August 2013

Sid Fiz Optique

1st September 2013 Queen’s Park, a fashionable neighbourhood of west London, with a well-known gastro pub (www.thesalusbury.co.uk) inviting bakery (www.gailsbread.co.uk), small independent shops, cafes and a popular farmers’ market is the location of Sid Fiz Optique, a new eyewear store that is a wonderful modern addition to this area. Sid is an eyewear expert, with a wealth of experience of the finest labels on the market – he is also a distributor of some of them, who has long been working with special, quality brands, and who now has his own unique label – Coppe & Sid – in a partnership with Gaultiero Coppe – www.eyedesignclub.com

Sid FIz Optique interior
Sid Fiz Optique interior

For his shop which opened in July, Sid’s choice of frames reflects his knowledge and understanding of the new direction towards artisan luxury, something that is likely to please the fashion crowd and professional families locally. “I am  in a really nice position to be able to fill my shop with well selected special labels; my customers will be able to walk down the street here and they will be the only one wearing the frame they purchase.  There’s something for everyone, and yet we have chosen eyewear that is less mainstream and more about great design and clean, elegant aesthetics. From what I have seen so far, our customers are intrigued by new design and independent labels they may not have heard about before.”

Coppe & Sid
Manila by Coppe & Sid

 

Providence, Coppe & Sid
Providence by Coppe & Sid

As well as showcasing the Coppe & Sid Eyewear Collection, Sid guided me through labels that included Oliver Peoples, Frency & Mercury, Mykita, Jacques Durand, Lafont, Meyer Eyewear, Face à Face and for kids, Zoobug. “I have a created a minimal interior; my wife and I have designed absolutely everything ourselves and I think the shop reflects something about how we see eyewear moving whilst making this a store where you can see, touch, and try everything – the frames are not locked away and you can pick them up and try them on easily. “The shop also represents a great opportunity to show the Coppe & Sid label in full for the first time; the label has been a great success with the opticians I have worked with and I am looking forward to seeing the response in the eyes of the customer, that is where you really understand the success of a design so you can evolve the collection in line with their tastes and desires.” Sid Fiz Optique, Salusbury Road, Queen’s Park, London. www.sidfizoptique.com CN

Summer fashion and fun

August is the pinnacle of summer’s playful season, and we’re ready with chic designer sunglasses and the latest glasses in reviews. Discover updates on shops in Boutiques, and Dutch Design highlighted in Designer of the Month. Current fashion exhibitions and books are featured in City Guides, and we feature an eyewear exclusive on Anna-Karin Karlsson. 

Throughout the month we take a preview peek at what Autumn will be bringing and it is a creative banquet of eyewear inspiration. Happy and warm summer holidays from Eyestylist!

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Hapter, Italy

Eric Balzan and Mirko Forti at Hapter, who will unveil their latest collection in Paris at the end of this month, have kindly given us a preview. Hapter designs are a very tactile experience – crafted using legendary Cerruti materials, and the frames have a pleasant illusion between what the eyes see and the hands touch. The wide surface of the frame (above) is inspired by military eyewear, and the sharp angles of the low bridge area make a powerful statement. In addition to the elegant blue shown, the frame is available pewter, olive and chocolate. www.hapter.it JG

Res Rei
JISCO
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
Orgreen
SALT.
MOREL
OGI Eyewear
VAVA Eyewear

Meet Mr Kilsgaard!

1st September 2013 Kilsgaard Eyewear is the Danish eyewear label that has become famous for its expertise in fine, lightweight aluminium. As designer and founder, 34-year-old Jacob Kilsgaard himself says, “We are the company that made aluminium work as a frame material. Aluminium is half the weight of titanium, and it’s the only material you can colour anodize.” “Anodization”, he explains, “is an electrochemical way to colour aluminium. The colours are everlasting and very unique, they are deep and bright and very modern.” It’s an achievement and specialisation that has set the brand apart and set it on an exciting road to success. The Kilsgaard team now have offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, and their frames are available across the world in 35 countries. “Our main office in Aarhus in an old building in the Latin quarter. It is a cozy space where everybody feels at home. The design team and partners Bonnelycke MDD are four blocks away. They are our external designers, but we work closely with them, as we have done from day 1; we are friends and this is a joint project that has become very strong.”

Model 54.1/3 by Kilsgaard
Model 54.1/3 by Kilsgaard – launching this month in Paris

Launched in 2008, Kilsgaard has grown steadily in Europe. In the US, Jacob works with good friend Shane Baum of Baum Vision. ” We launched in North America two years ago and we have a growing business there. It is a privilege to work with friends and Shane and I are best buddies as well as business associates.” In design, Kilsgaard manages to bring vitality to metal frames, and an individuality that is exciting. “We have found a corner of the business where we – as we see it – are on our own. We try to use some of the same elements as the fashion industry – especially the Danish fashion industry.”   The Danish design roots are important, but Jacob explains this in his own way. “I find my inspiration in Denmark’s design heritage – solid materials, minimal design, and caring for the function intended for the product, comfort and every day use. Many of the Danish designers set out to create comfortable furniture that looked great, in that order. The basics need to be in place. This is our starting point as well.” Eyestylist asked Jacob to reveal something about the new collections coming up. “We have six new shapes and one new colour being added to the existing range. Our new temple concept employs a new material that we haven’t used before – titanium. It is really something to talk about!”

 

JISCO
TVR True Vintage Revival
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
BLACKFIN
ROLF Spectacles
VAVA Eyewear
ERKERS
MOREL
Look
Kilsgaard - Model 56.6-1 launching this month
Model 56.6-1 by Kilsgaard launching this month in Paris

Outside work, Kilsgaard spends time with his daughter, new girlfriend and family…and he loves to cook. “I had a catering company while I was “studying” in Aarhus many years ago. My love of cooking didn’t go away. I cook everyday with Smilla, my four year old daughter, and try to pass on my passion for great food and the importance of high-quality ingredients – I like to show her that good food can bring people together on many levels. To me, cooking and dining with people is a very private special thing. If I cook you dinner, you’re in…I love skiing, good wine and change. I guess my working life has made me somewhat impatient. I don’t get bored easily but I enjoy change from the daily routine. It keeps me going.” CN

www.kilsgaard-eyewear.com

Royal Vintage

Lesca Lunetier – Eyewear Legacy

29th August 2013 Lesca Lunetier was one of the brands I remember from early visits to the fashion frame exhibition in Paris. What a delightful surprise to see Joël Lesca again, and discover that his talented son Mathieu is now involved in the business. On a recent Paris visit, Clodagh and I were enamoured to have the opportunity to look at scores of gorgeous vintage designs from Lesca including frames designed by Joël. The feel of the acetate is wonderful – so smooth and rich. The beauties above are from the 1950’s that have been lovingly refurbished in the Lesca workshop.

Joël Lesca 1983 Vintage Legacy
Joël Lesca 1983 Vintage Legacy

Frame P9 (above) celebrates its 30th anniversary this year – Joël Lesca created this design in France in 1983. Fabricated in finest quality cellulose acetate, the frame shape captures vintage elements in classic tortoiseshell. www.lescalunetier.com JG

Photography (top image) by Eyestylist.com.