Last year I spent some time on the island of Sardinia researching ancient menswear as I explored the ruins of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians.This year—the second week of September, to be precise—I will fly to Tunisia to visit the ancient ruins of Carthage.
In preparation for this trip, I have been researching the history of menswear in Northern Africa, such as with the nomadic tribe known as the Tuaregs.
Recently I came across another Italian, born 1982 in Rome, who also shares an affinity with the continent of Africa.
Luca Gnecchi Ruscone has strong ties with the continent as he spent his childhood between Italy and Africa.
His father lives in Kenya today, while his mother was born in Eritrea, where his grandfather had been working since the 1930’s.
Interestingly, this grandfather imported optical frames from Italy. Several years ago, Luca was in Eritrea rummaging through his grandfathers warehouse of Italian imports. There, the young man came across an old model of sunglasses, which sparked his creativity.
This rich heritage has provided Luca with a source of endless inspiration behind every timeless frame of L.G.R. sunglasses, which are hand-crafted and name after geographical locations in Africa.
See the models here.
Photos Copyright L.G.R. Sunglasses.
