Eyestylist

FACE A FACE reveals anniversary collaboration in New York

The French eyewear label has launched a new collaboration with the artist/designer Jessica Poundstone – in celebration of the brand’s 30th anniversary

To mark the 30th anniversary of the brand, FACE A FACE has unveiled a new sunglasses style called FACES, informed by the colourful work of Jessica Poundstone, and presented with special edition art works by the artist (in the form of counter cards and posters). Inspired by by colour sensation, minimalism and light and space, Poundstone creates vibrant abstract art works with bold colour combinations and geometric structured forms, a style that is perfectly in harmony with the artistic vision of the designers at FACE A FACE. Above: the new Faces frame fuses the artistic vision of Poundstone and the signature geometric styling of FACE A FACE sunglasses – the special edition frame was shown for the first time at the LOFT Eyewear Show

FACE A FACE party ‘ LOFT NYC 2025 – from left to right: Claire Ferreira (FACE A FACE), Jessica Poundstone and Marianne Dezes (FACE A FACE – photo: Mahka Eslami

FACE A FACE have announced this new artistic project – entitled FACE A FACE 3.0 – during a launch party to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary, held at the LOFT at Chelsea Industrial, NYC. The intimate event was attended by the FACE A FACE team, the designers Claire Ferreira and Marianne Dezes, US customers and special guest, Jessica Poundstone who spoke about her vibrant colour explorations and invited guests to have ‘a play with colour’ and a relaxing moment of drawing for themselves.

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rolf. /></a></div></div><p>The new frame from FACE A FACE (pictured top) is now available to order and comes in a striking colour combination of translucent shopcking pink and bright blue.</p><p><em>About Jessica Poundstone – Jessica is involved in many creative projects that we recommend to our readers: most recently, she has published a book called “Museum of Dogs, a romp through art history for dog people”…releasing in June in Europe. S</em><em>he is also a selected artist in Louis Vuitton stores around the world. </em><em>For more information about the Anniversary, visit</em> <a href=www.faceaface-paris.com – to find out more about Jessica’s work, visit www.jessicapoundstone.com

100% Optical, London: 2025 edition

A strong emphasis on ‘focusing on the future’, a wide-reaching line up of exhibitors, and what was described as “a jam-packed educational programme with more than 100 hours of free CPD content” contributed to a successful show overall for 2025 

100% Optical has also grown its representation of independent eyewear brands, with 2025 featuring a wider selection of creative established and emerging labels including Danielle Rattray, VAVA, Erker’s, MYKITA, Dita, RES/REI, ROLF, FACE A FACE, Portrait, Clayton Franklin, Kirk and Kirk and GAZUSA, among others. Those seeking sustainable eyewear were also well served with a choice of brands which included Sea2see, Bird and Waterfall.

Brands exhibiting for the first time at the event included OTIS Eyewear from Australia, an established eyewear brand with a leaning towards a fusion of quality features, sustainable materials with excellent lens technology: collections by DITA, Chains for Frames and Flippan Look also made their first appearance at the show. Above: VAVA Eyewear returned to 100% Optical – originating from Portugal, VAVA is one of the hottest and most highly regarded avantgarde independent eyewear collections – image courtesy of 100% Optical

OTIS Eyewear: the collection was shown for the first time at 100% by The Eyewear Collective

In the LOVE  Eyewear Awards by 100% Optical, independent brands were also well represented with prizes going to Tanaka eyewear (new designer 2025), VASUMA (unisex frame of the year), Clayton Franklin (luxury eyewear of the year), Spada Laura/ GAZUSA (Women’s frame of the year) and Götti Dimension Next (kid’s frame of the year), among others. The Optical Gallery won recognition for the Best Use of Social Media.

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Bay Window by Erker’s – model Farmington – Erker’s returns annually to 100% Optical
Woow Eyewear: the brand was exhibited on the Design Eyewear Group stand at 100% Optical, with FACE A FACE, Prodesign and William Morris London

“We’d like to extend a special thank you to our valued exhibitors, sponsors, and all of the visitors who made 100% Optical the must-attend event for the industry again,” said Celsa Vazquez, Commercial Director, CloserStill Media. “This exhibition is a true celebration of innovation, expertise, and collaboration and this year was no different. We showcased a new layout and reimagined floor plan, encouraged the industry to clock hours in CPD and witnessed so many exciting launches….”

Model Joel in the Kaleidoscope Collection by Kirk and Kirk: a new entry for Spring

Kirk & Kirk introduced the models Joel (above) and Ruth, among others, at the London fair. From the Kaleidoscope Collection, model Joel offers a strong silhouette that plays to the chunky yet lightweight material; model Ruth, a gently curved, sensuous form  brings a new feminine dimension to the collection overall. Crafted from their own K-Lite™ material, a sheet material specially produced for Kirk & Kirk in Italy, these frames are light and comfortable to wear, and come in unique colours, allowing the collection to stand out in a crowd.

Next year, the London show 100% Optical will take place from 28th February to 2nd March 2026 at Excel London. For more information visit www.100percentoptical.com

Gai Gherardi, l.a. Eyeworks, 1946-2025

Gai Gherardi, co-founder and creative director of l.a.Eyeworks—revolutionizing the eyewear industry and how it’s marketed, forging an influential design vernacular, and championing artists along the way—died Sunday, 16th March 2025, following a brief illness due to cholangiocarcinoma. She was 78.

Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds transformed eyewear when the high school friends-turned-licensed opticians opened an optical boutique on Melrose Avenue in 1979. Within the year, the eyewear fanatics launched a signature frame despite neither being formally trained in design. Brand and store, along with provocative slogans in the windows, soon became the heart of that storied street’s counter-cultural identity (punks, rockabillies, new wavers) thanks to an avid following of creatives and celebrities, and the founders’ deep support of artists.

Their approach to merchandising shifted the way consumers perceived eyewear: as a sculpture to be viewed from all angles within a retail space that evoked a (friendly) art gallery. Among the distinguishing details: rounded temple tips inspired by Gherardi’s affinity for Australian green tree frogs. Eschewing visible logos on their designs, the frog-toe temple tip is an insider signal among architects to troubadours alike.

“A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame.” This slogan defines the long-running black-and-white portrait ad campaign with photographer Greg Gorman. Pee-wee Herman (the late Paul Reubens), who trained a few doors away as a Groundling, featured in the first ad in 1982. Since, it’s been a roll call of iconoclasts: Grace Jones, John Waters, George Clinton, David Hockney, Rufus Wainright, Zandra Rhodes, Sir Ian McKellen, Jodie Foster, RuPaul and, most recently, Justin Vivian Bond. Elton John, who would send a tall Louis Vuitton trunk with individual drawers for all the frames he scooped up, also featured in the portrait series, now well past the 200 mark and counting. Grafiche Damiani published 171 of those images in a lavish book in 2011.

Gherardi was born on 8th July, 1946, in Glendale, CA, and raised an hour south in Huntington Beach. In the halls of that surf city’s eponymous high school and already conveying her maverick style in combat boots (to the prom, no less), Gherardi met McReynolds. The pair bonded instantly over folk music and eyewear.

Glasses were an obsession for both. So much so that a teen McReynolds with 20/20 vision faked an eye exam, and, after months of taxing her optometrist to find the perfect frames, scored a job in his office. When the doctor opened a branch near UC Irvine in 1965, McReynolds hooked up Gherardi with employment there.

When the friends opened the Melrose mothership on 9th September, 1979, Gherardi, in an interview, recalled that glasses “were still considered such a prosthesis. There was a lot of inhibition to wear them. But we were fearless about digging around to find great glasses.” Within months of opening, they submitted a sketch to a French eyewear maker: a classic acetate frame that nodded to those worn by lifeguards. They christened the unisex style “The Beat.”

Hundreds of influential original frame designs in expressive colorways have followed, manufactured in Europe and Asia according to the highest standards in the marketplace. In 1984, Eyeworks 3 launched, with partner Margo Willits and an office in France, to distribute the line worldwide.

Their distinct signature frames have been exhibited at the London Design Museum, the London Craft Council, the Los Angeles Craft Museum, the London College of Fashion, and the Chicago Athenaeum, among others. The limited-edition “Face It” collection, l.a.Eyeworks frames custom-embellished by artists, designers, and jewelers, has toured worldwide. Passionate about glasses as objects, Gherardi and McReynolds amassed an extensive collection of vintage fantasy frames, which has also toured museums internationally.

The brand’s credits in Hollywood and music are significant, including cult classics such as “Thelma and Louise” and “The Matrix.” But it’s the shopfront’s representation, albeit apocalyptic, in “Blade Runner” that continues to send fans emailing the company to this day.

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Forays into expression and artist collaborations have proven limitless, from programming to architecture to merchandising. In contrast to Gorman’s high-contrast, timeless portraits, l.a.Eyeworks launched the Technicolor “Uncensored Visions” ad campaign in 2019. Shot by LA lensman Josef Jasso, it has featured electroclash star Peaches, drag star Murray Hill, thereminist Armen Ra, and LA punk icon Alice Bag.

The collector series of lens cleaning cloths, rolled out in 2009, taps rising and established artists such as Catherine Opie, Barbara Kruger, Isaac Julien, and, most recently, Gabriela Ruiz. From Day One, the store windows have featured thought-provoking, double-entendre messages and site-specific installations with commissioned artists, characterized by offbeat humor, agitprop, and the celebration of the absurd to comment on culture, gender, and politics. Among the most talked about, and in response to the government’s challenge with talking about condoms during the AIDS crisis, was the late Robert Warner’s assemblage of black frames inside condoms hanging by threads behind the window vinyl “Safe Spex.” More recently, fun puns include “Elect to Think,” the Supreme Court-inspired “Eye Object,” and the Pride-fueled “Wear Them Out.” “The statements we make with our windows have more to do about dialogue with our community,” Gherardi once told the Los Angeles Times. “We use our windows to talk. The essence of this company is doing those things we believe in. How we live our life, how we conduct our business is our activism.”

“The genius of what Gherardi and McReynolds created with l.a.Eyeworks is its infinite flexibility and knack for zeroing in on timeless concepts,” notes Robert Rich, CEO of l.a.Eyeworks. “It’s a legacy we will proudly carry forward into the future.” That future nears as the company readies a new retail flagship in a campus-like setting on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. That complex is slated to open later this spring.

Gherardi devoted considerable resources and time to freedom of expression (summed up in the catchphrase “Uncensored Visions”), women’s rights (Planned Parenthood, among them) and AIDS-relief organizations (Project Angel Food). She was serving as board president of Art Matters, the NYC-based nonprofit which has gifted 2,000 grants to artists since 1985, at the time of her death. She also regularly served on national arts and design juries; and lectured internationally on design and brand development.For the first time in its history in 1991, the Stanford Conference on Design acknowledged their optical designs under the industrial design category–an important break for the duo and for the eyewear industry. In 1992, they received the Gold Award for product design from International Design Magazine.

The partners successfully ventured into the dining business in the 1980s with now-famed chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken on the critically acclaimed City Café, City and Border Grill restaurants.

Gherardi was also a fervid protector of the environment, specifically the endangered California Desert Tortoise.

In addition to the l.a.Eyeworks family of two dozen employees worldwide, and a global network of vendors and sales representatives, Gherardi is survived by her life partner of 50 years Rhonda Saboff; sister Heather Gherardi; nephew Jett Schuster, grandnephew Mason Schuster, grandniece Stella Schuster; stepsisters Michelle and Rene Gherardi, and goddaughters Sula Fay and Pazia Luz Bermudez-Silverman.

McReynolds retired from formal duty in 2011, and she has continued to provide her creative two cents in an advisory role during near-daily morning coffees with her high-school friend.

A life celebration for Los Angeles and New York is in the early planning stages. Photography by Sula Bermudez-Silverman / special thanks to Brent Zerger / www.laeyeworks.com

Store opening: Printemps, Financial District, NYC

Everything is eye-catching in the first Printemps in the US – the store occupies two floors of One Wall Street, featuring the historic Red Room, decorated with a mural by Hildreth Meière – graffiti on the exterior clearly states this store is “not a department store”…

The interior, designed by Laura Gonzalez, is luxurious, tasteful, and attentive to details, with sophisticated textiles, oak displays, vintage furniture and wall paintings. More iconic museum or luxurious art gallery, and inspired by Parisian apartments, the store boasts the iconic Red Room, decorated with an historic mosaic mural created by the American Art Deco artist Hildreth Meière, in 1931. The room, which has not been open to the public for some years, is an architectural gem which has been beautifully renovated as a sparkling backdrop for the shoe collections curated by Printemps for the particularly unique surroundings, with some shoe colours matching the interior style. Above: the iconic Red Room has been transformed into a luxury shoe salon – the room is famous for the red and gold mosaic tiles that cover the wall and ceiling – it is expected to become known as “the most beautiful shoe salon in the world” and for art aficionados it will become a destination…. 

Printemps, NYC

The store also offers an exclusive concept which is immediately apparent for those used to shopping in department stores. There are no shop-in-shop areas and the products are presented first and foremost according to style, colour and design as opposed to price or brand, meaning that everything is curated and placed with a free and much more creative vision than would be possible in dedicated spaces by collection and brand.

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Beyond the stunning Red Room, the store also features many other areas that are refined, carefully coordinated and wonderful to visit as an experience. They include a sneaker room with a perfectly curated overview of what’s outstanding in this category – we have read that this room will also be used for other events and meditation;  a minimal beauty corridor en route to the Red Room featuring French cosmetic brands such as Cottan, a brand with stunning packaging that dates back to 1840. The luxury highlights will include creative jewellery by Coppola e Toppo, the iconic Italian jewellery label, which will be on show in the Printemps Boudoir this week, alongside an exhibition of Jean Paul Gaultier pieces that pay homage to the French haute couture designer’s much adored  signature style.

Printemps New York will be officially opened on Thursday 21st March 2025. All photos by Eyestylist.com + all rights reserved – This feature was written by Clodagh Norton for Eyestylist.com. Personal thanks to @pietro_paolo_longhitano, Creative Director, Coppola e Toppo for the recommendation and insights.

Australian independent brand OTIS Eyewear launches in UK

The independent premium lifestyle brand from Australia was presented to optical retailers and press at an exclusive launch party in White City House, London – the event was attended by the cricket legends, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan 

OTIS Eyewear, an established high-quality sunglasses brand founded in Yallingup, Australia, has launched in the UK, with The Eyewear Collective, a newly formed eyewear distribution company with a curated selection of brands and marketing services for independent opticians (@theeyewearcollective). Otis Eyewear’s CEO, Nathan Omodei, and cricket legends Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan were present at the special launch party in London which took place in the exclusive White City House. During the evening Nathan Omodei expressed his excitement at bringing the brand to the UK. The collection offers an award-winning plano sun range featuring a trade marked LIT lens, with properties such as excellent colour enhancement, contrast and reduced glare. The brand is also expanding into Rx, Omodei announced during the presentation of the brand. “With several years of searching and testing behind us, we’re excited to launch OTIS LIT Rx here in the UK as part of our global launch of this product,” he said. Above: OTIS Eyewear is well known in Australia for its high quality and its commitment to using mineral glass lenses; the brand is B-Corp Certified and places emphasis on its sustainable orientation in product development. OTIS Eyewear is launched in the UK through The Eyewear Collective, a newly formed eyewear business which launched officially at 100% Optical, London 

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Launch event in London: OTIS Eyewear – Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan were special guests and spoke about their career highlights  –  image credit: @ga_walker

About OTIS Eyewear: The sunglass brand was founded in 2000, built with the intention of creating premium eyewear with a quality-driven timeless style and exclusively featuring mineral glass lenses. Celebrating 25 years in 2025, OTIS is looking forward to expansion beyond Australia and further championing their commitment to craftsmanship, style and sustainability – “to see the world through a clearer lens”. OTIS frames are built on qualities of “style, durability, sustainability and technical excellence”. To find out more about OTIS Eyewear visit https://otiseyewear.com – Photography by Grant Walker @ga_walker