Eyestylist

| Eyestylist 31st March 2022

Eyestylist Preview: Nina Mûr Spring/Summer collaboration

The Magna collection, created with jeweler Helena Rohner, is a new adventure for creative director Lorena Serrano Peinado and her brand from Madrid, Nina Mûr

With a unique aesthetic and common philosophy, rooted in design and sustainability, the new Magna line is the work of Helena Rohner and Nina Mûr – an experimental project with surprising designs and new departures in materials. The models feature a high-pressure laminate made from translucent paper, the finish of which is described as velvety. The material is layered over the signature birch plywood base which is a typical design feature of the Madrid-based eyewear brand.

Magna Collection – dreamy pastel colours and ingenious eyewear shapes

Produced in wonderfully dreamy pastel spring tones Magna is proposed as a limited edition ‘deluxe kit’ with a large magnifier and a small pendant magnifier. The designers say that the particular construction of both of these collectible magnifying glasses mixes the colour and the sheets of wood in alternate layers, resulting in objects of great beauty with a unique style. Additionally, the edition offers five special glasses designs, inspired by the shape of the magnifying glasses but with their own unique and wearable silhouette. For more information about the brand visit www.ninamur.com

| Eyestylist 29th March 2022

Vis. – Salt Lake City, Utah

A space for art + a store for eyewear

Founded during 2019 by Stephen Lundquist in Utah’s Salt Lake City, Vis. is an optical boutique with a contemporary twist. The store specialises in independent, niche eyewear labels whilst simultaneously showcasing the work of both established and upcoming artists as 801 Salon, via special events every month.

“I grew up revering the arts and always considered artistic expressions as something divine and pure,” Lundquist told Eyestylist. “At the same time, I was too scared to take on something artistic as a profession, as I had only heard about the financial risks. I also didn’t see or have other people in my life taking those artistic chances. When it came time to choose a career, I found myself moving towards medicine: I always excelled at school and thought it would be a logical choice. So, because I’d heard about the healthy work-life balance in optometry, I moved forward with the hope of having time for creative endeavors on the side.

After I went to UC Berkeley, for optometry school, I worked for a few great practices in the Bay Area. It was from my experience in those jobs that I realized in order to be happy, I had to do things differently. I couldn’t work all day in a space or work with products that I didn’t find inspiring. Then I worked on cultivating relationships in the industry and researching product and design which allowed me to bring that creative right-brain approach into work.” After years of research, he opened Vis.

Interior: the huge contemporary airy space at Vis.

Lundquist grew up in a suburb of Salt Lake City and missed the mountains and a slower life. “My wife and I have a couple young kids and we wanted more time outdoors,” he explains. ” SLC often gets lumped in with the rest of Utah, but it is a counter-cultural oven in a way that Austin is for Texas.  It is growing immensely and there are some incredible creators doing unique things here.”

Working with a close friend, the identity of the store itself evolved quite naturally. “My friend is a designer and branding genius. We worked together on the identity of Vis. where he helped me realize that at its core, we are an experience that is informed by this concept of inspiration and exploration” says Lundquist. “Our goal is to allow a space for guests to reinvent or discover new aspects of themselves or the world around them. We wanted a physical space that allows for that.

His wife is a choreographer who was wanting to find a space to showcase local artists and performers which is exactly what I was wanting to host, so we created the 801 Salon (the local area code and our building address are both “801”) which is based on the older concept of an arts salon. With the Salon, we host monthly art events in which we showcase multidisciplinary artists.”

Vis. art space / eyewear store

The mix of frames at Vis. is highly curated, focused on “niche and proven independent designers” – currently including VAVA, Lapima,  Kuboraum, Jean Philippe Joly and VADA eyewear from Austin Texas.An odd optical climate in Utah led me to look for designers that can’t be found everywhere else, he explains when we ask about the selection process and criteria considered to stock a brand. “I knew that I wanted to work solely with independent designers from the get-go where quality is paramount and brand names can’t be relied on. From digging deep, I was able to find these niche corners where people are making beautiful product with beautiful stories. I care about design, quality, and stories. When those line up, there are fireworks.” Asked if the customer base crosses over between those who come for the art studio those who come to purchase eyewear, the answer is yes and no.I don’t know how much business has come from the 801 Salon. There definitely has been some good business but I frankly don’t care too much about that – I want art here for art’s sake. We don’t show product during those Salon events – I don’t want artists to feel like they are acting as an advertisement. But, those people that do come by become aware of what it is that we do, and they’ll be back.” Address: 801 S. 800 E. Salt Lake City, Utah

Co-written by Clodagh Norton + Victoria Brunton – Eyestylist.com

| Eyestylist 25th March 2022

Rolf Spectacles adds texture to plant-based frames

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.

New tactile surfaces in 3D printed plant-based eyewear by natural materials innovators Rolf Spectacles

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.

Rolf substance: model Viso – pictured in a brown/grey tone

“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

| Eyestylist 24th March 2022

Trends: women’s eyewear – new statements

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.

Clone 1 by FACE A FACE: a favourite shape for Spring, in neon tones

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.

Quartz 1 by FACE A FACE: quirky and charismatic

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

| Eyestylist 19th March 2022

Eyestylist exclusive: welcome Spring…with giant flower glasses

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

a-morir: Springfield in “Black Aurora Borealis” – the beautifully researched mix up of tones reference pieces of clothing and make-up colours reflecting the style of the singer

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