Design + Inspiration

theo introduces Flow: eyewear “to move with you”

6th May 2026

A subtle yet spirited collection of titanium frames, designed to move along with the natural rhythm of everyday life

The Flow collection aims to offer a completely effortless eyewear experience, ever present and yet without demanding attention. Proposing timeless popular shapes which are precise and balanced, the frames are lightweight and flexible, with expressive gradient colourations. Using a hand-applied brush technique, the colours “flow” from intense to soft, creating a visual rhythm that feels organic and alive. Above: FLOW frames are light and minimal, while capturing the unique spirit of theo through expressive colours and cool gradients

MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

theo – model Breath in the FLOW collection

Each frame in the FLOW collection has a name that reflects an essential element in our daily rituals: Breath, Eat, Speak, Sleep, Feel and Cheer. The shapes include a geometric design, several organic oval and modified round ‘classics’ and a large aviator. For more information about theo, visit www.theo.be

Black-and-white photo of a man with short hair wearing white sunglasses and a sleeveless shirt, sitting outdoors in a park.

Design + Inspiration

Kuro Athletics: a rare independent eyewear concept

2nd May 2026

…for the world of sport: technical, precise..with fully integrated prescription capabilities

Gary Black’s independent sports eyewear brand continues to release new tech-driven sun styles in a market saturated by big names, with the advantage that from the outset the concept was all about raising standards. “I founded Kuro Athletics out of a personal need as an athlete. Having competed in multiple Ironman 140.6 and 70.3 races, as well as 29029’s 3-Day, 3x Mountain Marathon, I know first-hand the challenge of finding eyewear that truly performs. I didn’t want just another pair of sports glasses – I wanted to create something,” he says in his mission statement that introduces new products for 2026, Aplomado and Peregrine.

Kuro Athletics is built on three key pillars: clean design, premium materials, and first-of-its-kind technology. According to Black, a leader in independent optical retailing in the US who has designed the collection from the ground up, there is a gap in the market for Rx-compatible, high-performance eyewear and a need to raise the standard. Inspired by the precision and speed of falcons, each frame is designed for clarity, comfort, and durability –all while staying lightweight and logo-free. Initially launched around the concept of mono lens architecture, the brand has also expanded its offering to include classic Rx-able designs optimised for everyday sport, and weighing just 26 grams. Pictured above, the Aplomado wrap – inspired by the Aplomado Falcon – a swift and agile bird of prey – a frame with all round appeal for all sports activities

Close-up of dark green sunglasses with brown lenses and orange, textured nose pads; hinge and temple detail visible. — Aplomado by Kuro Athletics

Made and engineered in Japan, the Aplomado has a streamlined wrap front combined with extremely sleek beta titanium temples, creating a product that is featherlight, minimal in structure, and which, importantly, has been tested by athletes. “Every aspect of Kuro Athletics reflects the athlete’s journey – whether running, cycling, or pushing endurance limits. We manufacture in Japan, ensuring each pair meets the highest standards of craftsmanship and quality. For me, it’s about providing athletes with the tools to perform at their best – without distractions.”

The Peregrine – named after the Peregrine Falcon – the fastest bird on the planet – has been conceived as a piece of sports gear that will enhance the reaction time and clarity of the athlete. Specifically designed for runners, the style features a mono-lens shield design with double injected temples with metal core and comes in different versions for men and women.

Wraparound single-lens sunglasses with brown tint and red/black temples, product shot. — The Peregrine: Rx ready integrated mono-lens shield – optimised for running

With minimallised visual branding (no massive logos), both new models come in extensive colourways which enhance the cool and attractive aesthetic of each piece, sometimes with a nostalgic nod to classic frames but always ensuring there is a solid contemporary look about the designs, however streamlined.

Kuro Athletics’ products boast prescription lenses offering vibrant colour enhancement, polarized clarity, and rapid light adaptive technologies – all via an advanced Rx program which utilizes digital free-form Rx technology to match high curvature wraparound designs. Lightweight and impact-resistant, the shield lenses offer panoramic vision both vertically and peripherally, “guaranteeing” says Black “an unrivalled visual experience for every athlete”.

Find out more about Kuro Athletics at www.kuroathletics.com

Kuro first appeared on Eyestylist.com in 2024: https://www.eyestylist.com/2024/07/kuro-athletics-where-action-creates-clarity/

Woman with short black hair wearing blue round sunglasses and a red boat-neck top against a gray backdrop.

Design + Inspiration

Paloceras releases Nouvelle Fiction models as shades

20th April 2026

The frames, which echo the original collection with a softened sculptural and more commercial design, are fitted with protective sun lenses in fashion-forward tints

Nouvelle Fiction frames, a more wearable, everyday look inspired by the first collection by Paloceras – Pebble – with its inflated, exaggerated forms – offer a new direction for customers who seek Paloceras design with ready-to-wear ease. Five distinctive shapes are proposed – square, pentagonal, round, rectangular and cat-eye inspired – with a refinement enhanced by the original lens tints and expanded colourways which “shift the mood from interior precision to exterior presence.” As before, the voluminous effect is engineered with the brand’s signature DualLayer™ laminated construction to reveal depth, dimension and a subtle interplay of colour. Crafted from premium Mazzucchelli cellulose acetate and engineered with the same structural discipline as the previous sunglasses collection, each frame has been conceived to balance clarity of form with quality UV protection. Above: the new look in sunwear from Paloceras

Olive-green translucent round sunglasses with red-tinted lenses on a white background. — Paloceras: new sunglasses collection for Spring/Summer 2026

The new collection was presented to Eyestylist.com at the trade-only eyewear event EYECON, NYC in March. The line was exhibited at the EYECON show alongside some of the young brand’s most avantgarde pieces, including Leopard Lace – a Paloceras and Djibril Cissé collaboration, and the Hydroceras Limited Edition introduced in 2025 (find out more at https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/09/3d-printed-eyewear-as-a-creative-language-paloceras-releases-hydroceras/).

For more on Paloceras check out our interview with the co-founders: https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/05/alexis-perron-corriveau-and-mika-matikainen-founders-paloceras/ – www.paloceras.com

Design + Inspiration

A fantastic tribute to 20 years of SALT. Optics

13th April 2026

The 20 Year Collection by SALT. Optics is an exciting range inspired by the past, and crafted for the present. Eyestylist had a sneak peek at SILMO Paris…and now the styles are available worldwide

A new sunglasses line from SALT. Optics celebrates the 20th anniversary of the California-based brand. Bold acetate and titanium wrap designs fuse Southern California’s classic beach culture – an original signature inspiration for the brand – with the raw streetwear and punk energy of 90s fashion and surf scenes. The heritage styles, imagined with a variety of traits of the brand from its earliest days, are recreated with bold 90s and Y2K attitude, a sought after direction in street fashion today. Above: throwback inspiration meets contemporary vision: a memorable new campaign presents the 20 Year Collection by SALT. Optics

SALT. Optics: fine titanium shades are a special feature of the anniversary collection (pictured, model Jahn)

The titanium shades in the release – model Crue and model Jahn, are bold interpretations of 1990s looks. Model Crue is a unisex 8-base wrap titanium aviator with performance-driven coverage in a sleek classic silhouette. Model Jahn “channels the effortless cool of 1990s California”. The frame is minimal and clean, with understated edge.

SALT. Optics – Shayla is a standout style for summer 2026

The oversized Shayla is an outstanding woman’s sunglass style in this collection. The style perfectly reimagines the classic wrap in a dramatic feminine form with oversized curves and a sculpted high-coverage profile.

With all seven designs produced in custom Japanese acetate, Japanese titanium and handcrafted in Japan, this 2026 sunglasses collection represents a true celebration of SALT. Optics’ design quality, independent spirit and signature style. Further details include newly developed hardware and proprietary hinges as well as a 20th anniversary plaque, appearing on frame tips.

Find out more about the 2026 collection at SALT. Optics : www.saltoptics.com and in our sneak peek in December here: https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/12/coming-soon-the-20-year-collection-by-salt-optics/

Eyestylist has followed SALT. Optics closely since the Eyestylist site launch in 2011. The first SALT. Optics product to appear on Eyestylist was model Annabel, a “flirty” cat eye featuring the brand’s signature pink tone at the time: https://www.eyestylist.com/2011/03/mido-2011-milan/

Design + Inspiration

l.a.Eyeworks reveal cases + cloths in latest collab with Huntley Muir

2nd April 2026

l.a.Eyeworks showed the newly commissioned designs at LOFT in New York. The release includes four protective hard cases and four microfibre cleaning cloths which complement their eyewear collection for 2026.

The cases and cloths have been created by the British-based collaborative duo Huntley Muir (Su Huntley and Donna Muir), comprising a new chapter in a creative partnership with l.a.eyeworks which spans decades. The artists started working with Gai Gherardi in 1980, during the eyewear company’s first year of business. l.a.Eyeworks was a trailblazer at the time for the introduction of art into eyewear accessory design and brand imagery.

One of the cloths from a previous collaboration edition featured on Eyestylist.com in August 2017 as part of a feature about the design of eyewear accessories at the time (https://www.eyestylist.com/2017/08/eyewear-accessories-fashion-function/).

“What we have created for l.a.Eyeworks is a deliberate conversation with Gai and a tribute to her while also answering the brief to bridge into the future…” Su Huntley on the new designs

One of the cloths has been named “Insect Paths”. The theme of the natural world and insect movement is explored “with expressive, human mark-making”. Another cloth and case is inspired by “Rhythm” – ongoing work by the artists made while listening to music. A “Minnie Mouse” character appears again in the new Edition, a motif that has been a recurring symbol for more than 10 years. Other striking motifs include a bold stiletto shoe and a frog, a creature that Gai was particularly fond of.

A previous highlight of the close collaboration, Su Huntley and Donna Muir also created a video called “Walk with l.a.Eyeworks” for l.a.Eyeworks’ 2007 Fashion L.A. Awards nomination in marketing excellence – see the video at https://www.laeyeworks.com/artist-projects-huntley-muir.

Find our more about the new collection at www.laeyeworks.com. Read more about the artists at https://www.huntleymuir.co.uk