Stefan Sagmeister has designed a pair of sunglasses inspired by Frida Kahlo’s eyebrows

In a collaboration with Swiss eyewear brand götti Switzerland, graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister has designed a pair of sunglasses inspired by Frida Kahlo’s eyebrows. Yes, you read that correctly – her eyebrows. Each pair is numbered and limited to 300 pieces, available to purchase until 17 June 2021 on a first come, first served basis.

The design features a simple frame that leaves just a “single iconic brush stroke,” states the press release, which gives a nod to Kahlo’s statement unibrow. “I’ve spent the first part of my last sabbatical in Mexico City, one of the most vibrant places on earth with film, cooking, architecture and design, bustling with new ideas,” says Sagmeister in an announcement, explaining the story behind the design. “Most things I loved were made in the past five to ten years, which meant I could meet the makers for dinner, have fantastic conversations about what is, what should and what could be done. Above all of this hovered Frida Kahlo — not as part of the conversation, but as a presence for relentless touristic consumption.”

“Her ubiquity way outshines her husband Diego Rivera,” he continue, “it’s her image on the crap sold in all the souvenir shops. She is to Mexico City what Klimt is to Vienna and Mozart to Salzburg: fantastic artists all rendered meaningless by relentless overexposure. So why add to this exposure by designing a pair of glasses named after her? She is among the few artists whose fame reached such heights that her features — like Salvador Dali’s moustache or Andy Warhol’s wig — morphed into a visual signifier, a logo.”

“As a designer fascinated by the creation and evolution of such logos, transforming one of them back into a product seemed like the logical thing to do. I liked it better than Andy, the sofa all covered in silvery wigs. Or Salvador, the mask.”

Sagmeister is an acclaimed Austrian graphic designer, storyteller and typographer who’s based in New York City, known predominantly for the founding of his company Sagmeister Inc. Under the guise of this studio, he created many famed album covers for the likes of Lou Reed, OK Go, The Rolling Stones, David Byrne, Talking Heads and more. Between the years of 2011 and 2019, he partnered with Jessica Walsh under the name Sagmeister & Walsh Inc, during which the two designers created numerous projects including the initiative The Beauty Project, that exhibited a global show in celebration of beauty; plus online store merchandise named Sorry I Have No Filter to raise money for the not-for-profit feminist initiative Ladies, Wine & Design.

With a long list of renowned projects and briefs under his belt, Sagmeister’s latest offering with götti Switzerland is a fun and playful update. More information about the collaboration can be found here.