Luxury Brands Create Korea-Only Sunglasses

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Staff Reporter

With summer just around the corner, sunglasses will be a must-have fashion item. Sunglasses do not just offer protection from the harmful rays of the sun, but also an easy way to get that glamorous, funky or mysterious look.

A recent Wall Street Journal article proclaimed luxury sunglasses as the new ``entry-level luxury item." With the price of luxury handbags soaring in the thousands of dollars, more and more people are turning to designer sunglasses by Gucci or Dior to get that feeling of luxury and glamour.

This season, the eyewear trends are towards big glamorous frames and aviator style sunglasses. Celebrities are setting the trends, with Jessica Simpson already spotted wearing Gucci's stylish sunglasses with a crystal logo on the side.

As hip and trendy sunglasses are already hitting the counters of department stores in Korea, you may notice special Korea-only collections from high-end brands Gucci, Dior, Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, YSL, Marc Jacobs, Max Mara and Alexander Mc Queen.

Italian eyewear group Safilo, which licenses and produces these nine high-end brands, is introducing sunglasses and frames with a specific fit for Koreans.