Craig & Karl for Le Specs

We might be in the middle of a very bleak January, but there’s still call for a cool pair of sunglasses. If you’re hiding a hangover, jetting off in search of winter sun, or just need to shield your eyes from bright winter mornings (they do exist) then check out Craig & Karl’s new collection for Le Specs.

They’re completely unlike anything we have in our current collection of wayfarers, cat eye shapes and last year’s souped-up reflective lenses – at first glance they look more like something out of a cartoon. Squiggly lines and bright, sugar sweet pastels aren’t the most obvious choice when it comes to sunnies, but there’s something about them that’s still completely wearable. You just need the confidence to pull them off.

If you’re not familiar with the names behind the collection, Le Specs are a known for statement sunglasses with an irreverent edge to them. Alongside charcoal wayfarers named after Al Capone and quirky frames cut in plastic, the Australian brand offers fashion forward shapes that we haven’t seen anywhere else. Case in point: the Rudeboy sunglasses, with diamond lenses set inside wire circles. Overlook the impracticality of them, and concentrate on how great they’d look in a street style shot.

Craig & Karl, their collaborators, are known for creative projects with a pop art feel: they’ve worked with Google, LVMH, Vogue, Nike and Apple and had their art shown across the world. They even came up with this portrait of Barack Obama for the cover of New York Magazine. So as fun as these sunglasses are, there’s some serious artistic talent behind them too.

I especially love the Lost Weekend frames, pictured above - a tongue in cheek design that comes in baby pink or glossy black. Their hyper contemporary styling will brighten up the most dreary winter days (and refresh tired outfits just in time for Fashion Week next month). Make a playful statement without saying a thing, and grab a pair now.

Available from the Le Specs online shop.