Mercura eyewear is a recession friendly force to be reckoned with

March 28, 12:29 AMNY Thrifty Fashion ExaminerMadison Mobley

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the NY Thrifty Fashion Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

 

If you covet the original, the individualistic, the glamorous, the artistic, and the exclusive, take note of the following two words: MERCURA Eye-wear.

Here's the rundown:

MERCURA: Trade name in use by Mercura sunglasses. Signature eyewear designed and sculpted by acclaimed jewelry designers Merrilee Lichtenstein Cohen and Rachel Cohen-Lunning in limited editions.

Celebrities that have worn MERCURA eye-wear: Cher. Grace Jones. Drew Barrymore. Candice Bergen. Kathleen Turner. Debbie Gibson. Goldie Hawn. Naomi Campbell. Danielle Steele. Ivana Trump. Joan Collins. Geena Davis. Madonna. Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Sharon Stone. David Bowie. Barbra Streisand. Nancy Glass. Tia Carrere. Paula Abdul. New Kids on the Block. Cindy Crawford. Elton John. Kelly LeBrock. Little Kim. Iman. Q-Tip. 

 

So, to those who still find their brand unfamiliar, get familiar.

From the 1970's to the present, Mercura has consistently gone against the grain to create "Art to wear" fashions for those who aren't afraid to stand out and be an individual.

Movie stars love them, conservatives fear them, adventurers crave them, fellow artists applaud them... The works of MERCURA are made in limited editions moving full speed into our culture to meet the demands of the individualist.
~MERCURA press release

 

Though their work was originally built for the "strong well exercised woman of the new millenium," MERCURA designers Merrilee and Rachel Cohen have found their eyewear to be gender nonspecific as men are equally intrigued by their craft.

MERCURA SUNGLASSES NYC, the brand's official tag, came into being when Merrilee and Rachel first moved into the Chelsea Hotel in 1975, working together as a sister team. The name is a combination of their birth names and mythology (MER = the sea, or mermaids, in French; for Merrilee, CU is the guttural part for Cohen; RA = Mediterranean for sun, or “sun worshippers” for Rachel) and NYC, of course, is their location. The name is the reflection of two daring young artists who who would become pioneers of their craft.

So, what makes Mercura so different from its modern-day competitors? ?

Well, MERCURA competitors don't really exist. Even remedial knowledge of the fashion industry says that much. And, eyewear isn't all the brand is great for- they also supply jewelry and handbags. Oh yes, handbags.

Their products range from being very architectural in style to whimsical and surreal, yet, no one frame is more desirable than the rest. According to Merrilee and Rachel, "each frame appeals to a different part of the wearers’ persona."

Translation?

Successfully combat the anxiety that trying to buy only one frame causes.

Interested in purchasing a pair (or two) of custom frames? You'll have to go straight to the source. Unless, of course, you don't mind paying hiked up retail prices.

 

By contacting Merrilee and Rachel directly, one of two things will happen depending on your preference and availability. Either you will be guided through an online frame selection process, or you can set up an appointment to purchase frames wholesale from the MERCURA lair.

And, when I say wholesale, I mean $300-400 less than retail.

Bring a group of friends or acquaintances to the warehouse and receive twenty percent off all frames purchased.

Contact MERCURA at mercurany@aol.com- tell them Madison sent you.

All photographs by Eric Martin. Models provided by Hilory Beckford Management