Boutiques

We took a look for ourselves and discovered tiny aliens with an obsession for kung fu. This is the inspiration behind the installations at the new 2-floor Gentle Monster store in London, a space that is more straightforward in its conceptual presentation than sister stores in the US or Korea, where part of the fun is the architectural excellence of the spaces and unexpected surprises encountered as you literally “journey” through the stores.

In London, the experience is more about the installations themselves: they include a huge kinetic apparatus with a gong that sounds every three minutes, a Kung Fu “training field” and “battle ground” for the aliens and a waterfall video installation by artist Ryoici Kurokawa, referencing the places where an aspiring Kung Fu master would typically train and meditate.

And then there are the glasses and sunglasses: not so much at centre stage, and displayed in typical Gentle Monster style, in amongst the installations, usually on minimal, open shelves, but always designed to invite us to pick up and try them on as much as possible, the experience of which is positively encouraged at Gentle Monster.

The eyewear and sunglass designs available here offer a mix of wearable and very flamboyant metal and plastic shapes, colours and forms, and are priced – unexpectedly – at more moderate prices than we had imagined (some just under £200 – all made in China or Korea). Highlights include very classic plastic sun styles in easy colours – the collab with Tilda Swinton was a memorably classy one – and a few outlandish sci-fi pieces with metal details such as the capsule, Once Upon a Future. Much more is promised, with London Fashion Week being the immediate focus for September and, as in other GM shops, a changing and evolving theme, a part of the DNA of the label, will ensure nothing stays the same for too long.

The new store is located at 28 & 29 Argyll Street London, just near Liberty’s in Central London. The opening in the UK follows a second store in LA and a new pop up in NYC at DSM and Selfridges on Oxford St., London. Gentle Monster was founded in 2011 by Hankook Kim. www.gentlemonster.com CN

Majestic architecture, the river Danube and the backdrop of the Buda Hills make Budapest one of the most stunning weekend destinations in Europe. The city is also home to Hungary’s no 1 independent eyewear company Tipton Eyeworks, located in the centre of the city across the street from the historic Cafe Centrale.

A wide choice of inventive eyewear at Tipton’s showroom

Opened to the public in 2017, the showroom offers a wonderful peep at a team of industrious, highly skilled artisans finishing frames, and a buzzing retail space exhibiting the collection, where Zach Tipton’s first eyewear designs and some very special limited edition glasses – including the NVSBLE range and a tribute to Bob Marley, are on show. A highlight is the photo wall of famous faces, including Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, Fred Durst and Elton John. “I started with rimless in early 2000, but soon moved into vinyl,” explains Zach as we toured the workshops and store. “Over the years we have perfected how we use the vinyl and we remain the only company who has pursued this direction with a growing global success in top-level boutique shops.”

Visitors to Budapest can arrange an appointment to make their own frame at the showroom, with expert artisans on hand to explain the process of assembling individual frame parts, personalising the frame with gold lettering, and, eventually cleaning and polishing the frame – ready to wear. In the background music plays from the vinyl archive on a retro ‘record player’: we play all the LPs we use for the frames, Zach explains, as he puts on a mysterious 90s ambient album that has come from a London warehouse. A current favourite is AC/DC, the focus of a collaboration using the 22 x multi-platinum “Back in Black” album.

Tipton Eyeworks has also achieved notoriety in the film industry in Budapest, producing frames for particular requirements on set, and as special commissions and gifts for the many actors and actresses visiting the city. This Spring, a Limited Edition design from the Cinematiq Collection was created for Antonio Banderas during the shooting of Genius: Life of Picasso. These unique sunglass editions are presented in a flat circular case similar to that used to carry old-school film.

Alongside the VINYLIZE collection launched in 2004, the new Cinematiq concept presents luxury acetate frames which make use of vintage 16mm film footage – perfectly aligned inside the temples where light illuminates the colourful action and characters within. And there is no stopping there. Whilst we were at the store, an ingenious, collaborative eco-inspired project was in production – a limited edition commission by coffee machine makers, Nespresso, recycling the aluminium coffee capsules into a chic run of co-branded sunglasses for Hungarian stores.

Eyestylist stayed at Hotel Rum, Budapest (www.hotelrumbudapest.com). Kind thanks to Tipton Eyeworks for a memorable first trip to their beautiful home city. Visit the company: TIPTON EYEWORKS, Iranyi  u. 20, 1056 Budapest www.tiptonbudapest.com / www.vinylize.com CN