The night welcomed attendees from across the worlds of media, fashion, and the arts to check out books and eyewear in a range of formats. Novel-shaped trays held bites like gold-leaf-topped oysters and sunflower tartlets. A gelatin shot bar included a menu written in Italian that partygoers could translate while wearing their lightweight Intelligent Eyewear styles. While wearing the glasses, guests could also learn about New York City landmarks and orientation by viewing a 3D map of the city.
Naturally, given the setting, discussions kept returning to all things literature-related. Posey said that Jessica Craig-Martin’s new memoir I Regret I Am Able to Attend is next on her list. “We’ve got to keep the arts alive,” Posey said passionately. “Lately, I’ve thought a lot about J.D. Salinger and Lillian Hellman, who wrote The Little Foxes. I read everything I could by her about five years ago. There’s also a book called Maybe: A Story, and it’s like a deep breath was taken and the story just came out. My other favorite writer is Elena Ferrante. I’ve read everything she’s written.”
The Intelligent Eyewear collection—which features three frame styles named Alden, Reid, and Wren—will also integrate privacy features for data protection. The imaginative glasses are intended to be used on both a practical and an ambitious scale: Gilboa recently used them for help with instructions while installing a car seat for his child, while Blumenthal used his pair to discover more information on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Memorial in nearby Greenwich Village.
As the glasses become available, Gilboa and Blumenthal hope that curiosity will inspire users to learn something new, too. “Every single person has their own unique and different experience, depending on what they’re asking and what they’re exploring,” said Gilboa. “What gets us most excited is that they enable people to explore the world and can keep their attention in the real world, without staring down at a small device.”
The pop-up is open now, welcoming guests to stop by and experience the invention. “We want to showcase these capabilities in a fun, exploratory space and have people try for themselves,” said Gilboa.
