Video: our tribute to vintage style and French craftsmanship, in an exclusive collaboration with Lesca

From the start of BonneGueule in 2007, I have always really liked sunglasses , because they are one of the accessories that most impact an outfit, including the item of clothing that everyone is looking at: your face.

For summer outfits, where we ultimately wear much less clothing than in winter, there are few accessories to brighten up an outfit, and sunglasses become all the more essential.

But for our first sunglasses, I wanted to rely on a French brand, with a solid heritage , because I find that vintage designs, in sunglasses, are often the most beautiful, with the most personality and this, without do too much.

For what ? Because the designs of the 60s - 70s are marked by a creative revolution which affected many areas (architecture, furniture, automobiles, etc.).

We are therefore turned to Lesca , a French brand which enjoys a heritage of 60 years, founded by Joël Lesca, and managed today by his son Mathieu.

Lesca has been developing her own shapes for decades . They have a very large stock of shapes. Some major brands are inspired by it. For example, Prada made a pair of glasses with a shape identical to one of the models in Lesca's collection.

While he intended to be a lawyer, Mathieu decided to become intensively involved in the development of the brand, taking charge of communication, brand identity, marketing and the collection.

And as he grew up in his father's eyewear workshops, it's a product he knows like the back of his hand (nose?).

What do I like about Lesca? It's “thickness” in their designs: they don't hesitate to work with thick and assertive acetates , because Mathieu considers that glasses are not that much of an accessory in an outfit.

I immediately really appreciated Mathieu , because I completely identified with his taste for timeless designs, crossing the decades, while having a real visual signature.

He dresses in a classic style, sometimes with workwear influences, so he is sensitive to the fact that his glasses can be worn very easily on a daily basis, exactly like my vision of BonneGueule clothing.

So there was something very interesting to do…

With Lesca's taste for thick acetates, it was clear that our collaboration had to go in this direction.

But I wanted to add a little touch of originality...

Some people know that I really like olive/sage/foliage green tones , and what was my surprise to see that it was Lesca's signature shade!

So I wanted the green color to stand out in this collaboration, because I find that it works very well with a pair of sunglasses, exactly like a pine green tie with a blue suit .

This is why on the Cain model, the “tortoiseshell” colored acetate is placed on another plate of slightly green acetate, giving this unique coloring. This is very noticeable if you look at the part that sits on your nose, where the green patch is visible in profile.

For the models in our collaboration, the hinges are called “triple point riveted”, with three tabs in the rivet, very robust and durable, compared to two tabs for entry-level glasses.

It was therefore necessary to choose the shape of glasses, or rather, the shapes. In fact, we couldn't decide, and so we went with two models: Mose XL and Cain.

We made sure with Mathieu that these are models that suit the widest variety of faces.

After all, if the design of the chosen models dates from the 50s and 60s respectively and they have survived the ages without aging, it's not for nothing!

It's a design dating from the 50s, from Joël Lesca's vintage archives , but paradoxically very current, which blends in with all outfits.

If you are looking for an easy pair to wear with a casual shirt for example, this is the pair for you!

The original frame was smaller and Lesca enlarged it, hence the “XL”. However, the frame is not that big, they are not oversized glasses.

The shape here is slightly rounded . And in terms of color, these sunglasses have two shades of brown : a more chocolate brown on the upper part of the frame and a lighter brown on the lower part of the rim. The result: a slight gradient effect that gives depth to your eyes.

Another originality: this is upcycled acetate , normally intended for scrap, which is recovered in small quantities by Lesca to make limited series (because there are few quantities).

As for the lenses, they are polarized (they are equipped with several layers of protection and drastically reduce the reflections of the sun, for clear and contrasted vision) and are manufactured in Japan in the Fukui region by a Lesca partner very renowned in the eyewear. Yes, Japanese know-how is expressed beyond their fabrics that we regularly offer in our collection.

But above all, they are mineral glasses! High-end material, this makes the lenses virtually scratch-proof and gives them great optical quality without distortion.

Category 3, this glass is suitable for strong light conditions and effectively protects you from the sun's rays, whether in the city, at the sea or even in the mountains.

It is a true premium glass that Mathieu described as “the best of the best, the type of glasses that we offer for people who demand the best”. It is also the quality of this Japanese lens which explains the slightly higher price of this frame, compared to the other model, the Cain.

Last detail, the lenses are flat as was the case on vintage glasses , and not curved like on most of those currently found.

Here's what Mathieu has to say about flat glasses:

Where does the name of this model come from?

It's actually a reference to the frame worn by the great British actor Michael Caine in the spy film Ipcress , released in 1965. The glasses were an integral part of his counter-espionage agent outfit.

For the record, it turns out that Michael Caine was friends with Sean Connery, who played another spy in the movies at the time. A certain James Bond, if you know him.

This role of Bond suited Connery's skin, which frustrated him a little. To avoid this, when Caine took on his role in Ipcress, he looked for an element that would differentiate him, the actor, from the character he plays. Hence the idea of ​​wearing glasses.

The thing is, Michael Caine continued to wear these glasses in other films afterward, but also in his personal life. He had become a fan of it. And we understand it!

The distinctive element of the Cain is the turned tenon . The post is the part of the glasses which makes the connection between the glass and the temple (linked to it by the hinge). Concretely, these glasses are slightly curved backwards.

The acetate of the frame is a robust and malleable material: it can therefore be heated and slightly curved, without weakening it. The corners have been polished for a very curved effect, typical of the 60s and quite rare today.

In addition to marrying the natural shape of the face, I love this retro and assertive side , it's a frame that can be assumed and which gives +100 points of charisma to almost any face.

As you approach the frame, you will see a scaled pattern with brown spots on a dark green background , which we created exclusively with Lesca for this collaboration.

These are also mineral glasses, but this time made in France, by David Brunetti . Based in the Normandy region, he colors mineral glass and offers assemblies and tints exclusive to Lesca.

Small special feature: David Brunetti is the last glassmaker colorist on mineral glass active in France , and we are happy to give you access to this know-how as part of this collaboration.

This model is available in two versions:

- Category 3 dark glasses (60 copies). As with the Mose XL, these lenses are suitable for bright, “full sun” conditions.

- Less dark solar lenses, category 2 (40 copies), suitable for intermediate light conditions.

But why this choice? Let me open a (big) digression on the interest of having sunglasses with clear lenses, just “smoked”.

First of all, I would like to point out that even if they are clearer lenses, they still protect 100% from UV rays .

Be careful, there are only around forty copies with clear lenses, it's a very limited edition, so don't hang around if you like them.

I imagine some of you have never tried clear lens sunglasses. So why this choice on my part?

Yes, the first argument concerns style! This type of sunglasses brings something statement to an outfit , it is a more original and assertive accessory than classic sunglasses.

Think of Luca and Jordan who wear them very regularly and you will have a good idea of ​​the stylistic interest of a pair of sunglasses with clear lenses.

Here is what Jordan says about clear lens sunglasses:

Clear lens glasses are very practical when:

• there is less sun than usual
• and you still want to wear sunglasses

And casually, this kind of situation happens quite often : I think of days with a cloudy veil or, in my case, in summer when the sun has just set and I want to wear my glasses a little longer for the sun or even... to wear them indoors on certain occasions: for example, no need to take them off when you enter a store.

It's not for nothing that I saw a lot of them during the winter Pitti shows, because they are still extremely photogenic sunglasses !

There are 3 pairs , which protect 100% from UV rays and which are made in France :

• the Mose XL, category 3, with Japanese polarized mineral lenses, with an easy-to-wear design,
• the Cain, category 3 , with French mineral lenses, with a more refined shape,
• the Cain with clear lenses, with French mineral lenses, category 2 , to wear when there is less light and… for style!

So here are the two models in three versions for our very first collaboration on sunglasses, it’s about time!

These glasses are already available in store and our eshop.