Without Altina Schinasi Miranda, American Filmmaker and Designer, eyewear would not be what it is today. Walking down 5th Ave in the 1920s, Miranda found herself uninspired by the unisex frame options. A Dorothy Parker line came to mind — “Men seldom make passes at girls that wear glasses” — and Schinasi set out to make a pair of glasses that would make a woman look and feel attractive. She took inspiration from Venetian Harlequin masks and thus the Harlequin (later known as the cat-eye) glasses were born. By the end of the 1930s, harlequin glasses had become so popular that Schinasi started her own company to distribute them. In 1939, she was given the American Design Award from Lord and Taylor for revolutionising the eyewear industry and transforming optical glasses into a fashion accessory. Vogue Scandinavia
