Eyestylist

Exclusive: The company has been awarded a Red Dot Design Award (2022) recognising the new innovation in its collection

A beautiful, nature inspired spin on texture has been introduced at the Austrian label Rolf Spectacles, the result of careful research and development in 3D printed materials and finishes. The company is introducing the new tactile texture in their 3D printed substance mount collection made from castor beans. Close to, the frames have an almost shattered look on the surface, giving the effect of natural surfaces and phenomena; the company cites ice flows in the Arctic, rocky mountain peaks, or cracks in the dry earth as key inspiration for the subtle and refined finish.

The special texture can be found in the angular design of the Rigi range and the softer, more rounded design of model Viso from the Rolf substance mount collection and has already been recognised as an exciting step in 3d printed eyewear with the win of the much admired Red Dot Design Award.

“We wanted to make the concept of sustainability, which is central to everything we do, tangible and visible in our designs. Thanks to the latest technological advances, we’ve been able to move away from the usual smooth frames and create a feature using discreet textures, thereby turning everyday eyeglasses into something quite special. It’s fitting that the new models are part of the substance collection and therefore made out of the beans of a fast-growing species of the Euphorbiaceae family. This means environmentally aware eyeglass wearers get a pair of plant-based spectacles with an organic pattern that’s a symbol of our appreciation of nature,” summarizes designer at Rolf, Johannes Wacker.

Rolf Spectacles will attend industry events LOFT in NYC and MIDO in Milan to exhibit their new wood, stone, horn, titanium, combination and plant-based eyewear collections for 2022. www.rolf-spectacles.com Written by Clodagh Norton – all rights reserved

Directional and creative at FACE A FACE

A terrific breadth of inspiration from the past, complex, creative colour schemes and colour accents, and structured, sculptural design work all feature in the new collections that are here as Spring arrives. From cateye sunglasses and edgy 90s shapes, to sharp combinations of hues, a melting pot of many influences defines the season and inspires new, delightful themes. Above: FACE A FACE sunglass models Clone 1 and Clone 2 – ‘a retro futuristic oval and a Matrix shape’ – both styles have a double colour effect on the front and a strongly beveled sculpted look with an artistic elegance.

Model Clone 1 is one of the go-to styles in the new FACE A FACE collection, with a shape that’s symbolic of the 90s, the electric colours combine to create a dramatic statement piece.

In the glasses line at FACE A FACE, this bold and confident theme continues, with eyewear that explores two tones, transparency and pattern, layering effects and thicknesses, all inspired by asteroids and outer space! Among these frames, the distinctive model Quartz shows the playful touch of layering colours, and an almost dizzying so called “cosmic” interplay of dots with the flashy  ‘ultra-violet’ colour for the overlay. Find the new styles at www.faceaface-paris.com 

A feature by Clodagh Norton, Eyestylist.com – all rights reserved

Springfield flower glasses by a-morir – inspired by Dusty Springfield

Kerin Rose Gold, the New York designer behind a-morir studio turns eyewear into art. Her latest release, which she says has been bubbling for more than a few years – eight to be exact – has all the freshness and excitement of the promise of Spring, in five bold colours with sparkle and shine. Like many of her designs, the frame has an iconic feel with larger than life proportions, and an exotic, mix-up of colours. The flower shape consists of five individual circular petals on a classic 1960s oval base frame with a fanciful and feminine style that is beautiful and glamorous. The designer says the frame is inspired and named after the female singer Dusty Springfield, playing with an edgy hippie look with the mood of the swinging Sixties. Above: Springfield flower sunglasses in gold by a-morir – a collectible for 2022

The Springfield has been designed as a one-off piece for Spring/Summer 2022 and is handmade to order – the flower shape is trimmed with a fine lucite and crystal chain embellishment plated in gold, to compliment the colorations of the UV400 sun lenses which range from very delicate pink and purple smoke to deep brown gradients. Find out more at https://shop.a-morir.com/products/springfield-pink?_pos=3&_sid=6a68e0ca7&_ss=r