Design + Inspiration

l.a.eyeworks

Barbara McReynolds, l.a. Eyeworks, 1946-2025

l.a. Eyeworks has announced the death of Barbara McReynolds, co-founder/designer of l.a.Eyeworks. She was 78.

McReynolds was born on 26th December, 1946, in Huntington Beach, California. Co-founders of l.a. Eyeworks, McReynolds and Gai Gherardi first met each other in the halls of the surf city’s eponymous high school, the pair bonding instantly over folk music and eyewear.

Glasses were an obsession for both. So much so that a teen McReynolds with 20/20 vision faked an eye exam, and, after months of taxing her optometrist to find the perfect frames, scored a job in his office. When the doctor opened a branch near UC Irvine in 1965, McReynolds hooked up Gherardi with employment there.

When the duo opened the Melrose “mothership” on 9th September, 1979, McReynolds, in an interview, recalled: “We embraced the impulsive energy of those times. There was a big shift going on, and we were happily playing on the fringe as our image came into being. The store was the cauldron where we could cook up our ideas freely.” The innovative frontier of l.a.Eyeworks was made evident in window displays that rarely showed glasses, and instead, featured thought-provoking, double-entendre messages, and site-specific installations with commissioned artists, characterised by offbeat humour, agitprop, and celebration of the absurd to comment on culture, gender, and socio-political topics. Many of l.a.Eyeworks’ signature catchphrases – Uncensored Visions, Keep Fishing, Elect to Think, See Through Walls – had their genesis in the window culture of the Melrose Avenue flagship.

Within months of opening, they submitted a sketch to a French eyewear maker: a classic silhouette that nodded to sunglasses worn by southern California lifeguards. They christened the unisex style “The Beat.” Hundreds of influential, original frame designs in expressive colourways have followed, made in Europe and Asia according to the highest standards in the marketplace.

In 1984, a wholesale division, Eyeworks 3, launched with founding partner Margo Willits and an office in France, to distribute the line to independent optical boutiques worldwide.

McReynolds and Gherardi were both members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Their distinctive frames have been exhibited at the London Design Museum, the London Craft Council, the Los Angeles Craft Museum, the London College of Fashion, and the Chicago Athenaeum, among others. For the first time in its history in 1991, the Stanford Conference on

Design acknowledged l.a.Eyeworks’ optical designs under the industrial design category—an important break for the founding duo and for the eyewear industry. In 1992, they received the Gold Award for product design from International Design Magazine. The brand’s credits in Hollywood and music are significant, including cult classics such as “Thelma and Louise” and “The Matrix.” But it’s the shopfront’s representation, albeit apocalyptic, in Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” that continues to send fans emailing the company to this day.

Forays into creative collaborations have proven limitless, from programming to architecture to merchandising. In contrast to Gorman’s high-contrast, timeless portraits, l.a.Eyeworks launched the Technicolor “Uncensored Visions” ad campaign in 2019. Shot by LA lensman Josef Jasso, it has featured electroclash artist Peaches, drag star Murray Hill, theremin virtuoso Armen Ra, and LA punk icon Alice Bag.

Catherine Opie, Barbara Kruger, Isaac Julien, and, most recently, Gabriela Ruiz are among the established and rising artists whose work appears among the annual collector series of lens cleaning cloths, first put in motion in 2009.

“Barbara and Gai’s vision for l.a.Eyeworks was to build an endlessly expansive, independent platform for the exploration of ideas from all directions,” notes Margo Willits, International Sales Manager and founding partner of l.a.Eyeworks. “The locus of that dream was eyewear; but the vision was ecstatically 360 degrees, and it will be truly exciting to watch l.a.Eyeworks grow and evolve into the future.”

That future nears as the company readies a new retail flagship in a campus-like setting on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood – slated to open in June 2025. An open house event to honour the lives and legacy of both l.a.Eyeworks co-founders (Gai Gherardi passed away eight weeks ago on 16th March 16, 2025 https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/03/gai-gherardi-l-a-eyeworks-1946-2025/) is scheduled for Saturday 14th June. Find more details at www.laeyeworks.com 

Photography credit: Karin Levitas

Ahlem Eyewear

Key Spring/Summer 2025 Trends: lightweight metals

Lightweight metal frames with contemporary flair are one of the mainstays in eyewear this year. The sleeker constructions with particular details and innovative colours are perfect style choices for a summer re-fresh…

Metal specs tick lots of boxes this season. As well as key qualities of comfort and lightness, subtle colours and interesting design features are ensuring these types of glasses are perfectly on trend.  Colour is a particular highlight as designers explore special combinations such as tone-on-tone pairings as well as more classical gold and silver detailing (the finesse of luxury metal finishes is sought after this year). For shapes, the choice is extremely wide, with aviator styles and shapes exploring angular detailing being particularly sought after – while details, for bridges and temples, are absolutely essential for a perfectly stylish finish to the frame.  Above: the new models by Ahlem – in the Paris collection, a luxury metal series that uses stainless steel and luxury finishes such as 22K gold and palladium, www.ahlemeyewear.com

Drexel by Erker’s 1879

Sleek metal aviator designs are always in vogue and this year they are popular for men and women alike. The Drexel model by Erker’s is a take on the iconic aviator shape, produced in stainless steel. The frame is quite oversized with a squarish eye shape and attractive and sleek double bridge.  Find out more at www.erkers1879.com

JF3072 by J.F. Rey – from the Allure of Metal collection

The woman’s frame JF3072 is from the French label J.F. Rey. The finnesse of the metal shape fuses with a bright colour combination to create an expressive design with bags of personality.

Each design in this collection, Allure of Metal, which includes 11 colourful graphic metal models, combines two or three shades, carefully juxtaposed and hand applied. This creates a bold chromatic effect, a typical trait of this brand. For more details: www.jfrey.fr

Powerage by Ørgreen Optics

Titanium is also a key material in this segment. A sheet titanium frame style like Powerage – produced by Ørgreen Optics – is highly technical – requiring 100 different processes and specialist design work. The frame combines 100% pure titanium and beta-titanium for wearer comfort and offers a minimalistic style with chic contemporary colourations. www.orgreenoptics.com

Point Reyes by Italian eyewear producer, Blackfin

Blackfin Pacific is a collection developed for the qualities of lightness and comfort, with styles like the Point Reyes created from 3mm block titanium – for the front, paired with ultraflexible 0.5mm beta titanium temples. Blackfin applies the colour by hand, to attain a sophisticated and elegant finish.  This frame comes in a choice of colours from green with gold temples to blue with shiny silver temples. www.blackfin.eu

{rewind} Eyewear, Florence, Italy

Niche eyewear brand {rewind} by Patrizia Puliti and Paolo Corraddossi enjoys a growing network of highly rated independent optician stockists around the world. The collection embodies the essence of Italian craftsmanship, blending the nostalgia of iconic 90s frames with a modern and refined design and a dedicated focus on quality. Eyestylist asked co-founder and designer, Patrizia Puliti to explain her vision of the collection and its success at a relatively early stage in its evolution.

The current collection was launched at MIDO – what was your experience of the show and did you open in some new markets? I had the pleasure of participating in MIDO last February. As always, it was an extraordinary event that brought together professionals, companies, and innovators from around the world, offering a unique opportunity to exchange views on the latest trends in the eyewear industry. MIDO continues to be the benchmark event for all levels of the sector and represents a truly international showcase, giving smaller brands like {rewind} the chance to present themselves in a prestigious setting.

During the event, I had the opportunity to connect with companies from various countries, discovering different approaches to management, communication, and value propositions. Each encounter was a rich exchange of ideas, insights, and visions, helping me to better understand the needs of both emerging and established markets.  In addition to Italy, {rewind} is already present in several European markets: Finland, Switzerland, and France have embraced the spirit and personality of the collection most strongly. However, interest is expanding: Greece, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and non-European countries such as the United States, Brazil, and some Middle Eastern regions have shown strong curiosity and potential.

{rewind} is a niche product that combines design and elegance. Interest in Italian design remains strong, and in many markets, “Made in Italy” continues to be synonymous with exclusivity. Above: Flashback by {rewind} features bold geometric lines and thick rims with bevelled edges; below: Countdown by {rewind} is characterised by a geometric shape with facets. “The colours are designed to remain timeless, effortlessly overcoming the passage of time…”

Countdown by {rewind}

You have selected particular Mazzucchelli acetates in this collection and some very unique tones? What is your inspiration for the colour palette and the delicate tortoise tones included? Creative work doesn’t stop at shape: I dedicate great attention to the choice of patterns and colours, which must reflect the personality of each model. The acetates come from selected collections by Mazzucchelli, La/es, and Jimei, and are chosen only after thorough research.

I favour original and distinctive tones and shades, which are capable of giving each piece a unique identity while maintaining a coherent aesthetic that makes the collection recognizable and harmonious. I love working with havanas, enriching them with touches of colour that make them both classic and contemporary. This approach is highly appreciated by our clients and is applied to every model.

The model that best embodies this philosophy is Countdown, currently the most popular with the public. Its colour variations stand out thanks to a play of glossy and matt facets, handcrafted to make each piece unique and visually captivating.

Looper by {rewind}

Models like Flashback and Countdown are typical of the style of {rewind} – familiar shapes and yet slightly different from the norm. Can you comment on this singularity of style and how you have evolved it for the modern customer – what do you hope someone will experience when they put on one of your designs? The new models presented at MIDO are Flashback and Blackout. For the shapes, I started by studying eyewear from the 1990s, meticulously following the principle of originality and focusing 100% on {rewind}’s distinctive details.

All the models I create are born from a study of past shapes: I don’t like to make copies, but rather reinterpret details in a contemporary way, so that our audience can recognize themselves and find in each model a way to express their own personality.

Those who choose {rewind} seek authentic, comfortable eyewear that stands apart from fleeting trends. Because, as we know, adhering to mass models is inherently alienating: the true secret lies in building one’s own identity without ever giving in to standardization.

The collection is cross-generational and appeals to a wide age range: from younger women, who find an authentic expression of individuality in models like Deja Vu and Double Life, to more mature individuals, who rediscover memories of the past in models like Sensitive and Sliding Doors.  Even a confident woman with a bold look can identify with the Looper model — a shape that might traditionally be described as “masculine,” but which is actually very popular with female customers. Each model carries a carefully chosen name, intertwining the themes of “time” and “memory” into a narrative that continues to live through those who wear them.

Flashback by {rewind} featuring Swarovski crystals

How would you describe the DNA of your brand ? We know you have some important retailer ‘fans’ in Italy; what is it they enjoy about your designs, is it particularly the wearability of the shapes and colours or something else they comment on that makes them particularly unique and desirable at this time? Every pair of {rewind} glasses is much more than just an accessory:  it is a personal journey through time, a conscious choice of style and identity. The model names are never random: they speak of time, memory, lives that flow, intertwine, and are rediscovered. With {rewind}, we don’t chase the future: we build it, bringing along everything worth remembering. Because true modernity is born from a respect for our roots. And authenticity is timeless. Each model is much more than just a pair of glasses: it is a testament to a journey I have undertaken and that continues to evolve.

Have you always been into eyewear? What do you think are the secret advantages of having worked as a distributor in eyewear before turning your hand to the creative work itself? Over more than thirty years, I have seen the industry change and trends come and go, but I have always held firm to one conviction: authenticity is the key.  It’s not about chasing fleeting fashions, but about building something that endures, that adapts to those who wear it without ever losing its essence or becoming a mere copy of something already seen.

Timeline by {rewind}

Before creating the brand, I had the opportunity to travel extensively in my role as a distributor, even abroad, and this sparked in me the desire to create something different. Each model I design is a reflection of myself, of my experiences, and of what I deeply believe: that eyewear should tell a story — *your* story.  {rewind} is a collection created for those who aren’t satisfied with simply appearing, but who seek a style that speaks of themselves. Every detail, every shape is the result of years of study, research, and passion, but above all, of an intuition always guided by the desire to offer wearers a chance to express their uniqueness. It’s not just about design, but about the emotion each piece of eyewear can evoke, the energy it transmits. My experience has taught me that nothing lasting can be created without passion, and {rewind} is the result of that passion. Each new model is a step forward in this quest for balance between past and future, between tradition and innovation — a step that allows me to continue telling, through eyewear, the stories that define us.

{rewind} Eyewear is available at independent opticians including I Visionari in Florence (Italy), Centro Ottico Bastia, Veneto (Italy), DM Optics, Barcelona (Spain) and Les Createurs d’Opta, Paris (France).

For more information visit www.rewindeyewear.com

Paloceras: Pebble Collection SS25

The European eyewear brand, based out of Portugal and Finland, is launching its Pebble Collection in New York this month; two new SS25 silhouettes are premiering with this release

In fashion spheres, Paloceras has been dubbed an exceptional rising force and in the optical world, while early adopters of the bold and stylish inflated forms included a handful of the leading opticians across the globe, at the forefront of eyewear fashion and qualitative design.

Today, they launch two new styles in their Pebble Collection, known for its bold inflated forms and colour innovation. The new Aviator (VX) and Diamond (DX) which join frames like the RX, an oval shape with the distinctive signature style, extend the eye-catching collection with new directions. “The development began not with sketches, but with simulation,” Design Director Alexis Perron-Corriveau explains. “Using digital matter in motion, we watched as geometry settled into place. Not through control, but through release. Shape was found, not forced….”

Paloceras first launched their frames in Europe in 2022. The co-founders, Mika Matikainen and Alexis Perron-Corriveau, who had met a short time previously at one of the world’s most exclusive design schools in Switzerland, founded the brand on finishing their Masters, choosing Lisbon as their  base from which to launch.

Above: from the Pebble Collection – Dulce Drift RX features a frosted gold 8mm Mazzucchelli acetate with solid green lenses. The frame features the brand’s DualLayer™ laminated construction, a layering technique which allows the interweaving of two individual pieces of acetate – the model below, DX “diamond” is one of the two new unisex-fit styles, subtly inspired by the cateye

[Extended] Pebble Collection – the new DX “diamond” shape in ice blue

“Some ideas are drawn. Others emerge. The Pebble Collection was never about following tradition. It was about challenging the predictable, embracing discovery, and leaving space for the unexpected. We let the digital world take the first step, not with rigid sketches but with virtual matter in motion, shifting and settling naturally. Using computational simulations and generative design, we watched as forms revealed themselves, not through control but through discovery. Like finding a perfect pebble on the shore. Something already whole. Something that feels meant to be. Then came the hands. Artisans translating discovery into permanence, shaping acetate with precision until it felt inevitable, as if it had always existed. Colour was not just applied but composed, layered through custom lamination to bring depth and contrast. Bold yet natural. Playful yet refined.…” Alexis Perron-Corriveau, Design Director

Paloceras: VX aviator is a new entry in the [Extended] Pebble Collection, pictured in Havana Gold with gradient green lenses
The second of the brand new styles is based on an aviator concept.  Styled as an oversized statement, it is being released in warm Havana Gold, vivid Velvet Rouge, sophisticated Shadow Black and Babi Cino – a playful baby blue tone; each variation expresses a different character behind the softened geometry and “contrast, tension and rhythm” in the sculptural form.

About Paloceras – Founded in Switzerland with creative roots in Finland and Portugal, Paloceras is an independent eyewear house set up by Alexis Perron-Corriveau, Design Director and Mika Matikainen, Creative Director. As praised by Vogue, Elle, Grazia, and Elite Daily, each Paloceras creation blends digital precision with hand-finished craftsmanship and draws on a rich visual language shaped by nature, memory, and quiet rebellion. Find out more: www.paloceras.com

All images provided courtesy of Paloceras. © Paloceras 2025 Shoot imagery – Creative Director: Mika Matikainen / Paloceras, Art Director & Stylist: Anne Törnroos, Photographer: Juho Huttunen, MUAH: Jenny Jansson, Talents: Marié-Grace Iradukunda & Antti Nguyen

This feature was written by Clodagh Norton. All rights reserved.

Matteo Cibic Limited Edition eyewear

Artist Matteo Cibic designs outstanding limited edition eyewear, Unparallel Visions, launched in Milan

An exclusive collection of asymmetric optical designs in cellulose acetate has been conceived by the artist “to rebalance the distortions and irregularities of everyday life”. Matteo Cibic’s new and beautifully finished limited edition eyewear collection, which is released under the artist’s name, is a true expression of his artistic dreamlike vision – and made entirely in Italy by artisans specialising in creative craftsmanship and authentic handcrafted products. Above: the images featuring the new frames by the artist were generated using AI

Matteo Cibic: Unparallel Visions – sculptural frames, created as ‘objets d’art’ with engraved signature of the artist

Each piece in this new line is represented in an original artwork generated using AI. The collection is carefully made in Italy by artisans who preserve the heritage of eyewear manufacturing know-how (JDO Eyewear). Matteo Cibic’s work currently includes furniture, ceramics, silver and leather homewares and small containers/sculptures (the experimental Smooth Collection). The eyewear collection is available via the eyewear boutique Punto Ottico Humaneyes, Milan.

Matteo Cibic – Unparallel Visions
Matteo Cibic – Unparallel Visions

Images provided courtesy of JDO Eyewear. For more information about the artist visit https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/04/matteo-cibic-unparallel-visions-at-punto-ottico-humaneyes/