November 2020

Retro classic style: Fleye – Edward

26th November 2020

Fusing modern materials together in one small spectacle design is an art, and one at which the finest of the independent labels excel. The modern style of the Edward frame by Fleye Copenhagen – one of Denmark’s leaders in fine frame creation – is an example of a combination in raw carbon fibre, colored wood and beta-titanium, where each material complements another, balancing lightness and comfort, alongside contemporary style and design. Above: model Edward by Fleye Copenhagen – a round eye shape with narrow beta titanium bridge and hinge detail

Close-up of model Edward by Fleye Copenhagen – 3 materials in one frame

“Each frame is the intersection of craft and art, representing our vision for modern designs, crafted to last.” Fleye Copenhagen

Part of the Elements of Art collection, a range designed as a tribute to the Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen, achieved through a thorough and complex project of experimentation and creative research, this frame offers a shape suited to men and women, with exceptional refinement in the finish and the surface pattern of the wood and an interesting minimal colour palette, reproduced with skill and precision in different artistic combinations.

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For more details about the Fleye Copenhagen collection “Elements of Art” click on the link: https://www.eyestylist.com/2020/09/fleye-copenhagen-elements-of-art-2/

Design + Inspiration

Op-art inspired: FACE A FACE Hollow

24th November 2020

The Parisian label proposes a new visual experience in its latest collections. Hollow, a concept playing with transparency, neon and multi-textured surfaces is one of the highlights in the collection for the season to come.

Bold. Intense. Almost dizzying. With artistic references, interpreted in creative “graphic effects”. Hollow by FACE A FACE is one of the concept styles for the new season, a grouping of frames crafted in homage to artists of extraordinary stature: Escher, Vasarely and Bridget Riley. Above: the new FACE A FACE campaign, featuring the Hollow frame.

HOLLOW1: layering up in new season colour – a bold, round eye shape by FACE A FACE

Hollow1 – now available in 8 individualistic colorways, is at its most dramatic in the new flash blue under a contrasting shocking fresh papaya tone that highlights the details. Furthermore, the style boasts a precision machined shaping under the temple, with a front that displays different layers to create texture and an illusion of light. The frame is closely inspired by Bridget Riley and her works where geometry and optical effects are explored along with exciting notions of how to combine colours where the tones boldly echo one another and interact together.

HOLLOW3 – a classic shape with a colourful update

In Hollow3, neon touches punctuate the completely clear temple tips, and seem to be suspended in the air; the glittery and pearly tones highlight the futuristic spirit of the design.

Created in Paris more than 20 years ago, FACE A FACE has become a contemporary reference in eyewear. Inspired by the boldness of modern art – a beloved theme of creative director Pascal Jaulent – the brand remains audacious and avant-garde while displaying a creativity in colours and expressions that has brought them recognition and accolades through many years. For further details: www.faceaface-paris.com

Boutiques

Local treasure: Ottica Rossi, Tuscany

21st November 2020

Traditional Italian stores, Ottica Rossi and sister store Ottica Talluto, dedicated to professionalism and an offer of unique eyewear, have an established authentic history of serving their community. The owner Luca Rossi told us he has added his own limited sunglasses line to his selection of eyewear – a project he has dedicated to the local people and the beautiful landscapes of the Tuscan region.

In the dreamy seaside towns of Orbetello and Maremma (Tuscany), Luca Rossi’s traditional optical boutiques – Ottica Rossi and Ottica Talluto – offer a combination of traditional eyecare services with a wide choice of frames and sunglasses – selected for the local community and, in normal seasons, a stream of tourists and visitors who come to the area for sun and relaxation. The eyewear collections in the stores currently include famous fashion collections and independent brands Barton Perreira, Seeoo and Maui Jim, as well as the Italian classic, Persol.

Ottica Rossi – the Ottica Rossi sunglasses edition

Rossi’s dedication and passion for his work has culminated in a new project in 2020. The optician has created his own collection of 10 sunglass models, produced locally in Italy and inspired by the location of the stores. Featuring classic colours of ochre, tortoise and black and retro-inspired shapes popularised by the stars of the Italian cinema of the 1950s and 60s the line is designed as a connection to the local Italian region, with a nostalgic and classical style, a nod to “la dolce vita”.

Ottica Talluto Orbetello and Ottica Rossi Argentario present a wide range of eyewear

About – In the heart of Porto Santo Stefano, overlooking the sea, Talluto Ottica first opened in 1987, to serve the local community and tourists visiting the town. Ottica Rossi is located in Porto Santo Stefano, close to the sea front. Today both stores are run by optician, optometrist and contactologist Luca Rossi. www.otticarossi.it Written by Clodagh Norton – all rights reserved

Boutiques

MYKITA Shop Hamburg

19th November 2020

Continuing its roll-out of new stores with a focus on cities closer to home, MYKITA has opened their first Hamburg store at Neuer Wall 88.

Located between the city’s canals and shopping boulevards, the shop brings the distinctively modern design aesthetic of the Berlin brand to the heritage-listed Stadthöfe, a recently restored architectural ensemble steeped in baroque and neo-renaissance style.

The fourth shop to open in Germany, it offers MYKITA’s comprehensive range of optical services using state-of-the-art instruments from optical partner, Zeiss. The full MYKITA product portfolio is available – the ultra-light stainless steel eyewear designs, mixed material models, and award-winning MYKITA MYLON collection made with 3D printing technology – as well as the design collaborations with Maison Margiela, Helmut Lang, and Leica.

Neon signage marks the street-level shop location in the ‘Palaishaus’ built in 1881. Once inside the six-metre high doorway, visitors are welcomed into a modern, warm atmosphere with a seated consultation area, providing an unrushed and comfortable space to receive a personal and professional optical service. Eyes are immediately drawn to the open mezzanine level and the view of the optical lab and workshop used for in-store frame adjustments and lens fittings. Construction details and furnishings in a deep orange shade break up the reigning warm, neutral tones of wood and stone.

In addition to the MYKITA Shop Hamburg, the brand now has 14 shops worldwide, including locations in Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Cartagena, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Munich, New York, Paris, Taipei, Tokyo, Washington and Zurich. For more information visit www.mykita.com

Design + Inspiration

Emerging label: Shelter

18th November 2020

Elegant, eco-friendly, and made-in-France

Luxurious, design-focused and crafted in the Jura, the team behind up-and-coming eco brand Shelter says their passion is creativity and working with natural wood.

The main collection – Renaissance, featuring compressed wood layers and metal, is based around an intense 2-year development for a patent. “The frames are light, thin yet flexible and strong,” Amicie de Bouteiller told Eyestylist in an interview this week. “We developed them making sure that the lenses can easily be placed in the frame. The Smartwood patent is in the glue and the technique we have developed for compressing the thin layers of wood.” Above: model Gabrielle by Shelter worn by Agnès.

Andrea in the Renaissance collection by Shelter

A second collection, Douce France, which takes as its reference from the beauty of the French forests, features bio-acetate with the essence and “feeling” of different types of French wood, a choice which includes palm, spruce, walnut burl and crab apple. The materials in this line are exclusively recycled or recyclable.

Jean in the Renaissance collection by Shelter

Making their first appearance at Silmo, the Paris optical fair, in 2018, Shelter who are based in Cran Gevrier, Annecy exhibited at the recent Silmo Hors Les Murs, this year’s “substitute road show” event which opened in Paris in Jardin des Tuileries in October.

Gabin in walnut burl from the Douce France collection by Shelter

The brand’s commitment to sustainable values and eco-friendly production is manifested in many ways from the selection of materials – which includes upcycled wood sheets from the French specialists Marotte – and a commitment to a philosophy of “less is more”: “for each new frame, we attach a real importance to not being wasteful in the use of the primary material.” Find out more at: www.shelter-manufacture.com