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Tree Houses

11th February 2013

Childhood Fantasy Meets Grown-up Savoir Faire

11th February 2013 Are you looking for a unique, romantic destination for a Valentine treat? What could be more romantic than a treehouse! The tree houses featured in Taschen’s delightful new book by author Philip Jodidio are a long way from the childhood versions one might have known.

vatree_houses12 — Inkaterra, Canopy Tree House near Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata Peru

Tree Houses have grown up – and this stunningly illustrated book is a wonderful tour of the best tree houses in the world, some which are designed by architects, others the work of unknown craftsmen. In this era of concern for sustainability and ecological responsibility, the treehouse may also be the ultimate symbol of life in symbiosis with nature.

Nicko Bjorn Elliot, Nicko Bjorn Elliot Tree House Toronto Canada

Whether you can visit these unique structures, or travel there through these gorgeous pages, Tree Houses gives a new perspective on the world – rustic, contemporary and romantic.www.taschen.com JG

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

Photos: Canopy Tree House Copyright: Inkaterra

Nicko Bjorn Elliot Tree House Copyright: Jesse Colin Jackson

Boutiques

Garrett Leight on La Brea

7th February 2013

7th February 2013 Take a peak at the latest eyewear emporium in L.A…a new GLCO (Garrett Leight) store that will be the mothership of this growing L.A. specs label headed by the son of the founder of Oliver Peoples, Larry Leight – or the “Prince William of the LA shades scene!” as ‘Urbandaddy’ cutely calls him! With its slick but laid back ambiance, the design of this cool glasses destination perfectly reflects the core values of this young, energy-infused label that focuses on classic design and fine quality.

Classic design from GLCO: model Harrison

Garrett explains the new location: “We needed to be in West Hollywood because there is a demand for our product there. The individuals that hang out in this neighborhood are most in line with the characters that are attracted to our brand DNA, and overall it makes the Garrett Leight experience more central to the city of Los Angeles.

“We now have the shop in Venice Beach on Abbot Kinney Blvd. called A. Kinney Court and the new La Brea store. My goal is to continue loving what I do on a daily basis, which is creating brand equity by maintaing our integrity and respect for design, quality, style, and value.

“I am a one-step-at-a-time person, and any brand is a reflection of its leader. Right now we are continuing to hire great people to join the team, building a great office for ourselves in downtown Los Angeles, and developing my vision for the future of the optical industry. America and Asia are a major focus for us this year. Europe is also strong for us.”

So the expansion continues? “Expansion is always a part of the plan, GLCO is trying to change the world.” And clearly that is a serious promise of exciting things to come. We are watching. CN

GLCO, Garrett Leight, La Brea, 165 S. La Brea, Los Angeles www.garrettleight.com

For more on Eyestylist on Garrett Leight designs click on www.eyestylist.com/2012/07/when-paris-meets-los-angeles/

Arts + travel

Fashion and Technology at MFIT

1st February 2013

Fashion’s Dynamic Relationship With Technology

1st February 2013 The Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City always has captivating exhibits. Their current show – Fashion and Technology – is a triumph in exploring the link between these two dynamic elements. Many may be surprised to discover that technology and fashion have been inexorably entwined for more than two centuries. Fashion and Technology features more than one hundred items from the museum’s costume, accessory and textile collections, spanning two hundred and fifty years, and displayed in chronological order. With a focus on technological innovations that have had an impact on the production, materials, aesthetics, and function of fashion, Fashion and Technology includes objects as diverse as an afternoon dress circa 1860, produced using synthetic dyes that resist fading.

"The Cyber Suit" by JeanPaul Gaultier 1996 — “The Cyber Suit” by JeanPaul Gaultier 1996

During the 1930’s new innovations in zipper technology allowed courtiers to use this modern closure in their design. A stunning example is an evening dress by Charles James (top photo) into which James skillfully incorporated a spiral zipper, thus adding complexity to its construction. Fast forward to 1996, and there is Jean Paul Gaultier’s jumpsuit in multicoloured nylon and spandex, with an Op-Art cyber graphic print (above). Nowadays, designers are collaborating with a diverse range of artists, scientists and engineers to create clothing that pushes the boundaries of fashion further than ever before. This new wave of so-called “technofashion” is challenging the way we engage with clothing, and how fashion itself functions within society. Fashion and Technology is a beautifully curated show that illustrates the far-reaching effects of technology and fashion. Through 8 May 2013. www.fitnyc.edu JG

Photographs courtesy of The Museum at FIT, New York

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Lucas de Staël Paris

1st February 2013

Eyewear With Innovative Engineering

1st February 2013 Lucas de Staël frames have always intrigued me – I’d seen the designs and liked the de Staël engineering concept, incorporating traditional frame making and fashion. So it was with pleasant anticipation that I made my way to de Staëls new workshop in the 19th arrondissement in Paris. Lucas was at the door to greet me, and I was escorted into a beehive of quiet activity where artisans craft the award-winning designs that Lucas so enjoys creating. His persona overflows with enthusiasm, passion and knowledge about frame making, and de Staël is involved in every step of each design and its production.

“Making fames like this takes a lot of time,” says de Staël, “and since we moved premises, there are fifteen people working here now. There is a lot of handwork involved in each frame – just one process can take up to an hour. Our team includes artists, engineers and architects. The main concept – and the main identification of our designs – is that there are no hinges; everything is in one piece. We make the parts inside our workshop, and use a special Swedish material that adds strength to our designs, without weight.”

Suprematic - Supreme Engineering by Lucas de Staël — Suprematic – Supreme Engineering by Lucas de Staël

In 2005, de Staël launched Undostrial – and in 2011 started his own collection – LDS – which won a Silmo d’Or in 2012. “The LDS collection is a more traditional range, with marquetry accents, plus goat skin and leather designs. We only use leather from the neck of the cow, so everything is supple and light.” Alexandre Lepeu designs the machines and tools that are used to create the frames. Lepeu and de Staël attended the School of Industrial Design in Paris, and met there as students. De Staël was fascinated with eyewear, and his first training with with Eye D’C in Marseille. “It was amazing,” recalls de Staël, “working right in front of the sea – it was so inspiring!”

With his recent Silmo d’Or award, and the vast new premises where the frames are all handmade with amazing design and construction ingenuity, de Staël is now ready to embrace the future. “We make only 4000 frames per year,” says de Staël, “we are a small producer, but now we are ready to grow. We are reaching world markets. Our best market is China; clients really like our designs. When I am quiet, I like to try different things. During the weekend and evenings I design, and work on new technical concepts. Creating the designs is even more interesting now!” www.undostrial.com www.lucasdestael.com JG

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Eyewear re-imagined

30th January 2013

30th January 2013 ‘opti’ – the German trade show, where I have been this weekend, searching out new trends – has highlighted again that the independent eyewear designers are setting the bar very high when it comes to quality, comfort and achievements in design and fashion styling. There is an extraordinary attention to minutiae – for comfort and aesthetics – and respect for time-honoured techniques in many of the leading creative collections. Here is a first taste of what is coming…our observations on the individual trends and directions will follow in the weeks ahead.

Above, Pierre Eyewear’s collection for 2013 combines French old-school glamour re-imagined in exciting colours and inventive shapes. Catch a glimpse, if you can, of Pierre’s new campaign images which are a discovery in themselves. www.pierre-eyewear.com

Italian wood label FEB31st launched a collaborative project with Riva 1920 this weekend in Munich. The frames in the edition are made from ancient kauri wood from New Zealand which has been preserved underground for 48000 years. Stefano Cipriani explained to me that the company has developed their own techniques to be able to create the frames in this exceptional natural material which has a unique texture, colour and smell. www.feb31st.it

Luca Gnecci Ruscone, Founder of L.G.R. showed us their elegant optical collection at the Munich show, and their growing sunglasses collection which featured this handsome patterned piece. He also gave me a sneak peak of a wonderful new L.G.R. Limited Edition – more on that coming up. www.lgr-sunglasses.com

Photography above by Eyestylist.com.

For details on opti, the Munich trade show, visit www.opti-munich.com CN