As total solar eclipse fever sweeps the nation, the anticipation of witnessing this awe-inspiring astronomical event peaks. On April 8th, a happy cosmic coincidence will align the sun and moon to appear the same size, causing the 2024 total eclipse, also known as the Great American Eclipse as it will pass through much of the US captivating viewers. While NASA advises special solar viewer eclipse glasses for safe viewing, on 'Planet Fashion,' we're exploring the eclipse's transformative power through another lens—eyewear. And so is the rest of the world, searches for the eyewear brand Warby Parker are currently skyrocketing.
To better discover how sunglasses wield the power to define your style and identity and allow you to put your unique stamp on every look, meet two eye-wear obsessives whose love of sunglasses inspired the creation of the beautiful magazine-style fashion art photography book "Spectacle". An homage to eyewear, New York-based fashion photographers Anna Palma and Guy Aroch, partners in life and collaborators in fashion conceived "Spectacle", as a passion project. Their vision? To celebrate eyewear and explore the deeper meaning the glasses we wear hold for us.
"The book is a fun, artistic take on eyewear and a fresh way to explore the subject. Our idea was to unite creatives and get them to put their own twist on the theme," says Palma who along with Aroch has shot major fashion and lifestyle campaigns for Hugo Boss, Esquire Magazine, Coca-Cola, Montblanc, and the list goes on.
The resulting "Spectacle" is a 260-page visual feast where eyewear is showcased and celebrated from an art, culture, and fashion perspective. Accompanying the imagery, which Palma describes as "classic, retro, sexy and a little rock and roll" is a curated collection of thoughtful stories that take a deeper and deeply personal dive into the topic. Among them is a memoir by journalist and author Karl Taro Greenfeld who fondly recalls his father's signature thick black tortoiseshell eyeglasses and the day his dad accidentally melted his precious frames on a cast-iron skillet while trying to sterilize them. There's also a profile on Jacques Marie Mage, creator of rare and collectible spectacles that feature precious metals and historical motifs. And an interview by Palma and Aroch's singer/songwriter daughter Leyla Blue with artist Karyn Lyons whose dreamy, evocative paintings are an explorative journey of teenage life.
There are so many standouts in "Spectacle" but the inclusion of a photographic series showcasing the eye-conic glasses owned by Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Gandhi shot by artist and photographer Henry Leutwyler whose work is a visual documentation of historical artifacts, is right up there.
"Spectacle is an eyewear trip, created for the love of eyewear and the act of looking. Who doesn't love sunglasses? For me, a look is not complete without a pair of glasses, and the bigger the better. I own about 70 pairs," says Palma, whose personal style is rooted in seventies dressing. She has also collected vintage sunglasses since the nineties. "We were kids in the '70s and '80s and love vintage sunglasses and upcycling, it's so much fun."
The creation of the debut issue of "Spectacle" (the second is now in the works) was a two-year labor of love. Shot in glamorous locations in California and Europe, the photographers collaborated with a global team of artists and photographers, along with fashion director Haidee Findlay-Levin, and creative director Rockwell Harwood to bring their vision to life. In the book's opening page Aroch, who has worn prescription glasses since he was a teenager, recounts the time he got his first pair, "the world looked a bit softer and more magical." He continues: "We set out to create a fun book that celebrates our appreciation of eyewear, eyewear design, and the characters they enable."
Enjoy viewing the magic of eyewear through the lens of "Spectacle", and the miracle of Mother Nature, during the solar eclipse. Don't forget your shades.
