Boutiques

Print designer Lisa King and Zanzan Eyewear have opened a stunning one stop summer shop in London’s Soho today, just in time for the soaring temperatures in the capital. The selection of specialist independent brands includes exclusive brightly coloured swimwear by Lisa King, handmade sunglasses from Zanzan, jewellery by Jiya, and a selection of travel items and vintage books and magazines. A capsule collection by iconic 80s label Bodymap includes beach separates, tees and totes.

Featured accessory labels: Lisa King Swimwear, Zanzan, Bodymap, July Stars, Conservatory Archives, Alighieri, Jiya, Cosmos by Petra Borner

Club Tropicana Popup takes place from 5th to 15th May at 4 Upper James Street, Soho, W1F 9DG – www.zanzan.co.uk / www.lisakinglondon.com  CN

Five optical store owners from Germany, including featured boutiques on Eyestylist, Klar in Darmstadt and Leidmann, Munich, are teaming up together to launch limited eyewear models in their unique stores across the country – in an initiative inspired by a mutual love of great design and good friendship. Their first edition? A Limited Edition acetate sunglass design with Californian eyewear designer, Garrett Leight, produced in a run of just 150 for the five participating stores.

Available through the five stores from this weekend, priced at 335 euros, the Collective told Eyestylist a 2nd Limited Edition collaborative edition is on the way for Autumn/Winter 2016 – this will be created with a different international eyewear designer popular with the group.

The German Collective includes optical stores 6MillionGlasses in Hamburg, Specs, Berlin – https://specs-berlin.de, Steingasse 14, Heidelberg http://steingasse14.de, Leidmann, Munich www.leidmann.de, and Klar, Darmstadt – www.klar-augenoptik.de. CN

Hans Schneider and his daughter Sina gave us a warm welcome in Munich, on a cold snowy evening during the annual eyewear event Opti. Their family-run store, located close to the universities and prestigious art galleries opened at this very same address in October 1970, and, as Hans and his daughter explained, the whole interior, as it was then, has been preserved. “We have only needed to renovate the floor,” explained Sina. “My father had the interior furnished by an “optical” furniture specialist from Hanover (a rarity at that time!), according to his own taste and design brief.”

During the first two years’ of business, Scheider recalled that he sold Zeiss lenses, opera glasses and Rodenstock lenses and spectacles. It wasn’t until 1972 that he added some of the up-and-coming Italian eyewear labels; and as things began to change and the choice in collections grew, Schneider took a selection of fine eyewear designs including the German labels Cazal and Jil Sander – at that time sold directly by the design house itself – and, by the early 80s, Alain Mikli from France.

“Today, with the vast number of collections available, we are still seeking out the innovators and designers that show excellence, quality and detailing. We have selected items that my father and I both identify as individual and of good quality…we are working with brands like Lindberg, Oliver Peoples, PQ and Eyevan from Japan,” says Sina. “I love some of the more underground styles by Activist in Brooklyn. My father has an incredible appreciation of all things that are well made, using traditional techniques, but he is also known for recommending the very individual frames produced with a modern, more daring aesthetic. He has a real eye for which frame will suit a customer, young or old, and true expertise when it comes to finding something different. He’s inspirational.”

Brillen Schneider, Amalienstr. 33/32, 80799 Munich, Germany www.brillen-schneider.de CN

Parisian brand Lafont’s boutique on Boulevard Raspail, a stone’s throw from Bon Marche, is instantly recognisable with its aubergine and dark green decor and artistic seasonal window displays. A 1970s painting of a tiger above the desk – with a glint in his eye – has come from the Lafont family’s private collection, creating a surprising focal point in the spacious modern interior where eyewear is displayed on elegant shelves.

Our most recent visit to the family-owned Parisian brand took in two Lafont addresses – 17 Boulevard Raspail, a large space with a high ceiling, chic and contemporary, and fitting for the area frequented by Parisian professionals, lawyers and politicians; and the historic “epi-centre” of the brand in Rue Vignon, charming and historic, more museum than boutique, dating back to 1923 (further details at https://www.eyestylist.com/2011/09/lafont-eyewear-paris-france-2/)

“My mother and father began to experiment with colour in eyewear as early as the 1970s,” explains Matthieu Lafont who meets me at Rue Vignon. “They were spraying the frames to apply colour at that time,  and then they began to introduce fabric into the designs. They were really experimental for those times.”

Today the shops highlight the brand’s entire collections – classics such as Jupiter (above) set side by side with new designs, desirable re-editions, a gorgeous classical horn collection, and precious authentic vintage tortoise frames. Bespoke is also an important highlight at retail. “We see demand for bespoke frames in the stores, and this is an area that is increasingly relevant, it’s a part of our expertise,” explains Matthieu.

With four shops in Paris and one in Normandy, as well as optical stockists worldwide – some feature bespoke Lafont “corners” with similar colours and details as the Parisian stores themselves – the label shows no signs of slowing down in terms of creative drive and accomplished trendsetting designs and decorative applications. Part of the beauty of the collection remains its unique identity – and the expression of that through each design. “For our 2016 collection presentation at Mido,” explains Matthieu,” Thomas, artistic director, has worked on new colour combinations in acetate, metal or acetate with fabric. We will also present a new set of retro inspired products combining carbon fibre fronts and beta-titanium temples. A lot of work has been dedicated to the shapes, with new offers in terms of sizing and proportions.” For more information about Lafont Paris and the Parisian stores visit www.lafont.com. Photography credit: Eyestylist.com CN