Norwegian brand Karmoie by Kirsten and Lars Iversen launched their collection with One Small – a classic sunglass shape and colour combo. The temple ends offer a nice twist in a wood look acetate. All Karmoie frames are made in Italy in M49 sustainable acetate from Mazzucchelli, and are fitted with Carl Zeiss sunlenses. With every pair of frames purchased, Karmoie gives a pair of Eyejusters to a person in need. For more on this independent label, visit www.karmoie.com CN
London Designer Alexia Parmigiani creates luxurious, original scarves that are sold internationally. She discusses with Eyestylist her concepts and intuitions.
How did you decide to create luxury scarves? “I began my journey with scarves in 2005 after a close friend – Indian Summer based in London – suggested I concentrate only on scarves as my designs were selling so well in her shop. At that point, no one had just a scarf collection. It was a very fresh idea and I loved the ‘one size only.’ My brand is about texture and unique pieces. Basically the scarf is a piece of jewellery. I see scarves as part of the personality.”
Are there other products that you would like to design? “I have designed other acccessories and clothing in the past, and each summer collection supports the scarf range with a mini resort wear line. I have just opened a page on my website called “Wanderlust” that will display my one-off designs. I call them ‘One & Only.’ This is a very exciting part of the business for me.”
Do you have particular inspirations for your creations? “Yes, I try to pick a theme, like Venice for my AW15 collection, which I visited with my husband, and fell in love with the absolutely magical and fascinating city that is Venice – it is breathtaking. I was completely inspired by the colours of the buildings, washes of dark and light blended together, a naturally distressed effect…I researched by taking millions of pictures and just taking in the Venetian life. My shapes are extremely important to my designing, and I usually pick a design that I love from my past collections and redevelop. I see where I can push the design further, and during that stage a completely new design can appear too. Mixing all of this with daily life is how I like to design. For years I have thought about a collection for men, and after my husband was stealing my samples that were not complete I thought: ‘this is a sign’ – I’m ready! So I have introduced a menswear collection for AW 15 – a capsule collection of soft cashmere and wool blends, snake tie dye, and dip dyed in different weaves, with shapes that include square and long scarves. Watch out for the menswear capsule collection launching 1st July – exclusively on line.
“I have very exciting news and Eyestylist is the first to hear it. I have decided to concentrate on sales through my website only. Not designing collections, but ‘One & Onlys’ – you can find the beginnings on my Wanderlust page. Fashion has changed, and always will, but now stores are driven by high profile brands more and more. I do believe we all would like a wider choice of well-sourced, new and wonderful designs of any level. I am excited about the freedom that I will have in my designs, and really look forward to this new chapter in my life. Through my website I can release these pieces exclusively for the consumer. This gives me the freedom to create a ‘one of a kind’ place for all shoppers, something new and fresh is what I think people are looking for. This will be an ever changing shop window throughout the year. The Dancers at Dusk AW15 collection will go live by mid-July, and will be sold only though my website store. I hope you will follow me on my new and exciting journey! www.alexiafashion.co.uk JG
26th June 2015 French optician Sabine Bégault-Vagner from Orléans turned to eyewear design in 2014, and hasn’t looked back. Her acetate frames and sunnies come in high volume hues, with distinctive graphic shapes – perfect for summer holidays. Colour pairings frequently include tortoise on neon purple, classic shiny crystal or shiny statement red. Flashy split combination colours on the fronts (see models be swag, be pretty and be geek) are a particularly fun option. Above: model be whaouh ! by sabine be. : a round frame shape, a square lens.
With a strong preference for Mazzucchelli acetate, Sabine has her own frame “signatures” including a round and square end pieces on each model, in matching or contrasting hues; all frames are made in France. To compliment the collection, be accessories include beautifully made summer-toned chains, cases and purses, featuring the same “signature” details to mix and match with eyewear.
Available at leading optical stores including Studio Optix, USA, Artsee Miami, Ottica Astrologo, Rome, and at sabine be, 21 Rue de la Republique, 45000 Orleans, France www.sabinebe.fr CN
Major is a Rolf classic, a premium design from the Evolved Collection, handcrafted from the finest natural materials, bog oak and walnut. The different layers of wood are perfectly showcased in the design. High quality processing and finishing are all part of the mix as is always the case with the Austrian label. Find this frame and the full collection at the new Rolf boutique in Vienna. www.rolf-spectacles.com CN
Made in a small workshop in Ohio, Harvey is a classy little number, beautifully crafted with intriguing colour effect. Anni Shades dedicates lots of effort to finely-tuning their techniques for producing handmade frames, and the results are impressive. Currently available at Artsee Eyewear, Miami. www.annishades.com CN