FOCUS on COLOR : Eye-Opening Frames and Lenses Let Wearers See Glasses in a Whole New Light

FILM BUFFS MAY disagree about the colorization of movies, but nobody seems to be fighting the trend in eye wear. Optical shops are featuring the Technicolor look for spring. It is their tribute to the “wonderful world of color” in recent ready-to-wear fashion collections.

Frames in tinted metals register the most progressive design statement right now. Finishes are textured or matte, and colors are often acid tones of chartreuse, fuchsia and blue. Plastic frames also are part of this colorization craze, in the same range of finishes and tints. Other new looks in plastic simulate jewel-toned marble, a material usually associated with modern architecture.

“It was time to move on from black,” says Gai Gherardi, co-owner of L.A. Eyeworks, which features its own eye-wear. “Fashion designers are fascinated with extremely colorful looks now. Our fascination goes along with theirs.”

Of the eye-wear designers better known for their ready-to-wear clothing, Giorgio Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier are two of the most famous. Armani’s occhialis are small, in shades of electric blue, bottle green, celadon and amber. They have an offbeat but classic look that is the essence of his apparel. Gaultier’s eye wear features small, round shapes, comes in metallic colors such as bronze, copper and pewter and is heavy on industrial detail. Gaultier’s fashion humor is evident in his eye wear. In one style, a very obtrusive bolt is screwed into a nosepiece.

Whoever designs them, the newest-looking glasses are smaller ovals, circles and cat’s-eyes. They are unmistakably modern--slightly quirky yet elegant--despite their references to the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s.

“I don’t think of the look as vintage because we adapt it to today,” explains Dennis Leight of Oliver Peoples. The shop is owned by four opticians who redesign antique eye wear. “We went after the look because we love it, and found that other people, too, were starved for something classic yet distinctive,” he says.

“This is the first time ready-to-wear fashion has been the driving force of change in the eye-wear industry,” says Henry Sand, Giorgio Armani Occhiali special projects director in New York. “People are wearing glasses because it’s fashionable. Function no longer dictates what we will make. Fashion does.”

WHERE TO SEE IT

CYXTYZ: Pronounced “sixties” and features more than eyeglasses from twentysomething years ago. 368 N. Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, (213) 859-3909.

EYE GEAR: Optical refinement of the very best, including Oliver Peoples and Armani. 14622 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, (818) 907-9300.

EYES ON MAIN: A clean, modern space with well-designed glasses. 3110 Main St. in Santa Monica, (213) 399-3302.

L.A. EYEWORKS: The first to convince us that every face needs a great frame, more than 10 years ago. 7407 Melrose Ave., (213) 653-8255; 3333 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, (714) 957-8255.

OLIVER PEOPLES: Superb vintage looks with modern appeal: It’s the past perfected. 8642 Sunset Blvd., 213-657-2553.

OPTICAL DESIGNS: A store where you can have your makeup done and see yourself on video. 1235 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, (213) 393-4322.

OPTICAL FASHION CENTER: Makes its own frames and sells the best names. Four locations, including the Beverly Center, 131 N. La Cienega Blvd., (213) 652-1055.

SPEX: A small shop that takes special care with its well-edited selection. 8474 W. 3rd St., (213) 658-7739.

STARRY EYES: Cheryl Shuman makes house calls . . . only. She’ll fit you at your home or office. (213) 271-1999, 818-846-1987.

THE EYES HAVE IT: Very sleek, very fast-forward fashion eye wear. 13831 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, (818) 990-2253.