NOTEWORTHY
Going Back to Move Forward
David Rowland
The opening of a new bespoke shop in Notting
Hill is probably not something that is normally newsworthy, however when you’re Claire
Goldsmith, greatgranddaughter of Philip Oliver
Goldsmith, it is.
Philip Oliver Goldsmith began as an eyeglass
salesman in 1926. After finding that metal and
tortoiseshell were far too expensive, he turned
to vibrantly colored acetate. Ten years later
Charles Goldsmith turned the concept of sunglasses, which at that time were made from
used eyeglasses with tinted lenses, into a fullfledged fashion statement and permanent accessory. Soon the custom eyewear was gracing
the pages of Vogue and Harpers. Through the
middle of the century Goldsmith created some
of the most eye catching designs to be captured on film, worn by the likes of Michael Caine
DEPERTMENT
Context 12 // 2013
and Audrey Hepburn, and on the runway by
creating eyewear for Givenchy and Dior.
Eighty years later, Claire Goldsmith is not riding
on icon status alone, she is attempting to reconnect to a past tradition and craft to create
something new. She has called on the original
craftsmen, most now well into their seventies,
and has gone as far as to raid forgotten warehouses stocked with acetate to create great
new collections from vintage stock. She has
definitely taken the tradition and heritage to
heart in her new undertaking, attempting to
carry on the iconic legacy of her forefathers.
This makes me wonder if somewhere there isn’t
a forgotten stash of rosewood sitting in a remote warehouse in Michigan just waiting to be
formed into a new Plywood Lounge Chair.