Carla 265

It did not take Carla long to select another suitable pair of glasses for the combination with her beautiful, stylish fur hat and scarf. Her choice was perfect. These are Christian Dior glasses from their very first collection that caused an earthquake in the world of fashion. I was working in the Montreux area (Switzerland) in 1976 and noticed a revolution in the streets. Up to then, Swiss ladies tended to be conservative in their frame choice, always several years behind the modern styles and avoiding extravaganza. The change happened within a few weeks. All of a sudden the streets were full of ladies sporting a fantastic, bold frame style. A devoted trend watcher for many years, I had never seen anything even remotely similar before. The windows of local opticians provided the answer. The opticians confirmed that the couture house of the famous Christian Dior just entered the eyewear market with instantaneous success. My girlfriend was with me and although we were both penniless students, I urged her to give the Dior glasses a try. A very ladylike green pair suited her face perfectly so the decision was made straightaway. The glasses cost a small fortune but that did not matter. Her glasses were ready just before she had to return to the Netherlands and I made several pictures of her on the last day of her stay in Switzerland. Her prescription was minus six and she looked fabulous in the Christian Dior glasses. After my return to Holland we even bought a stylish green hat that blended perfectly with the glasses. However, she decided that she was a bit too young for that style (she was 21) so the Dior glasses were only used on special occasions. When Carla put up this even bolder pair, my mind automatically returned to the cherished images of my girlfriend forty years ago. I asked Carla if she could play a bored celebrity or a diva followed by the paperazzi and she agreed straightaway. So stay tuned....