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Sama Designer Sheila Vance Discusses Luxury

8th June 2012 Eyewear designer Sheila Vance at SAMA Eyewear in California shares with Eyestylist her views on Luxury.

How do you define Luxury? Luxury is a state of mind, a way of seeing, understanding and interacting with the world around us. Though it may seem counterintuitive, luxury – like faith – is an incredibly egalitarian concept. As a result, we can all enjoy the luxury lifestyle! In the material realm, luxury can be distilled into equal parts quality, style and exclusivity. If a product lacks any of these elements or their presence is out of balance, then it lacks authenticity and can’t be classified as luxury. Though there are numerous designer brands masquerading as luxury brands; the sad truth is that there are fewer and fewer true luxury brands in the world with every passing year.

What elements are most important when designing Luxury eyewear? Eyewear is unique amongst fashion accessories in that it must combine the style of haute couture with the precision of a medical appliance. Merging fashion with such a high degree of functionality presents unique challenges that can only be met by a master eyewear designer.

What inspires you to create eyewear? I find inspiration everywhere: nature, art, fashion, history. I also travel frequently and find seeing new places and meeting new people incredibly inspiring. Once after returning home from a particularly breathtaking trip to Egypt, I was so inspired that I designed my ultra-luxurious Sahara collection based on the experience! I love listening to music and find that it helps put me in a creative place. My taste is eclectic and includes everything from classical and opera to contemporary electronica. I’m also inspired by fine art and love visiting museums. I’m awed by Monet’s use of colour, Picasso’s use of form and shape, and Rembrandt’s use of light. Architecture is another of my many passions.

Do you have any special ‘luxuries’ that you like/enjoy/cannot live without? I love beauty and grace in their myriad forms. (more…)

Special Edition Eyewear from Design Master

6th June 2012 Subtly luxurious and crafted with meticulous workmanship, Tom Ford’s new, exclusive collection merges gentle retro 1950’s influences with contemporary design and technology. Finest quality gold-plated metal meets precious water buffalo horn in a frame of lasting elegance and refinement. Each frame and its leather case is presented in a beautiful Bakelite box ( a chic 1950’s touch) with a soft brown lining. With every frame is included a certificate of authenticity, and a special cleansing cream and chamois cloth to provide the correct care for the water buffalo horn. A true Renaissance man, Tom Ford knows that the highest level of design is all in the details. www.tomford.com JG

5th June 2012 Sun lenses vary in quality and it is absolutely essential to check what you are buying if you want to be sure that your eyes are getting proper UV protection. For a really exceptional lens with a good-looking, hand-finished luxury frame, these new designs from L.G.R. would take a lot of beating.

The mirrored lenses are part of L.G.R.’s Polarized Neophan series and they come in soothing shades of green, red and blue. Made of tempered mineral glass by the renowned Italian lens specialist Barberini, these photochromic lenses offer IR (infrared) and 100% UV protection, are anti-scratch and impact resistant, and have an oleo and hydrophobic protective coating (extra built-in water and oil protection). From the fashion viewpoint, the mirrored effect is very, very desirable at the moment; this interpretation is one that I like particularly as they are chic as opposed to flashy. Super, super collection for summer 2012.  www.lgr-sunglasses.com  CN

2nd June 2012 We continue to seek out the most elegant on-trend vintage pieces at Eyestylist.com, and with this in mind we are pleased to show this Bauhaus inspired sunglass design (below), available through Roger Pope and Partners in London, who have been involved in sourcing a selection of vintage eyewear styles for their shop in New Cavendish Street. Priced from £195, the vintage Bauhaus styles come in black, havana or miel, with a choice of lens tints, and can be fitted with personal prescriptions.

Some of the styles sourced in Paris are also now exclusively available at the Barbican shop while the Bauhaus: Art is Life exhibition is underway there. This exhibition is one of the biggest celebrations of Bauhaus in the UK for over 40 years and explores the diverse artistic production that made up its 14 year history in the aftermath of the First World War, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, theatre and other disciplines.

Image (top): By kind permission of the Barbican Art Gallery. www.barbican.org.uk www.rogerpope.co.uk CN

A new luxury collection

1st June 2012 Quite a few friends have been receiving this new luxe sunglasses collection in the last days, and they say it’s fabulous! Shane Baum of Leisure Society and designer Rebecca Minkoff have come up with a collaborative collection of stylish, intricately designed sunglasses. This is a top-notch, well finished line including quality UV protective lenses by Sola (CR-39), and lots of gorgeous trims. One of the styles that pops out is the feisty blue Harrison, a rectangular shape with rivet accents. For more information check www.rebeccaminkoff.com  www.baumvision.com CN