CFDA designers Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds launched l.a.Eyeworks in 1979 with a single optical shop on Melrose Avenue. Forty years later, they are celebrated (loved!) internationally for their signature eyewear. The brand is launching a graphic window display program that proclaims l.a.Eyeworks’ “Uncensored Visions” message worldwide. We caught up with Gherardi and asked her 25 essential questions.
Where were you born/where did you grow up?
Born in Glendale, California; grew up in Huntington Beach, California
What was your favorite activity as a child?
Building things, diverting water, being in the ocean, and observing animals.
What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
A vinyl 45 of Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel”.
Which talent would you most like to have?
To sing.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Wow.
What is your greatest fear?
I think I invented FOMO.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Tailor-made suits.
What is your favorite vacation destination?
Anywhere under the stars near the ocean.
What is your most treasured possession?
Memories of my family and the artworks of Rhonda Saboff.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Optimism.
What do you most value in your friends?
Truth and humor.
What is your favorite color?
Red.
What are you most grateful for?
The love that I’ve been shown.
What is one of your favorite quotes?
“The moon is out all day.” – Bill Nye
What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
Taking out the trash.
What would you name the autobiography of your life?
My Life with Frog Toes.
What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?
Selections from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Dirty Projectors.
If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
Eight, because it’s such a time of awareness and discovery where the past and future are in physical, mental, and spiritual alignment.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Witnessing the death of friends during the AIDS crisis.
Do you have a favorite restaurant?
That really depends on who I’m dining with, but any spot along the Ligurian coast.
What was the best gift you ever received?
The puppy my brother gave me when I was 15.
What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?
Visit the Galapagos Islands.
When was the last time you were nervous?
Giving a talk to MFA students at Yale.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Building l.a.Eyeworks with my best friend Barbara McReynolds, and to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of our creation.
What is your “personal motto?”
Happy in the happiness of others.
