Amongst the first frames made in the 1980's by Cari Zalloni, for his brand Cazal, was the Cazal 951. The 951, like so many of the Cazal frames, launched into the market place and were a cult success. It very quickly became a sunglasses legend, ingrained in the culture of the early Hip Hop community and famously inspiring the 1985 track "Snatchin' Cazals" by the Cazal boys and Jazzy Jeff.
This model was actually aimed, initially, toward a new target group, wearers of sports eyeglasses. This was a whole other genre but one which Zalloni embraced and designed for, as always, with immaculate attention to detail. He had the idea to create "amphibious" sunglasses, meaning shades that could be worn for water sports and also, of course, on dry land. This was done by using a hinge mechanism on the sides, at the temples that allowed for the acetate arms to be removed for water sports and replaced by the adjustable rubber strap that came with the glasses. This rubber strap adjusted to the shape of the head, holding the frames in place and also, ingeniously, contained a floating device to protect your precious Cazal 951's and keep them afloat, should they fall into the waves.
Cazal 951 glasses, with their uniquely sculpted aviator style shape are a unisex frame, which is a rare thing for passionate vintage collectors.
