Elegant and playful, cat eye glasses and sunglasses have gained popularity over the last century due to their overtly whimsical silhouette. While nowadays the style is a foundation throughout eyewear brands and collections, the style stemmed from a more unique story, one of sculptor Altina Schinasi.
Born in Manhattan’s Upper Westside, Altina Schinasi came from a wealthy family living in New York during the tumultuous, early 1990s. After receiving her education in the US, Altina made a trip to Paris in her late teens where she discovered her love for art, and on return, decided to pursue it as a career and enrolled in schooling at The Art Students League.
Shop Cat Eye Opticals
While jumping into a career designing windows displays for Fifth Avenue stores, she found herself orbiting in the midst of other like minded artists like Salvador Dalí, George Grosz and Maurice Sterne. It was during this period in the 1930s that Altina patented the debut ‘Harlequin’ eyeglass that went on to inspire the signature cat-eye silhouette we know today.
She spent most days along 5th avenue, continuously studying the window displays and retail offerings as research for her work, and eventually came across an opticians and was struck by what was on offer.
“I passed the shop of an optician and I saw this oil painting of glasses glued onto the face, and I thought, That is really so ugly! And then Dorothy Parker was writing verses, 'Men never make passes at girls that wear glasses', and I thought, well something better could be done than just these awful glasses..."
- Altina Schinasi Miranda, American sculptor and creator of the cat-eye silhouette.
Her patent ‘Harlequin’ style drew inspiration from Venetian masks, and the whimsical shape of these theatrical costumes worn at ballroom dances. Playful and dramatic, the elongated silhouette exaggerated the shape of the eye, and became the first prototype for Altina’s Harlequin glasses.
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Shop Cat Eye Sunglasses
The feminine shape of this patent design soon became a highly fashionable talking point for women, even shared in Vogue and Vanity Fair. From its inception in the 1930s to the swinging 60s and even today, the cat-eye has quickly cemented its place in eyewear design, offering wearers a silhouette with flair and elegance.
Today the cat-eye is beloved by all, offering a unisex style that will suit a plethora of face shapes and sizes. A mainstay shape in Cutler and Gross collections, explore our beloved cat-eye silhouettes, from the best selling 9261 for a chunky alternative, the classic and delicate 1346 or the curved edges of the 1350.
Cutler and Gross is proud to have collaborated with Debbie Harry, New Wave and punk pioneer and frontwoman of the legendary New York band Blondie. The highly exclusive collection features three sculptural and bold cat eye sunglasses in Black and Havana, and were personally designed by Harry and Cutler and Gross Creative Director Alessandro Marcer.
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A Brief History of the Cat Eye
Elegant and playful, cat eye glasses and sunglasses have gained popularity over the last century due to their overtly whimsical silhouette. While nowadays the style is a foundation throughout eyewear brands and collections, the style stemmed from a more unique story, one of sculptor Altina Schinasi.
Born in Manhattan’s Upper Westside, Altina Schinasi came from a wealthy family living in New York during the tumultuous, early 1990s. After receiving her education in the US, Altina made a trip to Paris in her late teens where she discovered her love for art, and on return, decided to pursue it as a career and enrolled in schooling at The Art Students League.
Shop Cat Eye Opticals
While jumping into a career designing windows displays for Fifth Avenue stores, she found herself orbiting in the midst of other like minded artists like Salvador Dalí, George Grosz and Maurice Sterne. It was during this period in the 1930s that Altina patented the debut ‘Harlequin’ eyeglass that went on to inspire the signature cat-eye silhouette we know today.
She spent most days along 5th avenue, continuously studying the window displays and retail offerings as research for her work, and eventually came across an opticians and was struck by what was on offer.
- Altina Schinasi Miranda, American sculptor and creator of the cat-eye silhouette.
Her patent ‘Harlequin’ style drew inspiration from Venetian masks, and the whimsical shape of these theatrical costumes worn at ballroom dances. Playful and dramatic, the elongated silhouette exaggerated the shape of the eye, and became the first prototype for Altina’s Harlequin glasses.
Shop Cat Eye Sunglasses
The feminine shape of this patent design soon became a highly fashionable talking point for women, even shared in Vogue and Vanity Fair. From its inception in the 1930s to the swinging 60s and even today, the cat-eye has quickly cemented its place in eyewear design, offering wearers a silhouette with flair and elegance.
Today the cat-eye is beloved by all, offering a unisex style that will suit a plethora of face shapes and sizes. A mainstay shape in Cutler and Gross collections, explore our beloved cat-eye silhouettes, from the best selling 9261 for a chunky alternative, the classic and delicate 1346 or the curved edges of the 1350.
Cutler and Gross is proud to have collaborated with Debbie Harry, New Wave and punk pioneer and frontwoman of the legendary New York band Blondie. The highly exclusive collection features three sculptural and bold cat eye sunglasses in Black and Havana, and were personally designed by Harry and Cutler and Gross Creative Director Alessandro Marcer.