Pascal Jaulent – Face à Face Paris
12th February 2013 We continue with our series “Men’s Eyewear – The Designer Approach” and Eyestylist meets Pascal Jaulent of Face à Face Paris.
Do you have a particular male model in mind when you design men’s eyewear? “Design meets the personality of the wearer. The men I am designing for will express energy, contemporary elegance, an assertive character in a well-balanced temper. No ‘chichi’ nor useless details; graphic lines will shape a strong look and bold volumes impose a natural confidence. More personally, my ideal male model would be the character of James Bond – Pierce Brosnan being my favourite actor.”
What is your philosopy on colour, material and eyewear shapes for men? “Beside the basic tones of men’s colour universe (black, grey and all metal nuances, classic brown, ink or navy blue, and a little bit of green), colours add the sporty/energy touch that is part of most men’s personality. These flashes of lightning can be neon orange, green, blue, strong red or bold yellow. I do not like pastel tones nor gold on men. The material dimension, as well as the technical concept are quite important to men: natural materials such as horn, and wood bear the luxury dimension in men’s frames. Both acetate and metal perfectly fit male expectations. Face à Face being rooted in contemporary design, most of our men’s frames have been rectangular/square with both trends to soften or sharpen them.”
Do you think that men are becoming more experimental with their eyewear choices? “I think that men are becoming more experimental in general, and as far as their eyewear is concerned, more aware about self-expression/character, function and fashion. No doubt that we still have a lot to add in order to expand the potential of the men’s eyewear market. I am absolutely thinking in that direction.”
