You need sunglasses. Be it summer or winter, the sun is still there, threatening your delicate retinas. Your face needs to look stylish—forget high-end designer labels, the art of sunglassing is now in the artisanal, the cult label. And with an impressive, over 30-year-long working affair with opticals, the team behind directional label COLAB have just what fashionable eyes need all year ‘round. 

From a globetrotting past, COLAB designers have picked the brains of the world’s most prolific designers in eyewear and otherwise, and forged creative friendships with street artists, graphic designers, musicians and other young creatives alike. From these relationships, COLAB was conceptualised and born in 2005. Now, COLAB curators Carl Tindall and Jonathon Miller handpick artists from their Sydney base to collaborate on their distinctive frames. From early collaborations with P.A.M, Eboy,, Rockin’ Jellybean, Neadson Control Centre and Geoff McFetridge, COLAB have always set the bar at an exceptionally high standard.

COLAB’s latest season sees the release of a limited edition range—eyewear straight from the designer’s hand to your face. Working with renowned artists including Deanne Cheuk, Stefan Marx, French, Kill Pixie and The Presets/Zawada, COLAB’s 2011 range is an exercise in handcrafted perfection. The exclusive works will come in runs of 1,000 pairs per style and will be sold internationally, making COLAB the unicorn of the coolest rarities in eyewear.