Schinasi was an American sculptor, filmmaker, entrepreneur, designer and inventor. She is famously known for designing “Harlequin eyeglass frames” or popularly known as ‘cat-eye glasses’.
Google has honoured Altina Schinasi, an American inventor, designer, and artist, on her birth anniversary. She is renowned for her revolutionary contributions to the design of eyewear and fashion.
This day in 1907, she was born in Manhattan, New York, to immigrant parents. Her remarkable path took her to invent the world-famous "cat-eye" Harlequin eyeglass frame. With her unique energy and unwavering persistence, Schinasi changed the eyewear industry and left a lasting impact.
Altina Schinasi- About
Schinasi was an American Sculptor, filmmaker, entrepreneur, window dresser, designer and inventor. She is famously known for designing “Harlequin eyeglass frames” or popularly known as ‘cat-eye glasses’.
Schinasi's love of art was ignited while she was studying painting in Paris after graduation. She sharpened her artistic abilities at The Art Students League in New York after returning to the US. When she started working as a window dresser for different Fifth Avenue retailers, her artistic path took an unexpected turn.
She was introduced to the world of design through this opportunity, and working with well-known artists like Salvador Dalí and George Grosz provided her with inspiration.
Where did Altina get the idea for cat-eye glasses?
When Schinasi was working as a window display designer, she saw that there weren't many fashionable options available for women's eyewear, which gave rise to the concept for the cat-eye frame.
She was inspired by the harlequin masks used at Venice, Italy's Carnevale festival, and was determined to challenge the status quo. She thought the masks' sharp edges would accentuate a woman's features brilliantly. Despite facing early setbacks from big manufacturers, Schinasi persisted and succeeded when a local retailer saw the potential in her invention.
In the US in the late 1930s and early 1940s, women desired the Harlequin glasses due to its rapid rise in popularity. Schinasi received a great deal of attention for her innovative invention, winning the coveted Lord & Taylor American Design Award in 1939.
The well-known designer cemented her reputation as a forerunner in the field of eyewear fashion by appearing in major publications like Vogue and Life.
Altina Schinasi life achievements beyond cat-eye glasses:
Beyond just creating eyeglass frames, Schinasi's inventiveness extended to the film industry, where she produced the critically praised documentary "George Grosz' Interregnum" in 1960. The film, which won first place at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award, portrayed the life and career of her former mentor and instructor, George Grosz.
Beyond just films and eyeglasses, Schinasi's innovation also encompassed the creation of unusual portrait chairs and benches, which she aptly named Chairacters. These creations demonstrated her multifarious abilities as an inventor and artist.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Google Doodle: Who was Altina Schinasi, filmmaker, entrepreneur, artist who designed the iconic cat-eye glasses?")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}