28th June 2012 A ravishing butterfly eye shape, volume and glamour all combine in this graceful acetate silhouette from Chrome Hearts. Sterling silver accents on the titanium temples add to the luxury and distinctiveness of the design. Luxury lenses too – from Zeiss – the three-layer premier anti-reflective coating is guaranteed to provide protection and beauty. www.chromehearts.com JG
13th June 2012 A fascination for and a collector of superb couture, Daphne Guinness has assembled an amazing array of designer clothes and accessories. Some of her iconic pieces were a feature at The Museum at FIT in New York City (reviewed on Eyestylist 1st October 2011). Now in honour of her dear friend Isabella Blow, Guinness is auctioning her wardrobe to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation. Blow was a great champion of British designers, and both women were close to the late Alexander McQueen. More than one hundred items, including designs by Chanel, Balenciaga, Prada, Dior, Alaïa, and McQueen will be auctioned on 27th June at Christie’s South Kensington in London. The sale is a rare opportunity to capture a moment of style history, and benefit Blow’s Foundation, which supports new and emerging fashion talent. www.christies.com JG
The world of Ørgreen Optics
1st June 2012 Henrik Ørgreen is one of the most enthusiastic designers I have come across in the world of eyewear. When I first met him in 2001 – the company was just 4 years old – he was as committed as anyone could be to create something different and fresh – and definitely provocative – in eyewear design. Today, celebrating 15 years, Ørgreen Optics has become one of the leading innovators in creative spectacle and sunglass design.
“Since we started, the company has gradually grown up, matured if you like. Today, we pride ourselves on our design and the finish and quality….but we still retain our original hunger for new designs, innovation, colour concepts and colour and material combinations. We have become more professional, but we still have the edge and attitude from when we started.”
The design team today includes Henrik, Tobias Wandrup the chief designer, as well as Gregers Fastrup, sales director and joint owner, Olivia, assistant designer, and Sahra Lysell, a specialist in colour.
Asked to describe some of the traits of the S/S 12 collections Henrik explains: “This year we have focused on many details in the collections. We have new features like different hinges, and new colour, and we always like to keep ahead of the market in this area, it is definitely one of our unique characteristics. A lot of the designs are fashion focused…we are always looking at interesting ways to interpret fashion trends in titanium, which is our favourite material. Ørgreen is very good at making eyewear that is visible, and that is a strong message in the collections in this, our 15th year. Then, coming up we have a few new lines to celebrate our Anniversary, you will see we have played with new materials…and, very exciting, we have a remake of our first original sunglass.”
Is Ørgreen for all personalities? “I believe people who wear Ørgreen are well educated, they like design and colours in fashion, they will be very appreciative of the quality of the finish too. I still also believe that it depends on what the optician recommends, though; there are plenty of people who will appreciate our frames without having a great awareness of what it actually is, and the work that has gone in to it.”
Is comfort important? “I do not believe in designing a frame that does not feel comfortable and I suppose when I first started designing I was concentrating more on the frame looking good. Today comfort is an area we are always working on.
Are your Danish roots significant? “Yes of course. The Danish design tradition advocates simplicity and where we are working with technical elements our instinct is to hide it or make it invisible. This is different in other design disciplines in other countries where technical features are visible. We are very proud to be part of the Danish design tradition, and there has been a great deal of focus on Copenhagen in the last years which is fantastic. But we are also accustomed to look outside our own country and heritage, and I think this is important for the recognition of our brand beyond home. I am very influenced by industrial design trends in other countries like Italy and Japan.”
What are your favourite things about working with eyewear? “Seeing the creation of a design…this is what I live and breathe for. I am always anticipating what people will like about it. We’re doing this, at the end of the day, to make people happy.
A suggestion for buying spectacles? “Always find a frame that fits your face. So often I see people wearing frames that do not fit. So look at the frames, try them on, make sure they are not too wide or too high, and not too angled…and make sure you try different materials. Never be afraid to change and try a new direction, which is often easy, if you make sure you are with someone in the shop who can offer some good guidance and ideas of what works for you.” CN
1st June 2012 A lovely friend visiting from Switzerland introduced me to this delightful Parisian boutique – it’s always fun to discover something wonderful virtually on your own doorstep! L’Artisan du Regard is located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, on a totally charming street, with the atmosphere and tempting shops of a little village. “I adore the 9th arrondissement, and la rue des Martyrs has the true spirit of the artisan,” explains optician and boutique owner Grègory Vissac, “and there are very few franchises in the street – which is more and more rare”. L’Artisan du Regard opened in 2008, and the architecture was created by Fréderi Tabary from Nantes, on the West coast of France. The environment is stylish and very personal with a warm ambience – uplifting orange, green plants – and most of all, gorgeous frames. To feel really at home, Socrate, Grègory’s four-footed friend, waits at the front door to welcome visitors.
Vissac’s philosophy is that glasses are something you carry with you and usually wear all day long, so it is important that frames permit the wearer to express their individual style. “We offer a large selection of frames with a variety of materials that are ‘avant-gardiste’. We feature Anne et Valentin, Thierry Lasry, Caroline Abram, Thierry Lasry, Masunaga, Design Natural, Paul Frank, Mikli and Starck, Pierre Eyewear, and Michel Klein. We truly want frames to be a pleasure, and for the client to really fall in love with something.”. L’Artisan du Regard, 35 rue Martyrs, 75009 Paris. www.artisanduregard.com JG
31st May 2012 Emmanuelle’s Khanh’s sunglasses are bursting with joy and cheer – the bright orange colour has enormous child appeal. So does the shape. Small, round forms are a favourite with the young set (and their parents too!) so this design (style 1507) allows kids to feel very cool – and the shape is ideal for little faces. EK frames are handmade in France, and the quality and beauty of the acetate is assured. More stunning EK frames can be seen at www.emmanuellekhanhparis.com JG