american menswear designer Joseph Abboud can celebrate—in style. This year marks the 30th anniversary of his eponymous brand, known for its sophisticated suits, tailored clothing, and, of course, eyewear.

EB caught up with the timelessly dapper designer (while he zipped around on a Friday afternoon in a convertible) to hear how he and Altair—which he works with to create his eyewear collection—go together like the perfect suit and tie.

On modern appeal:

The new consumer has to buy into your DNA, buy into what your brand represents, and you have to give them product they understand. That’s why with Altair, we have such a terrific business there because it’s all very relevant—the color, the styling. But it’s always very true to the Joseph Abboud brand.

On inspiration:

I always used to say, “The texture of your clothes is like the texture of your life.” It’s multidimensional. It’s the same thing with eyewear. If you look at the rich color combinations of frames, I would say color is one of the driving factors of our success in eyewear.

On the horizon:

I do think men are gravitating more towards interesting color combinations—less generic, more designer. Don’t forget eyewear—they’re still fashion accessories. It’s still an important part of a man’s complete look.

—Kerri Ann Raimo