevated eyewear, from Dior’s Swarovski-embellished frames to Fendi’s 18k white gold Singular Vision
- Bejewelled sunglasses is officially a thing, with Dior adding Swarovski crystals to its DiorFantastica shades while quintessential jeweller Tiffany & Co.’s Victoria eyewear line has been worn by Beyoncé
- Want to make a statement? Fashion photographer John-Paul Pietrus is behind the luxurious Francis de Lara brand, while Delfina Delettrez Fendi produced the maison’s blinging Singular Vision
“In my mission to elevate traditional eyewear to a fine jewel, I have incorporated precious materials and an assortment of gemstones in jewel settings,” muses John-Paul Pietrus, an acclaimed fashion photographer based in London.
Pietrus, who established his jewellery brand Francis de Lara in 2018, reflects on the growing popularity of the bejewelled eyewear category and his own approach to crafting these gem-studded shades. “I have implemented long-established and age-old jewellery motifs – particularly the serpent – as well as traditional jewellery-making and Florentine engraving techniques and textures into the pieces,” he explains.
A pair of half-rimmed yellow gold “evening glasses”, for example, feature an emerald-encrusted serpent’s tail that wraps around the wearer’s ear and dangles an apple of deep-red tourmaline, while on the other arm, a serpent, studded with cognac diamonds, pink sapphires and gold cabochons, stares solemnly skyward.
These one-of-a-kind pieces are among Pietrus’ most luxurious frames, priced at almost HK$200,000, while more affordable options, categorised under his diffusion line – FDL Editions, introduced last summer – go for HK$6,600 and upwards. “I want the spirit of jewellery to be just as present as the eyewear,” says Pietrus. “Jewellery comes before eyewear in Francis de Lara.”
With A-list approval from the likes of Pharrell Williams, Bella Hadid and Migos, jewelled sunnies are quickly becoming the most hotly discussed accessory of the season, and Pietrus isn’t the only designer bringing precious expression to these statement styles.
For Fendi’s latest spring/summer 2024 couture collection, shown in Paris, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, a fourth-generation member of the family and the artistic director of the house’s jewellery division since 2021, showcased a new series of dazzling fine jewellery eyewear.
Dubbed Singular Vision, each pair is cast in 18k white gold and set with diamonds as part of the brand’s growing concept of a “couture ensemble”, which involves not just the garments but the accessories, too. To ensure each frame was precisely tailored to the model’s contours, their faces were scanned for precise measurements, from which the frames were then sculpted to each individual, spun in gold and adorned with diamonds.