Eyestylist

Design & Inspiration

White glasses: for a pristine chic image this summer

22nd April 2021

White glasses could give you the fresh face you’re looking for!

As new season updates are more desirable than ever (after months of lockdown dressing) striking out with a fresh image is on many people’s minds. Among the colour directions on course to make a mark for summer 21, a predilection for black and white (or a crisp clean white with nuanced tones of the season) appears to offer a fine and elegant solution for fashion and frames – a statement of simplicity, with a nod to Chanel and the runways of the 90s.  Above: Gigi Studios Icons – Quartz – the universal round panto shape for men or women, model Quartz in stainless steel by Gigi Studios is available in six colorways including a shiny silver with rims hand-painted in cream – https://gigistudios.com

Model Maplewood from Erker’s – playing with the monochrome trend in a classic “tailored” design

The US family-owned label Erker’s has just announced some of their fresh looks for the season. One of the favourites we identified is model Maplewood, a classic American-style half-rim shape, with contemporary ‘angular’ top rim. The stainless steel base with pristine white upper rim offers a chic interpretation of the monochrome palette. www.erkers.com

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OGI Eyewear
Götti Switzerland
LINDBERG
White with other tones: Woow Brightside1 – a very modern colour palette has arrived, meeting our need for ‘joie de vivre’ this season

From the free-spirited French Woow Eyewear line, where colour is always fun and fascinating, the model Brightside1 is part of new releases designed to refresh and energise. The tri-colour variation featuring white on the upper rim and salmon pink on the lower section, combined with a gold metal bridge offers a mood of playfulness and intrigue, with which to take on the new world. See more Woow frames at www.wooweyewear.com

STYLING ADVICE – a note on wearing white on the face: white glasses suit many complexions and we advise to try both all-white and white with metal or other colours to see how the mix effects the look. All-white glasses – just like sunglasses – can look really stunning on many skin tones and particularly olive and black tones. For paler complexions, you can also try off-white – cream, blush and ivory tones are slightly warmer and easier to wear as are the transparent crystal tones which are elegant and timeless. The black and white combo is also one to try if you want a statement look that is very much on-trend in fashion, and if you are coordinating your look with a monochrome outfit, head to toe.

Design & Inspiration

Future icon: Kuboraum X-Series mask: X10 and X11

20th April 2021

Powerful asymmetric statement mask design by the Berlin-based creative label

In fashion, asymmetry is daring, whether for the cut of a neckline or the drape of a hem. In eyewear, the effect on the face is positively dramatic so much so that most of the great designers have tried it. Pierre Cardin was drawn to the concept in the 1960s in oversized styles with immeasurable wit (a square eye shape next to a circle), while iconic designers, from Silhouette to Mikli, Casanova to Cazal have all taken their turn to reinvent the frame with an asymmetric line or colour mix that completely challenges the norm.

This season, the Berlin designers at Kuboraum have created one of the eye-catchers of the year in their X-Series, taking a clean-cut, iconic shape and revitalising the shape in a new and progressive unisex mask, one that will be a reference for those who follow the fashion history of frames. Above: girl wears the unisex monochrome X11 – with asymmetric shape and colour scheme in white with smoke

Kuboraum: the all black matt version of the X11 mask

The X10 and X11 masks come in the form of asymmetrical silhouettes, oversized (X10) or slim and narrow (X11), played out in bold proportions with the accentuation of volume through a vertical sharp cut precisely which brakes up the shapes into two diverging levels of chunky 5mm and 7mm thick acetate. Each of the lenses is marginally offset to the other completing their dynamic statement. 

BLACKFIN
Götti Switzerland
MOREL par Jean Nouvel
X11 by Kuboraum in Havana

X10 and X11 come as part of a Spring release that also embraces variety and diversity – and beautiful balanced colour. Highlights for collectors (as well as the above) will include the H92 mask, an acetate and metal ‘frame within a frame’ design with the authentic handcrafted traits of the Kuboraum style.

Kuboraum is one of the featured outstanding independent brands in the Eyestylist sunglasses bulletin, published this month – click on the link to read the features: https://www.eyestylist.com/eyestylist-trend-bulletin-issue-3/ Find out more about Kuboraum’s new concepts and current music and shop-in-shop activities at www.kuboraum.com

Design & Inspiration

The architect Jean Nouvel interprets the frame

16th April 2021

A glasses line by the award-winning architect, in collaboration with French company Morel

National Museum of Qatar in Doha. Skyscraper ‘La Marseillaise’ in the South of France. The bullet-shaped Torre Glories (formally Agbar), Barcelona. The Louvre Abu Dhabi. Nouvel is the architect behind these and many other buildings of international significance, and has become revered for his work worldwide – his experimental attitude goes hand in hand with a fascination for design innovation, contrasts in light and shadow, and colour and transparent effects.  And now the architect has turned for the first time to glasses, collaborating on a capsule collection with the historic French company Morel and creating designs that prioritise simplicity and a clean and minimal look. Above: essential elements such as structure, material and lines create a visual aesthetic, both in eyewear and in architecture: girl wears the panto as interpreted by Nouvel – model 90009C

Morel by Jean Nouvel: model 90009C in crystal

“I am not a designer but an architect who designs. I call my objects my small architectures. With these glasses, I wanted to be confronted with archetypes. I wanted to develop the glasses type around great simplicity. I immediately had two circles and a horizontal in mind…” Jean Nouvel

LINDBERG
OGI Eyewear

Key elements of the architect’s spectacle designs are the perfectly round circles, polished edges, and attention on the horizontal lines and how they play out for the human face. Continuity is a considered factor to harmonise the front with the temples, an important detail which lends the frames a strong and eloquent architectural style.

Morel by Jean Nouvel model 90009C in red
A clear architectural style: Morel by architect Jean Nouvel: 90008C in titanium

The collection includes acetate models and fine titanium frames, materials selected for their comfort and functionality as well as their quality and powerful aesthetic. Acetate allows for a play on depth and colour, while the titanium gives a comfortable lightweight fit and creates a special finesse in the construction of the frame. Providing absolute versatility each optical shape – round or panto – selected as an architectural ‘icon’ –  is available in a corresponding sunglass fitted with CR39 polarized lenses with an anti-reflective blue interior. Find out more about Morel on Eyestylist by clicking on the link: https://www.eyestylist.com/2019/06/morel-collection-1880/ To see the full MOREL by Jean Nouvel collection visit www.morel-france.com

Creative spirits

Vogue Business: Jess Lawrence, social manager

13th April 2021

Jess Lawrence (@jessylaw) has reached a place that many fashion-orientated young people can only dream of: influencer, businesswoman, model and style icon – she is also famously known for her infinite curated collection of sneakers. Jess graduated from university with a BA in English Language and Literature. From there she went to Expedia where she first worked officially with, and fostered her talents in social media – but her ambition, hunger and passion for a career in the fashion industry was not satisfied. She moved to a position at U-Magazine, went from success to success in different aspects of her career, and then secured her current position as the social media manager of Vogue Business. Eyestylist met with Jess – albeit virtually – and her creative and warm personality easily radiated through the screen, as did her immaculate unique sense of fashion.

What have been your biggest personal and professional challenges throughout the pandemic? Do you think the past year has had an impact on the fashion industry as a whole? If so, what impact? From a work perspective and a personal perspective, I’m a really in-person kind of person. I really respond to the environment I’m in; energy, movement and things like that are so important – especially in an industry like fashion, that is so vibrant in nature. I think it’s difficult for us to have such an integral part of our professional atmosphere taken away; fashion week, events, presentations, photoshoots – they’re all the reasons we want to get into fashion, most of our inspiration is taken from real people doing real things – when that’s gone, what are we left with? Everything is online, you have to see the world through a screen; the environment created is one that doesn’t really promote inspiration. However, although there has been a significantly negative impact, the positive progression regarding sustainability within the industry is immeasurable. In terms of technology capabilities like VR and AR which have really evolved, and also I think we have learned what works and what doesn’t – we have seen that though it is possible to make fashion week virtual, attendance is really low and there just isn’t an appetite for it – people crave the real time, lived experience and are eager to get back to that. One thing I am sure of is that when we do come back into the real world, we’ll take a lot of these learnings from this time with us, and in applying them we will create a better industry as a whole.

LINDBERG
Götti Switzerland
BLACKFIN
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Jess Lawrence: social manager, Vogue Business

The ‘sustainability’ buzz words are everywhere at the moment – without making this a leading question – I personally do try and be as sustainable as I can be and would consider myself pretty passionate about sustainability, but, in the nature of the industry we both work in – that can be hard. What does sustainability mean to you? What do you do if anything in order to “consume consciously” / be sustainable? I think everyone is at home, plugged in and really focused on what is going on outside their windows; now more than ever people are wanting to improve the world we live in, so that when we can go back out there it’s ready to greet us with open arms. Highlighting the problems and inconsistencies within the industry regarding sustainability is necessary and I welcome it – it’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind, designers, manufacturers and consumers are taking it into account more than ever before. One of the main things I have done myself to ‘consume consciously’ is eliminating any / all fast-fashion from my purchasing totally. I think that really happened when I joined Vogue Business – it’s like a switch flipped; once you know how bad it is, you can’t really go back to it. The biggest obstacle we face in this area is how to reduce the price-point of sustainably made clothing; we need to make it more widely accessible to more people – apps like Depop and eBay are an amazing resource for this reason, but if we want sustainable fashion to replace fast-fashion, it needs to be able to compete with it at that price point where younger consumers can engage with it. I can see many exciting changes happening in the next months and years to come. (more…)

Design & Inspiration

Diffuser Tokyo: from passion to product

12th April 2021

Accessories and lifestyle brand from Japan continues to present a wide array of fresh concepts which are both functional and quietly stylish

An expanding accessories label rooted in Japanese tradition, Diffuser Tokyo’s founder Masaki Hirose has a love for tradition and craftsmanship in his home country of Japan where he continues to develop what has become one of eyewear’s most distinctive labels for exclusive optical accessories. Products include leather cases and cords, as well as stunning items for presentation and display, created by hand in the Japanese capital using carefully sourced materials including luxurious leathers and silver. Above: frame cord and bracelets by Diffuser Tokyo – designed as a perfect match for high quality eyewear, for men and women

Diffuser Tokyo: leather cords featuring branding in golden lettering

The array of products by Diffuser take into account qualities such as practicality and efficiency as designs that can be worn and used to hold glasses, but also open a new opportunity for a more stylish luxury leaning suited to the finest eyewear products – something that has long been required as an opportune purchase for the customers of the best eyewear stores particularly.

MOREL par Jean Nouvel
OGI Eyewear
Diffuser Tokyo: an eyewear ‘pouch’ to wear around the neck

A simple quite discreet eyewear carrier to wear around the neck is among our favourite styles for the S/S season, produced in fine leather with the familiar gold “Diffuser” branding. The designs include a variety of colours and patterns including a new croc embossed leather.

About the brand: DIFFUSER TOKYO is an eyewear accessory brand that launched in autumn 2012. Masaki Hirose, who has worked on domestic sales of a leading global eyewear brand, formed a team of colleagues who were playing an active role at various major department store outlets and Tokyo Collection Brand. They design together by using their extensive experience in the Japanese and international markets and have rolled out their beautiful products around the world, to fashion and concept stores as well as independent optical retailers. For more information and to purchase online visit https://diffuser-tokyo.com