“You’re crazy!” That’s what the husband of entrepreneur,
New York society-page fixture, and fashion industry
veteran Gigi Mortimer said when she told him about her
plan for a new business venture nearly three years ago.
As it turns out, Mortimer’s idea was crazy good: EyeJust,
her line of screen protectors, uses NASA technology to
block the harmful blue light emitted by smartphones,
tablets, and computers. Mortimer’s inspiration stemmed
from concern about the hours she and her family spent
glued to their devices. She decided to do more than
wring her hands after she read a Harvard Medical School
study showing that blue light suppresses the secretion
of melatonin and disrupts the body’s circadian rhythms,
making it difficult to get the proper amount of sleep.
Blue light, which may lead to eyestrain, headaches,
and damage to the retina, has beauty ramifications
as well: Too much exposure has been shown to
cause hyperpigmentation and signs of aging in skin.
Dermatologists are recognizing the need to block blue
light, she says, just as we block sunlight with sunblock.
Although Mortimer’s new enterprise is a departure
from her decades-long career in fashion (she previously
worked as the accessories design director for Ralph
Lauren and the director of inspiration for Tory Burch), she
doesn’t view it as such a dramatic leap: “The iPhone is an
accessory, and EyeJust is an accessory for your phone.”
For the holiday season, she’s launching the EyeJust for
Atelier Swarovski Social Engagement Collection, a range
of crystal phone rings that attach to the back of your cell,
plus a chic leather card holder that practically eliminates
the need to carry a bag. Mortimer ultimately hopes to
bring screen protectors to schools and workplaces, too.BEAUTY NEWS
BELOW: TOOLS OF THE TRADE ALONGSIDE VANILLE ROUGE ($330),
ONE OF VERSACE’S SIX SCENTS. RIGHT: DONATELLA VERSACE.SINCE LAUNCHING
EYEJUST IN 2018,
MORTIMER HAS BEEN ON
A MISSION TO EDUCATE
OTHERS ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS
OF THE DIGITAL AGE.LOOK AHEAD
Fashion insider Gigi Mortimer turns digital
wellness advocate. By Baze MpinjaThis month, Donatella Versace begins rolling out a suite
of new fragrances, inspired by her legendary Milan atelier.
Some two and a half years in development, the six scents—
sourced from the finest ingredients around the globe,
and requiring several rounds of engineering to perfect
the hand-forged metal Medusa cap—are a celebration of
craftsmanship, much like Versace’s famed studio. When
we stopped by the brand’s headquarters, an eighteenth-
century palazzo on Via Gesù that houses the operation,
its subdued facade hardly hinted at the glamour within.
Once inside, past a pebblestone-mosaic courtyard framing
a large Medusa head (one of countless Gorgons on the
property), we found a dozen of Italy’s most skilled sarte
painstakingly embroidering a bias-cut silk gown with
several thousand beads, sequins, and feathers. A model
glided across the room in a slinky chartreuse chain-mail
number, and Signora Donatella nodded in approval. Just
like the house’s sartorial offerings, the juices range from
moody to bright, and never at a loss for something extra.
But you needn’t choose just one of the six: Versace
herself mixes the Éclat de Rose, a woody, Moroccan rose,
and Cédrat de Diamante, a lively citrus that captures
the bloom and branch of Mediterranean lemon trees.THE
ITALIAN JOB
Versace designs a runway-worthy
fragrance collection. By Naomi RougeauVERSACE: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; MORTIMER: NOA GRIFFEL; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.114