Shady Character - James Dean Eyewear Collection

Born in 1970's New York, Shady Character was the brainchild of the owners of an antique store in Manhattan, 'The Ruby Slippers'. The owners had a fascination with eyewear and were often handling deadstock 'Arnel' & 'FDR' Tart Optical frames from the late 40's - 50's, and eventually managed to persuade Tart Optical to make them their own frames, handmade in New York to their specifications. Over the years these have gained a cult status amongst vintage eyewear collectors and can often be seen going for a small fortune on auction sites. The brand has been revived in Japan by the same guys behind Julius Tart Optical, recreating the iconic frames using inherited archival material as design reference.