Joan

Handcrafted Miniature Decorations

19th December 2014 The magical little Christmas tree, nestled on a counter in London’s Fortnum & Mason, was an eye-catcher – with decorations that resembled noted landmarks of international fame. Here was a charming Big Ben, transposed into miniature, with markings as its glorious original. Britain’s iconic black taxicabs and red post boxes added more luster, and the recognizable double decker buses.

The man at the counter, Michael Peterson, turned out to be the designer of these delightful petit tree decorations. “Well…it really is a love story,” said Peterson, “as at the time, I was dating a Polish girl, Zaneta, and we went to visit her family in Poland. I was a design student and love all kinds of design. Zaneta’s father suggested that we visit a glass making concern, and this sparked the idea for me to become a specialist in miniature decorations.” The result of the visit was the creation of Bombki, and Zaneta is now Peterson’s wife.

“As I was born in London,” continued Peterson, “we started with symbols that are recognised in London – Big Ben, The Queen’s Horse Guards, the black taxi, plus Christmas highlights with a manger, and a mince pie and Christmas cracker. Then we decided to focus on different cities – with little miniatures of Paris, New York, and Moscow symbols. We’ve also added a Little English Cream Tea Set, and the Little Royal London Set that includes a corgi, a golden carriage, a crown, the Union Jack Flat and Buckingham Palace.”

Bombki is now a family enterprise that includes sisters and cousins – “lots of family members”, says Peterson proudly. He creates each design – which takes approximately four months. The precision is extremely exact, and is transformed into mouth-blown glass, which is then hand decorated. One of the highlights for Bombki was when Sarah Brown, the wife of the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered a design. “It was very exciting,” recalls Peterson, “as Sarah Brown commissioned a design of the front door of No.10 Downing Street. We also designed their Christmas card.” No. 10 Downing Street continues to be available in the collection.

In addition to the Little sets, Peterson has created several of the designs in large sizes, including Big Ben, a red post box and others, which he personally signs. For more information on Bombki artisan Noël decorations, visit www.bombki.com JG

Eyewear Excellence in Germany

16th December 2014  The forthcoming OPTI Munich eyewear event in January already promises to be an exciting show to launch the 2015 calendar. Eyestylist has been given a peek at some of the beautiful new designs that will be presented in Munich.

Berlin based ic! berlin debuts the New Year with an ingenious concept – Plotic frames. Designer Ralph Anderl commented; “We’ve mastered acetate. We’ve mastered steel. Now the next frontier. ic! berlin presents plotic – 3D printed eyewear by Selective Laser Sintering. Plotic makes the impossible possible, and paves the way for designs and shapes that until now have been impossible using traditional manufacturing techniques. After several years of research and development, ic!berlin is excited to launch Plotic and Plotic-hybrid eyewear for OPTI 2015 in nine rich new colours.”  Above: Im Dol from the Plotic collection. www.ic-berlin.de

Matthieu Lafont at Lafont Paris, who will present their eyewear collections for men, women and children, observed: “OPTI is an important show in Germany and it’s historically one of the biggest markets in Europe in terms of business.” Lafont is spot-on trend with Piana and the importance of camouflage for eyewear. www.lafont.com

Adrian Marwitz, who will launch his new Titanium collection noted: “The Munich show has great organisation, and of course, the city is amazing, and it is important for the international market.” www.adrianmarwitz.com

Acetate, Titanium and a new genuine horn collection are on the agenda for Götti Switzerland’s presentation. “We have been showing our product in Munich every year since the first OPTI in 2000. For 2015, Götti will present acetate and Titanium news, plus a genuine horn collection, including a presentation that shows how these masterpieces are produced.” www.gotti.ch

Rolf Spectacles highlights their new “evolved collection” that includes frames designed from four different wood combinations. The Austrian based company is celebrating their fifth anniversary of creating ultra-light, delicate wood frames with sophistication, the finest quality and elaborate finishing. www.rolf-spectacles.com

Italian designer Oliviero Zanon will arrive in Munich with a stunning range that includes chic sunglasses with two-tone black and tortoiseshell glossy acetate, and a distinctive flat double bridge. Like all Res/Rei eyewear, Guilio 11 is handmade in Italy by local artisans. www.resrei.com

All roads lead to Munich 9-11 January 2015! www.opti.de JG

Designs Out of the Ordinary

9th December 2014 There are numerous reasons to love eyewear – it’s a great fashion accessory with creativity, style, surprises, and current technology, plus wonderful colours and materials. Two discoveries by Eyestylist provide imaginative ideas to enjoy wearing on frosty winter days, or the lure of tropical climates and beaches.

RVS by V., designed by Vidal Erkohen has a new Limited Edition that includes Snow White (above) which is equipped with a custom made Camo print on genuine leather, and chic mirror lenses – an important trend. The bridge is detachable for additional flexibility. The design is an effective and fashionable way to keep your eyes safe from the wind, and strong winter sun. www.rvsbyv.com

What better way to make a grand entrance on the beach than wearing Bocca Lova Sunglasses? Pascal Jaulent at Face à Face Paris is inspired by the fictional spy character Emma Peel in the 1960’s TV adventure series The Avengers. Bocca Lova is an ode to the aesthetics of the 60’s with sharp geometric design and two-tone colouration. Like Emma Peel, you can be a heroine in Bocca Lova sunglasses! www.faceaface-paris.com JG