Reinventing vintage: ‘pince-nez’ inspiration

Art Deco Vintage Oxford: TVR® (True Vintage Revival), Japan

Inspired by the classic pince-nez spectacles from the early days of the Renaissance and the late 1800s, when eyeglasses became a highly popular style statement amongst the bourgeoisie, the two new models from the Japanese independent label TVR® work on transforming much loved antique styling into 21st century wearable design. The frames are made in Sabae, Japan, the heart of eyewear production in the country and a place that is revered for its level of artisan quality, workmanship and traditional handcrafting. Above: The new TVR® 525, a round eye shape available in a selection of colours, including antique gold or silver.

Inspiration: a pince-nez without temples, c late 1800s.

Both TVR® 525 (top) and TVR® 526 are also the brand’s first collection made entirely in pure Japanese SPM. From the frame to the temples and bridge, the exquisite round and Panto shapes are patented in the material for exclusivity. The metal temples are also engraved with intricate gold-filled design akin to original vintage Art Deco patterns, worked upon by master craftsmen with exceptional skill and know-how.

TVR® 525 (round shape) + TVR® 526 (panto shape): inspired by the “Oxford” spectacle style of yesteryear

Developed by Shintaro Kato in 1930 in Japan, SPM is a precious metal alloy. It was a rare commodity at that time, and cherished by Japan’s Showa royal family for its hardiness, resistance and compatibility with human skin. As such, the export of raw SPM material was not permitted at the time. Today, its remarkable characteristics make it popular in dental accessories and tools for plastic surgery, and TVR® is one of few labels who use it with creativity and passion in eyewear. Despite the name, SPM doesn’t contain platinum — instead, it refers to the soft platinum colour after it has been polished. More importantly, the material retains its shine even after a long period of time. The 68-year-old master craftsman Kanamaru Harumi is behind the production of the two new SPM metal frames from TVR® (True Vintage Revival) – Japan. Find out more about the brand TVR® at www.tvropt.com

Innovation 2020: opti Munich, Germany

Must-sees at the Munich fair – a packed fair is coming for January 2020

The Munich fair is expecting a busy turnout at the start of 2020. From emerging labels right through to historic eyewear brands, the showcase of eyewear collections at this important event gives a thorough overview of design developments, shining the spotlight on young innovators, creators as well as a host of high-profile fashion eyewear designers.

One of the standouts every year at opti – for artisan frames – is Res/Rei Italy, a small label with a dedicated following, owing to their creative style and close collaboration with Mazzucchelli which results in some very unique and detailed acetate materials. Their products are excellent with many unique and creative shapes and timeless qualities. We also particularly enjoy their covetable jewellery line – made from the leftover acetates – and offering a very chic and special design, with colours that match up with frames. Above: model Begonia from the nature-inspired Flowers collection at Res/Rei – different acetates combine and overlap with each other like the petals of exotic flowers. The frame is pictured in a pink/light pink colorway matched with plain grey lenses. Find out more at www.resrei.com

Eton Mess by theo – © 2018 copyright protected Artworks,
Photography & Graphic Design!

Belgian design innovators theo have had a particularly spectacular raft of designs launched through 2019, with highlights including their mouth-watering Layer Cake series – featuring titanium plate designs created with two different layers.

At opti, theo will release a completely new “typically theo” eyewear family which they tell us is “warm, soft and comforting yet strong, powerful and unyielding, like….sand.” Check their new website at www.theo.be for more details about their collections.

The sleek Alium Race 2 by FACE A FACE – advanced aluminium eyewear, inspired by the sports aviator shape

The Alium collection is always a must-see at the FACE A FACE stand. This is a very distinctive line with focus on men’s eyewear where a balance of technological excellence and a modern approach to colour offers something quite beautiful and different to wear. See more Alium frames at www.faceaface-paris.com

We Are Annu return to the opti boxes for 2020

We are Annu launched their collection at opti this year (check our Eyestylist opti review 2019 – www.eyestylist.com/2019/02/exceptional-design-at-opti/). We admire both the imaginative concept of paper clip inspired frames and their commitment to innovation and team success. A must-see for opti – find out more at www.weareannu.com

SALT. Optics: designed in California, made in Japan

SALT. Optics travels from California for the opti event, with a collection inspired by nature and produced with rigorous Japanese quality driven techniques. Alongside the main line collection, the brand has launched some must-see fashion-focused collabs, which include SALT. + Second Layer and SALT. + Fred Segal where attention to detail and shared values such as quality materials have resulted in exceptional limited editions. www.saltoptics.com

opti – the international trade show for optics & design, takes place at Fairground Munich from 10th to 12th January, 2020. Registration is now open to trade visitors at www.opti.de. Written by Clodagh Norton – all rights reserved.

Rigards x Uma Wang exclusive collaboration

Sources of inspiration include ancient mosaics, 19th century eyewear + Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

A second collaboration series between artisan fashion designer Uma Wang and the avant-garde eyewear innovators from Hong Kong, Rigards caught the attention of Paris Fashion Week at the fashion designer’s much talked about RTW Spring 2020 catwalk show.

The two designs – UW5 and UW10 – are intentionally closely linked to the previous models, with an aesthetic derived from 19th century eyewear.  Above: backstage at Uma Wang, Paris Fashion Week – collaboration design UW10

UW10 (The Shanghai)

UW10, (a codename for the 10th anniversary of Wang’s brand) was undertaken as a follow-up design to the successful prior collaboration design, the UW1.

Conceived from a thread that runs through Wang’s latest collection (the golden age of Pompeii), Rigards’ Ti Kwa says they “zoomed in on the smallest element of the decorative arts of the Roman Empire, extrapolating it into something uncommonly inventive.”  An eco-friendly bio-acetate is used for the side shield inspired by ancient mosaic glass tiles—” these are as vivid now as they were 2000 years ago, relicts of Pompeii preserved by Vesuvius and the passage of time.”

Rigards x Uma Wang : UW10 (The Shanghai)

A further historic inspiration came from the extraordinary stained glass windows at Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, conceptualized by the great Antoni Gaudi and designed and produced by artist Joan Vila-Grau, a highlight of Kwa’s recent tour to Barcelona.
This frame, nicknamed “The Shanghai”, honors another artistic treasure, particularly dear to Wang. The exquisite Old Shanghai Art Deco stained glass windows are a legacy of the once-flourishing, now forgotten Jesuit Tushanwan Orphanage and its exceptional young foundling apprentices. The frame is produced in five spectacular shades, each one a literal rendering of seeing the world through tinted specs.

Rigards x Uma Wang UW5

With an aesthetic derived from 19th century eyeware, UW5 (The Victorian II) reflects the design vocabulary of UW3, a prior collaboration with a minimal silhouette.
The so called “owl-eye” style has been increased in size and thus works ideally for wider faces. “Building with copper allows the application of our exclusive, proprietary ‘Time Machine’ hand-aging process,” says Ti Kwa. “What emerged wer the most beautiful examples of metal coloring—expressive, painterly patina that further enhance the personality of the frames, as though weathered by the passing decades.”

Rigards x Uma Wang, backstage

Uma Wang’s Pompeii inspired show took place in Paris in September featuring the collaboration frames with Rigards on the catwalk.  For more information about the two brands visit www.rigards.com and www.umawang.com CN

Hot again: bordeaux + burgundy + eggplant

Warm red wine tones, natural eggplant and deep bordeaux have returned to eyewear for the winter season. This flattering array of hues are an elegant lift for winter complexions and cold weather wardrobes, and an easy accompaniment to work or formal attire – and will spruce things up for everyday. Above: Falvin Eyewear, model Equator in matt amethyst with precious rose gold detail. An all-rounder (for work and weekends) where the purple amethyst colour looks beautiful with a touch of gold. An excellent accompaniment to gold jewellery and accessories. www.falvineyewear.com

Kirk and Kirk Centena – model Miriam

Style Miriam, in Bordeaux, is a newly released frame from  the British brand Kirk & Kirk; made in France it is produced in an acrylic material with a translucent quality that catches the light. The frame has been bevelled or “sculpted” on the edges which gives it a notable artisan finish. Find out more about the Centena collection by Jason and Karen Kirk at www.kirkandkirk.com

Wisdom by Caroline Abram

Parisian designer Caroline Abram combines colours in her new bold, feminine collection for winter, which highlights burgundy tones and chic shades of pink, adding hints of indigo, dark ruby and bright raspberry or fuchsia. For ophthalmic model Wisdom, the choices include burgundy/marsala (above) and indigo/purple, with the second colour in the pairing outlining the frame shape and providing definition at the brow. www.carolineabram.com

Lara D – model Kristel – black/bordeaux

Italian eyewear designer Lara D’Alpaos is also creative in her combinations of colours and layering effects. In the new model Kristel from the Unique Collection at Lara D’, she matches black with deep bordeaux as a  couture trim on a sumptuous statement cat’s eye that plays with art nouveau shapes and blocked 3d acetate. Find out more at www.laradeyewear.com

London street style: Winter 19/20

British brands highlighted: Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses, the iconic eyewear company, founded in 1926 and Covrt Project, a streetwear label launched in 2019.

In a London style focus by Eyestylist, we brought together two of the city’s finest street photographers with two British brands that define quality, individuality and eyewear attitude. Above: photographer @boyfromdagbon wears style Winston by Claire Goldsmith at Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses.  https://www.olivergoldsmith.com/product/winston/ Photography by David Nyanzi (@davidnyanzi) for Eyestylist.com

The new Gopas Winter Sun by Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses – @boyfromdagbon photographed by @davidnyanzi

Model Gopas by Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses is ideal for winter light conditions with lightly tinted sun lenses which remove the brightness of interior light or glare from the sun on a winter’s day. The style is derived from an aviator with a flattened top and angular silhouette. For further details or to buy direct: https://www.olivergoldsmith.com/product/gopas/

Covrt Project: style MP4 – @boyfromdagbon photographed by @davidnyanzi

Covrt Project’s MP4 from the _Mission One Sunglasses Collection defines this new brand’s ambition to balance innovation and a different design style with cutting-edge quality. MP4 is a hexagonal sunglass with a notable high double bridge and acetate bar. The design has undergone fine machine work to create the bridge and detailing and offers high-level functionality and comfort. This new label’s sunwear and accessories have launched at www.covrtproject.com CN

Orris London introduces bio-acetate chains

Leading the way in modern bio-acetate accessories

There’s something about eyewear chains that has captured our attention over the last few years. Big brands and independent designers have re-worked their look in nice materials, and with jewellery details and decorative concepts that have turned them into a desirable must-have statement. Above: Brand new from Oriss London: Spaghetti chain in light Tokyo tortoise made from a biodegradable bio-acetate material

Eyestylist recommendation: the Spaghetti Chain in light Tokyo tortoise, light and beautiful to wear

At Orris London, the chic styling of the chains goes hand in hand with a focus on sustainable design and biodegradable materials. Their two chic new styles – previewed at Premiere Classe in Paris in September – are made of bio-acetate, comprising wood pulp and cotton fibre; the Chunky Chain possesses luxuriously oversized links, while the Spaghetti Glasses Chain is defined by a super-sleek silhouette and a completely new concept in styling – one of our personal favourites of the season.

Bio-acetate: Chunky chain by Orris London

About Orris London / Founder Tara Shen created Orris London after enjoying a career in fashion in Shanghai. A London College of Fashion graduate, Tara’s frequent travels in Europe and Asia inspired her to create beautiful, everyday accessories for modern living, work and travel.

As well as new bio-acetate chain styles, Orris London is committed to using recycled paper instead of virgin paper for stationary and wrapping tissues, as well as unbleached cotton for gift pouches. “We are always looking for ways to improve our eco footprint, and will continue to research new materials and technology for a more sustainable future,” says founder Tara Shen.

Orris London Chains are available at Liberty of London, Le Bon Marché in Paris, and online at www.orris.co.uk CN

Trends: black beauties

It really never went away. But with the resurgence in influences from the 1980s, 90s + 00s, a return of punk, grunge and gothic nuances, and the reemergence of specific iconic items from those decades including the classic black Dr Martens first created in the 1960s, consistently returning as a style piece, black eyewear is on cue to do particularly well in the next weeks and months, in many forms and with the quirkier of statements.

Part and parcel of the genre are the 1990s inspired narrow retro mask sunglasses, much hyped but always evolving thanks to some of the most creative designers in the eyewear business. Above: 90s style reimagined by Factory 900, Japan: model FA-380. Made in Fukui. For details: www.factory900.jp

A monochrome statement – restyling the cat’s eye: Saturn by Essedue, Italy

At Italian artisan label Essedue the inspiration is on the 80s with a nod to David Bowie and a chic “on point” style. Model Saturn, from the PRIMA line, has a strong round lens shape with pointed outer line in black, underscored with a white lower rim. Find out more at https://www.esseduesunglasses.com/product/saturn/

Mykita x Maison Margiela MMRAW016

Made of unpolished acetate, model MMRAW016 – in the Mykita x Maison Margiela collection comes in a Raw Black Havana with Black – illustrating that all types of finish and coloration based on black make up part of the season’s new looks. The panto-shaped optical frame with a raised bar highlights visible traces of the milling process, making each model slightly different from another. For more information: www.mykita.com

We have selected a few examples of the black styles now available for A/W 19/00. For more inspiration visit our Instagram page @eyestylistmagazine.

Exclusive: Lien Atelier jewellery chains

At an impromptu meet in Paris, surrounded by luxury chain designs, more akin to jewellery than most collections we’ve come across, film director Jenny Suen tells me she found her first vintage eyewear chain at a flea market in Paris. She has worn it ever since as part of her signature look. “Over the years, so many people asked me where they could buy one,” she explains. “It occurred to me that there were no chains produced in fine materials or designed with the modern woman in mind. So when I finished my last movie, I decided to create my own.” Above: model wearing Coco (18K gold plated with freshwater pearls)

Launched this year, the debut collection is made with 18-carat gold and freshwater pearls, a tribute to the filmmaker’s/designer’s hometown of Hong Kong, a city known as “Pearl of the East.” Offering sleek lines evoking the city’s iconic skyscrapers, and a romantic modern feminine design, the three launch pieces are named after women for whom Suen has special admiration: Marguerite (Duras), Coco (Chanel), and Faye (Wong).

Lien Atelier chains

“Long associated with secretaries, forgetful grandmas, and stuffy librarians, Lien re- imagines the eyewear chain for the modern woman. Once a practical tool to keep optical glasses and sunglasses from the lost and found, the eyewear chain is now a statement-making piece of jewellery for visionaries who imagine, travel, and create….”

Lien Atelier is stocked at Kite Shoreditch (UK), Marc Le Bihan (France) and Kapok Sun Street (Hong Kong). The name “Lien” means “link” in French and Chinese.

About the founder: Jenny Suen is a Hong Kong director. She wrote, produced, and co-directed The White Girl with legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The film stars Joe Odagiri and Angela Yuen in a tropical-noir love story set in the last fishing village of Hong Kong. It screened at festivals worldwide, including a world premiere at at the BFI London Film Festival, was nominated for a NETPAC award at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, and had a special premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival, where it was lauded as an “accomplished first feature from Suen, [heralding] the coming of a new director with the potential to add truly unique offerings to the Hong Kong film canon.” Suen also produced Hong Kong Trilogy, a portrait of the city’s residents in childhood, youth, and old age, which was directed by Doyle. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. Her next film will be a widely-anticipated Chinese remake of Vera Chytilova’s 1968 Czech New Wave masterpiece Daisies. For more details visit www.lienatelier.com CN

Eyewear directions: Hall of Frames

The popular annual eyewear fair Hall of Frames (Zurich, Switzerland) has issued imagery from its new season shoot which took place on site at Papiersaal over a sunny weekend in September. The frames featured include a mix of advanced materials, from  lightweight titanium to 3d printed designs, with state-of-the-art details, classically inspired shapes and interesting finishes and treatments. Above: Ørgreen Optics Coeda 964, produced in 100% pure titanium and beta-titanium. www.orgreenoptics.com Photography by Nina-Maria Glahé

Funk eyewear model Authari Raw in a crystal finish / Photography by Nina-Maria Glahé

Dieter Funk’s acetate frames, produced in Bavaria, Germany, lean toward classic or timeless design principles, with modern updates taking the form of special colorations and material/tonal combinations. For more details: www.funkbrillen.com

Coblens: Endlos 7 rimless design

The Endlos series by Gmerna-based company Coblens combines titanium temples with modern rimless fronts; the frame front and sides are attached to the lenses with small antique inspired screws with a hexagonal shape. www.coblens.com

Ørgreen Optics: less-is-more in the Quantum collection

Quantum spectacles have an outstanding spherical hinge design and light construction in 3D printed polyamide. The innovative choice of subtle and bright colours is one of many highlights of the Danish brand’s eyewear expertise. www.orgreenoptics.com / Photography by Nina-Maria Glahé for Hall of Frames: https://www.ninamariaglahe.com/All rights reserved.

The next edition of Hall of Frames will take place on 13th and 14th September 2020. For more details, visit www.hallofframes.ch CN

Beyond chic: minimal metals

The metal frames of the moment are a sign that 2020 will be another good one for a more minimal style in eyewear. In Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, the coolest metal frames worn out on the street were neither mini nor oversized, fitting the face to perfection with interesting shapes, angled or geometric forms (octagons and hexagons) in metal tones, and particularly shiny steel, gun and black. Above: fashion influencer Megan Adelaide Schaefer in a black metal frame photographed at Paris Fashion Week by Gennaro D’Elia for Eyestylist.com.

Optical chic: MMCRAFT011 by MYKITA + MAISON MARGIELA: a precious engraving is just visible to the naked eye on the bridge and temples

Very, very narrow rimmed frames – whether sun or optical, as above at Mykita, deliver a sharp yet simple style softened with the subtle vintage inspired engraving, in a successful blend of nostalgic and futuristic elements. www.mykita.com

Milan Fashion Week: stunning 3-sided metal rim frame

Clean, pared back designs with dark grey or black lens for sunglasses provide streamlined modes that are visual but less showy that in previous seasons with attention paid to craftsmanship and finesse for a simple unembellished but elegant way of dressing.

Monarch by L.G.R: a metal front with a striking cat eye form

Cat eye inspired metal shapes, such as Monarch by L.G.R (www.lgrworld.com), are contemporary and striking, balancing glamour and a feminine identity in the shape; the colours of the Monarch are in line with the minimal mood and include matt copper (above) matt black and grey with flat zero base sun lenses made from mineral glass for 100% UV protection and comfort. For more on trending styles, visit https://www.eyestylist.com/2019/10/paris-fashion-week-ss20/CN

 

Matali Crasset X theo: Dialogues

Creative energies are running particularly high at theo this year, in preparation for 2020. SILMO saw an ingenious spread of collections, among them a fresh collaborative series – the third of its kind for theo – with designer Matali Crasset. ‘Dialogues’ explores conversation and chat, with focus on the two eyewear basics – the lens and whatever goes around it; how the two interact together or relate beyond the classic ‘glasses’ form becomes a feature and a “talking point” – without constraint in the construction or the technical finesse (of course!). Above: Model Debate, in fluo pink, by theo X Matali Crasset

Model Talk – © 2018 copyright protected Artworks,
Photography & Graphic Design!

“The shape of the lenses is radically different from what Matali has created before” theo eyewear

Expressive, comfortable, surprisingly easy to wear. The result is six titanium styles with Crasset’s “signature” which bring a unique focus to the eyes of the wearer. Single colours emphasise the drama of the openwork and “floating effects”, exploring a bold vision, in theo style – with exquisite tones of fluo pink and orange through to sophisticated monochrome black or white – the two colours that Crasset wears herself.

Model Gossip – © 2018 copyright protected Artworks,
Photography & Graphic Design!

Dialogues by theo X Matali Crasset was launched in Paris in September 2019; the frames will shortly become available in theo opticians worldwide. The collaborators have simultaneously launched ‘Blurred’, an even more ‘rebellious’ limited edition related to the Dialogues designs and created solely in black and white.

Matali Crasset is an industrial designer from France.  She has become known for a refusal of pure shape in her work and develops new typologies articulated around principles such as modularity, appropriation, and flexibility. She has worked on far-reaching projects in different disciplines and with leading brands including Alessi, Nodus and Le Buisson. For more information visit www.theo.be / www.matalicrasset.com CN

Silmo Paris: notes on what’s to come

Silmo is a key event in the optical fair calendar where we discover innovations, new directions and trends in eyewear for the season ahead. This year, the breadth of creative proposals was significant, and attendance by independent labels showed a strong movement toward individual design, high level production and experimental work and expertise in colour, materials and eco-oriented design.

At Silmo, Tavat Eyewear showed their new avant-garde SpamCan Collection, the next step on from SoupCan, inspired by the quadratical shape of the iconic spam can or tin. Made from an impressive material composed of bronze, zinc and nickel, this new departure is highly technical and elaborate, with 27 components and a hinge based on the high-precision Swiss watch crown mechanism. The sunglasses are fitted with melanin sunglass lenses. Find out more at www.tavat-eyewear.com

Metamorphosis by You Mawo

You Mawo’s showpieces at Silmo included the Metamorphosis 3D printed Limited series and a visor design (above) with futuristic 3D side pieces. The main line has also expanded with some strong fashion shapes (cateye model Lyra) and a beautiful round design called Selene. www.youmawo.com

 

SUSTAIN by Monoqool

Monoqool launched the SUSTAIN sunglasses, a first 3d printed design made from castor beans farmed sustainably in India through the Pragati Initiative (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHe1N43IN8o ). The company has entered the Sustain programme supported by the AM-Hub organisation in Denmark with the goal of helping a selected number of small/medium size Danish companies to develop sustainable manufacturing via 3D print technology. www.monoqool.com

Passion for purple at Kirk & Kirk

Kirk & Kirk have done much to promote the benefits of colourful eyewear proposals from the UK, and continue to put out glorious colorations, in both their Centena and Kaleidscope collections, with emphasis on new tones of blue, pink and mauve. www.kirkandkirk.com

ROLF Spectacles: Titanium Skyline – advanced tech + crafting

The Skyline collection at ROLF Spectacles is exceptional in its avantgarde designs in 3D printed titanium. The new styles have stunning combinations of smooth and textured ‘volcanic-like’ surfaces as well as offering a lightweight, easy-to-wear eyewear solution – putting this line in a category of its own. Image above: Photographer: Clemens Ascher http://www.clemensascher.com and clothes by Mühlmann https://www.muehlmann.eu  For more information about ROLF, visit www.rolfspectacles.com

VAERK no 104 in Champagne

New brands were plentiful at Silmo, the best ones focusing on advanced technology and technical know-how. VAERK Copenhagen puts the emphasis on beautiful engineering, tech and Danish design traditions. In collaboration with the renowned Danish industrial design duo Harrit-Sørensen, this brand has developed an innovative hinge concept that not only constitutes high level precision but also an aesthetically appealing link between the frame front and temple. www.vaerkcopenhagen.com

Covrt Project: high-tech urban design / made in Italy

In a completely different departure for street style aficionados, London-based designer and creative director Marcello Martino launched Covrt Project in the “start-up” area of the Silmo fair. This bold Italian made collection includes 7 sunglass styles with advanced tech features focused on enhanced comfort, durability and individual design. The collection is accompanied by unique accessories: find out more at  https://covrtproject.com.

SILMO Paris will take place from 2nd to 5th October 2020 at Paris Nord Villepinte. For more information visit www.silmoparis.com Eyestylist will report on more trends and new updates following SILMO Paris in the weeks ahead. This feature was written by Clodagh Norton. Please seek permission for reprints. All rights reserved.