So Cool – So Hot
Q&A with Eyewear Designer Edward Beiner
SocialMiami.com’s Allison Weiss Brady interviews internationally acclaimed eyewear designer Edward Beiner on what makes his cool sunglasses so hot. Considered “design guru” to a number of film stars and celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Thalia, Alicia Keys, Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez to Sarah, The Duchess of York, Beiner continues to actively influence the market with his innovative design perspective and philosophy.
AWB: You are from Brazil – do you think your upbringing there influences your design today?
Definitely, the atmosphere, the people, the colors and most of all the music still have an enormous influence on my designs.
AWB: You are the only major eyewear designer not in New York or LA – Why Miami?
Miami allows me a freedom that I do not think I would have in those other cities. Designers in cities that are design capitals sometimes pay more attention to trends. I love everything about Miami from the weather and the beaches to the fact that it is so international. On any given day you can hear Russian, Portuguese, French and Italian. All this plus the influence of the Latin Culture make Miami one of the most exotic places on earth.”
AWB: You travel quite a bit to New York, Milan and Paris – how are Miami women different style wise from women in those cities?
Miami women are more casual while still maintaining an air of elegance and sophistication. Women here are sensual and, because it is such an international warm weather city, they bring with them the design influences from their own countries mixed with a tropical flair. You definitely see more color here and less black than in those other cities.
AWB: It seems that big name designers are still de rigueur for Miami eyewear. Is that the case in New York and Europe?
People are still looking for big name designers but they are starting to move from these mega brands. Big fashion house designed frames with logos on the temple’s will become a thing of the past. I also believe the designers who focus only on eyewear will make a strong come back as people start to demand more exclusivity and quality for their money.
AWB: What should women look for when buying sunglasses?
Women should look for eyewear that compliments their faces and will make them feel sexy. A good rule is to buy frames that are opposite your facial shape. For instance if you have a round face you should look for more squared frames and a square face is complimented by round frames.
AWB: What are the upcoming trends in eyewear?
We continue to see a real demand for vintage designs with small round lenses using gold or other color combinations in prescription glasses and oversized frames for sunglasses. We will also see more exotic woods being used.
AWB: You invented something called Eye Glow that has become a hit with celebrities out in LA. What is it?
Eye Glow is reader glasses with small laser like lights on the temple that both magnify and light up the page. It is perfect for reading menus in dimly lit restaurants or a book on a dark plane or in bed without disturbing your partner.
Allison Weiss Brady handles marketing for celebrities and non-profits. She is active in many organizations in South Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania including Big Brothers Big Sister, The Community Coalition, Voices Against Brain Cancer, Gene Spotlight, The Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation, and one of her family’s foundations Say Yes to Education, which recently partnered with Quincy Jones. Weiss Brady and her husband Chip Brady are members of Art Basel’s Junior Host Committee and Weiss Brady is a member of the Vizcaya Preservation Luncheon Founding Committee. She on the Board of Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice and she’s the only female on the university’s Football Board. Weiss Brady was also the sole recipient of the University of Pennsylvania’s 2008 Young Alumni of the Year Award, and serves on the Overseers board for the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
