Reviews

The Japanese artisan label’s new release is a 10th Anniversary version of the popular 504

If you’re a fan of this label, you’ll know the 504, an iconic shape inspired by a 1940s archive frame: for the brand’s 10th Anniversary, the style returns in a new configuration with smart new hinges and striking metal cores. First introduced in May 2013, TVR®504 has already been made available in over 80 colours and seven different sizes. For summer 2023 — having been unavailable for over a year — the model is now also thicker than before in a 6mm Zylonite with a structure and angle offering a very solid feel. Above: the new version of the 504 featured in a classic black with lightweight polarised lens clip with vintage filigree design

“Quality handcrafted eyewear is our DNA and we are proud to re-introduce these iconic vintage styles to a new generation of eyewear customers…” Sawada-Yaemon – Master Craftsman for TVR®

Tradition is fundamental in the making of the TVR®504. Each piece is made by hand by skilled Japanese master craftsmen using the traditional measurement method called ‘Datum expression’ — a fading methodology that has been used to produce spectacles since the 1950s in Japan, and remains a cherished form of art that TVR® OPT continues to uphold; other complicated processes in spectacle making are also part of the artisan process at the Japanese label, including hand-cutting, moulding, as well as reexploring the beauty of long-lost details for the frames.

Fresh for summer days: the distinctive sculptured look of a Struktur frame, in a beautifully natural matt lemon colour, lends itself perfectly to a warmer climate

While summer is for sunglasses, your optical frame could be more playful for the summer season too: fresh and bright, a match for lighter, cooler apparel, a little bit more relaxed than darker, denser specs, a design that jumps out and feels lively and new: a frame like The Artemis at Struktur, with a structured, sculpted acetate construction and colours that feel summery and lighter in the heat. Above: the model wears The Artemis style by Struktur

The shape fuses vintage inspiration with a modern iteration of round eyeglasses; the combination of an acetate front and titanium temples ensures lasting comfort through the lightweight feel of the design.

Struktur Eyewear is a French eyewear label producing its frames at SOLF Production in Normandy, a traditional – and growing – eyewear factory that was first created in 1966. Find out more about the eyewear brand at www.struktur-eyewear.fr 

Custom-designed acetate colour blends

For Spring/Summer, Erker’s 1879 introduces eyewear models in their Roman Numeral V collection, with several designs featuring spectacular new acetate colour blends. The designs use biodegradable cellulose acetate, supported by a matte silver wire core and authentic stainless-steel rivets on the inside of the temple. Of the eight acetate models, there is one men’s style, Marlborough, which features a classic rectangular shape available in five colours, including the brand-new Tricolor acetate blend, which combines very delicate tones of light blue, and brown.  Above: attention to detail has always been a feature of the Erker’s 1879 collection

As a family-owned brand with a rich history in St. Louis, the Erkers pride themselves on the storytelling throughout their collections. Each new release features elements relating to the history of the brand and the Erker family, like the roman numeral V on the temple tips to symbolize the collection and the number of generations to run the family business, as well as their year of inception found throughout the designs. Each frame gets its name from an area throughout St. Louis, honoring the city that started it all. For more details visit www.erkers1879.com