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At 100% Optical London…

30th January 2020

…these colours were standing out…

The UK’s showcase destination for eyewear fashion, 100% Optical, took place last weekend, at the well-known trade venue ExCel in East London. This British trade event for the optics industry presents a cross-section of technical products with a slew of seminars, debates and educational lectures for optical retailers, alongside a broad eyewear fashion “overview” where big and small brands present their lines, side by side.

Among hundreds of different types of eyewear showing across the hall, the creativity, design focus and innovation of the frame industry comes through in the representation of independent labels at the fair; their presence was widened in the 2020 edition with the addition of a small shared section dedicated to emerging talent: Covrt Project (London), Nina Mûr (Madrid), Lunettes Alf (Paris), Lowercase (NYC) and Manu Torres Atelier (Galicia) were particular highlights for lovers of finely crafted, spectacles and sunglasses.

Above: Lowercase from NYC was one of the notable additions in an area dedicated to small labels and newcomers. Built out of a love for eyewear and an appreciation for craftsmanship, Lowercase was established in 2016 by Gerard Masci and Brian Vallario. The team founded the company “with a mission to once again localize the trade of eyewear to the US. Every pair of Lowercase frames is made in the Brooklyn workshop from start to finish….”

Alium Race 2 – FACE A FACE – inspired by the sports aviator

Key colours: Across the show, the freshest statement colours that popped up time and again were bright canary yellow, Pantone “colour of the year” classic blue, and light purple/lilac – with several very pale interpretations of lilac through to pastel pink. The Alium collection by FACE A FACE (above) which combines extremely well aligned technical properties for comfort and longevity offered a mix of vibrant, on-trend colorations with a particularly stunning intensity. www.faceaface-paris.com

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Nina Mûr + Malababa collab line – Metrica – Circle in Pale Pink

Nina Mûr from Madrid has a consistent and broad range of eyewear concepts – some created as collaborations. The label is focused on good quality and distinctive design and produces its collections in innovative and sustainable materials – predominantly wood with an artistic palette of tasteful, quality colour finishes. www.ninamur.com

An all-time favourite at 100%: model Cecil by Kirk and Kirk

The colorations at British label Kirk & Kirk are particularly eye-catching in the Centena collection, their unique acrylic line. Centena has some new “matt additions” shown at 100% for the first time and reported here: www.eyestylist.com/2020/01/kirk-kirk-centena-2/ – www.kirkandkirk.com

The French label Morel was also exhibiting at 100% this year. Morel’s expertise in minimal styling takes a new aesthetic twist with pretty seasonal colours and two-tone ideas in the S/S range. The hexagonal shaping of Morel model 30182L combines with the bold graduated transparent shade of blue, and a delicate soft pink, perfect for a lighter look for Spring. Find out more at www.morel-france.com

The annual RCA competition was won by Ely Yili Cao, Womenswear (Millinery) for her piece entitled ‘Your sight, sound and smell, my love.’ 100% Optical will take place at Excel London in 2021 from 23rd to 25th January 2021. For details visit www.100percentoptical.com. Feature written by Clodagh Norton exclusively for Eyestylist.com.

Design + Inspiration

Eyewear show: opti 2020 – a showcase for the start of the decade

16th January 2020

The first eyewear show of the year – opti 2020 – set the stage for what’s to come, with packed halls proposing a huge variety of niche eyewear labels, iconic brands and high-profile fashion brands – from around the world.

Our personal highlights at the show will be featured in the weeks to come. They included the new face scanning app at the German 3D printed brand You Mawo and a variety of collection launches that were innovative and impeccably produced. We have much to say on new colour, style directions and design trends, as well as having identified some impactful Limited Editions from California, Marseilles and Milan.

The beautifully curated opti BOXES cater to those who wish to explore emerging collections. Participants of note in this area included from France, Lunettes Alf, from the UK, Covrt Project (winner of the Newcomer Award at the fair), from Italy, Beate Leinz, and from Israel, Tough Character. Above: Leinz Eyewear by Berlin based eyewear designer, Beate Leinz. The collection, which is the designer’s first eponymous line, is presented under the concept of ‘contrasts and hybrids’. The frames feature two contrasting materials – acetate and and polyamide, achieving a mix of traditional Italian craftsmanship with high-end Belgian technology, created and coordinated from Berlin. www.leinzeyewear.com

Lunettes Alf: artisan sunglasses, produced in France

Lunettes Alf was present in the opti BOXES. This young French brand is attracting much interest from top level European independent stores who identify with its beautiful classical focus on restrained colours and shapes inspired from the past. www.lunettes-alf.com

Titanium expertise: Coblens has 10 new shapes in full titanium

Coblens Eyewear from Germany showed its latest titanium styles and a chic new line in Japanese acetate paired with titanium temples called Stadtgarten, coming into stores this season. The Coblens collection has expanded dramatically with intricate finishing and colorations and very elegant shapes in the Endlos “rimless” series. See the latest styles at www.coblens.com

Model Tottori by theo *© 2018 copyright protected Artworks,*
*Photography & Graphic Design!*

We were delighted to see a new theo frame family for January 2020, inspired by the powerful beauty of the contours and folds of sand dunes around the world. Tottori (above) – named after a dune system on the North West coast of Japan – is one of five shapes in this group of designs that explore soft sloping forms, steep angles and delicate dips. www.theo.be

Neon Berlin: 3D printed eyewear from the German independent label

Neon Berlin showed their new 3d printed collection on an impeccably stylish sustainable exhibition stand that packed into two small hand held boxes – for easy transportation by train. The brand is consistently creative with their style and DNA and explore new materials, groundbreaking manufacturing methods as well as sustainable concepts – an area that was a particular focus at the opti fair this year. Find out more at www.neonberlin.com

In 2021, opti takes place from 8th to 10th January in Stuttgart, Germany. To find further details about the new location visit www.opti.de

Creative spirits

Tim Williams, YR

13th January 2020

Globally known as the ‘kings of customisation’ and the go-to fashion tech company for all things personalised including apparel, footwear and accessories, YR was launched seven years ago by Welsh school friends, Tim Williams and Tom Hogan. The company has worked with a wide spectrum of brands, as well as high-profile fashion labels – Michael Kors, Nike and Ralph Lauren are among their client list – and has offices in New York, LA, Hong Kong and Tokyo. They are on course to turnover £10m this year. Eyestylist spoke to Tim Williams, Co-Founder.

Customisation continues to be a very hot topic in fashion. Can you outline how YR started and how the business has evolved? We started in 2013 as a custom fashion brand – a consumer brand that enabled anyone to come into a YR store and easily create designs on tees, sweatshirts and accessories and then watch as they were printed in just a few minutes. We were very early adopters of experience first retail – no printed inventory in the store, so everything was made on-demand, and the whole theatre and excitement of creating the item and then seeing it come to life live, in-store was really something unique.

YR opened multiple stores all over the world – but sadly it was a difficult business, none of us were experienced at fashion retail and it was tough without serious investment. So, we repositioned what we did and went B2B – helping other brands bring on-demand and customisation to life in-store, at events or online. Now we have 5 offices in London, LA, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong and work with brands on all manner of projects – big and small – all over the world. It’s quite the evolution!

You have worked with global fashion retailers including DKNY, REEBOK and L’Oreal. What has been your most exciting creative project to date? That’s a really hard question and actually the answer is, the most creative time was when YR was a consumer brand. It was exciting that we could make decisions and release artwork packs and see how customers liked them, with live feedback talking to them and seeing their reactions. We worked with some great artists in our London stores; one personal favourite was LA illustrator Bob Motown who loves pizza and cats. Commercially my favourite creative project was working with Liberty where we brought Liberty prints to life on scarves and t-shirts in the iconic London store. Customers could use the patterns to make new designs and add their own touches, it was really incredible to be able to delve into the archives.

YR x Lagerfeld: A tribute to Karl: The White Shirt Project

Are you a creative or a tech geek? Who brings the creative direction to YR? I think I am creative, it would be hard not to be and get where we are. But, I don’t think its either/or when it comes to tech – there are plenty of creative techie people. I guess I am one of them, I understand the technology but also have a love of creativity, art and design. My business partner and long term friend, Tom, is both creative and highly technical – so not only is Tom heading up our software side but he also drives the creative concept of the business alongside me.

What is your view of how this direction in customisation will further evolve? Made-to-order, bespoke and custom products date back hundreds of years – the great tailoring tradition used to be the preserve of the rich and now, YR, and many others are working hard to make customisation and ‘one of one’ manufacture a reality for mass goods. So I think this is just the beginning. Evolution will take many forms – today, in-store you use touchscreens to make or tweak designs, maybe that will be more gesture or voice-controlled in the near future. The production techniques are moving forward rapidly as machine manufacturers understand this new need for smaller, more nimble machinery. I think there are lots of new production techniques and customisation options on the horizon, not previously possible. Jewellery and accessories are a large area that has a lot of potential. I think 3D printing will come of age and be quicker and better than ever. More importantly, I think consumers will cherish their custom made products more than ever as we strive to have less ‘stuff’ but better and more meaningful relationships with clothing and accessories. The future is exciting!

YR: Collaboration with Bathing Ape in Selfridges, London

As a company, with offices far afield, what is your key focus? Is sustainability something you think about? Of course, the global nature means there are some elements of travel that are not good for the environment. That is an issue for us as a business. But, we are enabling a more sustainable future – one reason is the answer above – we want consumers to fall in love with their items and cherish them, something that bespoke and customisation really encourages. As we start 2020 on-demand production and a move away from just customisation is key for YR. That means that instead of a customer choosing a pre-made item, the item is made just for them when they want to buy it. This hugely reduces waste and eliminates stockpiles over time. Sustainability and reduction in oversupply is a key reason we do what we do – we are working alongside some of fashion’s biggest brands to make them more sustainable whilst improving the customer experience.

What inspires you personally? I love building the company and doing something that people love. At YR we put our team first, which means we grow and learn and get better, together. That’s inspiring. Also, I love new ways of doing things and being creative with finding solutions. I’m passionate about turning the traditional business model of fashion on its head and I am constantly inspired by the people I meet.

Do you enjoy being in the fast lane of the new directions in fashion and on demand production? Sometimes. Ha. That’s the truth, really. It’s great when it’s great, but being in the fast lane or on the leading edge of anything opens you to issues and there is no proven path for what we are doing. That can cause customers to have very high expectations – which is not always fun. However, for the large part, it’s great – thinking we have helped shape a market that didn’t exist before us (in-store design via large screens) is interesting. Having our tech running all over the world feels good, and most of the time cancels out the stress of the demanding side of being in the fast lane. Find out more at https://thisisyr.com

Interview written by Clodagh Norton

Design + Inspiration

French eyewear – Lunettes Alf

9th January 2020

2020 will be a year that celebrates timeless classics in eyewear, frames that work with traditional forms and shapes, in high quality materials with an attentive respect for artisan techniques and meticulous hand finishing. In a series focusing on classic style in 2020, Eyestylist will highlight notable new labels and icons of eyewear through the year.

The past few years have seen a flow of new artisan eyewear labels, fascinated by quality, traditional spectacle-making processes and an aesthetic that updates classic design with delicacy and style. One of the finest and latest to arrive in France is Lunettes Alf, who launched their first line in early 2018. “Whether sun or optical, alf glasses are synonymous with high quality,” say co-founders and brothers, Germain and Alexis. Above: introducing new shapes for 2020.

Lunettes Alf: designed in Paris, made in Normandy

Alf frames are inspired by the early decades of the 20th century, and more specifically the elegance of the rimmed spectacles of the 1920s to the 1950s with beautiful yet restrained colorations, and hand polished surfaces with an eye-catching shine. Designed in Paris and made in Normandy in France, the frames are identified by a small red thread woven by hand into the end tip – a reminder of their artisan provenance and alf’s dedication to quality and considered design.

Lunettes Alf: hand polished acetate, distinctive soft rounded surfaces, mineral lenses

Lunettes Alf will show their full collection including four new styles at opti 2020 (10th to 12th January 2020) in the opti BOXES (www.opti.de), an area dedicated to new and emerging trendsetters. Their collection is now available in 50 independent optical stores.

About the brand – Alf is a French family business, created in early 2018. Alexis has worked in optics for many years and trained at l’École des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Lunetiers. Germain is an expert in business and works within the luxury sector in France. Designed in their Paris studio and made in Normandy, Lunettes Alf use Japanese acetate and mineral photochromic lenses in designs with a classical elegance, respectful of tradition with a clean, simple aesthetic and predominantly sober, clean lines. Find out more at www.lunettes-alf.com

Design + Inspiration

Optical trade fair: opti 2020

7th January 2020

Iconic designers side by side with emerging cutting-edge labels and the innovators of the industry: the first opti Munich of the new decade takes place this weekend from 10th to 12th January and will provide an exceptional overview of eyewear trends and innovations, with packed halls featuring over 600 exhibitors presenting themselves and their new offerings.

Pushing forward with their long-term commitment to sustainability – one of the most talked about topics in fashion as the new year begins – Swedish innovators EOE Eyewear will present their frame edition made from old eyewear – Regrind. Also showing is the new EOE biodegradable acetate collection – named after Swedish slang words, which has a new ‘chunky-effect’ design expression, and the latest intriguing styles in the Titanium collection. Two of those frames, Krycklan and Ramsan, have a unique design detail which allows jewellery to be attached and suspended as a decoration at the temple. The jewellery pieces are handmade in Stockholm and produced in recycled silver with a tiny gemstone from Swedish Lapland. Find out more details about EOE at www.eoe-eyewear.com

Res/Rei is heading to the fair with new thin acetate designs fitted with multicolored gradient lenses, a tempting glimpse of what’s coming for summer. The touch and feel of the brand’s beautiful styles for the season are key to understanding their artisan quality and refinement. The company has just announced that a new collection will also be released at the show. Watch this space! www.resrei.com

Chico by SALT. Optics – a collaborative edition with fashion label Second / Layer

SALT. Optics will show the latest additions in their main line for 2020 and beautifully finished ‘made in Japan’ acetates launched in collaboration with Second/Layer – the Californian fashion brand. The quality and finish of these designs owes much to the brand’s impeccable attention to detail and ‘best in class’ Japanese production. www.saltoptics.com

Spectacle Eyeworks: an exquisite mix of materials

Spectacle Eyeworks travel to Munich from their hometown of Vancouver. Designer Mehran Baghaie combines stainless steel and acetate in his latest designs which balance inspiration from nature, history and indigenous art. Founded in 1996, this small independent eyewear company has stood the test of time maintaining creativity and technical precision in its lines with bold ideas in shape and colour. Their success and innovative endeavours continue. See the latest designs at www.spec-eyeworks.com

Covrt Project – model AS2: a new arrival at opti 2020

For anyone looking for classy newcomers, Covrt Project promises a new style of eyewear for connoisseurs of street style. The 2020 sunglasses collection _Mission One balances technical details and an authoritative fashion style born in London and realised (according to exacting levels of production) in Italy. The brand exhibits its sunglasses and eyewear accessories for the first time in the opti Boxes. Find out more at www.covrtproject.com

opti – the international trade show for optics & design, takes place at Fairground Munich from 10th to 12th January, 2020. Registration is open to trade visitors at www.opti.de. Written by Clodagh Norton.