New Zealand’s Karen Walker is known for original, effortless, unpretentious styling. Her eyewear is perhaps best know in the US and Australia, but we know some savvy European stockists which include the optical stores Les Plus Belles Lunettes, Paris and Blink Optics in Ionnina, Greece. Bunny like several designs in this colourful collection is a statement style with intriguing over-the-top shape.
I am pleased to introduce the Australian brand Isson on Eyestylist.com for the first time. Launching in Paris this month, their latest collection is inspired by Bauhaus, a movement which encouraged a radical experimentation in architecture and the applied arts. Model Martha is a memorable shape, and typical of the line, which uses vintage Italian and Japanese acetates, in pearlescent light reflecting finishes including tortoiseshell (pictured), fleckle and rocks, and layered acetates which house silk threads and metal shavings. Each model is named after key Bauhaus founders/designers such as Walter, Hermann, Martha and Gertrud. Model Martha is a unisex style, with an unusual shape, distinctive metal insert at the front, and thick temple. Isson’s designer Catherine Federici says, “Each piece requires its own set of rules. Who would wear it? Where would they wear it? How would it make them feel? By trying to tap into the psychology of the wearer, subtle design features such as shaping are being used to characterise each frame through its features. Be it a wide temple, temple tip design, or an angled front.” CN
The New York Yankees, The Big Apple, The Empire State – both nicknames – and Frank Sinatra belting I Love New York are iconic symbols of the American city. To that list can be added Moscot Eyewear, the Manhattan based company that has been producing its own frame icons for over a century. The Zolman (above) in flesh acetate is from the new collection, featuring the key attribute for the autumn season – the burgeoning trend for perfectly round shapes. Traditional values and craftsmanship are reflected in every frame. This cool and classic design has no exposed hardware, and a three-barrel hinge. Moscot Eyewear is available throughout Europe. Visit www.moscot.com for stock lists. JG
Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Anthony Meima and see his eyewear collection in his charming Parisian atelier. Meima is a master in working with acetate – his frames feature shapes that embody classic elegance, refinement and flow. I particularly like this style, with his signature acetate thickness at the temples, which gives depth and richness to the design, and the linear colour contrast on the frame front. Hand-made in France, the frames are beautifully crafted, and possess a definite “feel good” factor on the face. JG www.meima.fr
We are fortunate to have a peek preview in advance of the new collection designed by Sven Götti – The Black Edition. There are four distinctive models – all in black – featuring the latest high tech assets and precision details. To ensure this reed-thin titanium frame retains its luscious black finish, a PVD (physical vapor deposition) process is used. And everything on the frame is Black – front, pads, earpieces, even the miniscule screws are black. Just a sliver of a silver hinge provides subtle contrast. Black is seductive, sensuous, secretive and elegant – Götti captures all these qualities with The Black Edition. JG www.gotti.ch