In 1960s London, Maltese gangsters walked with a swagger, looked sharp and turned heads. They had a name for the exhilarating feeling of wearing something stylish for the first time—they called it Zanzan.

With summer fast approaching, that dreaded time is upon us again—the beginning of the quest for the perfect pair of sunglasses.

It’s so hard to find a pair that are cool-yet-stylish, fashionable-yet-don’t look like they were given away in a box of coco frosty puffs, and most of all, a pair of sunnies that you won’t see on every other guy on the patio.

A brand new company from the UK, Zanzan is saving the discerning gentleman this arduous task by providing a line of unique sunglasses that are contemporary takes on classic designs.

Zanzan sunglasses are limited editions, handmade in France’s Jura Valley by third-generation artisans using a combination of the most advanced production techniques available, and traditional methods dating back over 60 years. They are made from the highest quality hand-polished Italian acetate and fitted with Sola lenses by Carl Zeiss Vision Sunlens. Each pair is sold with a beautiful gold-embossed leather and suede-lined case, handmade in England.

Zanzan Sunglasses are about to hit the European luxury market with their launch in April, their first customer being Cameron Silver, who was anointed as one of the “25 most influential people in fashion” by Time magazine.

Zanzan’s limited edition Spring/Summer 2009 collection introduces four new designs—Rubirosa, Black Rio, Zazou and Le Sept. Each model is limited to 100 pairs in total and available in a choice of colour combinations. RRP £220 (approx. $390 CDN).