Design + Inspiration

Sunglasses are the ultimate summer accessory – and a legendary style statement. Feeling passionate for retro? Contemporary? Voluminous shapes? Radiant colours? Explore a bit of fantasy with international designers fulfilling your fashion cravings with glamorous, luxurious and amazingly crafted sunglasses. Eyestylist presents exhilarating selections that will brighten your spirit – and summer – for 2017. Amanda (above) is an expressive shape in luminous Dusk acrylic from the Kaleidoscope Collection by Jason and Karen at Kirk & Kirk, and is equally chic in seaside and urban surroundings. www.kirkandkirk.com

Echoes of the Italian Riviera that Luca Gnecchi Ruscone at L.G.R knows and loves highlight Reunion XXL in soft pink matt acetate with grey lenses. www.lgrworld.com

Oliver Goldsmith’s iconic Manhattan first introduced in 1960 is reinvented in a Limited Edition with dramatic gold flourish: Mahnattan Goldside. www.olivergoldsmith.com

Romantic, feminine and inspired by Nature – Tulipano by Oliviero Zanon at Res/Rei in overlapped acetates with floral colourations radiates charismatic confidence. www.resrei.com

Fashion Blogger Lisa Dengler sets the mood for summer in Zac Posen’s sleek sunnies with a graciously curved silhouette in gentle pearl. www.kenmarkoptical.com

California beauty and serenity coupled with technical excellence, beautiful materials, and bold styling in sought after tortoiseshell acetate enriches SALT. Optics design Lopez – created for outdoor living! www.saltoptics.com

Playful styling, complimented with creative contours, and a dash of gold, midnight blue and black colourations in Bocca Divine by Face à Face, reflects mystery and intrigue  for your summer adventures. www.faceaface-paris.com

Silhouette’s Titan Minimal Art sunglasses Explorer in summery ocean blue, are cool and alluring with a refined, elegant cat-eye shape. www.silhouette.com JG

Nowadays, seeing life through rose tinted lenses is only one option for a cheerful, optimistic attitude. New lens colours are as exciting as the designs in which they are placed. Pairing sleek sunglasses with beautifully tinted lenses bring yet another exciting perspective to eyewear. A summery, nautical mood is expressed by Luca Gnecchi Ruscone at L.G.R with Lawrence (above) a powerful shape with zero base blue tinted lenses, and a foldable white flap with stunning blue stitching. Definitely the frame for those who embrace adventure! www.lgrworld.com

Sven Götti’s striking new Götti DIMENSION collection with 3D printing is lovingly crafted with luxurious precision. Caine in Brick features brown gradient lenses: sophisticated, streamlined and oh so stylish! www.gotti.ch

Look and feel The Diva – wearing Plein Les Mirettes feline-inspired Diva 1 in a collage of Tokyo milky tortoise acetate, with a thin layer of crystal, and navy blue Zeiss lenses. Discover more “Diva’s” by the French brand at www.plein-les-mirettes.fr

LINDBERG’s handcrafted frames unite with beautiful Style Colour lenses from Transitions Optical. Ultra-lightweight, minimalist Model 6535 by LINDBERG n.o.w. harmonises with Transitions Amber lenses for a contemporary, individualistic attitude. Style Colour lenses seamlessly transform from clear to dark when exposed to UV light. Explore more at www.lindberg.com and www.stylecolours.co.uk

Voluminous, expressive, evocative and glamorous, Zero 09 by Finest Seven in Platinum with gradient blue lenses is the ideal accessory for summer escapades. The lightweight design features high-tech detailing for perfect fit and comfort. www.finestseven.com

Blackfin’s summer sun design Gold Beach echoes the  1950’s with a cat-eye silhouette, rejuvenated with modern composites – pure titanium with subtle pink-mirrored lenses. See more Blackfin sunnies at www.blackfin.eu JG

Original designs, imaginative colourations, and durable materials ensure fashion savvy with the latest frames for kids and teens. Children are aware of trends, and follow what their favourite social media personalities are wearing – and they want the same! Whether youngsters desire to be a fashionista, embracing hip-hop, or looking really cool, eyewear designs for children allow their sense of style and personality to shine. JF Rey has released a superb collection of optical styles in their Kids&Teens collection. Soleil (above) is a charming shape for girls 4/6 years old, in acetate that combines pink and pearl white with a soft glittery finish. www.jfrey.fr

When packing the holiday necessities for you and your offspring, don’t leave home without Casper in Tango Fizz from the Mini-Icons collection by Olivier Goldsmith. Casper was introduced for adults in 1971 – the timeless acetate shape is an exact replica of the adult design – scaled proportionately for young faces. Also available in yummy colours of Fresh Aqua, The Pool and Grape Squash. Discover more at www.olivergoldsmith.com

Chic, understated, elegant – the Kid/Teen Rim collection by LINDBERG features titanium frames that offer the ultimate in comfort, fit and style. Ophus embodies the technical wizardry of LINDBERG craftsmanship, coupled with a design that is lightweight and easy for children to wear. www.lindberg.com

Lafont has a long history of creating stylish frames for babies through to twelve year olds, with great shapes and beautiful colours. Tac boasts a contemporary look – shown in blue with tortoiseshell – and also available in sleek colourations of tortoiseshell and forest green, plum, with polka dots, and additional innovative combinations. Visit www.lafont.com to discover more fun frames for kids by Lafont Paris.

Original Penguin Junior specialises in cool eyewear designs for young men, with hints of retro inspiration in shape and colours. The latest collection features acetates and metals in handsome colourations, including The Henderson in an acetate/metal duo with striking blue tones. www.kenmarkoptical.com JG

Exquisite jewels and precious materials are celebrated in eyewear, with iconic style and superb crafting – jewels for the eyes. Lovely stones distinguish watches, rings, necklaces and earrings – and the results are even more stunning in eyewear. The LINDBERG Precious collection  features distinctive designs in the finest materials and stones sourced from exclusive mines. The LINDBERG design above is meticulously crafted in 18 caret solid rose gold with 1 x 0.33 caret baguette cut pink diamond, plus 1 x 0.38 caret baguette cut pink diamond. Refined and glamorous! A testament to LINDBERG’s 85 international awards for eyewear excellence. www.lindberg.com

A single piece of rich buffalo horn is superbly crafted into The Taurus from the MONOCEROS collection, handcrafted in Austria. The design is a new interpretation of a classic horn frame, with its vintage referenced round shape. The Taurus has been recognised as a 2017 Green Product Selection. Horn has long been used in eyewear; however, the MONOCEROS collection is a new contemporary manifestation of nature, glamour and luxury. www.monoceros.cc

Birgitte Falvin understands the link between jewellery and fine eyewear. Before launching her frame collection, her metier was fine jewellery. FALVIN designs specialise in traditional eyewear techniques to ensure long-lasting quality and beauty. “It is an aesthetic attitude,” says Birgitte, “and our titanium frames are crafted in Japan.” Twilight in matte black features a layer of palladium with sleek streamlined contours. www.falvin.dk

Art Deco inspired opulence, highlights the latest Atelier collection, handcrafted with geometric styling to capture the iconic style of the era. Baguette diamonds and beautiful gemstones radiate grace and finesse, coupled with Silhouettes’s design and technical expertise. www.silhouette.com JG

Architectural elements, nature’s influence in varied forms, fashion and historical references, all contribute to the amazing variety of contemporary frame shapes. Coupled with ingenious crafting and technical superiority, the latest eyewear shapes are innovative, expressive, and most importantly – wearable. Featured above: California flair is symbolised in festive Sir Lady 315 Red Cocktail acetate by l.a. Eyeworks. Handmade with Italian flair. www.laeyeworks.com

With its striking textured stone finish, Nasia in stainless steel by Canadian designer Mehran Baghaie at Spectacle Eyeworks, is deftly crafted in a cat-eye shape with distinctive detailing, and made in Germany. www.spec-eyeworks.com

Theo has always taken the adventurous route with shape, and the latest exploration is vivacious Pieper in acetate and metal, with its sensuous form and cut-outs. www.theo.be

An ideal frame for small faces that gives the illusion of a larger shape – style PM043 from the JF Rey Petite Collection features two different acetates and stylish colour play. www.jfrey.fr

Dramatic and dynamic, Nightingale in curvaceous acetate is chic and sophisticated, and crafted in England by Walter & Herbert. www.walterandherbert.com

French brand Vue dc embraces boldness in shape and sophisticated colourations with Kot in acetate. www.vuedc.fr JG