Reviews

New varieties of green are important in the evolving colour stories for eyewear in 2024 – at opti, the Munich trade fair, French brand FACE A FACE highlighted several new tones for us as evidence of this direction, with inspiration coming from trees species and classical shades of green, from deep and saturated to delicate and light

The colour stories emerging at the start of 2024 include a stunning palette of green hues, taking the natural direction in eyewear and eyewear colours a step further for Spring/Summer. Eyewear designers are accustomed to working with complex pairings of two, three or even more tones, and for the green palette this allows for a fresh direction, particularly in acetate with its unique qualities of transparency.

At FACE A FACE, several different “new” greens show that the effect of these tones is very distinctive, natural and elegant for the face. A colour combination through front and temples allows for much artistic interpretation and new outcomes can be achieved with texture, transparency or light, in the acetate designs where colour nuances can be very subtle. Above: Kaleido3 in a bluish tinted green, and Bocca Naoko in green cyprus by FACE A FACE, new releases this month

Green is also tending to be equally popular for men’s as well as women’s eyewear. The new men’s style Carar2 at FACE A FACE comes in an eye-catching transparent English green, a tone that is eye-catching in its refinement, closely linked to natural variations of green nuanced with bluish undertones, and offering a freshness that is typical and popular for Spring. The frame is a new entry in the French label’s collection and was previewed for the first time at the optical trade fair in Munich – opti,  this weekend. Find out more at www.faceaface-paris.com

The new neon family at theo offers five bright and eye-catching models

Belgian eyewear creators theo have announced their five new neon-toned frames for men and women. The warm glow and luminous colours of the frames are designed to “make the eyes behind them shine during the day and in the dark”. The colours are inspired by cities like Kowloon, Tokyo and Las Vegas, where neon billboards and street lights light up the city streets. Above: the two round models of the collection, Myeong-Dong and Shinjuku by theo, in bright neon green on black

Named after districts of the cities that inspired the neon tones – including Mong Kok and Shinjuku – each frame has a bold shape and combines the unique colours, sometimes in two-tone neon and sometimes in a neon colour with a more subdued and classic colour.

Model Myeong-Dong, named after the bustling shopping area of the Jung district of Seoul, features the quintessential round shape loved by theo – in a choice of colours which include a neon pink on red (pictured above) and bright red on black. To find out more about all the models in the neon collection by theo, visit www.theo.be

Inspired by the 80’s dystopian post-punk cult movie, the latest drop from Kuboraum presents works that are highly textured and fanatical about detail – the R4 mask has a surprising, highly elaborate handcrafted finish

Taking its cues from the 80’s post-punk cult movie, the new Ltd. Edition ‘Liquid Sky’ from Kuboraum is dedicated to fluidity: fluidity of identities, gender, aesthetics, and narratives, the designers explain. Rejecting fixed structures and normative concepts “to embrace the metamorphic state of being”, the line expresses a signature style at Kuboraum where each mask is treated as a work of art, richly textured and made utterly unique by means of striking adornments and embellishments. Above + below: part of the new Liquid Sky drop at Kuboraum – mask R4 in Shiny Black finish

The ‘masks’ unveil bold chunky acetate frames, meticulously handcrafted to accentuate their rich texture and uneven ‘sculpted’ surfaces. To elevate the allure, each structure is eventually adorned with refined metal embellishments or subtle sparkling elements, to cast an enchanting, shimmering aura through the design. One of several models in the series, mask R4 is produced in Mazzucchelli acetate and features in several finishes including Black Matt and Black Shine as part of the Liquid Sky drop. The frames are made exclusively in Italy. Find out more at www.kuboraum.com