Boutiques

Ateliers Baudin was founded in 2016, drawing inspiration from the artisanal know-how of the Jura region. Describing itself as a custom eyewear workshop, the store is located at 38 Rue de Penthièvre in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, where the glasses are made and sold on-site….

Based in the heart of one of Paris’ most lively districts, this small team of eyewear experts offer a service for bespoke handmade eyewear, produced according to each individual’s prescription and distinctive needs, both practical and aesthetic.

United by a passion for custom-made design and craftsmanship, the team is currently led by Mathieu Jacquet, a trained optician, who learnt the art of spectacle-making through an internship alongside ‘Meilleurs Ouvriers’ (MOF) de France in Morez in the Jura. After struggling to find eyewear that he truly liked—both in terms of style and fit for different facial shapes—he decided to create his own frames. At Ateliers Baudin, he welcomes clients to the workshop, conducts eye exams, designs each model, and oversees the entire manufacturing process. Above: example of handmade oval sunglass by Ateliers Baudin

“Our philosophy is to put craftsmanship at the service of excellence—whether optical or aesthetic. Every frame we create must be both technically flawless and visually harmonious. We don’t compromise on comfort or beauty. What inspires us are precise gestures, noble materials, and the belief that a beautiful object can transform a gaze—both literally and figuratively….each face, each morphology, each preference pushes us to create differently. We never quite know how a frame will begin: sometimes it’s a detail in the gaze, a brow shape, or a word exchanged that sparks the idea. It’s this element of the unexpected and the custom-made that makes our work come alive…” Ateliers Baudin artisan team

The designs are produced in fine quality materials and typically cellulose acetate and horn; each sheet is carefully selected for its depth, hue, or transparency. In terms of style, the frames are based on a timeless foundation of curves and proportions, the team explained. “However, each design evolves from the dialogue with the client: depending on their desires and personality,” they added.

According to the makers, their handmade pieces stand out because they have hand-finished volumes, which capture the light. “And the subtle details make all the difference,” they emphasised.  “The craftsmanship is exquisitely precise, with each frame perfectly complementing the contours of the face, as if it were a delicate drawing that naturally integrates, offering an aesthetic extension of the eyewear itself.

Since 2016, Ateliers Baudin has done several product collaborations including special edition buffalo horn sunglasses for the British luxury company, Holland & Holland.

38, Rue de Penthièvre, 75008 Paris, France. Find out more about Ateliers Baudin at www.ateliersbaudin.com

An exclusive collection of asymmetric optical works in a limited edition of 50 pieces only, “designed to rebalance the distortions and irregularities of everyday life”…. Matteo Cibic has launched his eyewear collection this month in a unique installation, displayed at Punto Ottico Humaneyes, Piazza Meda, Milan (4th-13th April 2025)

As part of MiArt and Milan Design Week 2025, Punto Ottico Humaneyes announces a spectacular limited edition eyewear collaboration with renowned designer Matteo Cibic, created as a true expression of his dreamlike vision.

To celebrate the launch, the Punto Ottico Humaneyes store in Milan, Italy has been hosting a special installation by Cibic, designed to transform the space into an immersive experience. The store is hosting an exhibition of exclusive works by the designer as well as the eyewear, reflecting Cibic’s distinctive design, stylistic language and eclectic talent. Above: Matteo Cibic at Punto Ottico Humaneyes, Milan

This initiative is part of Milan Design Week as a meeting point between design, art, and craftsmanship, highlighting Punto Ottico Humaneyes’ commitment to exploring and promoting new aesthetic expressions in the eyewear industry.

About Matteo Cibic / Matteo Cibic (b. 1983, Parma, Italy) is a groundbreaking trans media creator who uses his craft to explore the world and imagine utopian futures. Through his sculptural practice, he imbues everyday objects with a soul and personality, treating them as personas that bridge the gap between the animate and inanimate. For over a decade, he has conducted “a sociological research about colours and objects,” investigating how they shape our daily lives. One of his most iconic projects, VasoNaso, exemplifies his fusion of humour, creativity, and rigorous experimentation with ceramics. For Cibic, even the slightest shift in form can suggest an entirely new species, sparking a playful yet meaningful exploration of evolution and diversity. Find out more about the artist and the exhibition at: www.puntoottico.it / www.matteocibicstudio.com

Images provided courtesy of JDO Eyewear and Punto Ottico Humaneyes. All rights reserved.

SunGod’s first UK store opens on Henrietta Street in London

The independent sports eyewear brand, SunGod has opened their first store in Covent Garden in London. The brand, which was first launched in 2013, has created the store or “basecamp” to inspire deeper connections with its community and reaffirm its status as a ‘challenger’ sports eyewear brand – making waves in the eyewear industry and beyond. Events are planned for the new space in London, including athlete and ambassador events, run clubs, customisation experiences, product tests and more.

About SunGod From crowdfunding ‘start-up’ in 2013, SunGod has grown into a community-built, globally recognised eyewear brand. Through their lenses and actions, sustainability and community are woven into the brand’s DNA. As a certified B Corp™ and 1% For The Planet member, with carbon-neutral products and operations – plus a Lifetime Guarantee on every product – SunGod has been committed to sustainability from day one. In recognition of these actions, they were awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Sustainable Development in 2023 (UK). Today, SunGods are worn by elite athletes and teams around the world who range from WorldTour cycling teams like SD Worx and the INEOS Grenadiers, to globally recognised names such as England Cricket and McLaren F1 Team. For more information visit www.sungod.co

Everything is eye-catching in the first Printemps in the US – the store occupies two floors of One Wall Street, featuring the historic Red Room, decorated with a mural by Hildreth Meière – graffiti on the exterior clearly states this store is “not a department store”…

The interior, designed by Laura Gonzalez, is luxurious, tasteful, and attentive to details, with sophisticated textiles, oak displays, vintage furniture and wall paintings. More iconic museum or luxurious art gallery, and inspired by Parisian apartments, the store boasts the iconic Red Room, decorated with an historic mosaic mural created by the American Art Deco artist Hildreth Meière, in 1931. The room, which has not been open to the public for some years, is an architectural gem which has been beautifully renovated as a sparkling backdrop for the shoe collections curated by Printemps for the particularly unique surroundings, with some shoe colours matching the interior style. Above: the iconic Red Room has been transformed into a luxury shoe salon – the room is famous for the red and gold mosaic tiles that cover the wall and ceiling – it is expected to become known as “the most beautiful shoe salon in the world” and for art aficionados it will become a destination…. 

The store also offers an exclusive concept which is immediately apparent for those used to shopping in department stores. There are no shop-in-shop areas and the products are presented first and foremost according to style, colour and design as opposed to price or brand, meaning that everything is curated and placed with a free and much more creative vision than would be possible in dedicated spaces by collection and brand.

Beyond the stunning Red Room, the store also features many other areas that are refined, carefully coordinated and wonderful to visit as an experience. They include a sneaker room with a perfectly curated overview of what’s outstanding in this category – we have read that this room will also be used for other events and meditation;  a minimal beauty corridor en route to the Red Room featuring French cosmetic brands such as Cottan, a brand with stunning packaging that dates back to 1840. The luxury highlights will include creative jewellery by Coppola e Toppo, the iconic Italian jewellery label, which will be on show in the Printemps Boudoir this week, alongside an exhibition of Jean Paul Gaultier pieces that pay homage to the French haute couture designer’s much adored  signature style.

Printemps New York will be officially opened on Thursday 21st March 2025. All photos by Eyestylist.com + all rights reserved – This feature was written by Clodagh Norton for Eyestylist.com. Personal thanks to @pietro_paolo_longhitano, Creative Director, Coppola e Toppo for the recommendation and insights.

The Porto-based eyewear brand has created a spectacular concept store designed by Pedro Silva in collaboration with architects and designers from creative fields outside eyewear

The impressive 300m2 concept store is located on the historic Passos Manuel at number 66, and has three distinctive levels. Conceived as an expansive and experimental space, Silva describes it more as an art installation than a store, lit by neon lights and lined with mirror walls and details such as gradient colour palettes and fluo tones. Above: view of the Ground Floor of the VAVA concept store – considered the main showroom in the store, where the brand showcases the eyewear and sunglasses collections – the design of the space was influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Donald Judd minimal art and Brian Eno’s Ambient : Music for Airports

The Ground Floor has been designed to manifest many of VAVA’s architectural and design preferences and its links with concepts of minimalism. Baby blue details symbolise a sense of calm, serenity and human innocence, while the red cube seating is a tribute to Space Odyssey and the red Djinn chair designed by Olivier Mourgue in 1965.

The Upper Floor showcases products and features a lens laboratory. For the design, the space is informed by Sol LeWitt’s modular structures and by his statement: “conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach.”

An eye clinic for full eye testing and contact lens fitting has been installed in the Basement. This area uses design as a tool to “reshape” eyecare with focus on the individual experience and a holistic view to welcome patients as guests, giving them the opportunity to slow down and spend time on self-care in an environment that is contemporary and striking in its minimal architectural style.

About VAVA – Portuguese eyewear brand Vava is one of Europe’s leading innovators in optical/sunglass design offering a sophisticated contemporary and often subtly futuristic design style. The VAVA leitmotif is to offer a high-quality product which embodies the experience, knowledge and art of the great masters of handmade eyewear. According to VAVA, this is knowledge that is gradually being lost as we live in an era when mass-production flourishes and the use of low-quality materials dominates. VAVA seeks to foster a dialogue between craftsmanship and high-tech solutions. This approach, combined with the use of the highest quality materials, makes VAVA unique. The core concept of the brand is closely linked to the “post-industrial” society in which we live, and the growing belief that we live in a “post-human” age.  VAVA plays around with people’s imagination and “science fiction”. The brand is inspired by futuristic unisex characters, who have helped them to create a minimal silhouette and a monochromatic figure. This unisex philosophy and minimalistic aesthetic are naturally interwoven into the DNA of VAVA. www.vavaeyewear.com