“I would love to see more of the classic thin gold metal frames with colored tints,” Lennox says. “There is something so sexy about the delicate nature of thin gold.” (Rose, lavender, and amber hues all pair nicely with gold, she says.) While Lennox’s current eyewear obsession is a French brand called Ahlem, she also suggests that more adventurous dressers check out pairs from Brain Dead and Loewe.
Sora Suzuki, associate merchant, Todd Synder
When it comes to his eyewear, Sora Suzuki prefers glasses that hit that sweet spot between optical and sun—and he’s loyal to the New York label Moscot. (Which makes perfect sense, as the iconic eyewear company is known for its custom tints.) This summer, Suzuki says he’ll be wearing the Lemtosh, perhaps the brand’s most famous style, with a rosy brown hue. He also owns as pair of the Telena model with icy blue lenses. “The tints are light enough that it doesn’t look completely absurd to wear them indoors at the office,” he says.
Out in the wild, Suzuki has noticed well-styled men are gravitating toward either end of the eyewear spectrum: “I’ve been seeing extremes of really big and wide sunglasses and then super small and dainty,” he says. However, his prediction for the frame of the summer leaned more into the former: “Big old aviator sunglasses.” Rather than the ubiquitous wire-framed ones, Suzuki says, you want aviators that are “bigger, gaudy, and made of acetate.”
Brandon Mahler, menswear consultant and stylist
“I think men are becoming more playful with sunglasses lately, and starting to experiment a little more,” says Brandon Mahler, a menswear consultant who has worked with the likes of Aimé Leon Dore and Drake’s. Lately, Mahler has noticed more dudes embracing shades with a slight cat-eye shape or leaning heavily towards a thicker acetate, à la Jacques Marie Mage. He’s a big fan of the Catfish style from Veda: “They’re so sturdy and feel very powerful for a smaller frame.” Mahler has also been eyeing some statement-making aviators from Port Tanger.
His main advice for finding a great pair this summer is to get out there, try some on, and keep an open mind. “Some of my favorite sunglasses have been a pair I might not normally gravitate towards,” he says. “But then I end up going back for them because I keep thinking about them two days later.”
Derrick Gee, DJ and radio host
Derrick Gee—the former record label creative director behind the weekly show Solid Air and its accompanying 24/7 online radio station—has amassed a next-level collection of eyewear. It’s hard to miss his frames. His eccentric lineup boasts everything from vintage Ray-Bans and Gouverneur Audigier to Gucci and Moscot. “I like to generally pick pairs that are the opposite of my last pair, just to keep me on my toes,” Gee says.
His two most recent pickups, which he expects to wear the hell out of this summer, are from Saint Laurent and Jacques Durand. Like a few of our other experts, Gee feels that bigger, eye-catching silhouettes are on the rise. “I think one-off statement frames are becoming a big, big thing,” he says, pointing to the sizable style Reneé Rapp recently donned on Ziwe’s show as a great example. “I think they’re fun. More of it!”
Brice Partouche, founder, Satisfy Running
As the creative powerhouse behind one of the hottest labels in running, Brice Partouche is no stranger to the intersection of style and performance. His current go-to is Satisfy’s redux of the Oakley Straight Jacket, a sleek and fashionable silhouette from 1994 that still looks pretty damn fresh today. (It’s sold out, but Oakley’s Eye Jacket offers a similar style.) “They’re minimal and sharp,” Partouche says. “I’ve always had a thing for black frames, a bit like the old Wayfarers. I’m a Wayfarer guy at heart.”
While he didn’t have much in terms of concrete predictions, Partouche instead offered up some wishful thinking: “I just hope more people start wearing those round purple sunglasses like Ozzy Osbourne…No one is cooler.” And honestly, drawing inspiration from the Prince of Darkness, especially when it comes to eyewear, is never a bad idea.
