Eyestylist

JF Rey: eyewear styles for men

22nd June 2022

“There is no limit,” says JF Rey designer, Olivier Mollard

At JF Rey, a new generation of colorful frames propose a modern combination of materials, developed and created by in-house designer Olivier Mollard. Mollard, who has worked on all four CarbonWood collections, explains that this 4th generation line presents the material combination carbon wood and acetate for the very first time, a technical feat that explores concepts of materiality, precise details, texture, and functionality of the design – closely following the DNA of the brand but without any limitation on how each product evolves. The acetate is assembled on the top section of each frame, with the carbon fibre on temples and lower rims, with a mix of bold colours as well as a more vintage inspired tonal palette.

Some key models in the line are available in a limited series, featuring Mazzuchelli colours. “Colours, thicknesses and textures artistically interact, highlighting the complexity and stylistic performance of the creations” explains the designer. The JF Rey line also explores other modern materials for men such as a mix of glass and carbon fibre. Above: JF 3001 – this frame features a contemporary glass/carbon fibre material

JF2961 in the new CarbonWood series: vintage inspiration for shapes and details – “colours, thicknesses and textures

Details are particularly precise for the combination frames featuring acetate. Appearing on the frame fronts and temples, the miniature TORX screws feature starred heads inspired by jewelry.

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

MIDO 6-8 February 2027. Welcome to Eyewearland

LOFT Santa Monica Show October 16th and 17th

JF2962 in the CarbonWood series – a classic statement design for men – solid and flexible – with state-of-the-art details such as special flex hinges

Carefully conceived both for comfort and design, the CarbonWood frames are also characterised by visibly reduced thicknesses of the carbon material which make them lightweight and flexible as well as visually slender and streamlined, giving a particularly contemporary overall feel.

CarbonWood, the 4th generation acetate/carbon frames and the new glass/carbon fibre designs are available at selected opticians. For more information visit: www.jfrey.fr

Design + Inspiration

Sea2see: 5 Oceans collection

20th June 2022

Pushing for progress in sustainable eyewear

A new line of frames by the B-Corp eyewear label, Sea2see represents a step forward for their design work with recycled ocean plastic, using the material to reflect a variety of colours and special effects which evoke the natural tones of the oceans. Details such as gradient colours and wave patterns characterise the frames which are inspired by the beauty of the five oceans of the world. The material is produced from marine waste collected via the Sea2see Foundation by communities in West Africa. The waste is then up-cycled into a reusable raw material in the form of pellets called UPSEA™ PLAST. Cradle to Cradle™ Gold Certified, the material at Sea2see represents a unique development in eyewear, combining a quality finish with durability, lightness, ease of wear as well as a stylish aesthetic and wide choice of colours and finishes. Above: Sea2see has launched a major campaign for the 5 Oceans collection, with photography by Weston Fuller. The collection was presented to mark the 5th anniversary of the ‘seastainable’ brand

Optical frame Venezia by Sea2see and above, Treviso Sun – styles in the 5 Oceans collection. The recycled material has been developed to offer variations in colours and patterns. The frames are made to high standards in Italy

In 2022, Sea2see has achieved B-Corp status as well as committing to a carbon negative future. Its focus on openness and transparency in every step of the making and production of its eyewear collections as well as commitment to a circular economy has set a new precedent for the eyewear industry to encourage production of frames via genuinely sustainable means.

Since 2019, Sea2see has developed their marine waste collection program in West Africa where they have both an environmental and social impact. Coastal communities benefit from a new source of income and the coastal environment is cleaned up. Read more about Sea2see’s “sustainable” eyewear at www.sea2see.org

Boutiques

Kuboraum’s 10th Annniversary: “10 years of travelling”

16th June 2022

Special anniversary celebrations for 2022, and a new store in Milan

On the occasion of its 10^th Anniversary, Kuboraum has celebrated the journey that started in Berlin in 2012 with a year-long series of events, exploring the brand’s relationship with eyewear, music and art. The event invites everyone to leave behind preconceptions about reality and go beyond the physical world, to embark on a journey that aims to create a strong sense of community. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to trigger a movement which will encourage people to dig deeper and reveal their personal inner self, as Kuboraum’s manifesto ‘We Travel To Know Our Own Geography’ recites. Sharing these common values, Kuboraum & Terraforma have presented a co-curated event series as part of ‘10 Years Of Travelling’ which will take place throughout the year in different spaces in collaboration with various multidisciplinary artists. This project will involve evocative locations and will explore the relationship between music, art and the urban dimension. Above: interior of the new KUBORAUM + INNERRAUM store in Milan (Photography: @piercarloqueccia DSL Studio)

A ‘patchwork’ wall of plaster sculpture in the new Milan store (@emi_maggi)

After a successful first event in Venice during the opening of the 59^th Venice Biennale, Kuboraum announced a ‘10 Years Of Travelling’ event in Milan on April 28^th at CASA FLASH ART, along with the inauguration of the new KUBORAUM & INNERRAUM Flagship Store in the centre of Milan. Besides an exhibition of Kuboraum’s Eye Couture masks, which focused on precious Italian handcraft and follows the brand’s genesis and evolution, the artists involved in this event were AGNES QUESTIONMARK (Agnes?), who presented her new performance SIRENOMELIA, and a DJ set by PAN label head Bill Kouligas.

Agnes?, born in Rome and based in London, with her SIRENOMELIA explored the depths and limits of identity and evolution, which stem from her own personal exploration. Depicted as an aquatic hybrid creature, she wishes to portray a metaphor for body and identity as liquid entities that constantly change in form and shape. Bill Kouligas, founder and artistic director of the multidisciplinary platform and record label PAN, investigated identity in terms of music, embarking on a journey into the unknown through other-worldly sounds that define conventions of ‘genre’.

Details: interior, KUBORAUM & INNERRAUM Flagship Store – Milan

The KUBORAUM & INNERRAUM Flagship Store opened at via Bigli 24, in the centre of Milan, and consists of two rooms, with a powerful design that goes beyond the usual concept of retail. As a post on the brand’s Instagram page explains, one room features Kuboraum and presents a patchwork wall of plaster as a tribute by founder Livio to the Italian Neo Classical sculptor Antonio Canova, and sculptures by artist Emiliano Maggi that combine psychedelic scenarios with mythological symbolism and rural iconography inspired by fairy tales and dreams. The second room houses Innerraum and has a sci-fi style light box with a glass bookcase made by Glass Italia in collaboration with the architect Andrea Eusebi.

Via Bigli 24, Milan, Italy

A feature by Alberto Massaro exclusively for Eyestylist.com. Images by kind permission of Andrea Eusebi, architect. Sculpture by @emi_maggi. Photography; @piercarloqueccia – @dsl_studio. All rights reserved.

Sustainable design

Rolf Spectacles: State Prize for Design 2022

15th June 2022

The brand has won the prestigious Austrian award: Staatspreis Design 2022

Rolf Spectacles have been recognised for their sustainable and eco-friendly design work in the field of eyewear winning the consumer category of the Bundesminiosterium (BMDW) Staatspreis Design 2022. In a statement by the jury, their design style was praised for its “functional, detail-conscious, balanced, discreet” look. “Rolf glasses enable a sustainable, environmentally friendly [path] into the future”, they added. Photo credit: BMDW/Silveri

*Rolf Spectacles’ award-winning plant-based eyewear, Substance*

The Staatspreis Design is an Austrian State award, and the highest accolade in the country for design innovation. “We are overjoyed and proud of our entire team,” said Roland Wolf, company co-founder. “Even being nominated for the State Prize for Design was very important to us. To actually win it is something really big for us.”

The Substance collection, made from the beans of a fast-growing species of the Euphorbiaceae was first launched in 2020, and has won multiple awards since then, including a Silmo D’Or in Paris in 2021. Find out more: www.rolf-spectacles.com

Reviews

RES/REI: studies in colour and contemporary form

14th June 2022

Lightness, delicacy, and a passionate focus on colour artistry are the characteristics of a new collection of glasses and sunglasses at the Italian handmade label

Dance. Architecture. Flora and fauna. Sculpture…..Worlds of aesthetic beauty, intellect and intrigue outside the world of eyewear have been a source of inspiration and reference at RES/REI for some years, thanks to an interest in beautiful things, concepts and individualistic colours, explored in combinations. The latest collection is further testament to the brand’s unique approach to designing frames, where an astute focus on colour and fresh design has also given rise to a distinct and enchanting approach to details and the design of the smallest parts of the frame. Above: sunglasses in the S/S 2022 season’s collections at RES/REI. Top, model Garofano in the Flowers collection in a colorway that includes light green, lavender and pink, balanced with a gradient blue-pink lens; below this style is model Glicine in the Flowers collection, pictured in pink with brown havana and grey and a gradient brown lens

RES/REI: model Gio in the Architects collection

Part of the Architects collection at RES/REI, a range inspired by the creative wisdom of the architects of the world, model Gio offers an example of the work with colour in acetate in this brand new collection. The combinations of two or three tones in some of these acetate styles – in this case a mix of green, yellow and turquoise, have a light and luminous quality that is both fascinating and delicate.

The new model Johnson – one of the highlights of the line – plays with a perfectly round eye shape and the effect of a contrasting rim. Subtle light grey, paired with orange, grey with an inner rim in blue, and a host of other unique colours give this frame its memorable character and dashing interpretation of what has become a classic shape for glasses. For further details about all the new styles available, visit: www.resrei.com

Johanna Skans: “Sustainability is a mindset”

l.a.Eyeworks’ Limited Edition for Art Matters’ Gai Gherardi Fellowship

Mondelliani and Design Shower work together

OTIS Eyewear: style with substance

Pomandère chooses M49

theo eyewear collaborates with young designer, Byron Wang