Alain Delon Sunglasses
Identifying the sunglasses of French Actor and Icon Alain Delon
A French actor, filmmaker, and businessman, Alain Delon rose to fame back in the 1960s as a prominent actor in such films as Purple Noon (1960) and The Leopard (1963), and emerged as a sex symbol of the era. In the huge array of movies he starred in over his long cinematic career his many characters have been portrayed wearing a range of different sunglasses. These sunglasses add to many of his characters’ charm and suave persona. Since we’re going back to the 1960s it can be very difficult to identify the exact brands Alian Delon wore. This is mainly due to these films/sunglasses’ age and the lack of information available at the time. Most likely, many of these brands are now defunct. That being said, we’re going to take on the challenge of identifying some of the sunglasses Alian Delon wore and attempting to identify them for you.
Alain Delon Sunglasses: Identifying the Brands
Let’s start off with some good news. One of the films Alian Delon starred in, 1969’s La Piscine (The Swimming Pool), features Delon’s character Jean-Paul wearing a pair of black Wayrfar-inspired sunglasses (these can be seen in the image above or video). With thick black acetate frames, these sunglasses are slightly different from the classic Wayfarers as they feature a slight variation in the shape of the lenses opting for a more cat-eye look. These Alain Delon sunglasses have been successfully identified as a pair of Vuarnet Legend 06 sunglasses. Amazingly as well, these Vuarnet shades are still available to purchase to this day. The design has remained unchanged since they were released in 1957. Available in an array of different colorways these iconic sunglasses will set you back a modest $225.00.
Another film in which Delon is known to wear sunglasses is in 1969’s The Sicilian Clan. What really grabbed my attention about these specific shades was their distinctive and unique design. Looking at the styles of sunglasses available today, I couldn’t see a single pair resembling these styles. I’m unsure how to describe these frames but they have a large oversized oval-shaped lens, and a frame that has the lenses enclosed, almost covering the eyes, like a pair of goggles. So far my investigation has drawn a blank with the exact brand of these sunglasses.
Alain Delon Sunglasses: A Step into the Business World
Alain Delon didn’t just wear an eclectic range of sunglasses, but to the popularity of his frames, set up his own brand and range of sunglasses. I found very little information on this brand but from the information available online his sunglasses were very popular in popular in Hong Kong after actor Chow Yun-fat wore them in the 1986 crime film A Better Tomorrow (which can be seen in the photo below). Today Alian Delon’s brand of sunglasses can be found across second-hand marketplaces (like ebay). The sunglasses worn by Chow Yun-fat are known as the Alain Delon 707A Sunglasses and such listings online (here) can be found for upwards of $1000.
