To the Pioneering Spirit of the So-Called First International Eyewear Designer

Alain Mikli

"Alain Mikli, 56, is not just the most famous eyewear designer in the world — he invented the job description." So begins the post on Japan Times. "Mikli was the first person to achieve worldwide success as a designer of nothing else but eyeglasses. He established his own brand in Paris in 1978 and pioneered the idea of wearing frames as accessories. In the early 1980s, Elton John was one of the first celebrities to fall in love with his designs, and soon Mikli's creations won over his competition, with the biggest names in fashion — Claude Montana, Jil Sander, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan." Read more.