Reviews

The Friday edit: Lisa King masks

3rd July 2020

Face masks: the new essential accessory and fastest evolving product category in fashion

Beautiful, artistic masks – to wear with statement eyewear – are now a category of their own. Many fashion companies and designers are launching their own lines, many of which have been created from existing fabrics and remnants from other lines.

London-based print artist Lisa King’s styles are upcycled from fabrics used in previous collections. Made from 100% silk and produced in London, Lisa is working closely with a family run factory; the creation of masks also meant that Lisa could continue supporting workers, following the devasting effects on small businesses from Covid-19.

Each mask has been designed for a snug fit with double layered silk and adjustable ties, with an inner pocket which can hold a disposable filter for extra protection.

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The collection of masks – with designs for men and women – showcases Lisa’s signature prints which are hand printed in Worcestershire, UK and retail at £30. In support of the London based artist and offering their customer access to a conscious and considered face covering option, on July 2nd renowned British department store Fortnum & Mason launched an exclusive selection of Lisa King masks online and in store. Above: the artist modelling her own new mask design

Lisa King masks: unisex prints and colours – 100% silk

Echoing the brand’s philosophy on conscious manufacturing and sustainable efforts, Lisa King produces products on demand and creates pieces as a canvas for her art in her London based studio. Following a limited number of masks that are now available on the brand’s website, Lisa King adopts a made-to-order approach which results in waste reduction and minimises their environmental impact. In addition, Lisa King uses compostable or recyclable packaging throughout her products.

Lisa King distributes 10% of proceeds of face masks made through the brands website to The Black Curriculum – an initiative that teaches Black history all year round in schools for students aged 8-16, alongside the Emergency Designer Network – a volunteer-led collective supplementing PPE stocks for the NHS (UK) in the fight against COVID-19. For more information and to purchase online visit www.lisakinglondon.com

Reviews

YM® x TVR® SERIES 2 2020 Edition Preview

1st July 2020

Clean lines and a diamond cut finish, handmade in Japan

The collaboration between Japanese label TVR® and Yamada Mitsukazu®, the eponymous brand of the Japanese craftsman Yamada-san will see a second edition launch this September — Yamada Mitsukasu® x TVR® SERIES 2 French Panto Diamond Cut.

Based on an iconic 1940s French panto shape, the style combines a high hinge and full-bodied base, a detail which creates a wide pantoscopic view for the wearer. Complementing the vintage shape, traditional rivets from the 1920s are added to give an elegant, old-school finish to the fronts.

Distinguished by diamond cut edges that contribute to the clean lines, simplistic 90-degree angle with smooth curves and protruding hinges — the bold and masculine structure is balanced with wide library temples tapering to flared tips.

The upper part of the frame is derived from a square shape, meticulously hand-cut with precision in mind. The use of an 8mm front perfected using the diamond cutting technique also ensures a beautifully flat bridge surface and excellent fit of the temple. The diamond edge finishing is also another feature that’s perfected by Yamada-san himself who has over 60 years of artistry and experience of spectacle-making.

Yamada Mitsukazu® x TVR® SERIES 2 French Panto Diamond Cut is also an expression of ‘East meets West’, where traditional Japanese handcrafted artistry paired with vintage French design. Above: Yamada Mitsukazu® x TVR® SERIES 2

Yamada Mitsukazu® x TVR® — SERIES 2 – luxurious pure gold plating on seven barrel hinges and arabesque metal detailing

The frame fronts also undergo a special polishing process that lends a certain artisanal handmade quality to each frame. “You can say that the polishing skill is based on my ‘sixth sense’ because it is entirely based on what you see and how you feel. There is a lot of attention in the detail involved in the making of this collection,” explains the master craftsman.

The Yamada Mitsukazu® x TVR® — SERIES 2 French Panto Diamond Cut 2020 edition will be available online and in selected stores in Autumn 2020.The collection comes in four individual colours — Black Diamond, Brown Beer, Olive Crystal and Yellow Crystal — vintage tones which have a true. www.tvropt.com

GIVEAWAY – @eyestylistmagazine (Instagram) today, we’re Giving Away a stunning 1 Pair of TVR 504 glasses (with plano lenses ready to be fitted with lenses at your local optician) – made in Sabae, Japan. Visit our Instagram profile today to take part.

Reviews

Alisio by GOOD’S

29th June 2020

The Architecture Collection in M49 bio acetate – a first collection from Good’s in Naples (Italy)

A fascinating appreciation of art history and references to architecture have had a consistent influence in the making of a first collection at GOOD’S, where contemporary taste, culture and a refined and researched artisan style play a part in forming something new, quality-driven and intriguing with a design style that combines vintage-infused looks with eco-friendly materials comfortably – and with auspicious know-how. This first line features seven models in six different colours, each one inspired by Neopolitan architecture and architects, after whom they are named.

Alisio in black – vintage inspired gold cello metal and M49 bio acetate

Model Alisio – inspired by Giancarlo Alisio (1930-2005) – is a tribute to the eminent university professor of the History of Architecture in Naples. Other models are the result of detailed studies of Napoli’s rich architecture and specific buildings which include the Baroque church and monastery San Gergorio Armeno, the church of Gesu Nuovo and the landmark Certosa di San Martino on the Vomero Hill.

This small creative Italian label is led by Piero Buono (Co-Founder), Walter Engle (digital director) and Francesco Maria Stazio (architect and creative director). A second line – the Book Collection, is already in the pipeline and will launch in September 2020. Find out more: www.goodseyewear.it By Clodagh Norton

Reviews

Sustainable trends – The Friday edit: Nannacay

26th June 2020

305 familes producing hope, bags, hats, and pompoms in Brazil, Peru and Ecuador

Sustainable trends – This week our Friday spot is dedicated to Nannacay, a trusted sustainable accessories label – by business woman turned creative entrepreneur, Marcia Kemp. With a passion for travel, fashion, and community work, Kemp’s idea for the brand was to create a social fashion project, with benefit to communities in Latin America through their unique craftwork and artisan skill. The brand goes as far as providing orientation and training to the craftsmen and women who work on the styles.

Kemp collaborates with the communities to create a fashion line that is brightly colored and bold, handmade with a modern style that has become well-known in international fashion circles.

“Nannacay was awarded the Eco-Age Brandmark in recognition of strategically enhancing the lives of those involved in the creation of its products. Nannacay aims to preserve culture and improve its communities’ lives through fair trade.”

Above: Aura S/S 20 collection:Brigit Bag

With carefully selected sustainable materials such as wool, cotton, and recycled textiles, the handmade designs in the collection including this season’s Aura series, also feature exceptional designs using macrame and crochet derived from communities in Brazil. The label also continues to research new possibilities for the introduction of pieces featuring recycled materials.

Nannacay – meaning ” sisterhood of women” in the Peruvian indigenous language Quechua – is a fashion brand born to transform peoples lives through the making of unique accessories; the bag designs have far-reaching appeal for their balance of style and simplicity, with handmade details that are playful and tasteful, always with a gentle nod to the tribal patterns and time honored crafts from where they are born. Find more designs at https://nannacay.com

Reviews

Stylish specs – The Butterfly look: Sol Sol Ito 031 DP

22nd June 2020

The imaginative, gently curved SOL SOL ITO 031 DP is a frame that combines purity of design with a nod to femininity in its subtle soft lines. A statement shape, launched previously in shiny green, the Swiss independent label has now issued the style in different powerful red versions and a subtle ‘gold brown’ (pictured above) with gold-plated temples and brown temple ends. At a time when neutrals and ‘earthy’ shades such as deep, orange, ochre and clay are trending in fashion, this version in particular has a rich depth of tone that will transition well through autumn.

At Sol Sol Ito, each pair of sunglasses is limited to just 100 pieces worldwide. All the frames have a particular “click-in” temple design, an innovative feature for which design duo Monika Fink and Sandra Kaufmann have received much recognition. The collection is sold widely in fine optical stores including Auerbach & Steele in the UK. For online purchases, Sol Sol Ito’s sunglasses store has launched for the current season and can be found at https://de.solsolito.com/sunglasses Photography for Sol Sol Ito by Hans Hansen.