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Kings of Past

19th April 2012 Last month I had the opportunity to meet with Kings of Past for the first time….Sebastien showed me a small selection of their latest pieces, some of which we are publishing here. I have also talked to Musadik Rajani, an expert on vintage eyewear and one of the principals of Kings of Past, the vintage eyewear retailer. Musadik has shared his insights here into this special world of glasses….and over the last weeks he has given me a really good understanding of the beauty and quality of some of the best vintage eyewear (image above, Emmanuelle Khanh sunglasses at www.kingsofpast.com).

Why is vintage so desirable? I believe fashion is always inspired by the past. The past sets a precedent for the future to follow. And ‘vintage’ is a very loose term used to describe the past. In eyewear specifically, the past is very interesting because all the designs were original. Eyewear as a mainstream fashion accessory is a 30-40 year old concept, so the eyewear from that era is largely considered to be original in design. In today’s tech-savvy world, people are really looking for originality and design. A simple branded logo on a mass produced eyeglass or sunglass is not enough.

Do you work with celebrities? Why do they choose rare vintage? 
We work with many celebrities either directly or through many of our accounts. Celebrities are constantly being photographed, and this drives a greater desire for them to look and be different. They choose Kings of Past vintage eyewear because of the authenticity, the rarity and the fact that all our eyewear is unworn. We work with anyone who has a genuine appreciation for fine and unique eyewear.

Which are your favourite vintage pieces this year? This is very difficult. I have many many favourites for different reasons. The Jean Claude Killy sunglasses (pictured above) are a favourite because of the incredible details…the hollowed carbon fibre temples, ‘wishbone’ hinges, folding temple tips, shocks in the bridge, and the lenses. I also like our vintage Ralph Lauren pieces with acetate fronts and detail engraved metal, and the Cazals are a favourite because of their outrageous designs and impact on American culture. We also do very well with Alain Mikli vintage styles at the moment. (more…)

Original Penguin

18th April 2012 Original Penguin was one of the first companies to understand the social and fashion changes taking place in America in the 1950’s. Personal freedom and personal taste coincided with the birth of Original Penguin. The buttoned-up formality of the 1940’s was gone, relaxation was the new mantra, and looking swell while you were at it. At this juncture, Original Penguin created a polo shirt that became a classic – trendy, smart and affordable. The Original Penguin polo (followed by other fashion items) emerged as the era’s most popular shirt – suburbanites to the Las Vegas Rat Pack –  were seen wearing it – and the polo became the ‘new uniform’ – making everyman feel like Frank Sinatra – cool, confident, moving and shaking. The above photo features The Doyle – in oh-so-vintage-crystal with black.

Original Penguin Eyewear is a fantastic mix of retro styling, a trifle geeky, with a bit of chic, and a whole lot of cool. The frames express high-style vintage inspiration, and they are a favourite with both men and women. The same traits that so enamoured people with the Original Penguin concept, is beautifully translated into the eyewear. The Rat Pack would love it! www.originalpenguin.com  www.kenmarkoptical.com JG

17th April 2012 These 1960s larger-than-life styles Koko and Fuz, pictured above, are by Oliver Goldsmith, and they are very much still a feature of the present Oliver Goldsmith collections in this pristine stand-out white, a colour Audrey Hepburn wore so well (in Two for a Road). It’s statement vintage styling at its best – big squares and rounds are a perfect choice as we go into spring/summer and much is owed to Oliver Goldsmith for this and many more 1960s trends in sunwear that happily live on. Square, by the way, is fighting its way back in while everyone talks about the round styles…. I expect it to grow and grow as an important, characterful trend for 2013….

I have visited the Oliver Goldsmith store in Notting Hill on a number of occasions – it is full of treasures, new and vintage, by the Goldsmith family – now also including Claire Goldsmith’s label Legacy. This is also where you can have a bespoke sunglass made up should you wish to see the full vintage collection and have one of the designs re-created. The shop is around the corner from colourful Portobello Road and near some fine cafes, delis and restaurants. One of London’s finest eyewear emporiums…CN

Oliver Goldsmith, 15 All Saints Road, Notting Hill, London W11 1HA www.olivergoldsmith.com

Image (top): Front cover, Vanity Fair, May 1965, provided courtesy of Claire Goldsmith, Oliver Goldsmith.

RES/REI, Italy

16th April 2012 The frame company Res/Rei, a small producer of handmade frames with a lovely simplicity and elegance, have launched a Limited Edition which caught my eye last month. The company has sourced acetate from the 1980s and 1990s to produce the ten colour sets in the collection, which it says, have been flying off the shelves….they are super limited, given the small amount of patterned vintage acetate found. Some of the frames are one-offs, otherwise they are produced in tiny batches of 3 or 4.

The firm is by no means the first to use materials from the past in its present lines, but it has done it with clever results. I have seen some other stunning designs using vintage materials at a number of labels this year, including great ones by Thierry Lasry and Robert Marc. I expect there are more out there I haven’t seen, any suggestions? www.resrei.com CN

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Trend watch: retro dots

14th April 2012

14th April 2012 Dots are very much in fashion as the vintage revival revs up for summer and there are good examples to be found in frames, including some that were brought to my attention by Iris et Prunelle L’Opticien Lunetier, by Moschino. The French accessory specialists Valrose have this pretty polka dot line which I saw in Munich earlier in the year. This is a purse-style case for the finest catseye or butterfly. Valrose also produce brightly coloured felt cases which have always caught my eye; view this brightly themed collection in full at www.valrose.net CN