Eyestylist

Different materials are arriving as the sustainability conversation evolves

‘Eco-friendly’ materials in eyewear are advancing, with new additions applying processes of recycling, repurposing and upcycling or exploring plant-based opportunities with a sustainable goal. This follows the fashion industries gradual introduction of materials such as bio leathers, bamboo and hemp, the use of corn starch, castor oil, roots of mushrooms (MycoTEX), bananas and pineapples and a much greater acceptance of recycled and repurposed material with more regular use of off-cuts, scraps and waste parts that would normally be thrown away.

Here are 3 independent European eyewear labels – using different eco-oriented methods and material combinations to create an alternative sustainable style (Above: EOE Eyewear – Regrind – photo credit: Farago & Farago).

1. EOE Regrind (Swedish Lapland)

EOE Regrind sunglasses are made from old, surplus eyewear. The frames are collected, sorted and then undergo a “grinding” process to produce new blocks of raw material. The colorations of the new models depend on the predominant colours of the old frames and how they are mixed. The first edition of Regrind sunglasses was a chic mainly black fashion collection with tiny flecks of coloured plastic. EOE Eyewear has extended the collection to include ophthalmic models as well as sunglasses in 2020. Find out more: https://www.eyestylist.com/2019/09/exclusive-regrind-by-eoe-eyewear/www.eoe-eyewear.com

2. Ferilli Eyewear (Italy)

Ferilli is an Italian label working with cactus. Their frames are made exclusively in Italy and have a delicate finish with the natural patterns of the plant. Their new line called “Aéras” ( “air” in Greek) is composed of six models created in prickly pear “cactus” and ebony and is dedicated to the most picturesque villages of Puglia. www.ferillieyewear.com

3. Ochis Coffee (Ukraine)

Max Gavrilenko founded Ochis Coffee Eyewear in 2018. The eco brand uses reusable organic materials – flax and coffee – as an alternative to plastic. A soybean oil based glue is used for the assembly. The frames are biodegradable and give off a natural subtle coffee aroma. www.ochiscoffee.com  CN

The Austrian brand – Rolf Spectacles – who have pioneered the production of fine wood and horn spectacles made through a precise balance of technical innovation and time-honored artisan techniques, since 2009, is adding a new material to its collections in 2020.

The label, which has also developed its own unique collections using stone and 3d printed titanium is now adding a line made from a natural plant-based material taken from a species of the Euphorbiaceae family (commonly known as spurge), with exciting sustainable credentials.

“The plants are grown in tropical climates without any kind of genetic engineering, they don’t compete with food crops, and they can grow very tall, very quickly: where a spruce or a beech will only grow a few centimeters taller every year, this remarkable plant will shoot up six metres in just four months, and it comes back every year,” explains company founder and visionary Roland Wolf. “This makes the new material more sustainable and kinder to the environment than ever – and the perfect foundation upon which to build a new collection of glasses…”

The new 3d printed Substance collection by Rolf comprises 23 flexible natural skin-friendly frame styles in 6 colours and makes a highlight of the refined design typical of a Austrian-made Rolf product, as well as the unique Flexlock hinge. Find out more about Substance at www.rolf-spectacles.com