Jewish Deli-Inspired Sunglasses? All the Stars Are Wearing Them
Corey Shapiro likes his food salty and his eyewear sweet. Ever loyal to his roots in the ‘hood, the young personal eyewear consultant to the stars has designed custom shades inspired by his native Montreal’s Snowdon Deli. Big names like Lady Gaga, Cee Lo Green, Snoop Dogg and Perez Hilton may never have eaten the pastrami there, but they owe their hot looks to this Formica palace.
Never again will the Snowdon Deli be considered chopped liver in comparison to Schwartz’s. The latter’s Montreal smoked meat may be world famous, but now everyone knows there is a direct connection between the Snowdon Deli and the celebrity universe.
While others may see no link between the tattered-at-the edges Jewish eatery dating back to 1946 and the flashy life of hip-hop singers and international divas today, Shapiro most certainly does. His Vintage Frames Company’s Ultra Goliath 2 Snowdon Deli Edition sunglasses were inspired by the fashion sense of the clothing manufacturers with whom his grandfather hung out at the deli Saturday mornings. Apparently, those guys, who arrived in big Cadillacs and wore oversized glasses, thick gold necklaces and chunky ID bracelets, knew a thing or two about bling.
As the Montreal Gazette reported, “These frames will set you back a lot more than a smoked meat sandwich.” The sunglasses start at $500, with customized versions (like Cee Lo’s crystal blue pair) going for $1,000 or more. And if you want a 14-carat gold pair truly reminiscent of those former Snowdon Deli patrons, you’ll need to shell out a whopping $20,000 to Shapiro, who describes himself as the world’s leading distributor of designer vintage sunglasses.
Photos of Shapiro, with his shaved head, thick beard and ball cap pulled down low over his Ultra Goliath 2-shaded eyes, give the impression that he’s a tough gangsta type. But underneath it all, it appears he’s a bit shmaltzy. The sunglasses may be pricey, but the nostalgia is priceless.
Watch Cee Lo Green Pick Out ‘Snowdon Deli Edition’ Sunglasses
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
