New Zealand’s Karen Walker is known for original, effortless, unpretentious styling. Her eyewear is perhaps best know in the US and Australia, but we know some savvy European stockists which include the optical stores Les Plus Belles Lunettes, Paris and Blink Optics in Ionnina, Greece. Bunny like several designs in this colourful collection is a statement style with intriguing over-the-top shape.
When I saw this frame at MIDO, I marked in my notes ‘great style’ – it really is! Handmade in Japan, the frame also has an intriguing provenance. Designers Shelia and Ross Vance were inspired by the beauty and mystique of ancient Egyptian culture and design. The soft, oversized shape of Gossip is in layered acetate exclusive to Sama. The temples, in titanium, represent a “Breast Plate” worn by a queen of the sun, and constructed with state of the art laser cutting. Another special feature is the reversed plating, with the outside and inside of the temples in different colours. It’s a dashing, glamorous frame, and especially beautiful in this deep, intense aubergine shade. www.samaeyewear.net JG
On first glimpse this looks like a horn style, but it’s actually a lovely acetate style with the look and patterning of buffalo! Handmade in Italy, the shape is a version of the brand’s already iconic Leonard style, with the undersides cut out. Illesteva was founded in 2009 by Daniel Silberman and born-and-raised New Yorker Jus Ske. The designers strive to push normal boundaries of design by exploring fresh shapes and materials like bamboo, titanium and natural horn. A name that is already much favoured by the fashion elite, the brand is now in London at Matches, Browns and Liberty, and at Box in St Tropez, France. The online shop at www.illesteva.com shows the full collection. CN
Prizes – a Silmo D’Or in 2010 – and plaudits are well deserved for Rolf Spectacles. The Tyrolean based brand has chosen a centuries old environmental material – Bamboo – for this beautiful, green and sustainable frame. Clodagh and I are both fans of the emphasis on Bamboo this season. The material has the ability to withstand pressure with its natural strength, making it very effective for eyewear. Rolf Spectacles uses an intricate process that is required to achieve the smooth elegant surface on the frame. The wonderful texture of the bamboo and the gentle curved shape ensures a distinctive character. Each Rolf frame is handmade, and can be equipped with buffalo horn temple tips. Rolf Spectacles is a young, creative firm – definitely one to watch in eyewear. www.rolf-spectacles.com JG
This is a limited sunglass style, the result of a collaboration between US eyewear company KBL and the very chic vintage inspired swimwear brand, Pret-a-Surf. It’s a modern take on the classic cat (as you know, one of my favourite shapes), in a flash red which is a tone that appears in the swimwear prints. Featuring strong, light NXT polarized lenses, which offer comfort and protection, the design delivers functionality without compromising on quirky statement styling. I am told it hits the stores early May…for more information visit www.kbleyewear.com and www.pretasurf.com CN.