Alain Mikli

Alain Miklitarian, a French designer of Armenian descent, opened his Paris studio in 1978 and helped turn glasses from a medical necessity into a fashion accessory, with bold colours, unusual shapes and handmade frames. Collaborations with Jean Paul Gaultier and frames for Elton John and Grace Jones made the name, and since 2013 the label has belonged to Luxottica, now EssilorLuxottica, which makes its optical and sun frames.