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Brent Zerger, Communications Director, l.a. Eyeworks

Los Angeles, California

20th February 2012 Are men more daring with colour now than in previous years? “Without a doubt. And just in case it’s still a secret: men are starving for colour! Particularly in the case of clothing, we have all been cast adrift in a sombre sea of brown, khaki and grey for soooo long. It’s always a challenge to find colour that truly excites. No surprise, then, that men are seizing upon glasses as a key component for exploring the potential not only of colour, but of pattern and proportion too.

Have you seen any specific changes in how men view wearing glasses during the past several years? “Absolutely. Glasses are out of the closet! More and more, I see men discovering eyewear as a way to project their sensibility and define a mood. There seems to be a renewed embrace of eyewear as a key aspect of wardrobing, and as a vital stamp of personality. Our clients often report on how the colour and graphic impression of their glasses have effected changes in what they wear, and how they see themselves. Barbara McReynolds (co-owner/co-designer of l.a. Eyeworks) has often said: ‘Glasses are the fashion. Clothes are the accessory”. In short, free your glasses and the rest will follow”.

Whom do you think are the male style icons nowadays? “To be honest, I hardly ever think of icons in the present. What interests me most is when any person – regardless of their fame, occupation or income – creates a style or signature completely their own; when a person achieves a kind of effortlessness and comfort in the transformation of their look”.

Who are your personal designer favourites for men’s clothing? “I always pay attention to what ‘the majors’ (Paul Smith, Christopher Bailey, Marc Jacobs, Rei Kawakubo, Kris van Assche, et al.) are thinking, but in my own selection, I veer towards smaller brands and more enigmatic items – like the amazing shoe designs of John Fluevog. I probably take most of the direction of what I want to wear from the world around me, be it a Japanese vinyl figure, a Technicolour film from the 50’s, some paste-up graffiti on an electrial box, or some obscure track I might hear late at night. In any case, the most compelling style is tuned from the inside out.” www.laeyeworks.com  www.laeyeworks-wideworld.com JG

Anne et Valentin

16th February 2012 From Anne et Valentin’s lifestyle photo series, we present model Freelance (sunglasses above), a contemporary classic for men, and the very expressive optical frame Pop, worn by customers of the French designers outside their Paris store at 4 rue Saint Croix de la Bretonnerie. A tip for those visiting the Anne et Valentin store in Paris, just across the road is a perfect breakfast bakery, where you can have coffee and fresh patisserie…the staff in the shop will point it out as they say they are often popping over there. www.anneetvalentin.com CN

 

 

Shane Baum – Leisure Society, California

15th February 2012 “Indeed – there are significant differences between designing eyewear for men and for women. To design women’s frames, you need to explore your most feminine side. You need to think lighter, more delicate, and more “jewellery like”. As far as fashion goes, women take more chances and thus are more open minded. This is a great freedom in the mind of a designer. I think with the emergence of ‘heritage brands’, that tout a traditional Americana look, men are more apt to pay less attention to brands, and place a greater importance on quality and integrity. Of course, given the fact that I design a gold plated titanium, limited production, exclusively distributed product, I’m somewhat biased.

Men are as interested in vintage as women, if not more so. Many men truly enjoy the history of old brands – where it was made, how many were made…..It’s the same reason we collect baseball cards as kids and later as adults, vintage cars. Men appreciate the craftsmanship employed in making objects of great quality.  Not that women don’t – it’s just men are more apt to ‘geek out’ on such stuff. Men are really not daring with colour, unless you call blond tor (more…)

Vidal Erkohen, RVS by V., Istanbul, Turkey

13th February 2012 The designer behind the Turkish eyewear label RVS by V., pictured wearing his own sunglass design, model Ze, one of the first RVS by V. sunglasses, created in 2007. Part of the Limited Edition Gold collection launched in 2011, this version is made of a special gold acetate and fitted with custom coloured gold covered mirror (brown view) lenses.

Asked about designing for men, Vidal says: “I have never really thought of any of our frames (or any frame for that matter) as being specifically made for a man or a woman. If you have the self confidence, almost any frame can look great on you. It’s all about how you carry yourself. This is why we mostly produce all of our frames as unisex. That being said, the  Ze frame is a classic oversized panto, a shape that was worn by men more then woman in history although this has changed over time. I think we need to think outside of the box, looking back in history a bit to see that almost any frame can be worn by everyone.

Our male clients mostly consist of two types of people, those who are more knowledgeable about eyewear and are looking for the same quality that was put into eyewear in the past, and those who are looking for a classic, cool design idea with a hint of something new. It is really important we showcase something that looks totally fresh without forgetting what we believe is classic. Fashion is ever changing and trends come and go, this is why I believe it is important to try to make something timeless.” (more…)

Frédéric Beausoleil, Paris, France

10th February 2012  “The significant differences with men’s frames is that they are more into technical details and new materials than women, which gives more importance to the look of the frame. Effectively, during the last ten years, we’ve seen men emancipate themselves – accessing and affirming a strong sense of style. Of course men are as interested in vintage as women! Even more, considering that Vintage men’s looks have always kept an important and “non-time-able” place in the perfect men’s outfit. Vintage is a shelter – a safe place protecting men from any bad fashion choices, if used with the knowledge of history.

Men look for quality, colour, design and material all at the same time – men feel the frame and judge it in their hands, sensing both the lightness and look together. The frame has to be equilibrated to reach the right customer. (more…)