Like Father, Like Sunglasses: Jérémy Tarian’s Shades of Genius

For French sunglasses designer Jérémy Tarian, design is just as much about where he’s going as it is about where he came from. Contrary to the standard practice of simply falling into the biz, Tarian, the son of famed sunglasses designer Alain Mikli—creator of Kanye West’s “shutter glasses,” among countless other models—came across his trade honestly. While learning German in Berlin during his studies at business school, Tarian chanced upon a meeting with the upstart sunglass brand ic! Berlin and ventured upon a collaborative collection of asymmetrical, intentionally lopsided lenses. After working on a few more collections for various companies, Tarian struck out on his own this season, with an eponymous line of destination-inspired shades. Each of the six handmade styles bears a name inspired by Tarian’s jet-setting lifestyle, including Union Square, where he lives, and Sky Bar, where he might, incidentally, spend much of his time.

“I try to create a story around the glasses,” the designer explains. Perhaps a testament to his yen for travel, Tarian insists on hand-delivering his goods to the boutiques the world over that stock his collection. It’s no easy feat—the collection is available in 13 countries. But Tarian’s got his eye on the longevity prize, planning to expand beyond sunglasses into other accessories. “We do step by step for now,” he says. “I hope this is the beginning of a long story.”