Fashion Week Accessories Recap: Designer Sunglasses by Kate whitely

Always looking forward, the fashion houses are not content that winter has only just left the building. Their shows in the fashion capitals are already showing off their Autumn/Winter 2010 collections to dazzle the eye and tug at the wallet. The most glamorous creations on the planet have been going down a storm on the catwalks of London, Paris, New York and Milan, but for most of us the newest, hottest creations are out of reach.

Still, it doesn't hurt to look and to drool a little—fashion inspiration is free, after all. And it won't break the bank to check out the sunglasses that the best designers have on offer, especially not if you know where to look for discounts on the web. Blend the right designer shades with the right clothes and it's one way everyone can get a little piece of perfection pie.

In New York, Calvin Klein unveiled some beautiful dresses, showing lots of shimmer and lots of clean, sharp lines. Some pieces definitely had an androgynous feel to them, ideal for power dressing whether at work or at play. If you ever go for the power look you can just as easily diffuse it, dial back the volume so to speak with Calvin Klein’s 7703 white shades, and that's in case you don't want to play too rough. But if you're definitely set on seeing icebergs form in the water cooler each time you pass you can ramp up the threat level with something black n' bold, like the CK 827 designer shades. Sunglasses indoors? Sure!

Burberry at London Fashion Week was something of a first. The 154-year-old English label became the first to stream the catwalk show in to a worldwide audience in 3D. It's tempting to recommend eyewear with red and green lenses as a result, but that would be silly. Burberry presented a military-inspired procession of textured woven materials in earth tones. Think autumn colors, coats fit for a Russian winter and lots of buttons. There was a splash of sheepskin, fur and leather thrown in to the mix, all adding up to a collection to hide you stylishly from the elements. Should the winter sun peep through, your eyes will look best behind muted tones, as with Burberry’s 4009 sunglasses. No sense getting court-martialed for non-regulation neon.

At Milan Fashion Week, the news was Dolce & Gabbana. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Italy’s most famous designer pairing, celebrated twenty-five years of collaboration. Their collection was a romantic salute to clothes for the sensual woman.

Models shone in variations on tailored black jackets over black satin and lace corsetry. They pushed the brand’s signatures to the fore - tailoring, corsetry, leopard and rose-print, and the traditional black garb of the Sicilian woman, but made modern in knits, lightweight silks and stretch fabrics. D&G’s own glasses offer the perfect complement to the classic, dour look, with the D&G 8041Bs offering a tortoiseshell oval design, gloriously pearl speckled and crying out for a second glance. Likewise the white-framed oval of the D&G 3030s. They’re an eye-catching offset to the dark theme of this collection. Maybe somebody nice will offer a shoulder to cry on?

At Paris Fashion Week, Lanvin stood out, showing many dresses cut from a single piece of stretch fabric with folds that ranged from the flowery to the straight edged. It was all about winter, but with feathers and furs added in, bold as the African plains that inspired them. Colors were all about the browns and greys, so the eyewear needs to fit with sun and bushland in order to be in sync. Lanvin's 2135s have what it takes. Sure, they're not subtle, but then neither is a rhino. If you're feeling super bold try the 2147s. There can't be many sunglasses that feature screws in the frame married to animal print. They're half leopard, half Land Rover. Hey! Perfect!