Vintage Cazal 903 Shield Sunglasses

1960, a young Cari Zalloni studies design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria. With such a honed skill, something that can be applied to a craft, Zalloni used his education in differing fields from furniture and lighting, segueing into ceramics and glass until the earlier-to-mid 1970s when a young designer begins a legend.

Taking a job with the ever-developing Carrera/Optyl giant, Zalloni begins to apply said skills to developing eyewear for Carrera in their Saphira collection. The 1970s would have Zalloni harnessing eyewear design with such sophistication and burgeoning imagination until 1975, when a young Handball Olympiad for the West Germany team by the name of Gunter Bottchner invests with Zalloni to create Cazal eyewear (a portmanteau word of CA[ri] ZAL[loni]).

Maximalism, 'no compromises'; daring, bold, statement eyewear for the late 1970s and 1980s, Cazal is fueled by a creative spirit that was nurtured over years of applied design reasoning and comprehension. With the growing interest in the fashion eyewear industry that was developing throughout the world, Cazal began to stand out. With the aid of Ultra/Palm out of Miami, Florida, Cazal is introduced to the United States from Europe with gusto! Its extravagant designs, oversized personality, and remarkable quality, Cazal enters an almost-unprepared eyewear industry with explosive panache!

Legend holds that Cazal entered an adolescent Hip Hop genre and culture with a street-mugging in Brooklyn, New York. The over-emphasized, bulky nature of the 600 series would've appealed to a more conservative culture. Yet, with this alleged mugging, the design concept of the 600 series would enmesh itself into another culture. Insomuch that Cazal would eventually become synonymous with Hip Hop and Hip Hop culture, making it a genuine cornerstone of any eyewear collector and aficionado's repertoire.

Made in West Germany (Pre-1990)