2012

Colour Creativity from l.a. eyeworks

29th August 2012 Barbara McReynolds and Gai Gherardi, founders and designers of l.a.Eyeworks discuss with Eyestylist one of their favourite topics – Colour!

On colour in eyeglasses – Barbara: When it’s done correctly, a unique frame colour will tune into a special aspect of someone’s personality, and provoke it….amplify it!

Gai: Working with the ecology of colour is such an incredible experience. Colour can be a lure and it can issue a challenge. It can set you apart or blend you in. What I love most is when colour associates us with memory, both individually and collectively.

On inspiration – Gai: The inspiration for colour changes constantly. But if you ask me what I’ve been thinking about lately, it’s Bic lighters, African wax prints, and the colours of cake frostings – particularly when the frosting is a few days old, and starts to get a little chalky and crusty – those are beautiful tones!

On a favourite colour – Barbara: If there is a foundation colour for l.a.Eyeworks, it’s red.

Gai: We’re passionate about red! Red has such structure and volume to it. It’s a colour you can build from, and we often do. The challenge is finding the right red; the one that’s really vibrating with the mood and the season.

On suitability of colours in eyewear – Barbara: Every colour is suitable for eyewear.

Gai: Yes, just when you think a colour could never find a place, something will come along – whether it’s a shape, a material, a finish, a texture, or a pattern — and suddenly, it works! www.laeyeworks.com JG

British Firm Celebrates 20th Anniversary

26th August 2012 The celebration of Kirk Originals’ Twenty Collection transports me back to when I first met Jason and Karen Kirk in London – twenty years ago! He had produced his first collection, and I was impressed with the creativity, quality, originality, and Jason’s passion for eyewear. First impressions last – twenty years on, Kirk Originals continues to design stylish handmade frames with authenticity, power and punch. The Twenty Collection’s Stripe (above) is beautifully crafted in acetate with a shape that blends retro and contemporary. Great colours too – vermillion, jet, ice and cobalt. Happy Anniversary KO! www.kirkoriginals.com JG

Megan Trimble talks to Eyestylist.com

24th August 2012 I find it very exciting that some brands are now producing new sunglasses collections for Autumn/Winter, not just Spring/Summer. London-based Zanzan was introduced in 2009 by Gareth Townshend and Megan Trimble and presents itself as a fashion label for fashion lovers. Its latest launch for Autumn/Winter features rich vintage acetate, jewel tones such as soft yellow and ruby red, and classics like crystal and tortoise. Produced in limited editions, the designs are bold and theatrical, with details such as trendy gloss or matt finishes and statement patterning. Eyestylist.com asked Megan Trimble about the label’s direction and its plans for 2013, which include the launch of a first spectacles collection. (Above: Erzulie by Zanzan).

Why are you producing your frames in the UK? Please explain the benefits? We can make a really first rate product here and ‘Handmade in England’ is important to us. The benefit, for us, is the proximity but for our customers it means that we can produce something that’s uncompromised creatively and a little more exclusive.

Are you sticking with a small elite fashion clientele? 
No, we are growing. Scale is important for fashion companies and the aim of every business should be ‘juggernaut’. If you don’t sell, then you lose the right to be creative – and the capacity – so it’s important. We’re producing collections in Italy and France for S/S 2013 and a supporting cast of products – fancy sunglass straps, sunglass cases and more.
Your campaign styling is extremely cool and sexy. Do you do your own shoots? Who is involved?
I am responsible for overall creative direction of everything we do but we work with a photographer called Jon Gorrigan and the stylist, Simone Konu. Both are brilliant. We are also very reliant on the very talented  hairdresser, Carl Reeves. We flew him in!

Are you expanding into new stores?
It’s important for us to be in stores that see things the same way we do. Our distribution has, and will be, tightly controlled but that doesn’t exclude opticians. We’re really a fashion brand that makes glasses but we do have an optical collection planned for next year.

Where can you find the new collection of Zanzan sunglasses?
This collection is available at www.farfetch.com It’s an experiment really. You can also buy the sunglasses in Departmentstore Quartier 206, Berlin. We just fell in love with the store on a recent trip, happened to have our collection one us and they loved it!
What does Zanzan represent for you?
Fantasy. Joy. Fun. Zanzan is the pursuit of a dream and a passion to create really beautiful things. ‘If you want reality get on a bus’!

Zanzan sunglasses are priced from £260.00 and are available online at www.farfetch.com Further information at www.zanzan.co.uk CN

For more on Zanzan visit: https://www.eyestylist.com/2012/04/1970s-super-round-chic/