For summer 2018, the CHANEL eyewear collection proposes essential frames with a sleek design, uniting the codes of the House with highly technical savoir-faire.

Present on several silhouettes at the Spring-Summer 2018 Ready-to-Wear runway show, the shield makes a big comeback. A minimalist aesthetic, gold or silver finishes, a rectangular or rounded shape, it unites design and technology. A true technical feat in the world of eyewear, it’s the first time that such a form is graced with 18 carat gold lenses; ultra-protective they have a mirrored aspect that’s virtually impenetrable. The CHANEL signature appears on the line of the brow while a thin chain is inserted into the transparent acetate of the discreetly logoed temples. Two other sunglasses frames with a retro elegance, one round and one oval, are also swathed in gold and silver. With their gradated lenses, the gaze can only be guessed at, dressing it with a new perspective. A paradox of purity and opulence.

Aesthetics are never compromised by function. Gabrielle Chanel’s exactitude remains one of the core values of the House and is at stake with every creation. The spectacles with their clip-on interchangeable magnetic sunglasses for summer 2018 illustrate this perfectly. Available in butterfly, oval and square shapes, each spectacle frame is accompanied by two pairs of clip-on sunglasses. Modelled on the colours that make up the very DNA of CHANEL, the sets offer a black, navy or tortoiseshell frame, and two clip-ons in white, cream, burgundy, tortoiseshell or black. A clever and truly three-in-one design that plays on desires thanks to the interchangeability of the clip-ons, and on immediacy thanks to its system of magnetic fasteners. A timeless chic, profoundly masculine/feminine, both beautiful and useful. The ultimate detail: a black case, supple and ingenious, conceived to be taken everywhere with its frame and set of clip-ons. Because real luxury is not having to choose.

Intrinsic to the story of CHANEL, the pearl is a recurring element in the eyewear collections of the House. This season, it lends itself to new fantasies. Here with a cabochon mount on a cool square metal frame or there elegantly concealed behind the lens of a fluttering shield, as well as following the line of the brows on a perfectly round frame. Between 26 and 97 faux pearls adorn these frames with their gradated lenses running from light to dark and conversely in soft and light tones. The pearl also features on a more understated version, encased in the delicate temples of four pairs of spectacles and two pairs of sunglasses. A unique pearl, a refined signature, the quintessence of discreet luxury. An essential simplicity reinforced by the choice of an original acetate, green or pink tortoiseshell with the spirit of safari, or inspired by the sequinned tweeds of the House.

The CHANEL Summer 2018 eyewear collection will be available from March 2018.