In the shade at spring/summer collections

Sunglasses by Emporio Armani.

Shades stole the limelight at the spring/summer collections. From Burberry's poster paint-bright frames to Miu Miu's Sixties retro futurist Perspex visors and what must surely be the definitive Jackie O sunglasses of the season: John Galliano's oversized, bug-eyed shades.

Meanwhile off the runway, the usual paparazzi-lensed suspects such as Gwen Stefani, Kate Moss and Jade Jagger have been snapped flaunting retro statement sunglasses.

As idiosyncratic as summer's optical offering is, what unites these sunnies is their vintage appeal. While it was only a matter of time before fashion's continuing obsession with all things retro made its mark on the ophthalmic world, there's no denying the current shift towards vintage-style specs is in part thanks to the re-launch of the Seventies original sunglasses label Linda Farrow Vintage.

"When my mum started out in the Sixties, she was one of the first to design sunglasses as a fashion accessory as opposed to something to shade your eyes," states Farrow's son, Simon Jablon, of his mum who retired in the Eighties but at her height was designing sunnies for the likes of Emilio Pucci and Sonia Rykiel.

"One forgets nowadays, but back then sunglasses were almost NHS-looking."

With an eclectic back catalogue of remainder stock (boxes of which Jablon stumbled across in his parents' North London warehouse) that spans the Seventies and Eighties, Linda Farrow Vintage spearheads the current vogue for personality specs.

Whether it's optic white Sixties sunnies (Marc Jacobs) square, Eighties power shades (Stella McCartney) or even rimless pastel coloured numbers (Linda Farrow Vintage), the key to this summer's sunglasses is that they should suggest you've got character - not just the ability to look cool.

Of course this is something paparazzi-snapped celebrities have taken to exploiting. You see, donning sunnies is no longer simply a quick, low-maintenance glamour fix for those without make-up or others who've spent too much time partying. Rather, A-listers have realised slipping on a pair of idiosyncratically-designed retro shades can act as a passport to any alter ego they care to adopt.

What's more, in the deshabille and bikini-clad sunnier months (a time when the lack of clothing means stars are forced to rely on their sunnies), vintage-style sunglasses can say as much about their unique sense of style and fabulously sparkling character in a single, flash-bulb popping moment in the same way that say, vintage frocks do at the Oscars.

In fashion terms, retro sunnies' ascent to bona fide fashion accessory goes hand-in-hand with its newfound status as wardrobe builder: white-trimmed or primary-coloured Eighties shades, oversized Jackie Os or matt black aviators are the perfect foundation upon which to build summer's English eccentric/nautical/ boho looks.

However this summer's must-have personality sunglasses are those that are discreetly logoed retro designs or better still obscure, hard-to-find or limited edition.

Currently top of this discerning list is Cazal (as in the Eighties label favoured by hip hop stars); Boucheron's Sixties serpent motif Jackie Os (designed by erstwhile jeweller Solange Azagury Partridge); Judith Leiber's Seventies-style blinging, diamante-encrusted numbers (available only in the US), or Louis Vuitton's Eighties-style limited edition sunnies designed in collaboration with Pharrell Williams.

In other words, unique, one-off creations crafted with an in-built trip down memory lane.

"Seeing an old pair of sunglasses is like hearing an old song that means something to you," says Jablon.

As with vintage clothing, the criteria with which S/S 05's sunnies styles are judged, is not so much brand, as design-led.

"For instance with Linda Farrow Vintage the focus is the design itself," explains Vivienne Simons, Design Studio Buyer, Harrods where Jablon recently opened up its Linda Farrow Gallery.

"In this respect, they're quite rare."

Proving there's more to the company than simply remainder sunnies, the Gallery also acts as a showcase for the label's exclusive collaborations with like-minded designers such as Eley Kishimoto, Basso & Brooke and Jonathan Saunders. It's a canny move and one that looks to the future.

While his remainder vintage stock will eventually run out, Jablon believes the demand for retro sunglasses will continue. "

Actually I think the wayfarer will be making a come back. If Gucci does them next season, then we'll roll out the originals. And I'm not just saying that because I want to shift some old stock."

- INDEPENDENT