News

Look closely and you'll find Robert Marc's eyewear on Gossip Girl, CSI, Dirty Sexy Money and Brothers & Sisters. And that's just the small screen. Thanks to Iron Man and the Sex and the City movie, his shades and specs currently appear larger than life.

Most people don't realize how ubiquitous the Robert Marc brand has become, arguably far more so than Ray-Ban Wayfarers or Tom Ford Aviators. But that's only because they don't know what to look for.

Rather than a logo or a nameplate, Marc's signature is a hinge, now so intrinsic to his collection that it has actually been trademarked. These two metal brackets separated by a round pin have transcended their functional purpose to be a stealthily stylish point of differentiation.

Before he created his first collection in 1999, Marc was already a well-respected New York optician who had consulted with many high-end eyewear labels. He had even tried experimenting with classic frames, sandblasting or dying them over his kitchen sink. But those still weren't unique enough.

"I didn't want to come out with [the collection] just to come out with it," says Marc, who visited Toronto recently to launch the newest series, inspired by his trips to St. Barts. "I wanted it to be something that felt homemade; I wanted you to really see the craft in a pair of eyewear and I wanted to show that it was a frame assembled in a certain way."

Indeed, the optical and sunglasses are handcrafted in France and the exclusive acetate materials originate in Italy. A single pair may boast up to seven layers, which gives it depth of colour and texture, whether an animal print or an abstracted palm leaf pattern.

Each season, Marc creates a collection of limited-edition designs that do not exceed 500 pairs (as opposed to a few thousand for regular styles). The au courant Wave has temples that slice through the top layer to reveal undulating hints of melon, lime and hibiscus.

Because his styles are neither retro nor overly modern, they are almost universally flattering. The boldface devotees include Mariah Carey, Uma Thurman, Christian Slater and Sean (Diddy) Combs. They are probably the only fashion statement shared by Katie Couric and Nicole Richie.

Marc says the biggest bonus to seeing his shades on TV "is that it really shows how eyewear can define a character and a sense of self and a sense of design."

And not having any obvious logo brings the design into focus. These days, consumers are all too quick to gravitate toward designer labels even when, in the case of eyewear, the licensed product is inferior to the core brand. "Our customers really want to be a part of a special group," says Marc, who adds that, even at its most expensive, eyewear is an easy way to get a hit of high fashion. "Our customers are clearly wardrobing and coming in seasonally for the new things but they're also collecting," he says.

Business, unsurprisingly, is "incredible," with double-digit growth every year despite the high price point (generally in the $500 range).

Marc, meanwhile, continues to look ahead to unique applications of materials within a timeless framework. "It's not about what's cheapest or fastest or easiest," he says. "We're able to do what we need to do to make my vision happen."