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Autumn Eyewear Escapades…

25th September 2014

Begin here at Eyestylist, with an international optical tour throughout the month of innovative and imaginative frames to be presented at the Paris shows. Glasses and sunglass designs radiate superb styling, amazing colours and fabulous shapes. Click on all our sections – Reviews, Boutiques, Designer of the Month, and City Guides – for eyewear, fashion and cultural discoveries.

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MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

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Scene Stealers

25th September 2014

Frames That Command Attention

25th September 2014 What is going to be in optical boutiques in the coming months? Some of the most original, beautiful and innovative eyewear that we have the pleasure to see in Paris starting today. International eyewear designers bring their personal inner “vision” and creativity to frames, and the results are stunning. Netherlands based Susanne Klemm at Suzy Glam has created “Goes Bananas” – Limited Edition sunglasses with slick edginess and flat lenses. Handcrafted in Italy, Suzy Glam frames express chic individuality, with amazing attention to detail. www.suzyglam.com

Theo in Belgium loves red – it’s a favourite colour featured in the collections. Mille+13 is a great example in thick acetate with sharp, defined edges, and lots of beautiful hand polishing. The frame front has two different finishes – the upper part is shiny, and the bottom has a wooden look. Bigger and bolder is the message at Theo! www.theo.be

The ghostly beauty of the sea and its myriad of morphological characteristics influenced the new RIGARDS signature finish: Plastron. Designer Ti Kwa and his team improved traditional horn equipment and developed their own prototype hand tools, which enabled the creation of a crude, alien texture on the horn. The result is a unique design that symbolizes protecting the eyes from elements of the outside world. www.rigards.com

Tilman Sun by Shane Baum - Leisure Society — Tilman Sun by Shane Baum – Leisure Society

Leisure Society’s new campaign – The Deep Serene – continues designer Shane Baum’s dedication to escapism as the ultimate form of leisure. To celebrate there are elegant new designs including Tilman Sun, named after the English Mountaineer Bill Tilman, who is known as the greatest explorer of the 20th century. The ultra-light design is made of pure gold-plated titanium on the front and temples. www.leisure-society.com www.silmoparis.com JG

Arts + travel

Eyewear and an Avant-Garde Art Collector

20th September 2014

Safilo Celebrates Anniversary and Peggy Guggenheim

20th September 2014 The launch of a new limited edition of the legendary glasses worn by Peggy Guggenheim celebrates the 80th anniversary of Safilo. Edward Melcarth, an American artist and friend, originally designed the sunglasses for Guggenheim. She traversed Venice’s Grand Canal in her private gondola, wearing the eccentric sunglasses surrounded by her beloved dogs. Peggy Guggenheim was the last private gondola owner in Venice, and onlookers were astonished as they watched the charismatic mistress of modernism float along the canal that she loved.

Truly Original! Peggy Guggenheim Glasses

Guggenheim was a renowned collector of 20th century art and gave enormous support to artists that included Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. Her early childhood was marred by the death of her father on the Titanic, in which he perished. She grew up to live an unconventional, bohemian life filled with artists and travel. In the late 1940’s she bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on The Grand Canal, and made Venice her home for the rest of her life. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is located in her former residence. Safilo had already drawn inspiration from Guggenheim’s sunglasses in 1994, when it first produced and distributed its Peggy Guggenheim model. Like the pervious version, the sunglasses are on sale exclusively at the museum.

Peggy Guggenheim in the'barchessa' o fPalazzo Venier dei Leoni with her collection of African sculptures; Venice late 1960's — Peggy Guggenheim in the’barchessa’ of Palazzo Venier dei Leoni with her collection of African sculptures; Venice late 1960’s

Behind the project is the bond that links the Safilo Group to Venice, where the first eyeglasses were born, and capital of the Veneto, the Region where Safilo was established in 1934. Safilo is further celebrating its 80th anniversary by joining the Intrapresae Collezione Guggenheim, a group of leading Italian and international companies that support the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, promoting the education potential of art, with the conviction that art can inspire business to embrace change and to face global challenges. A gala event to celebrate Safilo’s 80th anniversary was held in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection museum’s delightful gardens. www.safilo.com www.guggenheim.org/venice

Top photo: Peggy Guggenheim with her Lhasa Apsos terriers on the terrace of Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice 1960’s Photo credits: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, photo Archivio CameraphotoEpoche, gift Cassa de Risparmio di Venezia, 2005

Arts + travel

Les Années 50

1st September 2014

The Golden Age of Couture

1st September 2014 A celebration of 1950s Paris fashion is the theme for an outstanding exhibition at the elegant Palais Galliera Museum. The world was post-war, and Christian Dior led the way with his cinched waist silhouettes and full skirts that contrasted with previous austerity. The 1950s were a decisive period for French haute couture, which suffered badly in the wake of the 1929 stock marked crash and the war.

Jacques Heim 1950/Alwynn about 1950/ Carven 1951

The decade after the war, names synonymous with luxury, originality and beauty elevated French fashion to new heights. In addition to Dior, Coco Chanel, Jacques Heim, Schiaparelli, Carven, Balenciaga, Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain, Lanvin-Castillo, and Hubert de Givenchy found dazzling success with prestige stores and eager customers. Petticoats, pointed shoes, bright-coloured floral and striped prints, wasp-waist suits and straight skirts, strapless sheath dresses, cocktail dresses: such was the couture of the 50s.

Christian Dior "Marivaux" 1954 — Christian Dior “Marivaux” 1954

These remarkable designs illustrate the attention to detail; the passion for sumptuous fabrics that the designers loved; and emphasis on an ultra-feminine form. Echoes of this decade now infiltrate the fashion themes of today. Les Années 50 continues until 02 November 2014. Further information at www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr JG

Photos: Top image: Chanel 1955 photo by Henry Clarke/Galliera/Roger-Viollet Centre image: Collection Palais Galliera Bottom image: Eric Emo/Galliera/Roger-Viollet

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Fleming

1st September 2014

Kirk & Kirk

The eagerly awaited launch of Kirk & Kirk eyewear, designed by Jason and Karen Kirk, debuts at SILMO at the end of this month. The Vivarium Collection is elegant and luxurious in lustrous acrylic designs inspired by the Victorian obsession with science and nature. Each handcrafted frame, made in France, is named after a celebrated scientist of the era. A powerful shape in metallic golden bronze highlights Fleming, and the fine details include temple decorations designed by Karen Kirk in sterling silver and 9 carat gold. There is also a stunning sunglass collection – Solarium – with beautiful mirror lenses. Discover more at www.kirkandkirk.com www.silmoparis.com JG