A Frame Of Two Halves: David Beckham’s New Eyewear Line Reflects On Timeless Classic’s.
We all work within a 24 hour time frame, some of us juggling more plates than others. Former footballer, entrepreneur and humanitarian ambassador Mr David Beckham can now add eyewear designer to his bulging resume and juggling plate collection. Beckham teamed up with leading manufacturing and distribution company Safilo earlier this year to launch his first eyewear range. Safilo is a major player in the luxury eyewear market, so the partnership is no happy accident. Both were keen to create a well crafted collection of sunglasses and optical frames with a sharp focus on detail and functionality. The collection doesn’t disappoint.
As a self confessed ‘details man’ Beckham worked hard with the Safilo design team to offer the customer a choice of classic styles, with each of the frames having their own distinct personalities. Each model is marked with the newly created DB monogram, indicating craftsmanship through its use of materials such the lightweight acetate and metal and incorporating special mineral, polar or photochromic lenses.
The colour palette across the range is subtle, with warm rich shades of brown, soft green, blue and yellow, all complimenting a variety of skin tones. Another subtle detail on each of the frames is the Talisman, a metallic stamp placed on the arms of the glasses. Drawing inspiration from the wings of a bird, it’s a mark that symbolises power, protection and freedom and is visible from the front and side of the eyewear.
If you’ve got your eyes set on frames that have a clear vintage reference then this new eyewear line by Beckham is totally worth checking out, whether for summer shades now or to consider your current optical frame style. The DB7 7014 optical frames are a lightweight metal and stainless steel aviator style with double bridge and slim temples and the sort my dad looked cool in back in the 1970s, while both the DB 1002/S and 1009/S smack of 1960s classics that Paul Newman or the late JFK could be seen wearing.
For the travellers amongst you, particularly those petrol heads who zoom about on motorbikes (currently the perfect self isolating way to get around), then the DB7000/S sunglasses are made for you. With their yellow photochromic lenses and black frame they have been created to fit perfectly under a motorbike helmet, with the lenses responding and transitioning to different lighting conditions. A functionally thought out design for folks on the move.
It’s very rare we advocate ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to style and eyewear is no different, with frame shapes and lens colours working better on some more than others. Yet Beckham has shown an understanding in curating this small but perfectly formed range, that you can tick a lot of boxes, giving the collection a much broader appeal. Call it intuition, which is something the style aficionado has successfully relied upon before — how many men were wearing sarongs before the 1998 World Cup in France? It seems Beckham dialled up that intuition again for his first foray into designing eyewear which is impressively self assured. So whether you’re a sarong and sandals on the beach kind of guy or leather biker jacket wearing dude, there will be a suitable style in the range for you. Now we just need that sun to shine.
The DB eyewear collection by David Beckham is available worldwide now in selected eyewear stores. The collection is produced and distributed by Safilo Group.