Category: Sunglasses

Marc Jacobs was born in New York City in 1963. He grew up in the town of Teaneck, New Jersey with his mother, sister and younger brother, attending Teaneck High School. Later on he switched to and graduated from New York’s High School of Art and Design.

At fifteen, he worked stocking the shelves at Charivari, a clothing boutique in New York City and perhaps it was this avant garde store that first piqued his interest in fashion.

Higher education led Jacobs to The New School for Design, he won the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award. This was during 1984, and in the same (highly productive!) year was also awarded the Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award and the Design Student of the Year Award. While still at The New School, Jacobs designed and sold his first range of hand-knit sweaters and he also designed his first collection for Reuben Thomas. This passion to produce and with excellence has been a hallmark of his career.

Following his studies, Jacobs began to design at Perry Ellis after its founder died. He gained some attention on the fashion scene after he designed a “grunge” collection for Perry Ellis that, although lauded by some critics, lead to his dismissal in 1993.

Concurrent with this period, Jacobs formed Jacobs Duffy Designs Inc with Robert Duffy, a company which is still going today. In 1986, he designed the first collection to bear his name on the label, then in 1987 Jacobs became the youngest designer to win the industry’s highest tribute, The Council of Fashion Designers of America Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.

Jacobs and Duffy joined the women’s design unit of Tristan Russo in 1989. Jacobs also oversaw the design of the various women’s licensees. In 1992, the Council of Fashion Designers of America made it a double, honoring him with the Women’s Designer of the Year Award. By 1994 he had produced his first full collection of menswear.

Jacobs is a prominent fixture in the New York City celebrity scene, having become something of a celebrity himself. The audience for his fashion shows typically includes celebrities who obviously appreciate how most of his collections give nods to past fashions, from the 40s to the 80s.

Designer Oscar de la Renta has called Jacobs a “mere copyist”, but as New York Times critic Guy Trebay points out, “unlike the many brand-name designers who promote the illusion that their output results from a single prodigious creativity, Mr. Jacobs makes no pretense that fashion emerges full blown from the head of one solitary genius.”

Explaining his clothes, Jacobs has said “what I prefer is that even if someone feels hedonistic, they don’t look it…. My clothes are not hot. Never. Never.” Well, that may be true of his clothes, but looking at some other Jacobs creations it’s hard to see. His sunglasses for instance, are more often than not, pretty hot! Take the oval women’s 023s. The prominent red frames are more blaze than blush and the looped metal side arms could seem mismatched, but his feel for what’s right makes them work beautifully.

Jacobs has now been listed among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, and as creative head of Louis Vuitton his collaborations will raise the profiles of other designers too.

There is something about a pair of sunglasses that makes them arguably one of the most essential ‘must-have’ items of all time. Not only are they immensely practical, offering protection from the dangers of the sun, they are an enormously versatile fashion accessory, available in a huge range of styles, colours and prices to suit every pocket. Given their worldwide popularity, sunglass manufacturing has become a very lucrative, and highly competitive industry and while some manufacturers rise and wane in the public affections, there is one company that remains forever synonymous with the eyeglasses that protect our eyes from the rays of the sun: Ray-Ban

Although the Us President, Benjamin Franklin, is often credited with inventing eyeglasses (he was the one who developed the first bifocal lens in the 1780’s), the first reading glasses were developed in Italy, as early as 1260. People continued to be fascinated by all things optical throughout the centuries that followed, then, in the mid-eighteen hundreds British scientist James Ayscough began to research tinted glass, and the possibility that such technology may be used to improve vision impaired eyesight. As successful as he was, it was not until 1929 that the idea that glasses could filter the sun’s rays was given any serious consideration. At that time, U.S. optical company, Foster Grant, began to develop the idea further, until finally, later that same year, the first ever pair of sunglasses were sold from a Woolworth’s store on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Look how far weve come from there.

Recognizing that the new technology could be beneficial to their pilots, the U.S. Army Air Corps asked another prominent American company, Bausch & Lomb, to develop glasses that would protect the eyes from the dangers of the glaring sun, when flying.

It was U.S. eyeglass company, Ray-Ban, who really ran with the concept. In 1936, using the newly available polarized lenses, and a wide frame that offered maximum protection from the sheen of an instrument panel, Ray-Ban began to produce a lens that banned the sun’s rays. Some three years later, this model of sunglass so popular with pilots, became readily available to the American public. Ray-Ban ‘aviators’ were born. And of course everybody wanted a pair.

As Americans came of age, so too did their eyewear. Throughout the war years Ray-Ban continued its working partnership with the Air Force, creating Gradient mirror lenses that managed to be both highly practical and fashionable at the same time. There was something about that American flyer in his tough brown leather flight jacket, whose sunglasses hid his eyes. Ray-Ban had just made sunglasses sexy.

Ubiquitous in the 1950’s, sunglasses became more than just eye protection. Worn by A-list celebrities in Vegas and Hollywood -stars whose every move was scrutinized and emulated all over the country- sunglasses became a fashion accessory, and Ray-Ban was quick to accommodate the growing trend for new designs and colorful frames, which they marketed to women in particular.

Non-fishers often think they know all about fly-fishing. After all, doesn’t it just involve tying a lead weight with some feathers stuck to it onto some fishing line and throwing it into the water? When they come to take up the sport themselves, they can often end up bewildered by the range of equipment on offer. This article aims to take some of the mystery out of fly fishing tackle.

Hook, Line and Sinker: The Elements of Fly Fishing Tackle

Fly fishing tackle is the collective name given to a number of different pieces of equipment. These are as follows:-

Fly rods: lightweight, flexible rods specially designed to hold a fly. Sea fishing rods are heavier to allow the landing of huge ocean fish such as swordfish, shark and marlin, whereas the carbon fiber rods used in coarse fishing are designed to allow the precise positioning of (usually live) bait.

Fly reels: the reels used in fly fishing tackle tend to be fairly simple in construction, though recently, more complex models designed for larger fish have come onto the market. Most fly reels can be converted for either left or right handed operation.

Fly lines: these consist of a strong but lightweight core wrapped in a PVC sheath. The core can be either monofilament, made of a single nylon strand, or braided for exceptional toughness. Braided cores are better for catching toothy fish, which can sometimes sever a monofilament core.

Terminal fly fishing tackle, designed to connect the fly to the line. They consist of two parts; a leader and a tippet. The leader can either be tapered or level, the latter being shorter to allow heavier flies to be attached.

A fly fishing tackle box to hold your artificial flies.

These are the essential elements of fly fishing tackle, but there are also a number of accessories available.

Fly Fishing Tackle Accessories

Among the range of accessories available to fly fishers are: waterproofing liquids to prevent flies becoming waterlogged; magnifying glasses to aid in the tying on of flies; thermometers designed to take the temperature of the water; fly patches made of foam or wool to hold flies while they dry; and organizing devices such as lanyards, which are designed to arrange the different parts of the fly fishing tackle for easy access.

There are also various types of fly fishing apparel on the market, including waders, fishing gloves, special polarizing sunglasses which help improve underwater vision, and personal flotation devices, which are required by law in some states.

Lisbon is one of those amazing places that manages to seamlessly blend together centuries of tradition with the energy and dynamism of the new. From ancient monuments to winding cobbled streets and restored palaces, all the way through to Art Nouveau cafs, fabulous restaurants and exciting nightlife, the Portugeese capital has it all and can be easily reached via Lisbon Portela Airport, just 7km away.

Last year a huge investment in the airport, which dealt with in excess of 13 million passengers, saw the services there vastly modernised and a second terminal opened to cater to domestic flights only. In fact visitors to Lisbon Airport are ridiculously spoilt for choice when it comes to extracurricular facilities, whether its to indulge in some retail therapy or relax with a drink.

Most of the shops are open between 07.00am and 23.00pm and although there is the usual abundance of duty free, book and convenience stores, there is also an astonishing array of fashion and accessory outlets including Lacoste, the Sunglass Hut and a couple of jewellers. For those that want to take a flavour of Portugal back home with them, there are also two delicatessens.

Once you have shopped-til-you-drop and are in need of some serious refuelling, there are a choice of either self-service or waiter service restaurants. These vary between the culturally apt, such as Passarola restaurant, to the culturally familliar, in the form of McDonalds and Pizza Hut. There is even a Harrods Knightsbridge coffee and snack bar for those that are truly homesick for Blighty. For lighter refreshment there are a selection of cafes and bars scattered around the departures area mainly, although there is an Expresso Caf and Delta Caf in arrivals.

Getting to and from the airport is the biggest priority for many and to really take advantage of everything that this amazing city has to offer it is best to organise a Lisbon Airport Car Hire. There are 7 companies in total that offer car rental at Lisbon Airport, but Auto Jardim, located within the terminal, is the most convenient for those travelling with children, the in-firmed or elderly. The other 6 – Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt – all provide cars that are wellmaintained and generally under 8 months old but check with individual agencies to find out what else is included in the quoted price.

Another option is to get a Lisbon Airport Transfer. By booking in advance it ensures a driver is there to meet you in arrivals and take you straight to your transportation. This avoids any hanging about which is often the case when relying on other means of transport such as a taxi, which have stands located outside both the arrivals and departure halls.

There is no train station but there are several bus routes that take in the airport. These go to a variety of destinations including metro stations stops, the city centre and Oriente Station, a main railway station from where national and international trains can be caught. Bus fares currently are 1.30 for a single trip.

For further information on Lisbon Airport including arrivals and departures, bus timetables, car hire quotes, parking, weather and much more go to The Lisbon Airport Guide.com.