Design + Inspiration

Trend alert at Eyestylist: a neon flash

In the fashion world, everyone is talking about neon and flashes of colour combined with other tones and there are many accessories on this theme, as well as interpretations in the fashion collections. In Italy, at the recent eyewear fair there, Eyestylist saw many examples of neon detail and new ways of colour-blocking with bright tones in frames. For those who like these fresh flashes of colour, I’ve picked out two examples on black, but I’ve also seen some excellent shapes using classic tortoise with neon tones on the temple, end tip or as a lining, which are very chic also.

The newly launched Courrèges eye shades collection experiments with single tones – sherbets and fruit colours such as canary yellow and fresh orange – as well as two-tone contrasts, including the bright pink on black pictured. It’s an upbeat fashion collection that has instantly been noticed by the fashion boutiques – it’s available at Colette in Paris – and the playful interpretation of vintage Courrèges has been carefully re-worked through collaboration with French eyewear designer, Alain Mikli. The model pictured above is called ‘Eyelids’ and the eyelids themselves are removable. www.courreges.com/lunettes-paupieres.html

The Italian label Blue Magic Eye has adopted the neon theme in its latest collection, including this fresh acid green contrast on model 6600. The Bologna-based brand also produces frames in its 2013 collection with shocking pink and trendy turquoise flashes. This is a super way to wear colour on the face and adds edge to an everyday look. www.bluemagiceye.com CN

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

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