The headlines read, “Cruella’s glasses stolen”. But the villain doesn’t wear even a pair

In London, an eyewear store in Sloane Square was raided on 9 June by masked thieves. Hundreds of pairs of spectacles amounting to £500,000 (approximately S$935,381) were stolen, including those seen in the film Cruella. The store is Tom Davies, also the namesake designer of high-end eyewear, as well as bespoke pieces (not to be mistaken for the Everton footballer with the same moniker!), popular among stars such as Ed Sheeran and the celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. A total of 120 pairs were made for the Disney film, and six of them—destined for an auction—were in the store and swiped by the burglars. Tom Davies is also known for designing the eyewear worn by Henry Cavill as Clark Kent in 2016’s Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.

According to the Evening Standard, “CCTV shows thieves smashing into the Tom Davis shop… and clearing glasses off the shelves into a tray.” The entire operation was completed in 50 seconds. The BBC reported that ‘Wanted’ (accompanied by the hashtag #TomDaviesTheft) posters were distributed throughout the English capital and some were pasted on lamp posts in central London. To foil the felons’ attempt at peddling the stolen wares, the message read, “If you are offered any sunglasses with TOM DAVIES FOR CRUELLA engraved on the inside arm, please can you let us know. The distinctive frames have a far bigger value at a charity auction than to the criminals who vandalised our store and will struggle to sell them.”

A spokesman for Tom Davis revealed that Emma Stone and Emma Thompson each wore two pairs of glasses that were stolen, but which exactly these were was not illustrated or described. In the poster issued by the store, the pair in tortoise shell worn by Ms Stone as Estella (above) was shown. This was the semi-feline frame with rounded edges that Estella wore, a la Clark Kent, in her early days as design assistant to the Baroness, played by Ms Thompson. When she transforms to Cruella, glasses are off, replaced by heavy makeup and outlandish masks. To steal, too, this look?

Photo: Disney