Eyestylist

As our attention as consumers is drawn increasingly to sustainable, eco-friendly innovations, eyewear companies across the business are exploring an eco-conscious path with creativity and resourcefulness.

Vinylize, the independent Budapest brand that turns old, unwanted vinyl records into beautifully made ‘upcycled’ artisan eyewear, has moved on its own potential in eco-friendly eyewear production in a special project with coffee giant Nespresso, in Hungary.

“This was a pilot project,” says Zack Tipton, founder of Vinylize. “The limited production run sold out within a few days. We used a material produced from Nespresso capsules, recycled by the coffee company in Hungary. The used coffee grinds are separated from the capsules and sent to composting. The capsules are then smelted and turned into aluminium sheet which we can then use to produce the frames. The entire process is documented and certified.”

The result was an eye-catching limited edition glasses collection for Nespresso with designs inspired by the tones of the Nespresso Kazaar, Dharkan, Roma and Livanto capsules – in tones of satin midnight blue, gold and chocolate. “The coloration and finish were determined by Nespresso. They wanted a perfect match with the original colours of the capsules,” explains Tipton. “The durability we were able to achieve surpassed expectations. The frames were also prescription ready.”

 

The shapes produced in the first edition are inspired by the classic oval, butterfly and square designs, with a contemporary interpretation.

Vinylize-Tipton x Nespresso is ‘a salute to recycling’, designed to remind consumers of the infinite durability of aluminium which can be re-melted and reused, again and again. The project also aimed to further boost the recycling of Nespresso coffee capsules by showing the infinite potential of the recycled aluminium material.

The sophisticated matt finish of the frames is achieved through a tumbling process and hand-lacquering treatment at a German facility, while the eco-friendly felt case and paper box the frames were packaged in underscore the eco-credentials of the special edition. Further editions are planned for 2019.

Tipton Eyeworks and the Vinylize brand were founded in 2004, and have become world-renowned for their handmade production using vinyl to produce fashionable sunglasses and eyewear in Hungary. For further details: https://vinylize.com/ CN

Buffalo horn. Fabric. Rubber. Acetate. The eye is drawn to the individual qualities of these materials in contemporary eyewear as young innovators highlight the form and structure of the product with special tactile details and deep nuances in coloration, some of these qualities, just visible with the naked eye.

In the Icons Line at Hapter, the rubberised surface featured has been developed to offer an exclusive tactile aesthetic and feel, with a retro inspiration and a slightly “aged” elegance. Italian founder Eric Balzan has invested years’ of research and development into collections that, for 2019, are further enhanced with a newly patented 8-GON Hinge. The brand will exhibit at Mido in the Design Lab (Pav 4 Stand S11) www.hapter.it Above: RBBR002 – the Icons Line – HAPTER

Rigards has attracted much attention in the last 12 months with their avantgarde collection, and in horn, they highlight the natural qualities of the material, the asymmetrical colorations and the beautiful striated patterns and effects where the surface is hand polished or left in its more natural state. www.rigards.com

Delirious Eyewear, the Milan label, produces buffalo horn frames with a distinct, light touch and artistic aesthetic: designed in Italy, the frames are made from natural Indian water buffalo horn. The process begins by milling two small boards of the same material; one for the front, and the other, for the temples. All the parts are ‘tumbled’, to smooth the little parts and surfaces in a process that can take up to a week. Finally, the artisans put the design together, polishing the surface with pads that highlight the details of the material and the brilliant surface. www.deliriouseyewear.com

In a similar vein – studying the possibilities in surface finishes worked by hand, TAVAT Tactile includes models that have been hand scratched and designs worked on with a pin-stripe laser treatment – mimicking the lines of the iconic Italian “Riva” boat. The frames are made in Italy and designed to offer the utmost comfort on the face. www.tavateyewear.com CN

Find these and other innovators at Mido – the Milan trade fair – from 23-25 February 2019.

With a backdrop of blue skies marking the first feeling of Spring, London Fashion Week opened on Friday. Alongside the main catwalk events and the colourful street style scenes off the catwalks –  one of the highlights are the Designer Showrooms on The Strand, offering a diverse, handpicked showcase of over 50 smaller, up-and-coming international brands, a valuable platform for exposure and introductions to the world of fashion in the UK. – Above: buffalo horn frame detail, Delirious Eyewear. Photography: G. D’Elia

“Showcasing within the LFW Designer Showrooms allows brands to develop relationships with globally influential stores and helps to increase their exposure to top international journalists, publications and stylists.”

Representing the eyewear category at the Showrooms and premiering in the UK is Delirious Eyewear from Italy, an exclusive design label recognised by Vogue Italia’s “Who’s on next” awards (2018). Created by young entrepreneur Marco Lanero, the collection is produced in titanium and beta titanium, and the finest acetates and natural Indian buffalo horn, and is currently designed and made in Italy, with focus on traditional Cadore craftsmanship and expertise, rigorously monitored to ensure a unique and accomplished finish.

Buffalo horn remains a popular luxury material in eyewear, and Delirious aims high, using lengthy techniques in the production and final “tumbling” and polishing by hand. Their expertise in this material has attracted the attention of the fashion industry, through an ability to use the traditional techniques and merge them with contemporary design elements.

The Delirious Eyewear collections go into stores in London this season. The definition of luxury eyewear, their alternative design focus brings a contemporary look to the most classical aspects of traditionally made spectacles, as well as providing an impeccable comfort and fit. For more information about Delirious Eyewear visit the company in Milan (Mido trade fair) from 23-25th February 2019 or visit their website at www.deliriouseyewear.com CN Photography by Gennaro D’Elia exclusively for Eyestylist.com. All rights reserved. 

Falvin’s Signature Eyewear – launching for the Spring/Summer season – combines Danish design expertise and exquisite Japanese crafting in contemporary shapes in lightweight titanium. The frames celebrate a passion for a Copenhagen landmark – the Crystal – a building from which founder Birgitte Falvin takes inspiration, for an eloquent direction in line and form. Above: released at the German trade fair opti last month, the new Falvin model Stellar. New additions are coming for the Mido trade fair, Milan. The brand exhibits in the prestigious Lab Academy ( Pav 6 / Stand LA 47) where up-and-coming designers and innovators showcase their collections.

Model Stellar (above and in featured video) is a contemporary version of the traditional cat’s eye frame, offering a supreme level of comfort and a statement shape in the state-of-the-art material. Using techniques that can only be mastered by hand, the beautiful two-tone base silhouette offers a luxury expression with black, white or champagne Wesselton diamond settings to create a personalized look. A trained jewellery designer, Birgitte Falvin has studied this element for the finishing of her distinctive eyewear, creating a one-off luxury detail that is both gentle yet sparkling – to catch the beholder’s eye.

The innovative diamond setting is of the highest quality, assembled by a top jeweler in Denmark, appointed by Falvin Eyewear. Find out more about the luxury designs for men and women by the Danish label at www.falvineyewear.com  CN

Consider the eyewear accessory here to stay – a much underplayed fashion item in the past, start-ups and fashion industry creatives have refocused on this element of eyewear to fit perfectly with our insatiable desire to create an individual “style of our own”.

Milan’s Federica Moretti launched Huma Sunglasses + accessories in 2017. Inspired to reflect and embrace the creativity and extravagance of the fashion industry, the hat designer came up with a new eyewear collection idea in a range of clean, “basic” sunglass designs (made in Italy) to be worn with “captivating” decorative accessories – with special fastenings that clip onto temples.

These decorative elements can be worn depending on where your mood takes you. The choice includes small jewellery items that fasten to the ring in the temple, crystals, silks, and decorative stones, through to extravagant slightly humorous acrylic “hair pieces” for those who choose to dress to be seen.

Moretti’s imagination has literally run wild with the hair extensions producing an eccentric look in crazy colours. In contrast, some of the designs are subtle and delicate designed as chic jewellery embellishments, perfect for evenings out, special occasions or a gift for the accessory enthusiast with a taste for all things new and different. For more details about Huma and designer Federica Moretti visit Huma Sunglasses on Instagram: @humasunglasses. Available at I Visionari in Florence https://ivisionari.com/collections/huma CN