Know the inspiring story of Altina Schinasi, who invented the iconic cat eye sunglasses.
Google Doodle honoured the woman behind the famous 'cat eye' sunglasses. August 4, 2023, marks the 116th birth anniversary of Altina Schinasi, an American investor, designer, and artist. She is popularly known for her revolutionary contributions to the design of eyewear and fashion.
Altina Schinasi was born in Manhattan on this day in 1907. Schinasi revolutionised the eyewear industry and left a lasting impact. She went on to invest in the globally loved 'cat-eye' Harlequin eyeglass frame. Schinasi was an American Sculptor, filmmaker, entrepreneur, window dresser, designer and inventor. She is famously known for designing “Harlequin eyeglass frames” popularly known as ‘cat-eye glasses’.
Altina's mother took her and her sister to Paris after she completed her graduation and it is in Paris that she developed a keen interest in arts. She also attended art school and returned to America.
After returning to America, she started working with Peter Copeland designing windows for Fifth Avenue stores. During her tenure there, she worked in the Copeland workshop to build the Bonwit Teller windows alongside Salvador Dali.
She invented the glamorous and super-hit cat eyeglasses in the late 1930s. She believed that the pointed edges were flattering to the face and started cutting paper demos of her innovative frame design. Initially, all renowned manufacturers rejected her design and claimed it to be edgy. She did not lose hope and kept on trying.
She finally approached a local shop owner and trusted her craft and the Harlequin glasses quickly became a success, earning Schanshi much publicity. The glasses became a major hit in the fashion world in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Later on, she even ventured into films and produced a few documentaries. She penned her memoir 'The Road I have Travelled' in 1995. She even volunteered as an art therapist.
Read: Google Doodle today: Who was Altina Schinasi, entrepreneur, artist who designed the iconic cat-eye glasses?
Schinasi continued to paint and sculpt, establishing herself in Santa Fe, New Mexico where with her fourth husband, painter Celestino Miranda, she lived the final years of her life before passing away.
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