Altina Schinasi was a visionary who embraced fashion as an extension of her identity and rebellion against societal norms.
In the late 1920s, Altina, an artist in NYC, was frustrated by the lack of stylish and feminine eyewear options available for women at the time.
She was inspired by the masks of the Venetian Carnival, which featured elongated almond-shaped eyes and adapted it into her eyewear designs.
She called her new frames the "Harlequin" frames, after the character from Italian theatre.
The Harlequin frames were an instant success, and they quickly became popular among women in New York and other major cities.
They were originally made with tortoiseshell or black frames and were often decorated with rhinestones or other embellishments.
The glasses were seen as a symbol of sophistication, and were worn by celebrities with a cat-eye hairstyle, which featured long, swept-up bangs.
In the 1950s, the cat-eye glasses regained popularity due to the "New Look" fashion trend, which emphasized feminine curves and shapes.
The cat-eye glasses were soon seen on the faces of fashion icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Brigitte Bardot.