Reviews

Cat-eye sunglasses, and even the sparkly varieties, are much more versatile than you might imagine, looking beautiful and stylish with swimsuits or boho flares – as much as with wedding or special occasion wear. For SS20, the classic styles are strong and statement-driven, with pointed corners and angular contours; colours continue to pop, from dreamy and classic  (black, milky white, crystal), through to bold or extreme – if you wish (neon pink, baby blue, canary yellow). Above: @pamelatick wears model Diana by Vera Wang in black with Swarovski decoration. Photographer: @findyourcalifornia

Model Diana by Vera Wang endorses the full classical shape of the cat’s eye, whilst also playing with the uplifting shimmer of Swarovski crystal clusters, a much loved detail borrowed from the 1950s when jewellery-style detailing was ‘a la mode’. The new collection by Vera Wang includes feline cat eyes, square oversized sunglasses and trendy geometric metal-rimmed aviators – styles that will trend for Spring 2020. Find out more at https://www.kenmarkeyewear.com/Frame/Vera-Wang-Eyewear/Diana/DIAN

The harmonious colours, relaxing ambiance and natural beauty of the ‘Stadtgarten’, (in English, ‘city parks’) are behind a new line in acetate with titanium, by Coblens Eyewear (Germany). The company is known for its exclusive crafted titanium designs, and with Stadtgarten, it adds a new element to the design and presentation of the line, with a pure, translucent and colourful Japanese acetate.

Above: a new elegantly styled campaign identity illustrating the look, colour mix and fit of the frames on different faces. Model Rosengarten – pictured in a two-tone bold blue with translucent cappuccino hue was released this month. A deep square-ish eye shape with cat eye corners on the upper rim, the frame is also distinguished by visible vintage style rivets, two at each corner.

Coblens is a German eyewear design company named after its city of origin, Koblenz (in old French Coblence). The brand has become a leading innovator in fashionable high-quality titanium frames, led by Ralf Schmidt and Nils Kaesemann.

All titanium materials by Coblens have exclusive PVD titanium coatings to achieve a wide range of special tonalities and to ensure a high-quality scratch-resistant, corrosion-resistant finish. For more information: www.coblens.com

As usual, the UK label Kirk & Kirk have something new up their sleeve, and here it is, in time for a London showing at 100% Optical trade fair: the Matt Centena. Centena is a collection of frames uniquely produced from lightweight 100mm acrylic in bold statement colours and exciting finishes.

The new additions have a modern matt surface finish, and a chunky retro-inspired structure for the face – an on-trend twist in the line is the metal detail at the top of the double bridge – a different, new-look feature for Kirk & Kirk. For colours, the Matt Centena collection includes bold ‘Cosmic’ blue and forest green (typical Kirk brights), while chic versions in black and tortoise are well suited to eyewear traditionalists who need strong well defined, structured frame styling.

Kirk & Kirk frames are seeing much celebrity endorsement success in the US, with new sightings of Robert Downey Jr wearing several styles (not just one but four different styles!): model Cecil in Jade, model Victor in Apple and Purple and model Carter in Spectrum. The new Matt Centena line is showing at 100% Optical (London – www.100percentoptical.com) and Mido (the Milan trade fair) and will be in shops shortly! More details can be found at www.kirkandkirk.com