1980s Dior Sunglasses | Archive 0488

A luminous expression of 1980s Dior glamour, this oval silhouette balances delicacy with presence. The gold metal frame is finely detailed along the rims, catching light with a subtle shimmer, while the new brown lenses bathe the world in warm amber tones.

Frame Model: 2786 (41)
Decade: 1980s
Country of Origin: Austria
Lenses: New brown lenses
Condition: Excellent vintage
Measurements: 58-16-130

Historical Context

Founded in Paris in 1946, Christian Dior transformed postwar fashion with the 1947 “New Look,” establishing a house defined by dramatic proportion, femininity, and technical innovation.

Dior’s eyewear history became particularly significant in the late 1960s, when German manufacturer Wilhelm Anger, inventor of Optyl, took over the Dior eyewear license. Early Dior Optyl sunglasses appeared around 1969. The lightweight thermosetting resin could be molded into substantial sculptural forms and produced with unusual transparency, gradients, and depth of color — characteristics that became signatures of Dior eyewear throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The partnership helped establish Dior as an important name in designer eyewear, with oversized silhouettes and expressive use of color translating the drama of the couture house into eyewear. Vintage Christian Dior Optyl frames from this period remain particularly recognizable for their bold proportions and distinctly European construction.