Reviews | Eyestylist

No Mercy 740

1st June 2011

Intrigue NY

This is a real New York collection – spirited, sharp and sleek – created by a real New Yorker, Jeff Royce. I haven’t seen this collection yet, but a chat with Jeff and studying photos confirm his goal to design eyewear with flair, precision and superb craftsmanship. Royce works in beautiful Italian and Japanese acetates. No Mercy, shown above, illustrates acetate’s flexibility, with the front colour contrast giving a robust quality to the modern retro shape. This frame is also available in black and tortoise – stunning! Intrigue NY frames are not yet available in Europe, but we hope they will be soon. www.intrigueny.com JG

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Four

Super Seven 30

1st June 2011

Rolf Spectacles

Prizes – a Silmo D’Or in 2010 – and plaudits are well deserved for Rolf Spectacles. The Tyrolean based brand has chosen a centuries old environmental material – Bamboo – for this beautiful, green and sustainable frame. Clodagh and I are both fans of the emphasis on Bamboo this season. The material has the ability to withstand pressure with its natural strength, making it very effective for eyewear. Rolf Spectacles uses an intricate process that is required to achieve the smooth elegant surface on the frame. The wonderful texture of the bamboo and the gentle curved shape ensures a distinctive character. Each Rolf frame is handmade, and can be equipped with buffalo horn temple tips. Rolf Spectacles is a young, creative firm – definitely one to watch in eyewear. www.rolf-spectacles.com JG

Five

Kyla

1st June 2011

Salt Optics

When I look at these lovely frames, I want to pack my bags and head for the seaside! The azure blue design in silky acetate triggers happy memories of the sea, sand, sunshine, and seagulls. The flow of the frame shape demonstrates the versatility of acetate and its shimmering beauty. These glasses are perfect for sunny outings at the beach, with polarized grey gradient CR39 lenses, providing superior protection from the sun’s rays. Salt is a California based company, and the handcrafted, stylish collection is available in Europe. www.saltoptics.com JG

Reviews

LF Luxe 31

1st June 2011

Linda Farrow Luxe

I love the bamboo trend, and here’s a great frame from the luxury collection by the UK’s Linda Farrow, which uses bamboo temples. The frame pictured here has a graduated black to clear plastic front teamed with clear lenses, but there is also flexibility to fit the style as a sunglass. The bamboo sides are quite chunky, making a feature of the texture of the material and producing a clever contrast with the smooth front of the design. Other colours I like in this are the tortoiseshell frame with gradient sun lenses which match with the natural bamboo tones. Linda Farrow Luxe uses titanium finishings plated in 24-carat gold, another sophisticated detail which shows the attention paid to every small part of the design. CN

www.lindafarrow.com

Reviews

Essential 1240-41

1st June 2011

ProDesign

This collection started with just a simple line drawn on a piece of paper. Then another. Then another. The designs grew in this way, instinctively, and creatively. The colour combinations of the acetate temples are exclusive to ProDesign. (Rather than taking the easy option and working with pre-manufactured acetate sheets.)

The monotone fronts are quite unisex to look at but the powerful colour combinations on the temples make the frames more feminine. In this series, there are two shapes, in six colours each. CN http://prodesigndenmark.com