There are collaborations that feel inevitable, like old friends finally meeting at the corner bar after years of orbiting each other’s worlds. Then there are collaborations so strange and beautiful they border on myth. The new partnership between visionary French eyewear brand Shelter and Champagne house Telmont sits squarely in that latter category — a bold experiment in design, sustainability, and sensory storytelling that tastes of vineyards and looks like a modernist dream.
Launching July 2025, these limited-edition sunglasses are not your average summer accessory. Produced entirely in France, each pair is crafted using an innovative new material that incorporates 8% grape marc from Telmont’s 2024 harvest — the leftover skins, seeds, and stems that once fermented into fizz and joy. This unlikely ingredient represents a shared commitment to circular economy principles and fearless R&D, transforming winemaking waste into wearable art.
“There is more to these shades than meets the eye,” says Benoit de la Thébeaudière, Managing Director of Shelter. “The grape marc creates subtle irregularities in each frame — each pair is absolutely unique. We’re using biosourced materials, embracing a more sustainable approach, and redefining what luxury eyewear can be.”
The design doesn’t stop at the frames. Fitted with cool grey-blue lenses, these sunglasses come housed in lightweight, soft cases spun from recycled plastic waste fibers. A quiet detail inside the temple — a nod to Telmont’s Champagne labels — lists the frame composition, turning every glance in the mirror into a micro-lesson in sustainable innovation.
For Telmont, this move into wearable terroir represents more than a quirky experiment. “This partnership with Shelter is deeply meaningful,” says Justin Meade, Executive Director of Telmont. “It shows how a collective approach can push creativity and sustainability further. Today, with Shelter, we create the very first vintage sunglasses — each pair carries within it a part of our terroir.”
Only 400 pairs will be produced, priced at 300€ each, available through Telmont’s UK e-shop and select global retailers, including Petite Optique (New York), Eyewear Mobius (Tokyo), and Eyestyle Studio (Rossendale, UK).
Beyond their sun-shielding function, these sunglasses serve as a poetic union of craft, terroir, and forward-thinking design. They’re not just an accessory — they’re a statement, a story, and a shimmering piece of the vineyard on your face.
