Bugatti announced today that it has partnered with legendary designer, Larry D. Sands, to create an eyewear collection that contains nine distinct styles, and 37 pieces in all. Collection One, as it’s being called, is the automaker’s first dalliance into the world of eyewear.
As we all know, nothing with the Bugatti brand name attached is cheap anymore, but retail prices for these glasses range from $1,295 to $15,000. It’s hard to be scandalized by Bugatti’s prices anymore, but it does bear remembering that the automaker is asking for roughly the price of an entire Nissan Versa for a pair of glasses.
To defend that obscene price, the automaker says that it will use rare materials, such as palladium, 925 sterling silver, carbon fiber, gold, and Macassar ebony, in the construction of these glasses, which will be built in Japan.
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The styles, meanwhile, were created by Larry Sands, who has spent 60 years in the fashion industry. Over the course of his career, he has designed eyewear pieces and collections for some of the world’s leading fashion houses.
“When I got the call from Bugatti, I was a little surprised, but to be approached by the world’s most powerful and luxurious auto manufacturer, to create their eyewear, was an honor,” said Sands. “Everything I do is unexpected, and Bugatti Eyewear is some of my most unexpected work yet. Expectation is the enemy of creativity.”
Bugatti says that some of the sunglasses in this collection are made using techniques that have never been employed in the manufacture of eyewear. These include Positive Vapor Deposition, in which a solid material is vaporized in a vacuum and deposited onto the surface of a product. The finish is both resistant to wear and tear and has also been used in the production of modern Bugatti models.
“The decision to partner with such an auspicious, revered and experienced artist as Larry Sands is testament to our shared design ideals and vision for outstanding quality to achieve truly iconic products,” said Wiebke Ståhl, the managing director of Bugatti International. “Creating this new luxury eyewear is also key to our portfolio as it closes a strategic gap in Bugattis diversified brand lifestyle collection; I couldn’t be more excited to finally launch our new Bugatti Eyewear!”
The collection was recently shown at the MIDO Optical Trade Show in Milan, Italy. It will soon be available in exclusive boutiques and at bugattieyewear.com.
