Eyestylist

| Eyestylist 2nd April 2020

Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses

British eyewear: Claire Goldsmith on her family legacy

Since 1926, fans of the Oliver Goldsmith label have been drawn to the pure heritage style and signature design flair of this British brand which continues under the direction of Claire Goldsmith, the great granddaughter of the founder. Claire took the business under her wing in 2005, leaving a steady regular job to reignite the tremendous legacy and style of her family’s historic company.

In a new video, Claire talks about the origins of the business, the release of Oliver Goldsmith “sunspecs” at Fortnum & Mason in Picadilly in London in the late 1930s, and the appearance of OG in Vogue in 1942 – the first acknowledgment by a fashion magazine of the potential of spectacles as a statement style accessory.

Above: The iconic OG style Yatton – first created in London in 1964 – has been re-released in the gorgeous colour combination described as White Christmas Maze. The soft geometric shaping of the design provides the iconic dramatic glamour typical of the Oliver Goldsmith label. https://www.olivergoldsmith.com/product/yatton/

The video (above) – ‘An introduction to Oliver Goldsmith by Claire Goldsmith’ – includes rare footage and imagery of early OG designs, and the most famous people who have worn the glasses through the last decades…personalities who include musicians, actors, actresses and members of the royal family whose eyewear was a natural enhancement to their style and personality.

Decades: The 1930’s: small sunglasses

Today, the Spring season brings new colourful releases to the iconic OG collection which preserves its history and artisan quality, in designs reignited through the label’s extensive and carefully preserved archives – and the intricate skill and technological benefits of modern eyewear crafting. In the Decades collection, this thick rimmed round sunglass style pays homage to the 1930s, and the Hollywood stars of the era. The frame is handmade in Japan from acetate and comes with 2-base flat 100% UVA/UVB lenses with backside AR coating.

Icons Manhattan 1960 – as worn by Audrey Hepburn

One of the most famous styles in the Oliver Goldsmith repertoire, the Manhattan sunglasses – represent classical statement style with the perfect timeless balance of shape and colour. As well as the iconic dark and light tortoise versions, the Manhattan sunglasses are made in contemporary tones of mocha or the delightful ‘rain’ colour – a delicately mottled blue/black finish. Find out more about the iconic specs and sunglass styles by Oliver Goldsmith and visit the online store at www.olivergoldsmith.com

| Eyestylist 30th March 2020

Independent eyewear: Vintage-infused, 4 different ways

Timeless, detail conscious, with a peerless level of craft

Four distinctive shapes, created with luxury materials and precise artisan workmanship. The quality of eyewear designed with dedication and exceptional attention to detail, as it was in past decades, continues to garner attention, underlining traditional values with reflection on genuine workmanship and innovation.

At the German company Coblens, the metal collection ‘Schiffahrtsstrasse’ – with focus on titanium, made in Japan – presents very narrow rimmed classic shapes this season – where every detail is visible, functional and reliable. Aviator and pilot shapes as well as round and multi-sided vintage-inspired glasses provide looks for everyday and multiple face shapes. Above: the soft octagononal model Mole in the Titanium collection, Schiffahrtsstrasse by Coblens. The octagon is a lovely flattering shape which is currently enjoying a resurgence. www.coblens.com

Gauloise by Lafont Paris – glamorous patterning and a monochrome colour palette

The classic shaping of model Gauloise by Lafont Paris is enriched with artistic colour combinations or fabric effects, which add subtle sparkle and delicate light reflections. Visit www.lafont.com for more details on the new luxurious classic styles in their extensive artisan eyewear collection.

Berwick by Savile Row – hand polished rhodium

The Berwick is an iconic design in the British-made Savile Row collection. Offering clean lines with its beautiful architectural brow line and rectangular eye shape the frame has a statement elegance which is both alluring and flattering, highlighting the line of  the wearer’s natural brow line. Find a selection of classic spectacles, monocles and sunglass clips in their online store at www.savileroweyewear.com

Christian Roth – Round-Wav in Amber Smoke – described by Roth as a ‘spacey oval’

Christian Roth continues to present exceptional pieces of design as a part of Dita Group; deconstructing its own precious archive of frames and re-imagining a new paradigm of style. The oval shape of Round-Wav (available as an ophthalmic or sunglass style) is a common thread in Roth’s collections and is significant now as one of the favourite trending ‘vintage’ inspired looks. Roth’s designs have been worn by a host of celebrities in the last decades including Kate Moss, Lenny Kravitz and Kurt Cobain, who wore the iconic oval Series 6558. For more information: www.christianroth.com

| Eyestylist 26th March 2020

To the future and back

X Terrace annual press preview – for London Hat Week

The annual X Terrace London Hat Week Preview Catwalk Show took place on 16th March at Shangri-La Hotel, at The Shard, showcasing 54 hats made by milliners from around the world.

Milliners were encouraged to use the theme ‘To the future and back‘ as a way to show their vision of the future of their hat designs. Each piece was uniquely inspired by an arrange of ideas such as sci-fi, high tech, environmentally friendly, imagined worlds, and 3D Printers.

Monique Lee Millinery – Shangri-La at The Shard

Monique Lee Millinery was inspired by Renzo Piano’s striking vertical city “The Shard” and within it, a mystical utopia Shangri-La where people will live isolated from the world happily in the future.

Amina Marie Hood’s Mosstro Orbiter

Amina Marie Hood named her hat Mosstro Orbiter which has an eco-futuristic design coexisting in nature and was inspired by the “Fly Eye Dome” designed by R. Buckminster fuller.

London Hat Week Press Preview: Circus hat by JH Milliner (Jennifer Hughes)

The Retro theme allowed milliners to show the glorious eras of the past when hats were the centerpiece of every wardrobe. Many milliners portrayed this theme through vintage fabrics, accessories such as ribbons, feathers and velvet, and by focusing on the elegant shapes and details of the 1920’s-1960’s.

X Terrace London Hat Week: ZELLI hat by Miss Haidee Millinery

The show at Shangri-La Hotel, at The Shard, featured a selection of hats from the upcoming ‘Great Hat Exhibition’, which is part of the 2020 London Hat Week. The models wore outfits selected and styled by Hector & Karger. Hairstyling was by Toni & Guy (Ilford) and makeup from AOFM Pro. The show included shoes from Stivaleria Cavallin and sculptures from Abigail Ozora Simpson. The show was also generously supported by Maxoo fashion platform, Jack Russell Jeanswear, Yooney Choi, and Katherine Elizabeth Academy, and was staffed by fashion students from Coventry University London. Photos courtesy of @xterrace.

X Terrace have announced the forthcoming launch of The Hat Circle, a website for the millinery industry to empower and connect independent milliners around the world with hat lovers everywhere.  https://www.xterrace.com/lhwmilliner

| Eyestylist 25th March 2020

Optyk Panski, Poland

An eyewear boutique setting trends in Krakow, Poland

A new generation of independent optical retailers is appearing in Poland, as young opticians develop a curiosity and passion for specialising in unique brands. In Krakow, Optyk Panski’s owner Pawel Szpytma established a new style of store in 2016, having taken over the family optical business in 2011. In 2019 the boutique which had moved to a location near Kazimierz and Podgorze, an historic, significant part of Krakow was developed with a contemporary architectural interior and a roster of exciting brands, which started with Tavat (from Italy) and AM Eyewear (from Australia).

Interior: a loft style with modern fittings and chic wood + leather materials

Eyestylist met Pawel Szpytma in Munich in January, and we asked him what had inspired him to open a shop of this calibre: “I was always curious for something new. I really wanted to step up my knowledge and skills. After visiting international optical fairs and discovering many independent eyewear brands, I realized how much more there is to do. When it came to the design of the shop, the idea was to mix a loft look with modern design details. I wanted to create a place with a luxury touch where you can also feel comfortable and at ease. I did a few of the finishing touches myself – I wanted to have this personal bond with the place.”

A luxury eyewear destination in Krakow

Today alongside Tavat and AM, which have become hugely popular with local Krakow customers, the shop stocks Cazal, SALT. Optics, Matsuda, Moscot and Lesca. “I am still gaining knowledge all the time working closely with brands I admire,” says Pawel. “They have taught me a lot about production and materials. Quality always was important to me and always will be.”

Optyk Pański is located at sw. Kingi 8, Krakow Poland. The name of the shop represents a play on words. It means also “your” and “royal, manor” – representing a place where customer can experience a service above the normal level. Optyk Pański has also become known for their after hours openings for customers and events including exhibitions and Whisky tastings. www.optykpanski.pl

| Eyestylist 24th March 2020

Georgiana Boboc, Vintage Traffic

Eyestylist had the pleasure of meeting the delightful and enchanting Georgiana Boboc, one of the first pioneers in what we know now as the “social media influencing” industry, a connoisseur of all things fashion – particularly vintage and arguably one of the most genuine, talented and quirky individuals in the business today.

You are strong and confident in pulling off a plethora of colours and patterns in just one outfit – how do you choose what you wear, and why do you think you are drawn to such exuberant, vibrant materials and textiles? Fashion is ridiculous sometimes. It’s so hard to play with colours, I think you need to, or already be super open to wearing a rainbow and still feel comfortable about it and to own it. I’ve never worn something crazy to be the centre of attention – it’s because it puts me in a good mood; colours always do that for me – I was designed to wear them. Vintage is quite colourful actually; patterns, florals, geometrics – that’s why I’m so drawn to it. Most of my statement pieces are very bright.

Georgiana (above and top) in Demure sunglasses by Delalle

As Eyestylist is an accessories platform – what do you think the importance of accessories is in regards to your personal style / in the industry generally?  Oh my god – EVERYTHING – you can be super basic and just wear a white t-shirt, but as long as you have a sparkle of something; it could be a vintage bag that costs five euros, but it has a nice colour or nice details; brassware or buttons can be the focal point of a look. I have always been about details; matching my socks with the colour of my headband – I used to do crazier things in styling, but now I am a bit more chilled – I’m thirty two years old, I tried to introduce more black into my wardrobe but it’s SO hard.

When did this love-affair with colours and with fashion ignite for you – when did you become involved in the fashion industry? Just after I finished high-school, I lived in Romania so I didn’t have access to a lot of the fashion, but I was passionate about vintage before the craze of American bloggers – I started the Vintage Traffic blog in 2008; I was stuck in traffic, on the way to class – to my degree in Journalism, so it was an outlet to me; it was about women, society, models, the idea of ‘perfection’ and what is demanded of women in general – not just about fashion.

Georgiana : Paris is home

Given Vintage Traffic began as a more general fashion news / societal awareness blog – what is your stance on the drive towards sustainability in the fashion industry? I have noticed one of the biggest agencies in Paris – one that manages and organises the fashion shows for top brands has taken action towards sustainability this Fashion Week; they are reducing the plastic / paper waste of the shows they are running – I think that is amazing. It is essentially the overproduction of useless stuff that is temporary, they don’t mean anything to anyone, and they don’t help much, we are just realising that. I am still receiving envelopes from brands, paper invitations, that is so bad. I am conscious of it; I haven’t bought something new in such a long time – what I wear for Fashion Week, I wear for my daily life. Honestly, I don’t like being the same as everybody else so that’s another reason why I‘m saying NO to fast retailing. I love a Victorian dress with an oversized blazer – mixing antiquity with a flash of modernity, a touch of masculinity with a pinch of femininity, adding something androgynous to it – that’s just my style. If I got married again, I would wear a tuxedo.

Would you be more inclined to purchase from a brand that was higher quality / more expensive but 100% sustainable and ethical?  Yes of course if I was going to purchase an investment piece – that would be a contributing factor. I am vintage addicted, so I don’t put a lot of money into new clothes –but I see and understand the need for new sustainable brands, buying, wearing and selling vintage is a passion. It doesn’t pay – that is why you really need to be passionate about it, I never follow trends, but vintage always comes back – for example, I went through a phase some years ago of collecting the fannypack / bumbag… vintage Moschino, Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo etc… I was constantly criticised for wearing them, and now you see all the top brands reintroducing them and they have become a streetwear trend.”

Georgiana wears DeVour by Delalle – a 1970s infused octagonal frame

You’re very selective about the new brands you purchase or wear and showcase to your following – we have noticed you wearing ‘Delalle’ eyewear – do you remember what drew you to that brand or what you liked about them? I don’t remember if I discovered the brand in an agency or in a showroom or if they had reached out to me personally from the beginning, but anyway, I just love the designs, they’re so powerful, they are WOW! It’s the eyewear that stands out from the crowd. I couldn’t say no to them, they are so funky and cool.”

As our interview came to a close, we discussed Georgiana’s next potential career moves and future developments across a wide array of industries – cinema, costume design, vintage selling, antiquities and many more – after a difficult year this superwoman has truly come out on top and I look forward to our next interview – who knows in what industry that will be, but I wish her every success in whatever path she chooses to take. Interview by Victoria G. L. Brunton in Paris – exclusively for Eyestylist.com – find Delalle sunglasses at www.de-lalle.com