Eyestylist

“While spectacles are a growing fashion phenomena, there are too many unattractive and unfashionable items in the eyewear accessory market,” says the owner of Diffuser, a Japanese independent label that is already a leader in its field at home in Tokyo. Masaki Hirose, formerly at eyewear brand Dita, questioned the situation and turned his attention to developing attractive, distinctive accessories designed for men and women with discerning taste.

Launched in 2012, Diffuser’s concept is to create a well designed set of timeless accessories – with more accessibility for men, in well crafted quality materials, including leather and silver. “We are offering customers the satisfaction of wearing a better product – at an affordable price,” says Hirose. “The range now includes glasses cords, eyewear cases and pouches and some small leather goods – all of them coordinating with one another.”

Diffuser designs are original and come in a tasteful colour palette which includes natural tan, navy and black, with gold lettering – well suited to luxury eyewear and classically focused yet in line with contemporary trends. The accessories are widely available in Japan and are stocked by a selection of handpicked optical stores worldwide including Milan Lunetier (Paris), Haute Eye (S. Korea) and Senses Optik (Hong Kong). For more information visit: www.diffuser-tokyo.com CN

Ingenious technology, pure aesthetics and streamlined style culminated in The Götti Perspective Collection (optical designs top image) being awarded Gold at the International Design Awards (IDA) in Los Angeles. The jury selected visionary designers who are pioneering in the way they think, innovate and energise inspiration and creativity. The IDA award is considered to be one of the most significant design awards in North America.

The Götti Perspective design is a simple lens assembly involving a 3D-printed push-fit system. This technical innovation features no screws or adhesives. Numerous possibilities in colours and shapes are created with just a few cutting-edge components. Sven Götti, Creative Director and CEO researched  – relentlessly  – to develop a new design language that resulted in The Perspective Collection. Götti said: “We are delighted that we were able to impress the jury as a Swiss company with our system of innovative rimless glasses.” Visit www.gotti.ch and experience gold-medal winning creativity. JG

The sun is shining! ‘Tis the season for fun and adventure! From festivals to fireworks, beach to boating escapades – sunglasses are the ideal accessory for summer style – and protective shade from UV radiation. The abundant selection is resplendent – with creatively designed, artisan-crafted frames, in beautiful materials and colours. Peak holiday season is on the horizon – and here are stunning sunglasses to provide fashion mojo and protect your eyes. Purity of line, luxurious crafted materials, and colours reflecting nature’s magnificence hallmark the Norwegian brand Karmoie, including Rise in Bark acetate (above).

Lightweight Earth acrylic is both durable and strong, and the luminosity of the material is bold and effective in Max, by Kirk & Kirk from the Sunglass Collection. www.kirkandkirk.com

Perfectly balanced silhouettes from the elegant Swiss brand Von Arkel are crafted in premium materials, and feature the amazing Caliber hinges with a foundation in watchmaking. www.vonarkel.com

For genuine summer cool and sophistication, Luca Gnecchi Ruscone has launched The Yacht Club Collection. The Skipper, in acetate covered with a special rubber layer, is destined to live life in Yachts Clubs, or on the water. More details at www.lgrworld.com

Sleek and contemporary – Bon by Fleye Copenhagen is distinguished by a double bridge and available in beta-titanium in subtle, distinctive colourations including semi-matt copper (above). www.fleye.dk

Carter Bond creates dashing titanium sunglass designs for men in timeless shapes – with classy details. www.carterbond.com

Tri-colour acetate highlights the holiday spirit in sun designs by the French label Plein Les Mirettes, made in Normandy. www.plein-les-mirettes.fr

Celebrate summer in ic-berlin’s Hauptstadt gunmetal sunglasses – strong in shape, character and quality. Handmade in Berlin. www.ic-berlin.de JG

Jonathan Hennessy Sceats – known in the eyewear world as Jono Hennessy – has been inducted into the Design Institute of Australia’s Hall of Fame, at the National Gallery of Victoria. Jono’s father was an optician, so he grew up watching his dad perform eye tests and fitting fashion bespoke optical designs for his clients. Like father, like son…Jono developed a love for artisan eyewear and inherited the same devotion to quality and workmanship.

In the 1980’s, Jono began designing under his own label, and was a creative innovator, and soon the frames became the number one brand in Australia. A combination of an eccentric flair for life, passion for his country – which often inspire his designs – and always supporting the collaboration between independent designers and independent optometrists around the world, Hennessy has made significant contributions to Australian and international design.

The induction into the Australia Hall of Fame is a celebration of his achievements and dedication to his stellar career and creative innovation. Jono Hennessy will present their latest collections this weekend at Sydney SILMO 20-22 July. www.jonohennessy.com JG

Vintage influences always arise in the new collections, often with a subtlety that points to a particularly innovative direction or careful study of a timeless look from the past. The half moon, the monocle, the pince nez and classic reading glasses designs of the early 1900s – all of these specialist vintage designs have come into play in recent collections, influencing details and shapes with elegant, traditional and timeless overtones.

The award-winning Seeoo Classic reading glass design, described as a contemporary revisiting of the everlasting historical glasses, “pince-nez” comes from one of just a few specialist Austrian producers of eyewear. Connecting manufacturing tradition and contemporary technology, the Seeoo collection is made with Mazzucchelli® acetate and each design comes with a designer case, created for protection as well as ease of carrying. The mobile phone case is particularly practical. More designs are available at www.seeooshop.eu

The Parisian brand Lafont has a huge collection of perfectly formed antique-inspired designs including model Colette, also reminiscent of the classical shape of the pince-nez. The ever popular round eye shape paired with a high nose bridge is distinctive and refined, and the coloration – among them this gold and subtle tortoise combination – adds old-fashioned distinction and individuality. www.lafont.com

The Italian brand L.G.R is similarly in tune with the most iconic vintage designs which in the present day reemerge with refinement and love for authentic Italian artisan craftsmanship. Sunglass style model Tuareg – combines an ultra thin metal frame, high narrow brow bar and classical blue coloured oversized round zero base lens in a design that perfectly balances design of the past with sought after modern practicalities such as high-class UV protection and comfort and fit. For more classic inspired design by Luca Gnecchi Ruscone, the Founder of L.G.R, visit www.lgrworld.com CN

 

Soft, pastel colours in fashion and eyewear create a refreshing tone when summer temperatures are sizzling. Airy and light, a pastel palette flows with revitalising ambience. Frames with muted intonations highlight designer collections – here are elegant choices to welcome record-breaking temperatures with cool poise – and style savvy. Pretty in pink…(above) Swiss brand Sol Sol Ito 019 AC in delicate pink acetate, sprinkled with glitter. www.solsolito.com

Jono Hennessy’s Limited Edition style 8449 is available in an alluring array of colours: aquamarine (above) plus tea rose, sky blue, and pistachio. www.jonohennessy.com

Cool and classy – Res/Rei’s Cocktail Collection includes streamlined Daiquiri in high-density Mazzucchelli acetate. www.resrei.com

Glamour and glitter: Bang Bang Baby by Anna-Karin Karlsson combines 24K Gold Plated stainless steel and acetate with graceful muted tones, and sparkling Swarovski Crystals. www.annakarinkarlsson.com

SALT. Optics Landry – its purity of line in Lemon acetate reflects bracingly chilled lemonade on a shaded terrace. www.saltoptics.com

Karmoie’s sleek frame Player in Twig is meticulously crafted with beautiful proportions and fine details. www.karmoie.com JG

A different site and new eyewear brands create a stimulating and exciting platform for the 2018 edition of Die Brillenmesse Stuttgart. Garage 229 is the ultra-spacious location, an Art Deco building with convenient access, lighting, and a favourite setting for music and motor events. On 13th and 14th October, Garage 229 will host independent eyewear designers – featuring well-established labels and recent launches. The award winning Swiss brand Götti sets the scene with stunning designs that include the beautifully crafted 3D Dimension (above) the technically brilliant Perspective Collection; and the elegant Götti Switzerland Collection. www.gotti.ch

The colour spectrum is re-invented by 450 Ultra Limited with their expressive eyewear designs. Bolzano is among the unique frames crafted in Italy that will be presented in Stuttgart. www.450vision.com

Mazzucchelli taupe acetate silhouettes the contemporary and streamlined design by NIRVAN JAVIN, from the beautiful Swiss-designed collection of optical frames and sunglasses.  www.nirvanjavan.com

Timeless designs by Koberg in Germany combine stainless steel and acetate in style 6998 with metallic lacquer details and acetate end tips. Discover more at www.koberg-brillen.de

Mark those dates now! October 13th and 14th for Die Brillenmesse Stuttgart in a unique, divergent  venue – Garage 229. www.diebrillenmesse.de JG

Ten years ago, Nathanael Wenger conceived a contemporary concept for an eyewear event – Hall of Frames Zurich. Artisan, independent brands would be featured, and Wenger was keen to find a unique location with sufficient space, amenities, and an historic past – blending both modern marketing techinques – with memorable, entertaining potential. He succeeded with Papiersaal, a noteworthy industrial building in central Zurich that is surrounded by modern architecture. With its convenient location the hall specialises in private, corporate and public events.

For a period, HOF Zurich was in other locations; now for the 10th anniversary of this annual eyewear event, the show returns to Papiersaal for a gala showcase of prestigious eyewear specialists. Participants include leading brands featured in the finest optical boutiques – including Götti Switzerland; Neubau Eyewear; Orgreen Optics; Von Arkel; Woow Eyewear; Falvin; Blackfin; Coblens; Face à Face Paris; and Specs Lab Zurich among other ultra-quality labels. Von Arkel (top image) will present their elegant designs including style 0807-001 from the Entourage Buffalo horn/Caliber 9 collection. www.vonarkel.com

Timeless designs in a variety of intriguing shapes feature at Coblens – the German label noted for its distinctive double-bridge styles. www.coblens.com

Bold and imaginative colours highlight Face à Face Paris frames in acetate (above) plus acetate and aluminium combinations. www.faceaface-paris.com

Retro and futuristic elements harmonise in Silverdale BF828 from the Blackfin Black Edition designs. The exclusive finish is possible with the Blackfin Nano-Plating treatment. www.blackfin.eu

Come join the fun – both business and pleasure – at Hall of Frames Zurich – 07-08 October at Papiersaal. www.hallofframes.ch JG

The charm of current trends in eyewear and the effect of ground-breaking technological advancements is nowhere more evident than in the men’s eclectic eyewear collections. Gone are the ordinary shapes and lack lustre colours, replaced by specs styles with beautiful  finishes, colour enhancements, tiny embellishments or special details to catch the eye.

Materials are a particular mode of expression for this new direction, whether traditional (with a new colour proposal) or more avantgarde or complex in how the final result is achieved.

Above: Illustrating an acute attention to details to create an effect: Original Penguin’s the Moocher, which has the look of a suspended lens, with a coloured frame and crystal inner eye rim. www.kenmarkeyewear.com

For luxury, acetate model 9256 by the Australian eyewear brand Carter Bond, designed by Jono Hennessy, concentrates on a superb tonal range: colours in the latest WONDERLUST collection emerge from a naturally deep base of woodland and camouflage torts. Softer shades blend together into a range that has been designed “to work with their tonal partners and textural contrasts.” www.carterbond.com

Kafée Racer, a new capsule collection from Tavat Eyewear, is the result of a design competition run at the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California. The winning student, Miguel Harry, went on to collaborate on a statement piece with the brand, inspired by the world of Café Racing, striving to produce eyewear with the functional and aesthetic elements of the classic motorcycles. Tavat saw this piece at a perfect addition to the collection, which focuses on combining form with function and designing technical eyewear with purpose. www.tavat-eyewear.com

The beautiful originality of the vinyl frames in Tipton’s Vinylize collection comes from their texture and striped coloration, as well as their understated shapes. The frames are produced in Budapest, and hand finished with quality features such as resistant 3 barrel hinges. For further details visit www.vinylize.com

With a camo colour theme, and expertly finished bevelling which lends a sculptured effect to temples, Claire Goldsmith’s model Hendrix is a bold chic statement in her latest collection that pays attention to classic highlights – such as the tiny traditional double rivets at the temples – with a heritage that includes the most eloquent of celebrity endorsements for this type of chunky acetate design, notably the British actor Michael Caine. www.olivergoldsmith.com CN

Certain blue tones are like a rhapsody – expressive and effusive. Blue hues are harmoniously connected with the sea and sky: plus depth, stability, loyalty, faith, confidence and wisdom. French artist Yves Klein registered his own blue – International Klein Blue – and in 1957 he declared: “The whole world is blue”, and created a Klein Blue Globe. Eyewear designers fall under the beautiful blue spell as well with stunning, uniquely crafted frames that frequently reference the magic and variety of the colour. Chic frame designs by Plein Les Mirettes include Hybride 3 (top image) in lively blue acetate with metal details. www.plein-les-mirettes.fr

Theo was inspired by Japan – the culture, beauty and yes…the noodles. Oodles of noodles are everywhere in Japan, and theo captured the fluent noodle shapes in five masterful stainless steel frames – including SOBA – in brilliant blue – and other amazing colours. www.theo.be

Titanium is the sleek material in l.a. Eyeworks symmetrically sculpted design in Bic blue. The elegant shape is further enhanced with finely crafted detailing on the frame front. www.laeyeworks.com

A glorious shade of Ocean Blue in acrylic highlights Justin from Kirk & Kirk. The shape is bold and streamlined, with subtle intricate detailing. www.kirkandkirk.com

Zac Posen’s men collection includes designs that reflect old-world style, while utilising contemporary, custom materials, hardware and hinges. A handsome oval shape  – linear and lightweight – highlights Delany in Midnight Blue. www.kenmarkeyewear.com JG