Design + Inspiration

Creative liberty, technical expertise, beautiful materials and luscious colours feature prodigiously in eyewear collections. Shapes vary from moderate to voluminous – further enhancing  sunglasses. Blackfin’s S/S collection features clean, sculpted silhouettes, as seen in the above photo. The man wears Blackfin’s Weston BF760 in titanium with gold-mirrored lenses. Panto shaping highlights the women’s frames – Waterhouse BF743. The all-Italian production ensures the finest quality. Discover more from Blackfin at www.blackfin.eu

Brilliant, bouncy and bold – Smoke x Mirrors unites layered acetates and stainless steel with a fun sunglass collection – Soda Pop. Vibrant colours and chic neutrals – such as the black and white sunglasses above – bring an alluring dimension to summer fashions. Additional details about Soda Pop at www.smokexmirrors.com

Panto shaping – an eyewear highlight for Spring/Summer is elegantly expressed by Sven Götti at Götti Switzerland. Dan (above) delicately combines retro and modern contemporary styling in ultra-light titanium with flat lenses – sleek, stunning and streamlined. See all the Götti collection news at www.gotti.ch

California based eyewear brand SALT. has been shortlisted from the Opticians Award 2016 for TAFT (above) as Best Frame of the Year. Handcrafted in Japan, the double-bridge brings additional distinction  to a design with flair, beauty and harmony. www.saltoptics.com

Originality and savoir-faire comprise designs by Christian Mascré and Yolande de Clerq. Retro vibrations, extraordinary production – all crafted in France – bring glamour and excellence to the frames. The frame front in Eva in vanilla acetate (above) is artfully shaped and looks fabulous on the face…also available in other great colours. www.vuedc.fr JG

Clashing colour, bindu motifs and rotating lenses…thanks to a sizzling new collaboration between Russian eyewear brand Fakoshima and fashion designer Manish Arora, exotic details are flourishing for 2016. The limited edition launched this month includes five individual styles, inspired by the mood and themes of Arora’s clothing collection, playing with shapes referencing the classic round, aviator and iconic cat eye, in deliberately experimental yet masterful designs.

Drawing on diverse inspiration, including African culture, masks and cowboy ornaments, the result is a giddying mix of colourful frames with gold inlays, eye catching lens hues and truly dramatic forms.

Established in 2012, Fakoshima has achieved notoriety in the world of fashion and eyewear with its conceptual designs created with new technologies and traditional handcrafting. www.fakoshima.com / www.manisharora.com CN

Contemporary shapes, appealing colours, materials with beauty and safety features keynote new designs for youngsters. Frames for children require precise construction in order to comfortably fit little faces, as well as be fashionable – important for today’s super-aware young set. British brand Zoobug has launched exciting, colourful new optical styles. ZB1020 in Navy (above) is rubber flex and the shape is ultra-flattering for young girls. The frame is also available in pretty pastels of Pink and Mint. Zoobug photo by Wanda Kujacz www.zoobug.com

Very grown up and sophisticated is LINDBERG’S titanium frame for children, which is hypoallergenic, lightweight, flexible and strong. Delicate cat-eye shaping in Julija (above) brings contemporary glamour to children’s eyewear. www.lindberg.com

Tortoiseshell is a favourite adult frame colour – and for children as well. Lafont Paris – with their speciality range of children’s frames – includes TAC (above) a smart tortoiseshell acetate design with contrasting sides in apple green. Detailed attention to fit is one of the many advantages of the frames. www.lafont.com

Brilliant blue acetate is a striking colour for Ghent (above) from the lovely collection of kid’s frames by Red Kids Eyewear. The Netherlands brand has created a new hinge system that is easy to replace if youngsters are too rambunctious in the playground! Visit www.redoptical.com for more designs.

For children and young teenagers, OMAN (above) by JF Rey is equipped with the Just Adjust Concept – exclusive to the French company. The colourful round shape in glossy acetate is innovative, stylish, and looks super on young faces. www.jfrey.fr JG

From Japan, a new design piece called the Glasses Place by M. Scoop (above) caught our eye at Maison & Objet Paris www.maison-objet.com – earlier this Spring.  Made from natural wood such as maple or cherry, with a sophisticated artisan finish, the design – which has a sturdy base and gently tapered top over which the spectacles are placed,  makes an ideal match for high-quality spectacles that deserve to be well looked after. A second product, 70G, with a square shape and smooth lining, has also just been released by the company, produced in a similar choice of natural wood finishes.

M.Scoop creates a range of specialised storage products for small items and accessories such as glasses, mobile phones, pens and watches, making it easier to look after precious things safely at home, and to remember where they are! Find our more at www.mscoop.jp CN

Iris Apfel – at the amazing age of ninety-four, is clearly a style icon with international influence and respect – a feat few women can claim. The New York resident – whose trademark is voluminous eyewear and extravagant attire –  has dazzled the fashion establishment with Iris in Paris at Le Bon Marché – the ultra chic “grand magasin” on the Left Bank. The fashion muse (pictured above with Selima) is portrayed in videos; an in-store exhibition inspired by her fashion exuberance; and fabulous, stylistic window scenes created by illustrator Eric Giriat.

The illustrations show Iris dressed in her inimitable, uniquely individualistic style attending the opera; on a bateau mouche; visiting a park; and enjoying a café. The fashion legend is also known for her quotes – that flow with words of wisdom from this nonagenarian – and include: “Fashion you can buy, but style you possess;” and “having fun is the best revenge.”

For the Iris celebration, Selima Optique has created oversized sunglasses – the Iris signature – for Le Bon Marché, in collaboration with Iris Apfel. Iris in Paris continues at Le Bon Marché through 16 April. www.selimaoptique.com www.lebonmarche.com JG