Portugal’s VAVA Eyewear has produced a capsule collection from castor beans – with Olympic athlete Patricia Mamona
In their latest innovative work in eyewear, VAVA collaborated with triple jump athlete Patricia Mamona – the inspirational sports woman, European triple jump Champion (Poland 2021) and Silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics representing Portugal (1st August 2021).
The collaborative collection features model
About the 3D printing technology used at VAVA:
Pince-nez edition in collaborative series influenced by antique tradition
In their latest collaboration, Rigards and Uma Wang explore the classical beauty of the pince-nez, a popular 19th and early 20th century staple, traditionally designed without temples and featuring a C-shaped bridge, which served as a clip to hold the lenses on the wearer’s nose.
For the avant-garde design of the new RG00UW6, oval lenses and slender stainless steel temples are accompanied by the dramatic C-shaped bridge and distinctive curved nose-pads, designed to fit all. Above: a design to fit all faces and features, reproducing the C-shaped bridge while revealing fresh artistry and technical skill
The high arched, delicately ribbon-twisted bridge simulates the coiled loop of a Möbius strip (a one sided surface) , creating a subtle three-dimensionality while also, in the brand’s own words, reflecting a calibrated balance of aesthetics and strength. The detailed openwork nosepads or rests are a nod to the Art Nouveau stencil tradition, and an evocation of the seasonal theme of this exceptional work in collaboration, where looking to the future is dependent on looking to the past.
About the brands: Rigards and Uma Wang have embarked on a series of collaborative designs which to date have included Le Wood in aluminium-magnesium and solid wood and the 2019 designs UW5 and UW10 – https://www.eyestylist.com/2019/11/rigards-x-uma-wang-exclusive-collaboration/ among other unique designs. With its predilection for handcrafted design and artisanal excellence, Rigards has become a highly-regarded leader in handmade avant-garde eyewear produced in some of the finest and most unusual materials in the field including natural wood, buffalo horn, copper and sterling silver. Find out more at www.rigards.com
A look ahead at a new and inspiring colour palette
A vast selection of green hues, natural browns and reds, and earthy stone-like finishes make up a new palette – clearly inspired by the visual beauty of the natural world, and the biomaterials that are arriving in force in the eyewear sector. With the change in season will come a change in mood both in colour and texture, in interactions between rough and smooth, dark and light, solid and transparent, and highly saturated or washed out tonal variations. Above: Hapter’s avantgarde High Line frames have an unconventional tactile surface with a suggestion of intense tones which include Phoenician purple, leaf orange, right through to musk green, and Persian red, www.hapter.it
The square eco acetate frame Flanna at EOE Eyewear comes in colours inspired by the landscapes of northern Sweden, with tones such as matt gravel and light bark – pine. EOE Eyewear is consistent in referencing the co-founders’ homelands; their inspiration from the land and its flora and fauna, rock formations or textures, is both imaginative and inspiring. www.eoe-eyewear.com
A new entry at the Danish company, model Jelly has small dimensions and a funky colour scheme where a tw0-tone front gives edge and intrigue to a wearer who loves a classic with a twist. The version pictured offers a colour combination of milky caramel, “almost” black (temple ends) and jade green at the lower rim. www.orgreenoptics.com
At once vintage-inspired and rooted in the contemporary palette for autumn, Emmanuelle Khanh’s 1321 layers crystal and a natural glossy-look honey tone with a bold and intense moss green temple. www.ek.fr
Summer expression from the bridal designer in VWX range
Just out from Vera Wang, and the most luxurious edition in her extensive eyewear and sunglasses collections, models Aviva and Taraji are two statement designs (of 5) that bring a new and beautifully defined design style to the collection while remaining true to the codes of the Vera Wang aesthetic. These glamorous high quality frames have an exclusive finish and are made in Japan – in a limited series and limited high-class colour palette. Above: model wears AVIVA in the VWX collection from Vera Wang – available exclusively in two unique colours only
A distinctive flat top design characterizes the Aviva model, but rather than have a typically masculine look, the frame is feminine and slick with a shape that is not too deep and therefore current. The stainless steel temples balance the design and the large logo, engraved and filled with a subtle enamel is present on the left temple, adding not just fashion style but also a trendy tactile finish.
The edgy triangular shape of Taraji is instantly eye-catching and reminiscent of a cat’s eye with a more daring modern look that will suit celebrities and eyewear connoisseurs alike. The lenses are mounted via screws – floating out and away from the sides of the frame.
About the brand : Vera Wang has created a unique aspirational world that alludes to sensuality and youthful sophistication. Exquisite details, intricate draping, and a nonchalant sense of style characterize the Vera Wang aesthetic. Vera Wang, a native New Yorker, understands women who embrace fashion. By age 23, Vera was the youngest ever Vogue fashion editor and stylist, where she remained for 16 years before moving to Ralph Lauren as a design director. In 1990, Vera Wang opened her first flagship store on Manhattan’s famed Madison Avenue, introducing fashion to the bridal industry with revolutionary designs and refined detailing. Since then she has expanded her collections to include ready-to-wear, footwear, eyewear, fragrance, flowers, fine china and crystal, silver and gifts, bedding, fine papers, and her first book, Vera Wang On Weddings. 2019 marked Vera Wang’s 30th anniversary as a brand, a celebration of three decades spent at the forefront of fashion. To view the complete Vera Wang Eyewear collection, visit www.kenmarkeyewear.com
Classic and timeless: a panto shape for connoisseurs
Produced in in their latest small batch edition, the True Vintage Revival (TVR) 505 for 2021 follows the traditions of Japanese artisanal craftsmanship and design so unique to the province of Sabae, Japan. Made from carefully sourced materials from local artisans, the frame is released in an impressive choice of 12 delicate and timeless colours. They include Antique Amber, Antique Tortoise, Brown Crystal, Brown Demi Amber, Brown Fade (China Exclusive), Classic Black, Clear Crystal, Light Pink Crystal, Matte Black Tokyo Tortoise, Matte Marmalade, Spotty Tortoise and Yellow Crystal featuring in two sizes — 46mm and 49mm— each offering a style-statement quality in its own rights. Above: TVR 505 for 2021, the latest edition at the prestigious Japanese eyewear brand
The frame is produced in Zylonite material with an engraved metal core in the temples. Special touches include a beautiful split finish of alternating matte and gloss textures to give out a sophisticated touch, layered with a subtle elegance for all occasions.
The DuoMatte effect is crafted with several steps that require a keen eye for details and care. The frames are polished, sand-blasted with very fine grain sand to yield a soft matte finish. These eyeglasses are then put through a split finishing process to create the desired matte-on-gloss effect. This special effect is most evident on frames like Matte Black Tokyo Tortoise — the outer matte and the inner gloss give a whole different look when worn on different skin tones.
The TVR brand – Powered by a true love for vintage eyewear and a strong interest in rare blueprints of eyeglasses from the golden days of 19th Century, TVR® OPT (True Vintage Revival) was founded in 2012 to remake, recreate and reintroduce the essence of vintage eyewear to the world.
TVR® OPT’s inspiration, blueprints and real vintage eyeglass models come from all parts of the globe. All materials and artistry are sourced and nurtured in Sabae— a city known for inventing the concept of nose pads and famous for its history of handmade eyewear for generations. The collection is available at the finest optical retailers around the world. Find out more at www.tvropt.com