2012

Daniel Benner – Benner Eyewear, Germany

28th February 2012 “Men’s frames must not be as playful and colourful as women’s. For men, more straight and clean lines are needed. Designing women’s frames allows more creativity. Absolutely, men are more aware of fashion, brands, and quality now. I feel that men are as interested in vintage as women – there is no difference between men and women requesting vintage or classic styles.

Men are still not as daring with colour as women. Using vibrant colour for men is still difficult. I think men’s frames will never be very colourful, but this is also good as it is a challenge for eyewear designers to create something original, and special, without using much colour, but other design elements. For my personal clothing designer favourites, I like how Desigual followed their very colourful and great women’s collection with a men’s collection, that is original but wearable. Using more patterns than colour, it’s still out of the box, without using too much vibrancy”. www.benner-eyewear.com JG

Best looks for Spring: softer shapes for men

27th February 2012 With so many great styles coming out for the Spring, and some exciting shapes that show a new approach to the most familiar men’s designs, we have picked some favourites as part of this month’s special edition. These styles express a new mood, with more curves and gentle preppy styling; there are some nice aviator specs out there, and some deconstructed classics, plus frames in beautiful natural materials such as wood. Pictured above, Kilsgaard Eyewear, www.kilsgaard-eyewear.com

The aviator specs “Augusto” by Res/Rei feature an open bridge. Res/Rei is a relatively new, quality-focused Italian label, specialising in handmade frames made by artisans, some of whom have worked in the field for over 30 years. Available in London at www.mcclintock-eyewear.co.uk who are fans of the quality and design details offered in the collection. www.resrei.com

Leisure Society’s model Harvard (below) is a preppy style designed as a unisex frame  which merges modern with classic aesthetics; this is a variation of the shape originated from a style issued to troops by the army in World War II. The model is made from titanium plated in 12k, 18k, or 24k gold combined with Japanese acetate and includes a special hidden spring hinge. www.leisure-society.com 

MOD. 302 by W-Eye, designed by Matteo Ragni, offers classic design with its rectangular shape that has soft, contoured lines. This frame can be produced as sunglasses or spectacles and comes in a variety of woods, pictured here in the light grainy ‘Sapelli’. A very smart idea.

W-Eye is an Italian company producing hand-finished wooden eyewear. For more information visit www.w-eye.it CN

Bold and Beautiful from Face à Face Paris

25th February 2012 Graphic, technical, sleek and bold, fashionably sums up this handsome men’s design from Face à Face Paris. In grey and blue acetates, Clark  is ideal for men who desire stylish, distinctive glasses, while at the same time, an expression of classicism. The colour blue, and its many variations, is a timely trend for women – it also has impact on men’s fashion. Handmade in France, the details and finishing are superb. www.faceaface-paris.com JG

Graz Mulcahy, Australia

23rd February 2012 “The biggest difference – I think – between designing eyewear for men and women is the fit – women have smaller heads on average than men. I also think it is harder to design for men – they won’t wear big oversized frames, and obviously not cat eye styles. I am broadly speaking of course. But men have a limited boundary in what they will wear it seems. You have to make it fit right, and make it simple and cool. I guess it’s the same in clothing. I’ve lost some of my favourite jeans and t-shirts to girls ‘borrowing them’ – I can’t say I have any of their clothes in return! I think men now care more, know more, buy more and pay more attention to brands, fashion and quality. However, I think that the collective consciousness of the world – men and women – are yearning for a better experience – people want a quality of experience in everything they do, as they now have more choice than ever.

For vintage eyewear, I think men are even more interested than women – I think I see two men to one women sporting a well kept pair of vintage frames. Ninety percent of the vintage eyewear collectors I know are men. I only wear grey, so I have a limited choice every season for clothing, and it keeps me buying many brands. I love Margeila, I only wear Common Projects shoes, and really like Vanishing Elephant. I only notice the trends once they are here – or passed. I somehow manage to stay relevant in my design, just by nature”. www.grazmulcahy.com JG

Fabian Hofmann, Eyewear Designer, Berlin, Germany

23rd February 2012 “When I look at the anatomical side in designing men’s eyewear, men tend to have wide nose bridges. I’ve given up labelling a style purely male or female; maybe it’s the no-frills approach that I prefer. I think of design in terms of a process, a story that I tell. The actual shapes are a consequence of that thinking. I would definitely say that men are more aware of brands, quality and fashion. Wouldn’t you agree that men are even more interested in vintage than women? Men looked fabulous in the fifties and sixties. Who doesn’t want to look like Steve McQueen nowadays? It may sound banal, but difficult times tend to bend our view towards the past, and that’s where vintage comes from. We are made to believe that originals from the past, or even just the lifestyle of a certain past era, stand for stability and safeness.

Yes, men are definitely more daring with colour now. I live in Berlin and one thing I observe is that men here tend to go for solid colours, not garish ‘in your face fashion show colour blockings’. I don’t have a favourite men’s clothing designer – most of my pieces are pretty nondescript or plain classic. Good quality tends to have a longer life span. Good design always have a portion of the unexpected – but it has the advantage to interest people. that is a risk a designer must take every time he starts a new project.” www.whiteout-glare.com  JG

Photo of Fabian Hofmann by Gilles Stüssi