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2019: frames to remember

26th December 2019

While anticipation rises in December for what’s to come, it’s also a good time to look back at what’s caught our eye…here are five frames by independent designers we think you’ll remember for some time to come. To see more of our selections visit our Reviews at https://www.eyestylist.com/category/reviews/

Kirk and Kirk have been flying the flag for colourful eyewear yet again in 2019 and their tones of hot pink and fuchsia or elegant sage (above, cat’s eye model Esme in the Centena collection in sage – https://www.eyestylist.com/2019/03/kk-expressive-video-centennial-celebration/) have helped pave the way for another brightly colored year of independent eyewear in 2020. Model Jasmine in the Spectrum collection was also a particularly outstanding statement design in eye-popping hot pink and we’ve spotted it in stores, far and wide. www.kirkandkirk.com

Delicieuse at Lafont Paris – the ultimate floral statement

Model Delicieuse by Lafont Paris was a memorable feature of the summer collections in 2019 with its incredible floral composition (see https://www.eyestylist.com/2018/09/silmo-spec-tacular/). Launched at the Paris trade fair in 2018, this artistic capsule line went on to enjoy much publicity and praise for its complex design and enamel and crystal treatments. www.lafontparis.com

You Mawo produce made-to-measure 3D printed frames with everyday qualities such as lightness and comfort and a style that is minimal and modern. Alongside the collection they produce some spectacular limited editions – Malina, from early 2019 (featured by Eyestylist at https://www.eyestylist.com/2019/02/you-mawo-limited-edition-malina/) was inspired by the Inuits and has a narrow oval lens shape with eye-catching black Polyamide rim. Find out more at www.youmawo.com

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

SILMO Paris - The Optical Fair. 25th - 28th September 2026

Late 1970s punk influences at Kuboraum – Sid Vicious Capsule

Mask A1 ‘Pretty Vacant’ in the Sid Vicious Capsule is one of eight terrific, creative, rebellious frame designs decorated with safety pins, spikes, metal studs and stacked piercings, achieved through very committed artisan techniques and carving, burning and painting, turning the surfaces “into raw foundations of graffiti splashed walls” to echo the Sex Pistols’ lyrics. This Kuboraum collection is outstanding, good fun, and one of several series we’ve had an eye on this season. www.kuboraum.com

Bocca Song is a titanium frame by FACE A FACE. The Bocca frames are well known for wearing shoes or boots, and on this occasion the boot design is achieved with a cut-out design. The detail makes a perfect companion to the double upper rim of the front which provides a flattering “airy” look when worn on the face. A truly unique design from Pascal Jaulent. www.faceaface-paris.com

To see more of our frame reviews in 2019, visit www.eyestylist.com/category/reviews/

Creative spirits

We Are Annu: 3D printed

11th December 2019

Emerging label We Are Annu represent the new-generation of innovators in 3D printed eyewear from Germany. Having created their brand amongst friends four years ago, they are now evolving their output and creative direction through shared values, commitment to quality and a genuine desire to innovate. The brand currently specializes in durable, lightweight 3D-printed frames and uses a screwless titanium “Clip” hinge which lends a flexible and robust structure to the design. They also offer a choice of temple size and nose pad, giving an adaptable fit for all face shapes and sizes.

We are Annu is a start-up with a particular design and philosophy. Can you explain how you set up and who the team is? We started in summer 2016, and over the past three years, the team has grown from a single person alone in a workshop, to a group of eighteen of us. Most of whom are also shareholders. We developed it this way because we wanted to create a team of young people who could make something happen together and at the same time, for themselves. Our sense of ownership and responsibility to one another is what makes our brand unique. And this approach has proved a success for us – over and over again.

We Are Annu: flexible, hard-wearing and lightweight – made in Nuremberg, Germany

As a young, creative company, what are your aspirations? Our focus is simple, we aspire to make the best possible product. That is why we spend considerable time on the details, working and reworking solutions. Our approach is that of continued refinement through an iterative design process because we want to continue to make it better. The end goal for us is design-simplicity, executed with intelligence and mastery – which isn’t easy to achieve. If we succeed, that will be another story. But for now, we keep hold of the idea as a belief and a working process to keep chasing – we push ourselves forward.

We Are Annu: sleek Japanese titanium temples

What has your experience been so far as a start-up in this business? It is a very competitive market, so we have to choose carefully where to put our energy. And for us, it’s the product, the customers and the opticians every time. These are the most important things to us. Good people and good products. We are now looking forward to establishing long-lasting relationships and forging new ones as we grow our business, and so far, it has been amazing.

It is incredible to think that we only launched in opti in 2019, so we are not even a year old officially. And we have found ourselves on this super exciting journey with so many great people.

From where do you draw inspiration? We are very passionate about creativity and culture and draw inspiration from many places. Art, design, music, the whole creative spectrum really. At the root of this, are the folks behind the work, this is what we are inspired by, people.

We are currently developing an exciting platform called Friends of Annu, and this is where we present the stories of interesting people we know and like. It is still in its infancy, but we hope to build it into something comprehensive. Eventually, it will become an editorial archive of real people and their stories. It is partly a labour of love, but we think a good one.

We Are Annu: glasses with minimal proportions

Are you working together in one office or are you in different places? Both really, we are a German company based in Nuremberg, and we have an office and workshop here, but we also have members of our team who work remotely out of Amsterdam, Tel-Aviv and Berlin.

We try to meet at least three times a year for full team workshops and to communicate daily through different communication and productivity platforms. It is incredible how connected we are by technology, it has revolutionized how we work and what we can achieve.

What are your plans for 2020? We are looking forward to each and every step along the way. Like I said earlier, we are dedicated to the details and are in a constant process of development – in all areas of our business. It could be design innovation, R&D, brand design, sales, manufacture, the team, everything. It’s all happening.

We have a new collection to present at the Munich trade fair in January. We will be showing what we believe to be the lightest eyewear on the market, and the frames are absolutely beautiful. Find out more: https://weareannu.com Clodagh Norton interviewed Iddo Zimmermann, Co-Founder, We Are Annu.

Reviews

Independent eyewear: Paradigm 19-11

9th December 2019

A brand new line with a youthful vision, committed to independent eyewear style for everyday wear: Paradigm is offering a striking balance of style and value, with “something for everyone” in terms of details and tonal combinations. Launched in 2019, the collection offers a series of modern everyday basics, like the 19-11 geometric shape, in well-matched contemporary materials and colorations with a twist. Model 19-11 combines an acetate rim inside a thin metal structure – produced in gold or rose gold (as a sun or optical style). Top image: Model/stylist Garret Gooch (www.garretgooch.com) wears Paradigm model 19-11.

The independent Paradigm brand was designed by a team of creatives at Kenmark Eyewear (USA) – to be very diverse, fitting a wide variety of faces, ethnicities, ages and personal styles. For more details visit the Kenmark website at www.kenmarkeyewear.com

Design + Inspiration

Innovation 2020: opti Munich, Germany

2nd December 2019

Must-sees at the Munich fair – a packed fair is coming for January 2020

The Munich fair is expecting a busy turnout at the start of 2020. From emerging labels right through to historic eyewear brands, the showcase of eyewear collections at this important event gives a thorough overview of design developments, shining the spotlight on young innovators, creators as well as a host of high-profile fashion eyewear designers.

One of the standouts every year at opti – for artisan frames – is Res/Rei Italy, a small label with a dedicated following, owing to their creative style and close collaboration with Mazzucchelli which results in some very unique and detailed acetate materials. Their products are excellent with many unique and creative shapes and timeless qualities. We also particularly enjoy their covetable jewellery line – made from the leftover acetates – and offering a very chic and special design, with colours that match up with frames. Above: model Begonia from the nature-inspired Flowers collection at Res/Rei – different acetates combine and overlap with each other like the petals of exotic flowers. The frame is pictured in a pink/light pink colorway matched with plain grey lenses. Find out more at www.resrei.com

Eton Mess by theo – *© 2018 copyright protected Artworks,*
*Photography & Graphic Design!*

Belgian design innovators theo have had a particularly spectacular raft of designs launched through 2019, with highlights including their mouth-watering Layer Cake series – featuring titanium plate designs created with two different layers.

At opti, theo will release a completely new “typically theo” eyewear family which they tell us is “warm, soft and comforting yet strong, powerful and unyielding, like….sand.” Check their new website at www.theo.be for more details about their collections.

The sleek Alium Race 2 by FACE A FACE – advanced aluminium eyewear, inspired by the sports aviator shape

The Alium collection is always a must-see at the FACE A FACE stand. This is a very distinctive line with focus on men’s eyewear where a balance of technological excellence and a modern approach to colour offers something quite beautiful and different to wear. See more Alium frames at www.faceaface-paris.com

We Are Annu return to the opti boxes for 2020

We are Annu launched their collection at opti this year (check our Eyestylist opti review 2019 – www.eyestylist.com/2019/02/exceptional-design-at-opti/). We admire both the imaginative concept of paper clip inspired frames and their commitment to innovation and team success. A must-see for opti – find out more at www.weareannu.com

SALT. Optics: designed in California, made in Japan

SALT. Optics travels from California for the opti event, with a collection inspired by nature and produced with rigorous Japanese quality driven techniques. Alongside the main line collection, the brand has launched some must-see fashion-focused collabs, which include SALT. + Second Layer and SALT. + Fred Segal where attention to detail and shared values such as quality materials have resulted in exceptional limited editions. www.saltoptics.com

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

Boutiques

London optician: Auerbach & Steele, London

27th November 2019

Auerbach & Steele have moved to a new location, a few doors down, at 123 Kings Road, London

The prestigious optical store on London’s fashionable Kings Road – Auerbach & Steele – has moved to a state-of-the-art 3 storey architect-designed retail space just a few doors down from its original location.

Visible from the street, a vast minimal contemporary open space at ground level is now home to one of the UK’s most comprehensive and diverse selections of fine independent eyewear collections for which the practice has become a trendsetter and point of reference.

Auerbach & Steele: a stunning display of innovative eyewear

Distributed through the basement and two further floors beyond the main retail space, the practice also offers 2 private consulting rooms for eye testing and styling appointments, its own lens lab and one of the UK’s most unique dedicated spaces for beautiful, colorful kid’s eyewear. In line with its reputation for clinical excellence, the new location is fitted with cutting edge testing equipment, for the most comprehensive eye examination.

High ceilings and beautiful displays at Auerbach & Steele, London

Curated by Gail Steele and a long-serving team of optics and design experts, the eyewear collections at Auerbach & Steele offer something for everyone including minimal design labels from Scandinavia, colorful British eyewear classics, exciting 3D printed frames and the most highly regarded avant-garde and statement eyewear from cities like Berlin and Zurich.

Gail Steele told Eyestylist: “Since we opened Auerbach & Steele in 1996, I have been dedicated to marrying absolute clinical and technical excellence alongside the dispensing of ever changing beautiful, cool and unusual frames which we source, and often have made, from around the world. We are thrilled to now be able to offer our special service from our beautiful new luxurious space spread across four floors.” Visit Auerbach & Steele at 123, King’s Road, London, SW3 www.auerbach-steele.com CN