61 Eyewear & Sunglasses Innovations + Gift Ideas

2008 has been a big year for eyewear and sunglasses design and its marketing. From controversial Tom Ford eyewear ads that were banned in Italy for being too suggestive to a revival of the ‘80s, ‘70s and even ‘60s styles, it seems like we’ve seen it all this year.

However, the biggest eyewear story of 2008 was Governor Sarah Palin’s Kawasaki 704 Glasses. These frameless specs ignited a craze that put the name of the Japanese designer on the map and ended as one of Trend Hunter’s most popular trends of 2008.

Palin’s glasses aside, we have seen an increased interest in tech-savvy eyewear. Designers have produced glasses and sunglasses with a bevy of advanced technological features--everything from video sunglasses to glasses that translate or have embedded cameras and digital pictures in their frame.

And if you’re not a fan of wearing sunglasses but would like to get in on the action, you can even buy lamps that are made from aviators or Ray-Bans. Now that’s cool!