The French brand has launched a pop-up at the independent store, Blick Brillen
The Paris-based eyewear label Lunettes Alf has launched its first pop-up with Blick, the optical store which has a dedicated store space for partner brands. Above: the exterior of the Blick Brillen in Rotterdam
ALF’s collection was launched in store at a party event on 30th June, and is now on display for 3 months, featuring optical models and sunglasses from across the collection.
Pannekoekstraat 37A, 3011 LC Rotterdam For more information visit https://blick.nl/nl/home / www.lunettes-alf.com
New opening: Seeana Black Store, Aveiro, Portugal
Seeana’s second store in Aveiro is dedicated to bold, beautiful fashion eyewear
The Portuguese eyewear store Seeana has opened a second store in the city of Aveiro, north of Lisbon. Inaugurated in June 2023, the new boutique, which features striking, full-height glass windows, launches with a handpicked selection of independent and more mainstream eyewear brands, chosen for a discerning customer who is looking for something different and unique. Above: the exterior of the newly opened Seeana Black store
The new store features a large, open retail space with wooden floors, sleek industrial furnishings and glass fronted displays, with plenty of space to try on frames in a well-lit and well presented showroom.
Specialists in optics and eyecare, Seeana dates back to 1995 and represents a leading optical retailer in the city of Alveiro, offering state-of-the-art optometry and optical care with emphasis on a high-quality, customised service adapted to the individual needs of the customer.
The new store is located at Alameda Silva Rocha, 72, Alveiro, Portugal. Photography by Nuno Freire – mind.art | photography. To find out more about the shop visit www.seeanaeyewear.com
Hall of Frames, Lucerne
The popular Hall of Frames event for independent opticians returns to Lucerne on 24th September 2023
Hall of Frames (HOF) will return to Lucerne in September for a 1-day event at the renowned lakeside Museum of Transport – one of the most scenic locations in the optical fair calendar. The event, which showcases eyewear brands and work by independent designers from Switzerland and Europe, will be held in a large exhibition hall with table space for all exhibitors. Show organiser Nathanaël Wenger told Eyestylist he expects forty brands to participate, making it a must-attend event for anyone involved in the Swiss eyewear scene. Above: Nirvan Javan’s new Shades of Toronto collection was released last month. Hall of Frames will be an opportunity to see the young Swiss brand’s latest ranges in a friendly and convivial setting
Visitors to the Hall of Frames can expect to see a wide range of eyewear styles at the fair, with exhibitors including iconic brands and specialist designers, among them Coblens, Nirvan Javan, Morel, Moscot NYC, Orgreen, Rolf Spectacles, Porsche Design, and You Mawo, among others.
Nathanaël Wenger has confirmed that Beck Optikhandel has joined HOF as one of their partner companies for the 2023 event. Beck Optikhandel distributes a large assortment of optical products throughout Switzerland. HOF’s main partner, Nikon, will continue its cooperation with the exhibition.
Dynoptic, an association of around 100 owner-managed opticians from all over Switzerland, the Basel-based architectural firm Studio Arenas and Contedi, a developer of online tools for opticians, will also be back as partner companies. The fair has confirmed that bookings remain open for independent brands who wish to take part. For more details, visit www.hallofframes.ch
Summer showcase: a new TVR®504 edition, handmade in Japan
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.
The new model also boasts meticulously decorated new metal cores. As one of the first brands to reintroduce the highly detailed core in the temples in 2015 (feather core details seen in Yamada Mitsukazu x TVR® YM-001, YM-002, and YM-003 collections respectively), the latest cores reference the dragon from the Myōshin-ji Temple in Kyoto in Japan. The design depicts the dragon known as the happonnirami no Ryū, also known as ‘Dragon Gazing in All Directions’ from the painting by Kanō Tan’yu: a veritable artistic feast for the eyes! Find out more at www.tvropt.eu
Radford x SALT. Optics: limited-edition technical eyewear
Radford and SALT. Optics have come together to produce an high-tech limited edition eyewear collection this year, and the results are exciting
SALT. Optics – the Californian eyewear label – have a brand new collaboration that we can’t wait to see close up: the eyewear company has joined with Radford Motors to produce two limited edition sunglasses (each available in four unique colours). The designs are the result of a careful study into automotive eyewear of the past, carefully evolving that heritage by manufacturing with the highest quality materials available today: Japanese aerospace grade titanium – a material type which provides excellent strength to weight ratio, giving bold frame structures a featherweight feel.
“We wanted to explore the intersections of automotive, pop-culture and eyewear heritage. We looked at key moments in both racing and pop culture…” SALT. Optics
The titanium is hypoallergenic and is engineered to maintain excellent optics. The SALT. team explain that the proprietary titanium thickness transitions and bevel placement provide stability where it is needed most, securing the lens in the frame. This means that any stress from the frame is not transferred to the lens, greatly enhancing the optics for driving.
SALT. also brings its proprietary lens offering to this refined and luxurious product, with the aim of offering optimised vision and a balance of colour, contrast and light transmission proposed as an ideal combination for driving.
The two Radford x SALT. Optics models – RS-500 and RS-600 – have been produced exclusively in Japan. Radford Motors Type 62-2 inspired the colour palette, including the Limited Edition John Player Special (JPS) and the gold leaf colours are Pantone matched to the cars. The frames come with a genuine perforated leather case with velvet interior and custom eyewear cloth.
About Radford – Radford Motors (originating from the British Coachbuilders of the same name, created in 1948) has been reignited by former world champion F1 racing driver, Jenson Button, car builder/TV host Ant Anstead, and businessman Roger Behle. In 2021, they launched their first car, the 62-2, inspired by the Lotus Type 62 Racer. Find our more at www.saltoptics.com / https://radford.co/