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12th September 2012 Tortoise styles are looking so beautiful for the new season and they are plentiful. Here are 3 picks showing the variety you can find if this is your pattern of choice. For classic, this easy retro shape from new label Fan Optics (above) – model Brock, is refined and not too heavy, a lovely accessory for the start of the season. Choose from dark tortoiseshell with elegant yellow highlights, or a green blue tortoise that is more like a marbled effect in the acetate. www.fanoptics.co.uk

Emmanuelle Khanh Paris sent me a few examples of their tortoise pieces including classic panto spectacles and bold 80s and 90s shades. Strong on its retro roots, this design below boasts a golden chain detail, a showy but vibrant and exciting detail if you can carry it off. Fine detailing in gold such as studs and chains are very much a part of the mix right now. www.emmanuellekhanhparis.com

If a whole tortoise style is too dark or busy for your complexion and style, look at designs that use tortoise in interesting colour combinations. At Zanzan, this neat Limited Edition crystal/tortoise design (excellent for smaller faces) – style Mizaru – brings a touch of the unexpected; the sides are a thick, chunky, brightly contrasted acetate to set off the transparent crystal front and dark grey lens. Also very now! See this one close up at www.farfetch.com

For more on Zanzan on Eyestylist.com, visit www.eyestylist.com/2012/08/autumnwinter-moods-at-zanzan/ CN

Zoobug’s fun and trendy new optical frames

10th September 2012 Kids will love wearing the new prescription eyewear from Zoobug’s very desirable collection. Taking a cue from trendsetting styles, the retro-inspired specs are available in acetate or metal, with shapes designed to delight youngsters – ‘Harry Potter’ circular styles, along with vintage and trendy geek-chic models, such as Ollie in the above photo.

The colours appeal to the young set as well – red, sunny yellow, purple/mauve, plus autumnal classics in tortoise, navy and black. Quality is keynote at Zoobug, with durable designs, that feature flex hinges – definitely child-friendly! www.zoobug.com JG

Karen Walker Eyewear

7th September 2012 Show-stopping sunglasses continue to seduce us and here are two, launched this month, that belong to a new Limited Edition by Karen Walker. The designer has reinterpreted some of her most famous shapes in laser-cut black and gold metal filigree – a technique that appears in her  jewellery: www.karenwalkerjewellery.com/lookbook (Sunglasses pictured above, Number One Critter).

“We already love working with filigree in our Karen Walker jewellery range so we got really excited about the idea of using it in some of our favourite Karen Walker Eyewear styles with our ‘Fantastique’ frames,” Karen says. “Karen Walker Eyewear is perfect for people who have no fear of bold frames, and the ‘Fantastique’ Limited Edition is sure to get even more people talking.”

The six-piece collection is available through selected department stores including Harvey Nichols and Barneys New York, and high-end eyewear and fashion boutiques. As well as the two shapes pictured, there is a third oversized mask design in the series, “The Butler Critter”.

www.karenwalkereyewear.com

For more on Karen Walker Eyewear on Eyestylist.com, click on the link: https://www.eyestylist.com/2011/09/bunny/ CN

5th September 2012 The retro-inspired round shapes are staying, and it’s a good thing! Such a cool and elegant eyewear classic deserves a prolonged revival and we recommend everyone should try it. It is particularly flattering if your face is slightly square and definitely worth seeing how it looks on if you haven’t experimented with it before. It’s an ideal choice for this Autumn/Winter and next year.

This trendy black one by fashion giant Gucci graced the catwalks for the label’s A/W 12/13 presentations – it has a narrow gold metal brow bar which gives a new contrast to the circular eye shape…we have spotted a few interpretations with this decorative element, for men and women. It has grey graduated lenses so not too dark that you can’t see if the sun disappears behind a cloud. Other colours include a very desirable Havana with brown/beige lenses or horn olive with grey shaded lenses. www.gucci.com CN Images reproduced by kind permission of Sàfilo.

3rd September 2012 Traditional black is going to be very, very hot for the new season as baroque gets a luxe make-over and jet-black leather soars again as a must-have, whether for skin-tight trousers, biker jackets, or key accessories (or all of the above). For frames in black, I’ve picked three women’s looks that offer strong, clean lines and that all important attitude.

First, by Massada Eyewear, pictured above, comes this clean, softly curved design called “Les Amours Imaginaires”, that would work with any winter apparel trend you wish….it’s straightforward and casual and sets off a look effortlessly. The style is out at the end of the month; for more specs by Massada Eyewear, take a look here: http://massadaeyewear.com

Second, from the Italian label EPOS, I like this flourish of decorative stones; while the magazines are talking about opulence, this is a nice twist of femininity on a clean and striking black vintage spectacle design. EPOS is an Italian label using high-quality acetate materials and featuring some very strong, classical shapes, for men and women. To see the current collection, visit: www.eposmilano.com

My other choice to recommend with the black theme in mind is by the Danish label Ørgreen. Lana 387 ticks all the boxes when it comes to styling and dual colours for Autumn/Winter. It’s a modified 1950s cat’s eye shape, named after singer/songwriter, Lana Del Rey. This colour combination, where the black sits next to the palest candyfloss pink on the front, looks utterly of the moment. The style is a treat in all its combinations – there is a subtle pale mint with sandblasted gold which is also unique -, and the ideal accompaniment for those dressing for all-out attitude. www.orgreen.dk CN