Made in a small workshop in Ohio, Harvey is a classy little number, beautifully crafted with intriguing colour effect. Anni Shades dedicates lots of effort to finely-tuning their techniques for producing handmade frames, and the results are impressive. Currently available at Artsee Eyewear, Miami. www.annishades.com CN
From Canada, Homa by Spectacle Eyeworks is typical of the natural eyewear styles from the Canadian brand, who have been producing handmade wood and horn products since 2008. Lenses are secured with screws to ensure easy alignment and acetate temple tips are added for easy adjustments. If you so desire, the Homa can be created with handfinished temple engravings adding a touch of the exotic. www.spec-eyeworks.com CN
1st June 2015 “Shoes are one of the most telling aspects of dress. Beautiful, sculptural objects, they are also powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can help project an image of who we want to be,” says Helen Persson, Exhibition Curator for Shoes: Pleasure and Pain.
Included in this splendid show are shoes from the unrivalled collection at the V& A, plus international collections, and wardrobes of private individuals. Shoes worn by or associated with high profile figures including Queen Victoria, Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Jessica Parker, David Beckham and the Hon Daphne Guinness, among others, are featured. The famous ballet slippers designed for Moira Shearer in the 1948 film The Red Shoes are on display. Footwear for men and women by seventy designers including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Vivienne Westwood and Jimmy Choo will also feature in the more than two-hundred pairs of shoes included in the exhibition.
Shoes from ancient Egypt, men’s shoes from India, shoe fashions from the European royal courts, and today’s trend-setting designers provide amazing examples of footwear through the centuries. Shoes: Pleasure and Pain is the latest in a continuing series of fascinating fashion presentations at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The exhibition opens on 13 June and continues until 31st January 2016. www.vam.ac.uk/shoes JG
Photos: Top image: Freed of London red ballet shoes made for Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes (1948) silk satin, braid and leather, England 1948. Photograph reproduced with the kind permission of Northampton Museums and Art Gallery; Roger Vivier for Christian Dior image Copyrighted Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Chopines: image copyrighted Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Parakeet Shoes: Photography by Dan Lowe
Bano should be at the top of your list if you love Genuine Horn eyewear. A classic retro look, the frame is elegant for men or women. Gotti uses the highest quality buffalo horn and hand polishing techniques that provide a luxurious lustre on the natural material. An eyewear experience to remember. www.gotti.ch CN
Influenced by East Asian calligraphy and the Lunar calendar, Rigards RG0061 is a collaborative design with Shanghai-based designer Ziggy Chen. Hand-carved bevels, typical of this artisan horn label, give a graceful three-dimensional handmade finish, referencing the fluid brushtrokes of Oriental penmanship. Parts of the frame are also hand-polished for a silky smooth effect similar to the surface of a writer’s inkstones. As always, Rigards focuses on unique artisan style and quality in eyewear produced out of solid genuine horn pieces. Choose from bespoke European or Asian fit for maximum comfort. Rigards optical and sunglass designs are now available in London at Specstacular Opticians, www.specstacular.london www.rigards.com CN