Home

Bold and Beautiful from Face à Face Paris

25th February 2012 Graphic, technical, sleek and bold, fashionably sums up this handsome men’s design from Face à Face Paris. In grey and blue acetates, Clark  is ideal for men who desire stylish, distinctive glasses, while at the same time, an expression of classicism. The colour blue, and its many variations, is a timely trend for women – it also has impact on men’s fashion. Handmade in France, the details and finishing are superb. www.faceaface-paris.com JG

Graz Mulcahy, Australia

23rd February 2012 “The biggest difference – I think – between designing eyewear for men and women is the fit – women have smaller heads on average than men. I also think it is harder to design for men – they won’t wear big oversized frames, and obviously not cat eye styles. I am broadly speaking of course. But men have a limited boundary in what they will wear it seems. You have to make it fit right, and make it simple and cool. I guess it’s the same in clothing. I’ve lost some of my favourite jeans and t-shirts to girls ‘borrowing them’ – I can’t say I have any of their clothes in return! I think men now care more, know more, buy more and pay more attention to brands, fashion and quality. However, I think that the collective consciousness of the world – men and women – are yearning for a better experience – people want a quality of experience in everything they do, as they now have more choice than ever.

For vintage eyewear, I think men are even more interested than women – I think I see two men to one women sporting a well kept pair of vintage frames. Ninety percent of the vintage eyewear collectors I know are men. I only wear grey, so I have a limited choice every season for clothing, and it keeps me buying many brands. I love Margeila, I only wear Common Projects shoes, and really like Vanishing Elephant. I only notice the trends once they are here – or passed. I somehow manage to stay relevant in my design, just by nature”. www.grazmulcahy.com JG

Fabian Hofmann, Eyewear Designer, Berlin, Germany

23rd February 2012 “When I look at the anatomical side in designing men’s eyewear, men tend to have wide nose bridges. I’ve given up labelling a style purely male or female; maybe it’s the no-frills approach that I prefer. I think of design in terms of a process, a story that I tell. The actual shapes are a consequence of that thinking. I would definitely say that men are more aware of brands, quality and fashion. Wouldn’t you agree that men are even more interested in vintage than women? Men looked fabulous in the fifties and sixties. Who doesn’t want to look like Steve McQueen nowadays? It may sound banal, but difficult times tend to bend our view towards the past, and that’s where vintage comes from. We are made to believe that originals from the past, or even just the lifestyle of a certain past era, stand for stability and safeness.

Yes, men are definitely more daring with colour now. I live in Berlin and one thing I observe is that men here tend to go for solid colours, not garish ‘in your face fashion show colour blockings’. I don’t have a favourite men’s clothing designer – most of my pieces are pretty nondescript or plain classic. Good quality tends to have a longer life span. Good design always have a portion of the unexpected – but it has the advantage to interest people. that is a risk a designer must take every time he starts a new project.” www.whiteout-glare.com  JG

Photo of Fabian Hofmann by Gilles Stüssi

Titanium Elegance from Lindberg

22nd February 2012 The Danish company’s newest design features lightweight titanium, superbly crafted, that successfully merges aesthetics –  functionality, technology, quality, beauty and style. This design, in particular, gives the wearer a feeling of confidence and well-being, with its classic form, interpreted with subtle modernity. The distinctive temple detail adds to the beauty and craftsmanship of the design. www.lindberg.com JG

Ciro Tugnoli, Blue Magic Eye, Italy

21st February 2012 “There are definitely differences between designing eyewear for men and for women. Guya (my design partner) and I have always found it easier to create glasses for women, but I cannot forget that our best-selling model is a pair of glasses with a more masculine connotation. It’s not easy to design an original and outgoing shape for a man. I find more elements to work with when I think of a female style. Men are now more aware of fashion, brands and quality, including fitness or beauty products. In general, men are more attentive to their own global image, presentation or look – although I think men are less brand addicted than women.

Vintage has permeated fashion in all its aspects. Vintage, dandy, the beautiful and the damned, or Steve McQueen styles have always been sources of great inspiration in men’s styles. Traditional colours are still popular for men – black, brown, honey, Havana, but on the temples you can dare a little more with orange, red, blue and yellow. We’ve had success using double layer acetate – soft colour outside and fluorescent or bright inside. My favourite men’s designer is Paul Smith, but I’m quite conservative in clothing.” www.bluemagiceye.com  JG

Photo of Ciro Tugnoli: Gilles Stüssi