With gorgeous and uplifting designs for women, men, and children, designer Caroline Abram has been taking the world by storm with her eyewear and accessories. The designer is based in Paris, France, but the products are sold throughout the world. Abram takes her inspiration from many different places as well, including Miami, Florida and West Africa.
The History of a Brand
Caroline Abram grew up in Senegal, West Africa. Her parents were both involved in optics. Her mother owned one of the first boutiques to carry eyewear from independent designers and her father was an eye surgeon. The passion for eyes was passed from her parents to Caroline, who studied optometry in Paris. She spent some time practicing optometry until her love of design caught up with her and she decided to start designing her own accessories.
The first thing that Abram began to design was unique accessories. This led to her first business, named Filao, in 1998. She employed women in Senegal to hand-make chains, lorgnettes, magnifying glasses and more. She fell in love with many different materials such as glass beads, wood, and resin. She has even used semiprecious stones in her designs for a feminine sparkle.
Abram spent many years designing unique accessories for her store and finally decided to begin designing frames. The first frames she created were different from mainstream trends. They had an uplifting cat-eye shape which was initially received dubiously by stores until the trend began to catch on. Now the popular shape can be found in stores worldwide. Since her initial cat-eye design, she has expanded her frames to appeal to every face shape and personality. Although the frames vary in shape now, all of them whether round, square, or octagonal, have a slight lift upwards to bring the face to life and counteract downward lines.
In addition to her Paris and Senegal inspirations, Caroline Abram Eyewear reflects other parts of her background and heritage. The bright colors of India and the festive creativity of the Caribbean are present in her designs. She also spends a lot of time in the U.S., particularly in Miami, Florida, and brings ideas back from her travels. The result is a line of eyewear that is more colorful and vibrant than others on the market. Her aim is to help individuals express a side of their personality that they are normally too diffident to display.
In 2014, Abram opened her flagship boutique in Paris. Located near her favorite chocolate shop, the petite store looks more like a jewelry store while also housing full-service eye examinations and a lab. Customers who enter the store are greeted with a cozy atmosphere and a wide array of attractive styles and colors to suit every personality.
Tête à Lunettes for Children
Abram jumped into a new market with her new Tête à Lunettes collection. This is a line exclusively for children, and it certainly captures the imagination and sense of fun of little children. The designer has studied the faces of children to create glasses that are comfortable, functional, and fun. The designs do not cut into the round cheeks of the children, and account for the fact that children are always looking up at the world. The frames extend upwards to allow for this upward focus. The glasses come with an accessory called a “bijounette” which is a small and whimsical charm that adorns the temple area of the glasses. Abram has opened a store in Paris which exclusively sells her children’s collection.
The designer has also begun to expand men’s frames by collaborating with Talla Eyewear. The goal is to create frames that draw out the sweet and friendly aspects of the men’s personality while accentuating the strong features. This line, designed by Gianluca Gualandi, features men’s glasses and accessories that try to bring out “masculine elegance.” Each pair of glasses shows extraordinary attention to detail and is a joy to wear.
It is clear that designer Caroline Abram succeeds at everything she attempts. Her styles awaken passion and are full of color and joy. Abram’s aim is to bring happiness to her wearers and to enable them to express the spark of life and vibrancy within their souls. She wants glasses to become as coveted an accessory as shoes or handbags and is achieving this aim through thoughtfulness, hard work and knowing her customer. This passion makes her line of frames one of the most exciting in the industry. Her designs can be found across the country.