A collaborative topline design inspired by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
Götti Switzerland has teamed with New York based Austrian designer Stefan Sagmeister – to create a frame inspired by Frida Kahlo. Characterised by a strong, eye-catching browline – described as “a single iconic brush stroke” – over an extremely minimal pared back construction of the lenses, temples and hinges, this frame combines a 3D printed Polyamide brow piece with a very sinuous stainless steel LITE temple. The photochromic light-adaptive lenses adjust from an almost clear 12% indoors to a darker 85% for sunny conditions and offer 100% UVA/B sun protection as well as having an anti-reflective inner coating. Above: the new Limited Edition Frida style with packaging and logo design by Sagmeister
Sagmeister’s last sabbatical in Mexico City and his perception of Kahlo on souvenir after souvenir – “as a presence for relentless touristic consumption” – formed the basis of the concept which grew into this design with the Swiss eyewear producer. Sagmeister states: “Kahlo is among the few artists whose fame reached such heights that her features — like Salvador Dali’s mustache or Andy Warhol’s wig — morphed into a visual signifier, a logo. As a designer fascinated by the creation and evolution of such logos, transforming one of them back into a product seemed like the logical thing to do….”
www.gotti.ch/sagmeister to find complete details.
Sunglass trends: Last minute beauties for summer
Sunwear makes an audacious statement
As the warmer season gets underway, a pair (or two) of fine new-season statement sunglasses is a fashion essential. The choice is infinite, with bold shapes, block-colours, and vintage-style details offering a particularly eye-catching take on what has become a season of variety and fresh upbeat design in the independent eyewear collections. Above: Metronome Japan’s B-titanium model World Ride in the ‘Kiss the Future” collection. The cat’s eye model has a suspended lens which gives the frame its eye-catching definition. https://metronome-eyewear.com/
VAVA’s BL0028 makes a fresh take on the cat’s eye with an aerodynamic stylised design that fuses futuristic with a glamorous distinction. Inspired by an aeroplane’s tail, its construction is modeled on a ‘cropped delta contour’, which offered exceptional stability during flight. The frame’s bold white colour and sharp lines capture a cool and impactful look. The style is also available in black, matt black, red and matt crystal. www.vavaeyewear.com
For those with a love of glamorous colour and form, FACE a FACE propose radical cut out designs for the summer – inspired by the art of Deconstruction. The lenses look as if they have been cut away at the sides. Find beautiful artistic colours in this line which range from milky blue against granita temples with quartz flashes, to crystal peach sliced through with electric yellow. www.faceaface-paris.com
Flanna is part of a series of new models by the eco label EOE. These styles are produced in sustainably produced acetate (wood pulp and cellulose) and combine a hand carved appearance with individualistic colours such as the trendy blush and ivory “marble” effect combo above. Find out more about the styles at www.eoe-eyewear.com
Summer vibes with OG Icons
An array of artisan designs are releasing at Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses, including one model originally designed and worn by Audrey Hepburn
Just in, and just in time for the sunny spell! Oliver Goldsmith’s OG Icons collection has six new enticing designs for summer, oozing with the refined and glamorous spirit of the Goldsmith Icons – and its extraordinarily rich history. The OG Icons recreate the brand’s most historic and famous sunglasses worn by a host of celebrities in film, tv and fashion. Above: HEP is one of the new releases: the frame was originally designed for and worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s. Recommended for women with smaller faces who wish to find a comfortable oversized frame with a beautiful timeless elegance, its oval shape is versatile while the colours include very cool nude tones of champagne and pink champagne or classic dark tortoise. The bevelled sculptural quality of this design and its neat vintage key hole bridge are special features.
Multi-sided geometric shapes in eyewear are a delightful, alternative shape this season; model Ego is a 1970s variation with a shapely architectural construction that layers a modified hexagon on top of a more squarish shape. If vintage colour is your thing, then this frame delivers with its stylish combinations of black with leopard and tortoise and sand while trendy nude tones of winterfell or pink champagne are feminine, chic and seasonally light.
The 1970s saw a new generation of creative eyewear shapes emerge for men. The Kendal at Oliver Goldsmith is representative of that look with its abstract angles and confident large shape, well adapted to the tastes of the design oriented modern man.
All six styles in this new OG release – available for pre-order – are handmade by artisans in Italy. The frames are made from cotton acetate and are fitted with premium, optical grade sun lenses. See the frames online at www.olivergoldsmith.com
Independent eyewear: classic shapes revived
Square, round, browline or aviator inspired…these four shapes are more slick than ever
The evolution of the classic glasses styles is something of a wonder for 2021. Even where the colours are minimal, delicate and pared down, the designs express a contemporary attitude and showcase an incredible range of materials, with details atuned to modern design enthusiasts.
The square shape is traditionally recommended for round and oval faces, and its versatile, so many of us can carry it off. In crystal tones, the style has a special charm, reminiscent of a look that has been much loved, and easy and flattering for hair colourings and varied tones of skin.
Round glasses are most often suggested for rectangular or square shaped faces but these rules can easily be broken, and the material and thickness of the design can really transform the style and how it looks on different faces. Meanwhile aviator glasses with a square or rectangular eye shape usually flatter oblong and rectangular faces; the double bridge typically has the effect of widening the face and creating a bold statement style. The traditional 1950s browline design (with a heavier line over the top of the front) can be suited to an oblong, oval or diamond shaped face; its expressive statement styling and generally quite large construction is popular with men who seek out vintage style glasses. Above: Nirvan Javan’s London collection – model 09-16 – a classically inspired square shape in a clear crystal acetate, www.nirvanjavan.com
l.a. eyeworks interpreted the classic round in titanium this season: handmade in Japan, their Pismo design has a confident, intellectual air with its perfectly circular eye shape; custom acetate components on bridge and temples ensure that this frame gets noticed wherever it pops up! www.laeyeworks.com
Model Fresno is a roomy, square men’s aviator style with the classic double bridge – clearly vintage inspired with a three-dimensional sculpted nosepiece. The colours lend a stylistic integrity to the look, with modern muted tones of gunmetal, army green/silver and brown/silver or combinations with a flash of brighter colour on the inner surface such as blue/red and black/blue. www.blackfin.eu
A traditional browline shape, the combination frame ‘Adrian’ at Fleye has a refined contemporary design – resulting from some very attractive advanced materials. Made from carbon wood and titanium, the colours of dark blue, dark red, dark wood or carbon pattern exemplify this Danish company’s capabilities in special and spectacular finishes. The tiny rivets add to the aesthetic of the construction as well as the robust, and durable quality of the frame. Find out more at https://fleye.dk
Exclusive: sustainable eyewear Ziggy Chen x RIGARDS
A fresh installment in the Ziggy Chen x RIGARDS sustainable eyewear collaboration for 2021 : the design is made from buffalo horn, bamboo paper and repurposed wood
The Chinese menswear designer and the Hong Kong eyewear brand have looked at new ways of working with ethically sourced solid horn, with the usual visual and artisanal approach typical of their creative designs developed together with inimitable style and craftsmanship.
With skill and dexterity, the horn material is sculpted by hand to create the form, characterised by shaved bevels inspired by fluid brush strokes of East Asian calligraphy. The frame has then been coated in gossamer-thin bamboo paper and hand-painted using a complex traditional lacquer technique which requires several stages of drying, sanding and smooth between each layer. The final matte top layer is applied to produce lacquer with a less shiny finish, delivering a unique rendition of the time-honored art form.
In an audacious contrast with the front, the temples are cut from beta-titanium with a hollow-back construction for the most advantageous lightweight comfort while the temple tips are finished in wood from off-cuts sourced from high end furniture. A typically evocative colour palette offers the final touch of elegance to this model which is produced in antique brick, antique black, and antique white, in celebration of natural beauty and hidden poetry. Such finishes and colorations are a signature of the RIGARDS eyewear brand and testimony to the aesthetic sensibility and commitment to innovation of the brand as it continues to explore new design possibilities through ancient processes and rediscovered crafts.
Premiering at Ziggy Chen’s Fall/Winter 2021/2022 presentation entitled Sugardens at Paris Fashion Week, the model us released as a limited edition of 100 serialised pairs. RIGARDS designs are available worldwide at the most exclusive optical retailers and fashion boutiques. For more information visit www.rigards.com