Innovation and unconventional approaches to eyewear are just two ingredients that make frames so desirable. For men, women and children – the numerous possibilities for distinctive, fun and imaginative eyewear enhance designs. Zoobug – the award-winning British brand for children launches a charming design – Chic – in blue diamond acetate (above).This frame is particularly good for small faces, as it is created with curled sides and a surgical grade silicon saddle. A larger version for children age 4+ is also available. Zoobug will be presenting their collection for youngsters – and launching the brand new optical styles at 100% Optical this weekend – 6-8 February – at Excel London. www.zoobug.com Photo by Wanda Kujacz
Classical composers are a theme at Res/Rei in Italy, where Oliverio Zanon is inspired by the keyboard style of Frédéric Chopin’s highly individual and technically demanding piano compositions. To honour the celebrated composer, Zanon has created Chopin – a frame with individual styling and technical highlights to reflect Chopin’s poetic music. The temples and nosepiece are intricately textured, and the frame also features distinctive end tips. Handcrafted in Italy. www.resrei.com
Frames with unexpected characteristics and materials are evident in an exceptional design by RIGARDS – with Metalloid RG0062AL. The frame features the intrigue of smooth aluminium with a textured finish that resembles the appearance of sandblasted stone or raw stucco. Enduring industrial texture, the lightness of metal, and a refreshingly flattering shape define this unique frame. www.rigards.com
Fashion designer Wes Gordon has collaborated with Austrian brand Silhouette and the result is a striking collection of luxury sunglasses. The 1960’s inspired frames are lightweight, with a sleek panto shape in sophisticated tones of nude brown, classic grey, ocean blue and classic green. The Wes Gordon for Silhouette frames will be presented at 100% Optical this weekend at Excel London. www.silhouette.com www.100percentoptical.com JG
London Showtime!
All eyes – 100% – are on London this weekend – 6-8 February – as 100% Optical opens at Excel London. The three-day event hosts international eyewear designers and companies, who are presenting the latest, innovative optical and eyewear collections. Austrian based Silhouette will present several selections, including Titan Accent (above) the feather-light, elegant frames for men and women; in addition to Sun Specs for 2016 and Urban Lite. www.silhouette.com
Slim and trim frames are a prevailing trend, and Götti introduces a sleek design – Darell – in Titanium with a smart double bridge. Götti will also present beautiful Genuine Horn designs that are superbly handcrafted. www.gotti.ch
Havana Fiammato Tortoiseshell acetate highlights a stunning design by L.G.R. – Reunion II Flap. A flat double bridge, brown leather flaps and silver mirrored lenses add to the distinction of this unique design. www.lgrworld.com
Handset ruby, diamond and amber Swarovski crystals enhance this luxurious frame – XL2067 by Charmant – from the Line Art Opera Collection. The temple detail is intricately designed and inspired by musical waves in lightweight Excellence Titan. The Charmant Z collection for men will also be presented at 100% Optical. www.charmant.com Mark your calendars! 6-8 February at Excel London. More info at www.100percentoptical.com JG
Contemporary Classics
Eyewear with classical shaping remains a perennial favourite – and new variations bring further enhancement. Rectangular and panto silhouettes are highlighted with colour, and innovative finishes. Canadian based designer Mehran Baghaie at Spectacle Eyeworks has launched a commanding men’s frame – Daniel (above) – in stainless steel with a textured finish – an ideal example of uniting tradition and trend. www.spec-eyeworks.com
L.a. Eyeworks is always ready to party – and the California brand believes that your face deserves a celebration. So let the festivities and fiesta being with Carmen’s Birthday in colourful Jimmy Tortoise Scrapple with custom hand-painted scrolls on the brow – in Brick Red. The frame is acetate with metal brow accents. More eyewear party-pieces at www.laeyeworks.com
A design destined to be appreciated by both men and women; Daniel Benner’s Cosmo 16 is a sleek panto shape in stainless steel, in striking colours of Turquoise brown fade. See more of Benner’s new frames at www.benner-eyewear.com
Retro touches enhance The Marvin by Original Penguin – with a voluminous acetate shape and swoop detailing on the bridge. The colours are gorgeous – including French Vanilla (shown) Tortoiseshell, Blue, Black and Green. For more info on new designs by Original Penguin – visit www.kenmarkoptical.com JG
100% London: tomorrow’s trends
The show season is now in full swing. London will welcome optical companies and designers from far and wide at the third edition of 100% Optical, held at ExCel. Designers are preparing new collections for the seasons ahead, with focus on innovation, new technology, technical processes, colour and design. Trend highlights will include hot new colours – we’ll be expecting more interior design inspired metallics, and a rise in light, delicate pastel tones. The delightful coral featured in the Kaleidoscope Collection by Kirk & Kirk is a good example of this direction – www.kirkandkirk.com. A soft focus, summed up by new caramels,nude tones and cappuccino hues, offers a fresh colour story that we can expect to be a lasting one, with its chic, ultra-flattering look for natural skin tones.
With our eye on the new arrivals and up-and-coming talent, 100% Optical promises a good line-up of international newcomers this year, including brands like Smoke x Mirrors, Fakoshima and Tavat Eyewear, who have a new lightweight acetate version of their eye-catching SoupCan design launching at the show – www.tavat-eyewear.com.
Trends in colour combinations will be a key topic, brightening up classic shapes or avant garde silhouettes with a dash of something unexpected. Labels like Woow Eyewear from Paris – a 2-year old design brand by Architectures (Face à Face), show the fun opportunities of multicoloured eyewear geared to a young generation who increasingly expect fashion-driven trends and idiosyncratic details, here in the form of little messages or words written at the end of the temples or on the lining of each design. www.wooweyewear.com
From even further afield, Australia’s Jono Hennessy, now widely available in leading optical boutiques in the UK, will show bright combinations of wood-look with punchy blocked colour (Carter Bond) and textile embellished eyewear (Jono Hennessy) that sum up a widespread desire among the independents to shake up the classic looks with striking colours and beautifully attentive finishing. www.jonohennessy.com / www.carterbond.com
100% Optical is a trade fair for the optical sector. The exhibition takes place from 6th to 8th February 2016 at London’s ExCel. www.100percentoptical.com CN
First impressions from Munich
Opti has impressed with a very wide selection of specialist eyewear labels and busy stands and aisles for an optimistic start to the year. The short journey to Munich from other parts of Europe remains a big draw for many optical retailers who see the post-Xmas show as an ideal way to kick off their new year buying; visitors we met had also travelled from the USA, Japan and the Middle East.
Independent designers attended in force. Leading trends (and there are many we will look at in the months ahead) included a progression in high-tech and 3d design, and continued developments in sustainable production and eco materials. Colours were bold but there is also a sign of more natural, gentle tones appearing again, combined in sensitive, understated ways, as well as some colour schemes linked to the design world: copper is one that popped up several times when we were talking about autumn/winter 16/17.
Among the young exhibitors were a number of Scandinavian designers, including E&E Glasses, Monkey Glasses, Falvin Eyewear and the independent label Karmoie, a Norwegian brand who have specialised in frames created in Mazzucchelli’s quality sustainable M49 material. Designers Kirsten and Lars Iversen launched their 2016 campaign at the fair – pictured above – and showed a collection that is about simple, flattering aesthetics inspired by the nostalgic elegance of vintage styles. www.karmoie.com
RES/REI from Italy illustrates the continued attention to detail and hand-finishing in quality acetate. A close look at new models including Mimosa (above) exhibited the brand’s genuine dedication to artisan design, originality and clever colouration – very pretty marbling and elegant combinations were beautifully represented by the label. www.resrei.com
Collaborations continue to be an important area for creative exchanges. One example: ic! berlin is working with David Tomaszewski, the fashion designer based in Berlin, and their latest design together, Grazyna has all the makings of an elegant designer icon. Selecting acetate for the first time, Tomaszewski worked closely with the ic! berlin design team to bring his signature architectural and graphical structures into a multifaceted three-dimensional frame. His inspiration – the eclectic colour world of the 1960s and 70s – lead him to caramel and havanna, accents which compliment the rich autumn tones and intense colour gradients found in the upcoming David Tomaszewski Autumn/Winter 2016 collection. www.ic-berlin.de
Wood and paper products continue to arrive in the market. For recycled eyewear, Paper Style shows a refreshingly serious approach to fit and comfort alongside interesting aesthetics – including smart, textured surfaces – and collaborations with creatives from other fields such as Truus Brands in the “Artists by Paper Style” series. www.paper-style.it
Opti 2017 will return next year from 28th to 30th January 2017. More information is available at www.opi.de CN