Design + Inspiration

Accessory assets

23rd April 2018

Beautiful eyewear merits accessories that are crafted with imagination, skill and expertise to further enhance the enjoyment of wearing frames. Designer’s creative efforts provide stylish ways to make the most of protecting eyewear. With headquarters nestled in the Austrian countryside, two entrepreneurs developed Eyeshaker – the efficient, sanitary, and simple method of keeping lenses spotless. The Eyeshaker kit is equipped with a tube shaker, cleaning liquid, and a micro-fibre cloth. The method is easy to use, and quickly eliminates dirt, make-up, smears, and sand (a summer hazard!). The ideal way to ensure frames lead a long, clear-vision life. Discover more about Eyeshaker at www.eyeshaker.at

Munich designer Anne Dickhardt at Any Di has the ideal pouch in which to carry and protect frames – the Little Style Allrounder. Frames and smart phones, plus business cards, money, and transport passes can conveniently slip into the pockets with snap buttons, and an inner middle zippered pocket. The sleek, chic design can be carried, worn on the hip with a gold chain, or as a wristlet with a leather loop. Explore more of Any Di’s world at www.any-di.com

Art & Eyewear: Kirk & Kirk/ Ray Richardson Collaboration

Humble cleaning cloths have reached art status with innovative, imaginative and original designs. An exciting collaboration unites Kirk & Kirk with Ray Richardson – a London artist and long-time friend of Jason Kirk. Jason noted: “Collaborating with friends, brands, illustrators and artists feels like such a natural and obvious avenue for Kirk & Kirk to explore. We get to work with people who share our values and vision, and our audience benefits from unique and original collaborations.” Richardson’s muse and inspiration – Brian the Bull Terrier – is celebrated on the micro-fibre lens cloth titled “Ye Olde English.” The Limited Edition lens cloth can be purchased directly from the Extra Specials section on the Kirk & Kirk website: www.kirkandkirk.com

Pearls symbolise beauty, elegance, and timelessness, which are gracefully expressed in Frame Chain’s Drop Pearl design. Fresh Water pearls in varied sizes are expertly hand-strung on a gold chain. Visit www.framechain.co.uk to discover more of Frame Chain unique designs.

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Beautiful cases by Butti combine luxurious leather and aesthetically pleasing designs to stylishly protect frames. Finest quality leathers are sourced in Italy for the unique styles that are lined in pure silk. The cases are crafted in Great Britain and include designs for men and women that are elegant, chic and so useful. www.butti.co.uk

Emmanuelle Khanh was a pioneer in eyewear design, and her legacy lives on with Eva Gaumé capturing the spirit of the iconic designer. The latest accessory designs include a lovely, contemporary link chain – delicate in mauve (featured above) or sophisticated in black. “Chaînettes Bijoux” are emblematic of Emmanuelle Khanh’s fashion and function creed. www.ek.fr JG

Design + Inspiration

Artisanal eyewear jewellery: Anneleen Bertels

20th April 2018

Wear the Eyes SS18 – An Artisanal Eyewear Collection designed by Belgian fashion designer Anneleen Bertels for Liselore Frowijn ‘MEXICO’ SS18 collection. Handcrafted in collaboration with Eline De Winter and Vincent Verstrepen.

The SS18 “Wear the eyes”- collection by Anneleen Bertels in collaboration with Eline De Winter and Vincent Verstrepen is the search for the functionality of ‘viewing’ and the luxury of admiring eyewear as a custom-made piece of jewelry or fine art. Shaped in an entirely handcrafted manner, the designs are executed with close attention to detail and are exclusively available as a limited couture edition.

‘Wear the eyes’ is an architectural game of raw and refined metal drawings for the eyes with fractions of colours, inspired by the 3-dimensional shapes of swimming goggles and the sharpness of sports eyewear. The aim, according to Bertels, was to push the limit of what eyewear can and could be.

Close-up: eyewear design by Anneleen Bertels

The artisan’s expertise is reflected by the way the lenses are placed on the frames, referencing ancient and traditional ways of setting stones and diamonds on jewelry. “These frames are shaped out of the idea that we should experience and feel our surroundings more consciously through the objects we are in touch with on a daily basis,” explains the designer. Anneleen aims to reach out for objects that have the power to create effective experiences and make us want to invest more in a tactile and emotional relationship and interaction with these objects over time.

For this collection, Anneleen Bertels collaborated with and called upon the expertise of jewelry designers and makers Vincent Verstrepen en Eline De Winter, who assisted her throughout the whole design process with their knowledge and insights. They crafted the eyewear in their atelier with extreme precision. All the coloured lenses were provided by Zeiss. The designs are available exclusively from the designer via www.anneleenbertels.be. CN

Design + Inspiration

Monochrome mood

17th April 2018

For those who love a throwback, the new wave of monochrome in fashion and home decor, with a nod to the 60s (and a hint of the 90s), comes with a modern flavour and directional elegance, whatever the context. In the accessory world, the trend is easy-to-wear and instantly on point, and designers – from specialists in eyewear to milliners and home furnishing creatives – are having fun with the mix, as a “fresh” redefined statement or classic combo. Above: AnifInChains, Athens, produce coloured chains including marble effects and black&white styles – for details: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnifInChains

http://anifinchains.blogspot.com /

On the face, black and white or black and crystal provides a touch of drama and individuality, and an interesting alternative to all over black. Claire Goldsmith’s model Hathaway, a luxurious example, features a front in a thin black with crystal acetate, and a silhouette inspired by the cat eye with a deep, square form. More two-tone designs including Dalton (in Matte Slate & Storm) are featured in the CG line by the great-granddaughter of iconic designer Oliver Goldsmith: details at www.olivergoldsmith.com

Also combined on the front, the monochrome mix makes a statement in Vue DC’s CM 10, with the black along the brow and crystal outlining the eyes. The frame is handmade in France and stands out for its artisan finishing and artsy, charismatic silhouette. Find more inspiration at www.vuedc.fr CN

Design + Inspiration

Feminine for S/S18: 4 unique designs

13th April 2018

Spring offers a fresh start and an opportune moment to update spectacles and sunglasses. On our radar for women are statement titanium and acetate designs with a clear identity and absolute precision in details, colours and flattering feminine shaping.

Falvin Eyewear’s model Orbit – from the Black Crystal Collection – exemplifies luxury sophistication in a Danish design concept where the handcrafted titanium frames come with precious platings of palladium, rose gold and 24 carat gold. Rendered in a subtle two-tone colour scheme, the frame is modern and fashion-forward and perfectly suited to everyday wear, with the kind of comfort and barely-there feel that ensures a pleasurable experience through long periods. www.falvineyewear.com

The sweet model Cosmos by Lafont Paris, an acetate design with a tri-colour combination, is a classical example of the cat’s eye shape with a playful femininity in pretty, fashionable pastels (colour way Cosmos 3100) of pink crystal and teal with bright blue temples. www.lafont.com

Model Bise: ic! berlin ‘silk’ collection

Delicate colours and a very narrow shaping create the feminine touch in model Bise by ic! berlin, part of the super fine silk collection – free from “unnecessary branding or ornament”. These designs have a new 3.5mm screwless hinge – a progressive frame feature that offers excellent slimline aesthetics and long-lasting comfort. The two tone front is a fun new look in a season of bolder eyewear statements and colour. www.ic-berlin.de

Tyche + Iset Eyewear: effortless femininity in model Casablanca

Morganne Leigh initially began Tyche + Iset Eyewear as a portfolio piece in order to attain graphic design jobs after college. Always a sunglasses enthusiast, Morganne decided to try her hand at product design after studying jewelry design. In order to stand apart for her debut collection (Autumn 2014), she chose to utilize her handwritten signature of “Los Angeles” across the top of the frame, laser etched into the acetate and rubbed with gold oil. Another exclusive detail, which is her brand’s signature, is the gold music note charm on every model’s temple tip. Casablanca (pictured above), is available in an elegant acetate in chestnut (brown multi) with almond brown lenses, magenta (magenta ombré to clear) with grey lenses, and slate (black ombré to clear) with a blue-grey lens. Find out more about the designer at www.tycheandiset.com CN

Design + Inspiration

L.G.R Heritage Edition

10th April 2018

Heritage is an intricate component in everything that Luca Gnecchi Ruscone creates. As he celebrates the 10th anniversary of L.G.R, the Italian designer has launched The Heritage Limited Edition, that beautifully and elegantly reinterprets four iconic models of the distinguished brand: Asmara, Casablanca, Keren and Reunion. (Top image: Luca Gnecchi Ruscone)

Casablanca – Heritage Limited Edition by L.G.R

The L.G.R legacy is rooted in the warehouse discovery of his beloved grandfather – Raffaello Bini – in Asmara in the capital city of Eritrea. Luca came across lenses, sunglasses and cameras that his grandfather used to import. The depth and scope of these vintage treasures influenced Luca to create his own eyewear label. Ten years on, the L.G.R brand is renowned internationally for frames individually handcrafted in Italy by skilled artisans, in the finest quality hand-polished materials.

L.G.R 10th Anniversary – Asmara – iconic design

The new models reflect Luca’s innate appreciation of quality and homage to Raffaello Bini. The frames are crafted in matt acetate and equipped with polarised tempered mineral glass lenses, with the flaps in cellulose acetate. Small and sophisticated apertures on the side flaps are characterised by the lines of the three-light window in Luca’s grandfather’s store – Ottica Bini in the suburbs of Asmara. The four different designs are packaged in a smart leather box, or if purchased separately, presented in an exclusive, customised box and canvas case.

The L.G.R brand has established an international following in selected stores, and Luca recently opened a superbly stylish boutique on Corso Garibaldi in Milan. His individualistic, authentic, beautiful, ingenious designs are favourites with global clients, celebrities, and fashion-conscious wearers who appreciate top quality, cosmopolitan eyewear. Happy Anniversary L.G.R! www.lgrworld.com JG