The merry month of May is a feast of gorgeous sunglasses on Eyestylist. You will discover eyewear designs with avant-garde originality in Reviews, and meet a dynamic British creator – our Designer of the Month. We travel to Vienna to visit an imaginative boutique and a distinguished little museum. Throughout the month, click and stay with Eyestylist for the broadest perspective on innovative eyewear. JG
May 2012
You are browsing the archive for May 2012.
Trends Under The Sun For Children
Tangy Orange Sorbet Frames from EK
31st May 2012 Emmanuelle’s Khanh’s sunglasses are bursting with joy and cheer – the bright orange colour has enormous child appeal. So does the shape. Small, round forms are a favourite with the young set (and their parents too!) so this design (style 1507) allows kids to feel very cool – and the shape is ideal for little faces. EK frames are handmade in France, and the quality and beauty of the acetate is assured. More stunning EK frames can be seen at www.emmanuellekhanhparis.com JG
Hall of Frames ’12
From Australia to Zurich – Isson Eyewear
30th May 2012 The innovative Hall of Frames 2012 edition takes place in Zurich on October 14th and 15th in the historic venue of Papiersaal. A wonderful showcase for independent eyewear designers, the event welcomes new international exhibitors, including the Australian eyewear company Isson. Featured above: (left) Isson Julian in Green (right) Isson Tyla in Purple Gravel. Jarrod Abbot, National Brand Development Manager for Isson commented: “This year, Isson celebrates its 10th anniversary with the launch of the Isson Optical Collection, plus featuring our statement sunglasses. Known for unique character driven frames with intriguing colours and effects, our participation in events such as Hall of Frames is a perfect way for Isson to connect with like-minded optical boutiques seeking out the unusual for their eyewear aficionados.” More information at www.hallofframes.ch www.isson.com JG
Trends Under The Sun
Sensational Summer Blue by Face à Face
29th May 2012 Face à Face excels in colour – and for summer, this glorious blue is just wonderful! Lolly is crafted in shimmering sea blue acetate, in a bold, dramatic shape, and capped with a touch of cappuccino on the temples. The design is modern and free, yet a strong hint of Retro prevails, and the result is an outstanding frame. I’m ready for the beach in Lolly! www.faceaface-paris.com JG
Trends Under The Sun For Children
Finger in the Nose + Vuarnet = super sunnies!
28th May 2012 Trendy children’s fashion company Finger in the Nose has teamed with Vuarnet, French designers of legendary eyewear, to create a stylish collection of sunglasses. Kids will enjoy wearing this design (above Surfer in ivory acetate) that is a reincarnation of a Vuarnet frame that captured the 1980′s surfing influence. Children will respond to the look of the frames that compliment the contemporary image of Finger in the Nose clothing, and parents will be delighted with the quality of the acetate, and sun protection with unbreakable lenses. www.fingerinthenose.com. www.vuarnet.com JG
Trends Under The Sun
Glamorous Sunglasses from Lindberg
25th May 2012 These summer stunners from Lindberg feature a graceful, elegant shape with gentle volume that protects the eyes, while creating a sense of mystery about the wearer. The frame (style 8561) is beautifully sculpted in acetate with a titanium insert on the temple. For more information about sunglass beauties from the award-winning Danish company, visit www.lindberg.com JG
Trends Under The Sun For Children
Style Savvy – Oliver Goldsmith Mini Icons
24th May 2012 “My girls just love sunglasses, and they want to wear them all the time,” reports the mother of two girls, ages 6 and 8. Already they are sunglass enthusiasts and mini-fashionistas – we love it! Young style setters are certain to relish wearing sunglasses from Oliver Goldsmith’s Mini Icons collection. Bude (above) first appeared in 1959 for grownups, and the children’s version is an exact replica in silky-smooth acetate, scaled to fit young faces. The frame is perfectly crafted in this gorgeous retro shape in bright, oh-so-trendy red! www.olivergoldsmith.com JG
Pop! Design, Culture, Fashion..in London
The Fashion and Textile Museum, Bermondsey Street, London, SE1
22nd May 2012 An exhibition that will explore the impact of music, art and personality on the development of the fashion of the 60s and 70s. From the poodle skirts and embellished leathers of the rockers through to the Punk era, this exhibition will take in the cool stylings of the Mods, the high baroque of Psychedelia and the kitsch glamour of 70s retro by designers such as Mr Freedom and Miss Mouse….
Highlights will include items from Elton John’s personal wardrobe (can’t wait to see these), purple flares worn by Donovan, the pop-art fashions of Mary Quant as well as Quant’s early modernist pieces from the original Bazaar. Furniture, original posters and graphics and promotional materials will help to set the scene while an “I’m Backing Britain” display will create a dramatic centrepiece.
The exhibition will provide new insight into 20 years of popular culture from one of the most comprehensive private collections of design and fashion.
Exhibition Dates: 6th July – 27th October 2012, The Fashion and Textile Museum, London. www.ftmlondon.org CN
My Favourite Sunglasses
Ic Berlin’s Ralph Anderl on Creating Sunglasses
22nd May 2012 “My favourite design this season is the ‘dr. ihab rough’. I took the inspiration from a painting by Caravaggio, which is in Berlin and called ‘Amir Vincit Omnia’. It is smooth, but rough and very beautiful with light, dark, and strong emotions. Inspiration also comes from Giordano Bruno, Karl Jaspers, Sir Karl Popper, my sister, a physician, also inspires me, and my mother in some very rare moments. For me it is easier to design for men than for dogs or horses, but for woman it is very easy, because women have more soft lines everywhere – more or less, and of course, some parts are also edgy. As long as men and women have two eyes and one nose, it is relatively simple to find a design or a shape which works on a face. I love to design for my mother, father, girl friend and boy friend, and people in the wild, wild West. Russians also appreciate our designs very much.
dr. ihab rough by Ralph Anderl - ic-berlin
“Sunglasses are cooler than rx glasses, even if they are not necessary for nightlife or in clubs. If you do not see the eyes of a person, for some reason it is special, cool and fascinating. I love sunglasses and wear them much too often. Sometimes I do not see holes in the road at night, and have fallen off my bike, and broken bones. However, the future is bright and we need sunglasses.” www.ic-berlin.de JG
Top photo, Ralph wears another sunglass favourite: Rückblick
My Favourite Sunglasses
The Rolf Team – Ready for the Sun!
Christian Wolf discusses the Rolf Spectacles team’s favourite sunglasses for Summer 2012 – Skylark 41 – featured in the above photo.
“Rolf has a strong connection to old cars, so it is not a surprise that the first ‘woodstone’ sunglasses are inspired by a vintage car. The Buick Skylark Convertible – which like all Rolf frames – was handmade when first produced in 1939. Nowadays, only a few car companies build their cars by hand, or without a lot of computer engineering. I think the same happens everywhere – also in the optical business. Crafting a pair of Rolf glasses requires several hours of handwork and a high degree of craftsmanship. The sanding stage requires lots of concentration and precision, which we leave to experienced hands only. At Rolf, we are always searching for new materials that correspond with the company’s philosophy. The challenge was to try out a material that was not yet used on the market. Stone is the perfect addition to wood and bamboo frames, since stone also offers unique characteristics, which have developed over thousands of years. The layered structure of shale lends a lively up scale surface to the frames. Shale is prone to splintering and breakage. These characteristics have caused doubts about the viability of the project. In order to avoid destroying the stone during pressing, new technologies have been used.
Skylark 41 by Rolf Spectacles
“We try to keep our designs as pure as possible. As we work with natural materials, we think there is no need for special colour lenses, or a huge logo placement. We try to transport a kind of understatement. It is important that customers value the products, and do not spend lots of money because of brand attention. We try to transport a story – not a brand. I think the future will bring more and more sustainable products and new technical innovations. Also, the importance of multifunctional eyewear will increase. In the future, you will be able to do more with sunglasses than just protect your eyes from the sun.” JG
