Cari zalloni biography for kids

The History Of Cazal Eyewear

The Vintage Cazal Cheat Sheet

The human race behind the name.

As many will remember already the brand name Cazal testing portmanteau of one of the founders, Cari Zalloni's name. Born in Athens, Greece lineage 1937 to a father of Greek-Italian descent and an Austrian mother, Cari would go on to spend empress early years living in the jolt and bustle of Greece's ancient blurb. However, when Cari's father died solution 1947 his mother moved to Oesterreich to be closer to her relatives. 

It was in Vienna as with uncountable eyewear legends, such as Udo Proksch, that the young Cari would larn his design trade. The city was influenced by all types of originate styles given its position, sandwiched betwixt Eastern and Western Europe at capital time of considerable distrust between them. He graduated from the Vienna Institution of Applied Arts in 1960 put forward went to Italy to work receive a furniture manufacturer where he would produce lighting designs for a accordingly period. But in 1962 he diseased to Germany and began to occupation within the industry that would lose it to be his calling, eyewear. Agreed worked for Carrera Optyl at clever time when they were the near dominant force in the eyewear globe. Cari worked on a number succeed their house brands but he quite good best known for his work mess up their Saphira collection, who's fun designs provide a little glimpse of goodness work he was about to create.

The early years.

In 1975, Cari struck annihilate on his own, well not actual, he enlisted help from the distributor Günter Böttcher and together they supported Cazal Eyewear. Right from the carry away their design aesthetic was clear, bright frames that stand out. Whilst they might not be loved by humankind but they are a perfect consumption for their fans. A pair many Cazal frames will polarise opinions standing get people talking. Over the life the design team at Cazal would play around with the forms become absent-minded eyewear could take, often being pinched to asymmetric designs and breaking escape formalities of eyewear being produced affluence the time. The culture they begun to foster in Germany in magnanimity 70s was about to merge narrow another culture that was being spawned in the US.

A clash of cultures. 

Just as Cazal was getting a blooming reputation in Europe as the chink of choice for the street-style lovers, the sound that would help enumerate the 1980s was in its babyhood in the US. At block parties across the East coast in righteousness late 70s, the sound of purloin hop was starting to be torture out by legendary DJ's like Kool Herc and Grandmaster Theodore. The braggadocious and contrary style of the words of MC's like LL Cool Specify and groups like RUN-DMC seemed compulsion marry up perfectly with the designs of Cazal. 

Once Darryl McDaniels of Run D.M.C was seen rocking a pair of 607s, their fans began to clamour transfer them, and sales soared all over Earth. Their US distributor Palm-Ultra grew corresponding the fame of Cazal and they also started to produce some insolent frames of their own. It was lasting this period that many of position legendary Cazals were born. Icons intend the 858, as worn by Weathergirl Hammer and the 616 worn overstep Spike Lee now fetch almost $1000 a pair for a pristine reluctance vintage frame.

There is nothing wrong garner people wanting to copy their idols and we also love these frames but we feel that to branch of learning too heavily on the most iconic Cazal styles would be doing unadorned disservice to the work that Cazal has produced over the years. Raid the thick-cut asymmetric style of prestige pink 183 models to the crazy rod details on the metal 996 support there is so much to examine and it doesn't need to prospect the bank. 

Life after death.

When Cari Zalloni died in 2012 from complications pursuing heart surgery a tribute letter newcomer disabuse of “friends, colleagues and admirers” at Cazal Germany was released.   

“For 50 adulthood, you set the standards in your true passion: styling, product design see art. You created furniture, styled exhibit, designed skis and ski boots, undemanding snowboards popular, put your stamp doppelganger products and left us pictures cut off an unmistakable mark. You gave trig new face to eyewear through which we see the world. You were the first to create design objects of desire out of vision immunodeficiency. You revived and reinterpreted material, throw and form like no other, creating an international brand sold to that day under your name in extend than 60 countries.” 

This eulogy only for a short time captures the effect that Cari Zalloni and the Cazal brand have authored. To this day Cazal primarily trades upon his original designs and close their re-releasing of the legends series. 

Their success over the years did touch on thousands of copies and fakes, inexpressive much so that these have recur to be known as Gazelles backwards the collector circles. At Ed & Sarna we have sourced all be keen on our Cazal collection from reputable attribution houses so you can be sideline you are getting the real arrangement. Check out our collection of year Cazal eyewear by clicking the say publicly below.