July 2012

Modern British Design by Fan Optics

26th July 2012 McClintocks – www.mcclintock-eyewear.co.uk –  in Covent Garden are hosting a launch party for Fan Optics tonight…this is a new Brit eyewear label, headed by graphic designer Sarah Coburn and Guillaume Furminger, product designer, and made, say the duo, exclusively in a boutique workshop in Essex, England.

Eyestylist.com asked designer Guillaume Furminger to comment on the decision to produce the frames by hand in the UK: “We have spent a lot of time sourcing the right manufacturing base for us and we are really proud to be producing and designing in England. We believe that more and more people are looking for quality rather than throw-away fashion and we want to use the vast array of home-grown talent we have in this country to continue to develop and move our brand forward. English craftsmen are some of the best in the world so why make anywhere else!

“Our backgrounds are in fashion, graphic and product design. With Sarah’s eye for fashion and graphic design combined with a product design and development background we believe we have a great combination of skills and talents. Eyewear was the natural direction for us to use our skill base to its potential.”

Vala from Fan Optics, modelled by Lili

The debut collection features six luxe optical and sunglass styles, each offered in 3 acetate colours. The style that caught my eye (sunglass style Vala above) has a quirky, unusual modified triangular shape and a frosted transparent finish. Fan Optics designs are named after old-English regional names. Ailen meaning made of oak, is created from an amber toned acetate. The two slender round frames are called Brock meaning Badger and Osbert meaning Inspired. For more on this inaugural British-made collection, visit  www.fanoptics.co.uk. Available now at McClintocks in Floral Street – Covent Garden, London. CN

on “peeper style and gobsmackingly awesome sunglasses”

21st July 2012 I have been working with Ophelia of ‘Who’s that Girl?’ – http://opheliahorton.wordpress.com – on this feature for a few weeks and she has produced the images you see here herself. Working on this has been very enjoyable, and the results are super and fun; we chatted a bit by email then she sent me loads of material about what she likes and the details she has noticed in the season’s collections – she favours some quality high fashion labels and some seriously quirky things (as we do here!) and she has a lot of interesting things to say on the subject for such a young fashionista. So here is our interview with this cool British schoolgirl who knows more about Prabal Gurung and the allure of the S/S 12 oversized catty shapes than many an adult style blogger….her pictures show off some super chic and perfectly now sunglass styles that you just might want to get your hands on should the sun be about to settle in for the rest of July; looks like it today. Don’t forget to follow Ophelia’s blog here: http://opheliahorton.wordpress.com/

What have you seen this season that you like the most?

Sunglasses wise, well there have been so many new shapes and styles to choose from! Probably Prabal Gurung’s lilac acetate sunglasses S/S 12 from Linda Farrow…

Your favourite shape? 

Cat eyes probably: they’re so chic, sexy, classic, effortless, but still badass and like: “I don’t actually care so go away, your opinion is invalid!”- my older sister looks just smashing in a pair of full-circles from Beyond Retro…and I love anything quirky or crazy!

Favourite crazy styles?

I love round sunnies, square sunnies and extreme cat eyes! Hmm..Jeremy Scott’s sunnies are always crazy and fun (I mean, there’s no point wearing them if they’re not fun or don’t make you look and feel downright awesome) – I love his white winged sunnies and his hand sunnies… Tatty Devine’s eyelash sunnies (www.tattydevine.com) are some I wish WISH WISH I HAD…Prabal Gurung’s lilac acetate sunglasses (review at www.eyestylist.com/2012/01/trend-alert-pastels/)  are gorgeous and very natural – plus, I love lilac! There were loads of good sunnies in all the runway shows for S/S 12 actually…I usually don’t like diamanté on anything, but if it’s on sunglasses, there’s just something different about it – you can pull it off.

What should the teen and twenty age group be wearing?

No one should be told what they should wear. People should wear whatever they feel like – I love people like Iris Apfel who just wear whatever, even though they’re quite old, you know? No one should have to wear anything they don’t want to, but for me, I’d wear something crazy, stylish and special. I’m always changing what I like and what I don’t, so I have a pair of sunnies which’ll go with anything no matter what…cat eyes are always cool.. Spice it up a bit. You’re young!

What are your must-have accessories for summer? And coming up for autumn/winter?

Sunglasses (DUH)- I also really want a cool hat, or veil type of thing: like Bryan Boy does – that casual beanie with the lace is so cool! Those things you put your hands into when it’s cold…I’m not into accesories really. Hmm, so for me, just the usual, some slick leather gloves and a snuggly little scarf – winter may be the only time I’m practical…

Are you an all-year-round sunglass wearer?

{LIKE} DUH. How could I not be? I absolutely love sunglasses. I wear them when it rains, I wear them when it snows, I wear them when it hails, you get the picture…? Sunglasses make me feel so much more secure – I feel almost incomplete without a pair of peepers resting on my head! Sunglasses aren’t really just for shielding your eyes (hehe) they’re for style, isn’t it obvious? They can disguise your true identity, or seal it, with an exuberant entrance.

Photography by Ophelia Horton, for Eyestylist.com.

Sunglasses featured: Round Key Largo sunnies in black by Tom Herrington at RockOptika, www.rockoptika.co.uk, available at www.wolfandbadger.com/shop/ and the Optical Lounge, Hastings. Square sunnies in red, vintage teen style by Zoobug, www.zoobug.com. Cat eye sunglasses in white, new style by Brit label, Heidi London, www.heidilondon.com available at www.wolfandbadger.com/shop/. CN

Summer Must-Haves – Sunglasses & Hats by Selima

18th July 2012 The relaxing days of summer are here – beach, boats, barbeques and looking great in beautiful sunglasses from Selima, and chic hats and turbans by Kai –  capture the season’s mood. We’re enamoured with the designs: in the above photo, Elena sunglasses in smooth acetate in a bold retro shape are festive and bright with a sunny yellow Kai turban.

The Spirit of Summmer – Selima and Kai

Red is a favourite colour for the season, and it’s particularly captivating in this duo above – Selima’s Amanda sunglasses in gradations of red acetate, worn with a multi-colour glamour turban. Summer chic at its best! Hats: www.selimahats.com  Sunglasses: www.selimaoptique.com JG

Wait, Paris

13th July 2012 The close-to-cult wood sunglasses brand from France, Waiting for the Sun has launched a line of handmade leather belts, a new addition in the Marais store, Wait, the brand’s first shop, which opened in 2011. While the sunglasses by Waiting for the Sun are made of natural teawood and bamboo, the belts are produced from a high quality leather, in three colours and, according to Julien Tual at the label, are classics with a design that the brand wanted to revisit. Made in Paris by one of the finest belt makers, and offered only in natural tones the belts, says Julien, “are made to be worn.” Belts from 70 euros.

Sunglasses, Waiting for the Sun

Waiting for the Sun, www.waitingforthesun.fr 

Wait, 5 Rue Charlemagne, 75004 Paris www.wait-paris.com CN