Design + Inspiration

HOET ‘3D printed’ Costume edition expands

1st May 2022

Mido review: a relentless pursuit of innovation with sustainable goals

The HOET Costume collection is said to “remain true to its values” as it launches four new models for the Spring/Summer season. Committed to sustainable vales, the production of HOET frames is on a made to order basis, ensuring that designs are only created in line with demand. By selecting 3D printable materials, this collection supports a more sustainable business model – with the aim of putting a stop to overproduction and unsalable stock.
For the design, in combination with a refined titanium element and a structure that refers to naturally woven materials, the new HOET frames stand out like many of their predecessors, unobtrusive, yet striking in their own way.

Above: U1 is part of the existing Costume collection at HOET – the frame is typical of the line and features a 3d laser printed polyamide frame in black with front in mat or shiny titanium – below, the video presents the very latest editions in the collection, which are characterised by bold architectural titanium structures with the intricate woven effect on the upper rims

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

“An eyewear frame for personalities with a conscious attitude toward life
who do not want to compromise on aesthetics and comfort…” HOET

HOET has achieved a unique reputation for innovation in eyewear design through an extraordinary 30 years’ history. This new release marks a new chapter in 3D printed design work. For more information visit www.hoet-design.com and www.hoet.be CN

Design + Inspiration

RCA student Maria Nava wins at 100%

27th April 2022

‘Spectral Objects’ recognised for innovative design combining a futuristic concept with modern making techniques and traditional craft

Maria Nava, a second year student studying Fashion – Wearable Technology, has won the RCA x 100% Optical competition in 2022. The competition asked the students to reflect on the past “to see into the future”, using – specifically – repurposed acetate. The brief stated that the eyewear designs needed “to feel good and make us feel good, sexy, attractive, defining who we really are”. They pointed to fit, facial type, head measurements and relevant styles based on head size, prescription and context for the wearer and their lifestyle and habits.” All designs had to be made using the recycled acetate.

Nava’s design was characterised by a structure that fits over the head. The purpose of the artifact, explains the designer of the winning work, was to trigger conversations about our bodies, and question how our identity can morph, change and evolve in a direct relationship to contraction and expansion movements over a human face. The headpiece contracts and expands in three main areas, at the ears, nose and eyes. Freedom is given to the wearer to adjust or modify selected pieces in these three main areas. This allows each individual’s anatomy to fit in but also experience comfort and discomfort.

Maria Nava, RCA – the winner of the RCA x 100% competition in 2022

The designer achieved the flexible structures by combining traditional and modern making techniques such as 3D printing, CNC machining, painted gradients, sculpting and hand finishing.
Upcycled materials such as acetate sheets (from Algha), repurposed acrylic pieces and resins are used in the elaboration of the design piece. For more details about the artist: https://wip2022.rca.ac.uk/students/maria-fernanda-nava-melgar

Design + Inspiration

Italian independent eyewear: Tree Spectacles

26th April 2022

Contemporary. luxurious and minimal, by design

A dynamic brand that continues to propose a minimal Italian design style with intriguing, playful colours. The most recent Tree Spectacles collections include a balanced mix of materials, and most importantly Japanese titanium and Mazzucchelli acetate. A combination of pure titanium and beta titanium ensures a light and comfortable fit while a unique aesthetic is based on reflections and effects of light in specialised colours and modern combinations. In the acetate collections, Tree has evolved a subtle mix of materials where the bold and structured acetate front is combined with titanium temples. Above: Tree Spectacles uses fine quality Italian acetate from Mazzuchelli 1879

Tree Spectacles: bold constructions with shiny and matt surfaces

For MIDO 2022, the Italian optical trade fair which takes place this coming weekend, the Co-Founder of the brand, Marco Barp told Eyestylist that he is preparing to present four further models – two for men and two for women. The new styles expand on the current success of the collection at Tree. The women’s styles have a bold and striking look with thick acetate structures which frame the eyes.

“We have continued to introduce vibrant colours, with more transparent effects. For the first time we have introduced acetate temples on acetate fronts as normally we combine materials such as acetate with titanium. This is a new series with temples that have a strong fashion look always with a structured and yet minimal design aesthetic. The men’s models are real classics with a 70s look. Here we are also introducing full acetate for the first time – and we have worked on a very particular finish with an artisanal execution that is really exclusive.”

Tree Spectacles: model Midas comes in some dramatic, super modern colour combinations as well as timeless colour mixes

“The 1970s forms and shapes are returning. We are developing ideas influenced by this direction. With Tree, we can present almost any type of shape while always being coherent with our philosophy of design. All our ideas, from the finishing and the colours, right through to the overall design, are presented according to our very particular view point…” Marco Barp, Co-Founder, Tree Spectacles

With its clean and minimalistic approach to design and strong Italian identity in terms of style and colour, Co-Founder Marco Barp expands on this coherent evolution of the collections, always respectful of the core values of Tree. “Our DNA is very much about a very modern approach with a minimal aesthetic and we continue on this path as we put out new products. We like everything to be very clean and we will continue to evolve this style occasionally adding very different flashes of colour or details that are inspired by the world of fashion. As Italians we are completely surrounded by the world of fashion …but we try to continue also to produce our ideas guided by a clean and minimal style. Our collections will evolve like this, even if we will introduce 1970s inspired designs – something we are already working on for the season ahead.”

On colour, we asked Barp to explain his current favourites in the collection. “I’m very enthusiastic about the brilliant colours for women like fuchsia and red, and certainly tones of lilac and pewter blue that we have introduced in recent collections… for men, we focus on a palette that is more subtle with dark blues, browns, and transparent grey or solid black. We also have some very distinctive opaque finishes that we will show this weekend in Milan.”

About Tree Spectacles – Marco Barp, Co-Founder of Tree Spectacles has grown up in a family of eyewear producers in Belluno, Italy. His first collection launched at MIDO in 2012, the result of intense R&D to create niche ‘Made in Italy’ products in layers of wood ‘sandwiched’ with carbon fibre – a design innovation which was quickly praised (and patented) for its lightness, comfort, flexibility, and unique beauty. Today the company produces a wide variety of collections including luxury and design series in titanium, beta titanium and cellulose and bio acetate.

For more information about Tree Spectacles visit www.treespectacles.com

Design + Inspiration

Glasses trends: larger and bolder

14th April 2022

A 1970s makeover in women’s eyewear brings back the XXL statement styles

Larger frames, thicker rims and an overall bold appearance, with geometric, playful details are in for 2022, as designers enjoy a celebration of eye-catching eyewear that draws attention to, and “frames” the face. For women, the styles are based on the large oval or geometric multi-sided vintage designs with exciting structures. Above: a new campaign from JF Rey, featuring the JF1514, a frame with a strong 70s vibe, that illustrates the look that’s back in vogue

JF Rey 1514 – large and eye-catching in graduated colours

The model JF 1514 shows the way in which these graphic styles can now feel modern. An oversized and angular front is combined with chunky acetate temples in contrasting thicknesses. Rich graduated colours and transparencies, also inspired by the 70s, are featured with the occasional flash or glow of ultra modern neon (see top image). JF Rey is a French eyewear design company, with a wide selection of on-trend styles and colourful acetate frames. Find out more at www.jfrey.fr

Design + Inspiration

Limited Edition preview: EOE X Cake get creative

12th April 2022

The sustainable eyewear brand from Swedish Lapland collabs with Cake – the frames will be available from EOE online in May 2022

A fresh collaborative sunglasses collection is launching, created by the independent brand EOE, with the high tech electrified motorbike brand Cake. The announcement of the sunglasses edition has been timed to coincide with the launch of Cake’s off-road Makka Prism in the USA. The two brands are aligning their passion for nature and manifesto for change: CAKE was born from a passion for high performing vehicles and a mission to erase negative impact on planet earth while EOE has long focused on sustainable production with sustainable raw materials from Swedish Lapland. The edition of eyewear is represented by two bold sunglasses, Han and Svetsa, with intriguing shapes and powerful yet natural colour-enhanced statements. The frames are being produced in a very limited run of 100 per style – and dropping end of May. Above: Han sunglasses in bright ‘Coltsfoot’ yellow – the frame is also being issued in Thunder Cloud, a stunning crystal grey/blue and Moss, a tone which is a signature of the EOE brand, inspired by the natural colours of the local terrain

“The fact that EOE meets CAKE in this design process feels very natural and we’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. It’s simply about two companies disrupting two equally conservative industries in a pursuit of doing good” Erik Lindmark, co-founder, EOE Eyewear

Svetsa is characterised by a visor design, and will be available in snow cloud, blackberry or Northern black. The dramatic visor lens has a subtle gradient coloration effect.

Talking about colour, EOE Eyewear Creative Director Camilla Lindberg said: “What we noticed first when studying the design for the new CAKE bike was the colour scheme on the wind deflectors. It’s an eye-catching detail that was inspiring to develop a sunglass style from. We also developed a thinner model with a slim silhouette. Both are tone-on-tone for a modern monochrome look”. The acetate used in all EOE frames is friendly, meaning it is made from a mix of wood and cotton material. In contrast to the acetate most often used in production of glasses, the biodegradable acetate used for EOE frames is completely free from petroleum or phthalates – substances considered to be toxic. To follow the launch of the collection visit https://eoe-eyewear.com/