Design + Inspiration

Save the date: The LONDONi returns in September

21st July 2025

The exclusive London eyewear event, the LONDONi, which presents niche and luxury eyewear brands at a gallery showroom in Percy Street, Fitzrovia, returns for UK fashion buyers and independent optical retailers

Organised by Chapman Agency and founder Francesca Chapman, The LONDONi has paved the way for a bi-annual luxury eyewear show focusing on independent eyewear brands exclusively. With a background in fashion, Chapman launched the event for the first time in 2023 with the aim of creating a meeting point for opticians and exclusive eyewear brands.

For the 6th edition, the event will take place on 14th and 15th September 2025, welcoming more than 15 exhibiting brands, including London’s very own Cutler and Gross, Lazare Studio from France and AKONI from Switzerland. (A full list of brands showing at the event can be found at the end of this article).

Already flourishing, the event highlights that small, intimate shows of this kind remain desirable among the UK optical community. Francesca Chapman told Eyestylist: “The LONDONi was born from a vision to redefine how we experience luxury eyewear, a space that’s intimate yet vibrant, where independent agents and brands come together not just to showcase products, but to inspire each other – and build a true community – it’s a connection that’s been missing from the UK until now.” Above: the facade of the venue in Fitzrovia in central London

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The LONDONi is a growing event attended by independent opticians from across the UK

Chapman also confirmed that the event will continue to take place twice a year in March and September and that bookings for the March 2026 event will open in early autumn.

Exhibitors at the LONDONi in September include: AKN Group, Balmain, Cazal, Cutler and Gross, District Vision, Hoffmann Natural Eyewear, HUG Spectacles, Lazare Studio, Maybach, NIKON, Orgreen Optics, PRESS Eyewear, Sestini, The Great Frog, VALENTINO and Yellows Plus. Find out more about The LONDONi @the_londoni

Design + Inspiration

Silmo Paris 2025: Optical Design Contest

12th July 2025

The Silmo Paris show organisers have revealed the finalists for 2025

The organisers of Silmo Paris have announced the names of the shortlisted finalists in this year’s ‘Optical Design Contest’, an initiative to promote future talent in the optical industry. This year the theme of the competition is “Superhero glasses”, a topic that has sparked creative ideas with diverse aesthetics. This subject aims to highlight the potential for eyewear to as more than a simple accessory.

Indeed, this year, the design contest is directed by Michel Penneman, a renowned international designer and interior architect. The 20205 winner will be announced during the 2025 event in September. Above: Aestral by Louis Sence (Nantes Atlantique School of Design, France) – Aestral is described as visor glasses inspired by the Silver Surfer. The fluid, organic design evokes speed, wind and solitude.

Furthermore, the shortlist includes 10 designs: Aestral by Louis Sence; Bonewave by Mattéo Muzelet-Guédon’; Eco by Beatriz Delcole Belonsi, Gyovanna Marraya de Paula Castoriano, Júlia Fernandes Nascimento, Lucca José Lauro, Kallany Leandrini Paulos; Gaia by Hélène Caffin-Pinon; Loveyes by Camille Jourden; Lunettes de Vision Emotionnelle by Quentin Boudier; Neon by Brice Lebeul and Sentinelle+ by Barthélémy Camoesas; the Inuit Glasses by Yasmin Kaufman and the Sensory Glasses by Gaia Malantuono.

Bonewave, pictured above, is described as a bone conduction sports product that allow users to listen without blocking their hearing. The concept is designed for athletes, combining safety, functionality and performance.

To find out more about Silmo Paris and the latest news from the show ahead of September, visit the link, https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/09/trending-in-eyewear/

www.silmoparis.com

Design + Inspiration

Gorpcore 2025: what’s the eyewear look?

9th July 2025

Still influential, gorpcore requires a certain look in eyewear, a balanced blend of functionality and styling with edge – these independent brands are delivering the perfect aesthetic with style, functional purpose, quality materials and performance

Which are the best gorpcore looks by independent brands? It’s a question we’ve been asked several times in the last few weeks, and one we can now answer with several good recommendations. Gorpcore, which has also prompted a surge in vintage Oakley’s from the 1990s and Y2K which we’ve observed in high-end vintage outlets in London, is a fashion trend that keeps on evolving, requiring a utilitarian style of eyewear with sports performance features, characteristics which make the glasses wearable for everyday but also technically sound. With shapes that are typically unisex, and inspired by earlier decades, including retro aviator, rimless shields and wraparound shapes, the styles also pay attention to particular details, fit and fine-quality materials to ensure a wearer experience that is really first class. Above: Ciele x Article One: Article One and leading performance-running brand, Ciele Athletics debuted the sophomore edition of the Article One x Ciele GTGlass performance sunglasses, an award-winning, collaborative frame launched in 2020. Earning several accolades for the technical design, including Runner’s World Gear of the Year, the two brands joined forces again for the GT Glass 2.0 pictured, which boasts a refreshed, distinctly vintage shape, performance material updates, and new colour and pattern variations – www.articleoneeyewear.com

Article One also teamed up with César Villalba, a creative designer and elite endurance athlete, to debut performance sunglasses crafted to counter traditional styles of eyewear in competitive fields. With flames emblazoned along the sides and a youthful, rectangular shape, the Article One x César Villalba frames rebuff the repetitive shapes and colours of technical frames that athletes are accustomed to, the designers say. The distinctive details and bespoke hues – including the lens tones – are inspired by Villalba’s relentless energy towards particular passions – racing and creative directing for global fashion brands. www.articleoneeyewear.com

Glacier Optics – photo by Yann Laubscher – the Pierredar shield combines tech with style

Built for the mountains, the Glacier Optics’ Pierredar shield represents a good example of technical, functional eyewear – designed specifically for high altitude, with an original design, fantastic colour choices which are perfectly aligned with contemporary technical apparel – including olive, gold and brick, and high-tech performance lenses by Zeiss. The small label, which is based in Switzerland has a growing following in the sports world for its technical focus and sustainable production which takes place locally in the Alps. www.glacieroptics.com

For a raw, utility style, with focus on artisanal craftsmanship and the unusual features such as the hand-hammered finish, the Kuboraum Mask H30 remains one of our go-to styles for those who seek a wraparound with a truly unique design style. Introduced by Kuboraum at the end of 2024, this piece is offered in different variations – including an aqua green colour and a matt black with striking light yellow lens tint. www.kuboraum.com

Retrosuperfuture’s black Pharaoh sunglasses offer a shield-style frame in lightweight nylon – a shape that is very well aligned with this trend while also offering a timeless everyday aesthetic. The model was released as part of the RSF Space Shields collection and perfectly embodies the 90s influences in fashion; the inspiration is also channelled from space age influences in design as well as cosmic jazz. The functional wraparound shape – always a very comfortable choice – and minimal design style lend themselves perfectly in combination with performance gear with a fashion edge. www.retrosuperfuture.com

Design + Inspiration

A capsule collection by Gigi Studios

3rd July 2025

Spanish brand, Gigi Studios releases a capsule collection which they say pays homage to the timeless beauty of nature

Released in June, the Sediments collection by Gigi Studios features three unique products – called Abyss, Etherea and Shimmer. Drawing inspiration from natural sediments such as iridescent seashells, time-worn stones and textures shaped by water and the passing of time, the frames are conceived as a refined design statement blending organic forms with clean lines. Above: the capsule frames in the Sediments collection have been shot in a marine environment – model featured, Shimmer

Gigi Studios: Sediments features this oval stainless design called Shimmer with upswept lower metal rim; above model wears acetate style – Abyss

The three styles are presented in a palette of mineral and aquatic tones that echo the shimmering essence of summer — translucent blue, soft pink, pearlescent white, and sandy beige. Each frame is created to capture the ever-changing seascape and translate it into an object of desire: fluid, tactile, lightweight, and elegant.

Find out more about Gigi Studios by clicking on the link at https://www.eyestylist.com/2024/02/gigi-studios-unveils-architect-designed-hq/ – visit the brand website at www.gigistudios.com

Design + Inspiration

Loft eyewear show heading to Santa Monica

26th June 2025

The independent eyewear event, Loft Eyewear Show, will take place in a new venue in Santa Monica (California) in October 2025

Loft Eyewear Show has a new venue booked for their October event in California, which, for some years, has taken place in San Francisco. The new location is the Santa Monica Post Office, a landmark building in downtown Santa Monica just a few blocks from the beachfront. Built in 1938, this historic building boasts a design indicative of the PWA Moderne style. It was a product of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration (PWA) as a key component of the New Deal era. It was closed along with 200 post offices across the country in 2012 by the United States Postal Service.
The event will take place on 24-25th October 2025. A welcome party has been organised for Friday 24th. Above: the venue will feature a barista, catering and afternoon beverages.

A stunning architectural setting for Loft in Santa Monica

In his statement, Richard Mewha, the founder of Loft Eyewear Shows said: “When looking for a location for our events, we seek spaces that resonate with our design aesthetic and that are conducive to creating an atmosphere that encourages the connections that we so love about these events. One of our core values for Loft is going beyond a trade show experience. We feel that the future of these events hinges on creating an environment for not only buying carefully curated eyewear, but also for exchanges of common interests, learning about the creative aspects of individual designers, and of course, having fun while we are at it.”

He continued, “With this in mind, we researched and found this stunning Art Deco space, right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, close to the beach, great restaurants and hotels. Santa Monica is also a central location for West Coast accounts, with easy access from LAX. The weather in October should be great.”

Loft Eyewear Shows are the premier independent luxury eyewear events. They are held annually in New York City (and previously in San Francisco and Las Vegas over the years). Since 2000, the Loft events have showcased exclusive and cutting-edge designers and innovators in the business from around the world. For more information and to enquire about visiting and/or exhibiting visit: www.lofteyewearshow.com