Nina and Raffaello Bini

Raffaello Bini in Massawa, 1936.

Grazie per la forza e l’esempio che mi dai, ogni giorno vado avanti e penso a te.

Tanti, tantissimi auguri.

Luca

The new colors for the optical collection of L.G.R are inspired by the captivating shades of Africa. The green baobab trees, the ivory elephant tusks, and the khaki safari tents, have all contributed to the development of these unique colors. They are available in 3 different models: “Djibouti”, “Nina”, and “Lagos”.  Perfect for any aficionado of spectacles who wants to diversify their collection, or anyone who just needs a fresh change of eyeglasses. Why not start for the summer?

Every year on the 2nd of January there is a race between the local Dhows of Lamu in Kenya.

Dhows are traditional sailing boats used for transport and for fishing. They have one or more lateen, triangular sails made of heavy cotton.

This year I was there to witness this spectacular event. As always when I travel to Africa I bring with me polarized L.G.Rs. I was on a sailing boat following the race that lasted for more than three hours. The sun was very, very strong, the wind made it easyier to bear the high temperature, but the sunlight was just too strong. I would have not been able to see the whole race under those extreme sunlight conditions. Once again I must recognize and appreciate the quality of L.G.R polarized lenses.

Good luck and happy new 2010!

Polarized L.G.R

I took this picture during a safari across Tzavo National Park in Kenya. Enjoying the landscape through my polarized L.G.Rs.

You can see how much better everything looks through polarized lenses. Under extreme sun light conditions, like the equatorial sun of Africa, polarized lenses assure the best visual.

I would have probably missed the giraffe without my polarized L.G.R sunglasses!

Eritrea, Asmara, Via Lorenzo Tazaz 26, Foto-Ottica Bini

This building has been my grandfather’s house and shop, in Asmara, since 1948. It was built by the Italians more than one hundred years ago. On the bottom floor there is the optical store were I found the first L.G.R frames and above the apartment were I stay when I go to Asmara.

To me, in terms of style, Asmara relates to Italy like Cuba relates to the United States. Asmara seems like an Italian city stuck in the 1950’s.  The decadent facades of the buldings, the old Fiat cars, men wearing worn out double-chested suits and thick, brown sunglasses.

These nostalgic images inspired me to make L.G.R sunglasses and to bring back from the past forgotten objects that carried old values. With it’s simple and unstated elegance Asmara preserves many precious values that I am trying to express through L.G.R frames.

Raffaello Bini. Asmara, 1936

Some years ago I was in Eritrea, Africa, wandering through my grandfather’s old warehouse of Italian imports, when I discovered a model of sunglasses from a time long forgotten. These beautiful designs, immediately evoked the romanticism of an era long gone by. The merging of two worlds; the adventure of Africa and the glamour of the Riviera. I returned to the original manufacturers and created a line capturing this timeless elegance.