One of the most iconic pairs of glasses in cinematic history was the pair Michael Caine wore during his tenure as Harry Palmer in the films The IPCRESS File (1965), Funeral in Berlin (1966) and Billion Dollar Brain (1967), all based on spy novels written by Len Deighton. Now you can get an authentic pair of your own…
When Caine’s iconic glasses were up for auction at Christie’s, it was discovered that the glasses were made by a firm called Curry & Paxton, a company that made precision lenses and ophthalmic instruments going back to the Victorian age. By the 1960s, Curry & Paxton had a chain of optical shops in England. The exact frames made famous by Mr. Caine were called the YVAN frames, which were also worn by author Deighton.
The good news is that the Curry & Paxton brand is at it again, creating bespoke eyewear with the Italian manufacturer Mazzucchelli. While custom eyewear from such renowned sources is crazy expensive, the even better news is that Curry & Paxton is celebrating their revival with an approachably-priced and exquisitely crafted ready-to-wear collection with Mason & Sons (formerly Anthony Sinclair) in London.
While still operating as Anthony Sinclair, which was the namesake of Sean Connery’s original bespoke tailor during his Bond years, Mason & Sons made a mark of their own back in 2012 by bringing back the “Conduit Cut” suit, which was Anthony Sinclair’s signature cut, and by re-making Sean Connery’s iconic three-piece Prince of Wales suit from Goldfinger for the Bond films’ 50th Anniversary exhibit at the Barbican. With a great collection of classically tailored suits (including an insane “007” offer) as well as shirts, ties, casual wear, knitwear and accessories, the collaboration with Curry & Paxton makes perfect sense.
To round out Mason & Sons’ collection of Curry & Paxton eyewear, there are six designs altogether, each inspired by icons. Along with Michael Caine’s YVAN frames, there are Sean (Connery), James (Dean), Cary (Grant), John (Lennon) and Robert (Redford). The prices range from $115 to $178. Here’s the rundown:
2 Comments
I have been wearing squarish tortoise shell plastic eyewear for decades now. Adds a bold horizontal accent on my tall frame and large head – much like Grant or Michael Caine. I formerly used Persol sunglass frames ($$$) and had my regular prescription installed, but with Warby-Parker, Eyebobs and now (again) Curry & Paxton, they can be sourced for more modest coin. Thanks for the reference.
Those Yvan frames look nothing like the ones worn by Caine. The shape and thickness is wrong. I have an original pair and there is no comparison.