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London Fashion Week

25th February 2013 Sunglasses have become a very popular sight on the international fashion stages, and the more avantgarde and eye-catching the better. In London, one show that caught our imagination and included some exciting shades to accessorise the collections, was Canadian designer Thomas Tait’s autumn/winter presentation, which took place at the very cool Carlton House Terrace Garages in St James’s (www.stjameslondon.co.uk).

Featuring slick masculine tailored coats and daring blocks of colour, the shades were part of the story, and came in larger than life, distinctive asymmetrical shapes. Tait collaborates with Cutler & Gross for his sunglass projects and it’s not the first time he has woven a special sunglass collection into his overall catwalk look – some of you will remember the ‘Sadzies’ launched on the catwalk in September 2011.  CN www.cutlerandgross.com www.thomastait.com Images by kind permission of Sisteris. 

Lafont and John Dalia Preview Summer

22nd February 2013 As the days lengthen, and the temperatures begin to rise, thoughts turn to summer. Lafont has a beautiful new range of sunglasses for men, including this extremely smart acetate model – Luigi. The textured gradation in the acetate is subtle, yet distinct – a hallmark of Lafont’s design excellence, highlighted with elegance. Available in Lafont’s Paris boutiques – more information at www.lafont.com

Also based in Paris is John Dalia – a newcomer on the eyewear scene – and a designer to note. His sunglass creations are named after film personalities. Humphrey (as in Bogart – above) is a sleek frame for men in acetate and metal, finely crafted with luxurious details. www.johndalia.com JG

Rolf Spectacles Austria

20th February 2013 Today, Eyestylist talks with Rolf Spectacles about “Men’s Eyewear – The Designer Approach”.  Above, The Rolf Team working on their designs.

Do you have a particular male role model in mind when you design men’s eyewear?

“Sometimes, the inspiration source is already defined, if it will be a male shape or not. It depends on the theme. But in the end, it’s all due to the various types of faces and characteristics; so difficult to say that a shape is specialized for men. That’s why most styles are unisex. Nowadays, society is more open minded and the ‘classic’ male or female frame does not exist any more.”

What is your philosophy on colour, material, and eyewear shapes?

“One-of-a-kind handcrafted in Tyrol, unusual, different and sustainable designs with a story behind them. This is supplemented with technical features and becomes a man’s daily toy/accessory/companion. Different types of materials such as wood or stone determine the appearance of the style. Generally dark tones are easy to wear in the normal course of life, but the wide range of different textures and colourings, including natural grains and various hues, allows for fashionable and significant styles.”

Do you think that men are becoming more experimental with their eyewear choices?

“Yes, men are becoming more experimental with technical features and unusual materials. Additionally, the shape signals  the individual character. It becomes more important to know where the products come from, the artisans, and the history behind the design.” www.rolf-spectacles.com JG

The scene on the street, in pictures

19th February 2013 London Fashion Week attracts some inspired street style outside its doors at Somerset House. The sunshine at the weekend brought out some interesting accessories including vintage hats and avantgarde head dresses, very special eye make-up and an array of sunglasses in all shapes and sizes – we spotted some very well-known styles and some of the crazier sunglass statements – plus a few beautifully worn individual spectacles by independent labels. These included Chip in tortoiseshell by Kirk Originals, worn by Callum Watt of the excellent men’s style blog, Maketh The Man – www.maketh-the-man.com. For more images watch our Facebook page today.

All images by Margarida Viegas exclusively for Eyestylist.com. To view the catwalk shows visit www.londonfashionweek.co.uk CN

18th February 2013 At Frame, the pop-up eyewear show in London, we had a first glimpse of the YMC / You Must Create eyewear collection, a relatively new collaborative project with London based designer Brian McGinn. Produced in France’s traditional spectacle-making region, the Jura, using vintage acetates, this is a youthful line (including glasses and shades) with attention paid to the details – subtle angles on familiar shapes such as cat eye’s or rounds, and a wide and considered colour palette including transparents and vintage patterns. London’s YMC follows Le Corbusier’s concept that form follows function, but while respecting this idea, McGinn – a designer I have followed over the years, who has worked for some leading eyewear labels – has managed to bring some of his own quirky design touches to the frames including unexpected lens/frame colour combinations.

The collection is now available in London’s Covent Garden at McClintocks and at YMC, Poland Street and Hanbury St., Spitalfields in London. www.youmustcreate.com CN

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