The Luxury That Shouts: Philipp Plein Sunglasses
What defines the brand and why choose it
There is one phrase that defines better than any other Philipp Plein's position in the contemporary luxury market: Luxury doesn't have to be discreet. In a segment where many brands compete to make their logo as invisible as possible, Philipp Plein does the exact opposite — and does it with a consistency that is, in its own radical way, absolutely coherent.
The founder's personal story is inseparable from the brand's philosophy. Philipp Plein was born in Munich in 1978, studied at the elite boarding school Schule Schloss Salem, and began studying law before dropping out to design luxury dog beds at 20 with his grandmother's loan. When in 2004 he presented his first fashion collection — vintage military jackets with Swarovski skulls embroidered on them — the fashion establishment raised its eyebrows. When two decades later THE PLEIN GROUP was turning over more than €200 million annually with over 95 boutiques across five continents, the eyebrows had nowhere left to go. The Philipp Plein story is that of someone who never asked permission to do what he was doing — and turned out to be right.
Philipp Plein sunglasses arrived as a natural extension of that philosophy. Manufactured in Italy to the sector's highest standards, they combine oversized forms and architectural silhouettes with the three signature elements that visually define the brand in eyewear: the skull — the house's most iconic motif, which can appear as worked metal on hinges and temples, with or without crystal inlays —, the PP logo in metal as the visual signature on the temples, and crystal embellishments on the highest-declaration aesthetic models. The result is eyewear that does not apologise: you are either in or out, and whoever chooses Philipp Plein has made a very conscious decision about which side of that line they want to be on.
Styles and uses: the sun collection
The SPP014V Revolution Rome is the most emblematic reference: oversized large-format with metal skull on the temples, high-contrast mirror lenses, in black, gun metal and gold finishes. The model that has appeared in campaigns with Paris Hilton, Rita Ora and Floyd Mayweather. Philipp Plein aviators are not conventional: wide temples with PP logo in metal, larger than standard lenses, in gold or bright chrome finishes. The SPP046M with oversized silhouette and solid grey lenses is the most power-reading masculine model — worn by Jeremy Meeks, Floyd Mayweather and Chris Brown in multiple public appearances. The hexagonal range — a geometric motif the brand has adopted as a recurring element — offers the most angular and architectural proposal. For women, the collection includes cat-eye with crystal embellishments on the outer arc and butterfly in thick acetate with gold PP hinges — worn by Lindsay Lohan, Naomi Campbell, Iggy Azalea and Mischa Barton. The high-embellishment SPP models — with crystal inlays on front and temples — are the most extreme expression and best embody the heritage of those first Swarovski skull jackets.
Practical details: materials, lenses and manufacturing
Philipp Plein sunglasses are manufactured in Italy from first-quality cellulose acetate with artisanal surface faceting for acetate models, and titanium and metal with gold, silver, gun metal and gloss black coatings for metal models. Skulls on hinges and temples are worked metal pieces — in some models with precision crystal inlays — requiring a manual assembly process. The PP logo appears on temple or hinge in differential-tone metal. All models offer UV 400 protection in solid, gradient and mirror lenses across grey, brown, gold mirror, silver, blue and green.
The shows, the metaverse and the awards
If the eyewear is the daily expression of the Philipp Plein philosophy, the fashion shows are its most theatrical amplification. Since 2010, when Plein staged his first major show with a DJ and an outrageous amount of vodka — creating what WWD called the party that became a fashion show — the brand has progressively escalated the spectacle: monster trucks, rollercoasters, a 30-metre UFO set at the Fall/Winter 2018 show in Brooklyn with Migos performing live and Irina Shayk on the runway, The Killers performing at the 20th anniversary show in 2019. Not by accident: the eyewear reflects the same escalation. You do not arrive at skull embellishments and oversized mirror-lens aviators by accident. You arrive there by consciously choosing the register of maximum declaration at every decision point. Plein was also the first major fashion brand to accept cryptocurrencies as payment (July 2021), invested $1.4 million in metaverse land in Decentraland, and has won multiple major industry awards including the GQ Germany Man of the Year in Fashion (2016) and GQ British Brand of the Year (2018).
Buying online at Visual-Click
Visual-Click is an authorised Philipp Plein dealer and stocks the Philipp Plein sunglasses collection with official warranty and international shipping. The team can advise on available models — SPP014V, SPP046M, SPP108, SPP152M and seasonal references — and on embellishment and finish options.
Explore the collection
The metal skull of the Revolution Rome, the oversized aviator of the SPP046M, the hexagonal geometry with crystals — Philipp Plein sunglasses at Visual-Click are loud luxury in its most direct and unapologetic form. Find your Philipp Plein sunglasses at Visual-Click.
