Entrepreneur's Vintage Shades Slide Up the A-List

His vintage custom shades take celebs by storm
By A Ali,  Newser Staff
Posted May 13, 2009 7:15 AM CDT
Entrepreneur's Vintage Shades Slide Up the A-List
Gwen Stefani wears one of Jack Bernstein's pairs on the album cover of Sweet Escape, courtesy of GwenStefani.com.   (GwenStefani.com)

Shades are a precious necessity for paparazzi-wary celebs, but Jack Bernstein has no sympathy. The vintage-sunglasses peddler demands top dollar—up to $25,000—for his tricked-out eyewear, often scooped up at flea markets, American Way magazine reports. With his own Los Angeles shop and an upcoming line, Bernstein has caught, and shaded, the eyes of Brad Pitt, Beyoncé, Fergie, John Travolta, and Jay-Z.

Bernstein takes vintage Diors, Cazals, Alpinas, and Ray-Bans, and reshapes and outfits them for his clients’ faces. The result is a customized pair no other celeb will be caught wearing. If his clients pick a pair that looks bad, Bernstein will be the first to say so. “I’ll argue with them right in the store,” he says. “I don’t want anyone wearing my stuff looking ridiculous.” (More sunglasses stories.)

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