Design + Inspiration

Ready for Resort!

29th December 2012

Colourful Frames for Sunny Climes

29th December 2012 When the temperatures dip to zero, resort fashions look so tempting…..so do sunglasses that look as if they were especially created for the beach and poolside. I’ve come across two lovely styles that are fun, colourful, and perfect for warmer climes and sunny days. Sheriff and Cherry’s nautically inspired Mediterranean blue acetate frames (above style 8766) with blue lenses are spiked with white trim on the temple ends, and an anchor and star motif, handmade in their Croatian workshop. www.sheriffandcherry.com

MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

Both sea and sky tones are featured in Summazeit (above) by Andy Wolf. Luminous acetate in tones of turquoise, violet, yellow and soft pink highlight the round shape. Handcrafted in Austria, the turquoise lenses are stunning! www.andy-wolf.com JG

Design + Inspiration

Trend watch: grainy effects, textures, wood-look

26th December 2012

I have been looking at the beautiful grainy effects and natural finishes and textures in eyewear. Not only are we seeing more and more frames made from horn and wood where the natural colouring, texture and natural grains in the material are clearly visible, but there are also more and more wood-look and marbled acetate styles on offer, that have grainy surfaces or striated colouring….all of which are very elegant and show remarkable attention to the end result.

Examples pictured here include the natural horn frame (below) by the Hong Kong based label Rigards – the textured surface is very beautiful, and reminds me of early 15th or 16th handmade spectacles but the Rigard shapes are interesting and often wacky for a 21st century interpretation. www.rigards.com

RG-0010-natural-sanjuro1 — Horn spectacles by Rigards

The Carter Bond frames (examples top and below), designed by Jono Hennessy, have the warmth and feel of wood to the point where I was sure it was wood; I have a selection of these sitting on my desk and everyone keeps commenting on how cool the matt wood frames are. But I have been put right: “These frames are acetate. It is a technique Jono has developed to give that natural wood look; the frames are fully adjustable, so they adjust and glaze exactly the same as another acetate frame.” Impressive! Designed by Jono Hennessy in Australia. www.carterbond.com

I am also very taken with the subtle textures inside smooth acetate. The white example from Bologna’s Blue Magic Eye (top image, centre frame, model BME V3107) shows a gentle pattern that is similar to that of the smooth inside of an oyster shell, coloured in a pure striated snow white and combined with a silver metal detail on the arms. It is a very chic design, robust, with a clever pairing of the materials. www.bluemagiceye.com CN

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Gift ideas

28th November 2012

L.I. Sounder Original American Goods, Leather Shade Anchors

28th November 2012 One of these would make a very cool present. Made by hand in New England using traditional techniques, these straps are made to last, and the leather is said to age beautifully. They look very smart with a strong sunglass style such as a classic aviator, and according to Akram Husseini who offers them at his store, Klar, they look particularly good with a Randolph Engineering aviator, a Garrett Leight Speedway or L.G.R.’s acetate Casablanca which he wears himself. They work with spectacles too.

Available from Klar, Schulstraße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany (www.klar-augenoptik.de); for additional stockists visit www.lisounder.com CN

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Red Alert!

30th October 2012

Warm Tones for Winter

30th October 2012 There is nothing like a splash of vibrant red to uplift the spirits! This season red eyewear is plentiful, in a variety of tones, and sometimes teamed with black, for a hint of mystery. If concerned that red is too harsh for your skin tone, designers have taken this into consideration. The beautiful transparency of Lafont’s Lido (above) provides a lovely, luminous glow to the skin. www.lafont.com

Didier Voirol Odile C04 — Odile by Swiss Designer Didier Voirol

Swiss designer Didier Voirol is also a sculptor, and these skills are handsomely crafted in Odile (above). The acetate front is striking in black and red, and the temples are deftly sculpted in stainless steel. www.metalartconcept.com JG

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Symbolism, Beauty and Mystery

29th September 2012

Exceptional Eyewear Style by Anna-Karin Karlsson

29th September 2012 The highlight of my visit to Tranoï was re-connecting with Anna-Karin Karlsson, and viewing her fabulous new frames. She described the symbolic theme for the 2013 collection: “I took time out from the rest of the world, and moved to a cottage in the Swedish countryside in order to realise my ambition of creating couture eyewear. In the dark forests of northern Sweden, my determination and vision had few distractions, and I worked continuously and obsessively. “Perfecting the Art of Dying Alone”, the title of the collection, derives from working around, and engaging in, themes of grief and mourning. I created the collection to show the beauty and sorrow of sacrifice, and the perishability of it all.

“The design ‘One Trick Pony’ (above, photographed in a Stockholm cemetery) originates from the song I composed, and is my most sculptural work to date. The title plays with the derogative notion of knowing just one thing, and doing nothing but that thing. With this design, however, it stands for the determination and stubbornness behind doing exactly what you want and believe in, and the astonishing results that can lead to.”

Always the romanticist, Anna-Karin says: People want things with a heart – with thought and depth – and I want my designs to live a beautiful, romantic life.” www.annakarinkarlsson.com JG