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The First “Vintage” Sunglasses Crafted from Champagne Grapes

Photo courtesy of Telmont and Shelter

Two visionary brands, Maison Telmont and Shelter Manufacture debuted a limited edition of luxury sunglasses. Made in France from upcycled grape by-products, both brands are blending tradition and innovation. Both believe in taking sustainability one step further.

Since 1912, four generations of winegrowers and winemakers have passed down a vision, passion, and savoir-faire that is based in a commitment to terroir. The team at Maison Telmont are masters of the art of wine making. They are attuned to nature working the vines, harvesting the grapes and putting their soul into producing the highest quality champagne.

Their Champagnes are radiant, crispy and fruity using organic viticulture, while paying tribute to the terroir and sustainability. Together with Shelter, they incorporate grape marc, not plastic to make the frames for 400 pairs of truly 'vintage' eyewear. Grape marc is the skins and seeds left over from winemaking.

Justin Meade, Executive Director of Telmont said, "This partnership with a like-minded, innovative brand that shares our ambition to create great, sustainable products, is very meaningful to us. It shows how a collective approach creates emulation to push creativity and sustainability one step further. Today, with Shelter, we create the very first vintage sunglasses! And each pair will carry within it a part of our terroir.”

Photo courtesy of Telmont and Shelter

The luxury eyewear brand, Shelter reinvents the art of eyewear by embracing and using materials for a more sustainable approach. Shelter combines natural materials such as wood with acetate, to create timeless designs. Every detail was carefully considered to make the signature artisanal design. Glasses feature grey-blue lenses and a label-inspired engraving inside the temple.

To continue with the sustainability thread, the cases are made entirely from recycled plastic fibers. Both brands believe it's not just about looking good, it’s also about doing good, too.

According to Benoit de la Thébeaudière, Managing Director of Shelter, 'There is more to these shades than meets the eye! In this case, the incorporation of grape marc will create small irregularities in the frames, and each pair will truly be unique. The creation illustrates how we leverage passion and innovation to reinvent eyewear, using organic/biosourced materials and embracing a more sustainable approach. An approach we are proud to share with Telmont.'

Sunglasses are available starting this month via the Telmont UK e-shop and in select retailers including Petite Optique (NYC), Eyewear Mobius (Tokyo), and Eyestyle Studio (UK). They retail for $350 USD.

Jill Weinlein

Los Angeles based Jill Weinlein covers travel, food and lifestyle destinations for multiple newspapers, magazines and websites. Her areas of expertise include, luxury travel, culinary reviews, cruising and family travel destinations. Born in Los Angeles, Jill studied Communications and Theatre Arts at UCLA. She has a a Dine and Travel blog - www.dineandtravel.me and she writes a weekly restaur...(Read More)