Australia is a benchmark for marvellous flora and fauna – and Jono Hennessy discovers endless inspiration in all that the country’s natural resources have to offer. Butterfly wings with their amazing colourations influenced the latest optical design – Modgraff 8440.
Mazzucchelli acetate and metal combine in a light weight design with soft, flattering contours in the Limited Edition frame. Visit www.jonohennessy.com for more new releases from the family-owned label. JG
Beautiful eyewear merits accessories that are crafted with imagination, skill and expertise to further enhance the enjoyment of wearing frames. Designer’s creative efforts provide stylish ways to make the most of protecting eyewear. With headquarters nestled in the Austrian countryside, two entrepreneurs developed Eyeshaker – the efficient, sanitary, and simple method of keeping lenses spotless. The Eyeshaker kit is equipped with a tube shaker, cleaning liquid, and a micro-fibre cloth. The method is easy to use, and quickly eliminates dirt, make-up, smears, and sand (a summer hazard!). The ideal way to ensure frames lead a long, clear-vision life. Discover more about Eyeshaker at www.eyeshaker.at
Munich designer Anne Dickhardt at Any Di has the ideal pouch in which to carry and protect frames – the Little Style Allrounder. Frames and smart phones, plus business cards, money, and transport passes can conveniently slip into the pockets with snap buttons, and an inner middle zippered pocket. The sleek, chic design can be carried, worn on the hip with a gold chain, or as a wristlet with a leather loop. Explore more of Any Di’s world at www.any-di.com
Humble cleaning cloths have reached art status with innovative, imaginative and original designs. An exciting collaboration unites Kirk & Kirk with Ray Richardson – a London artist and long-time friend of Jason Kirk. Jason noted: “Collaborating with friends, brands, illustrators and artists feels like such a natural and obvious avenue for Kirk & Kirk to explore. We get to work with people who share our values and vision, and our audience benefits from unique and original collaborations.” Richardson’s muse and inspiration – Brian the Bull Terrier – is celebrated on the micro-fibre lens cloth titled “Ye Olde English.” The Limited Edition lens cloth can be purchased directly from the Extra Specials section on the Kirk & Kirk website: www.kirkandkirk.com
Pearls symbolise beauty, elegance, and timelessness, which are gracefully expressed in Frame Chain’s Drop Pearl design. Fresh Water pearls in varied sizes are expertly hand-strung on a gold chain. Visit www.framechain.co.uk to discover more of Frame Chain unique designs.
Beautiful cases by Butti combine luxurious leather and aesthetically pleasing designs to stylishly protect frames. Finest quality leathers are sourced in Italy for the unique styles that are lined in pure silk. The cases are crafted in Great Britain and include designs for men and women that are elegant, chic and so useful. www.butti.co.uk
Emmanuelle Khanh was a pioneer in eyewear design, and her legacy lives on with Eva Gaumé capturing the spirit of the iconic designer. The latest accessory designs include a lovely, contemporary link chain – delicate in mauve (featured above) or sophisticated in black. “Chaînettes Bijoux” are emblematic of Emmanuelle Khanh’s fashion and function creed. www.ek.fr JG
Following the flagship in New Orleans, and a 6 month pop-up style residency, in Soho, New York, US brand Krewe has opened a permanent location at 85 1⁄2 Spring St.
The airy minimal interior has been designed “to cultivate an intimate experience with the brand while strengthening the ties between New Orleans and New York”. Utilizing flora displays, a modern white decor and New Orleans-based artisans to create interior finishings, the space has a close affinity with Krewe’s standalone storefront in the French Quarter of their city of origin.
“New Yorkers are continuing to seek out Krewe,” says founder and creative director, Stirling Barrett. “This store is a celebration of the success that we’ve had with our 6th month residency and our relationship with the SoHo neighborhood.”
Krewe was founded in 2013. The brand is built on the philosophy of doing something unexpected from a place no one would expect. Using the spirit and soul of New Orleans as a source of inspiration, KREWE’s frames are designed to embrace individuality. Designed by Barrett in KREWE’s New Orleans design studio the collection includes colorful hand-carved plant-based acetates, mixed metals, and a wide array of premium lenses. www.krewe.com CN
Wear the Eyes SS18 – An Artisanal Eyewear Collection designed by Belgian fashion designer Anneleen Bertels for Liselore Frowijn ‘MEXICO’ SS18 collection. Handcrafted in collaboration with Eline De Winter and Vincent Verstrepen.
The SS18 “Wear the eyes”- collection by Anneleen Bertels in collaboration with Eline De Winter and Vincent Verstrepen is the search for the functionality of ‘viewing’ and the luxury of admiring eyewear as a custom-made piece of jewelry or fine art. Shaped in an entirely handcrafted manner, the designs are executed with close attention to detail and are exclusively available as a limited couture edition.
‘Wear the eyes’ is an architectural game of raw and refined metal drawings for the eyes with fractions of colours, inspired by the 3-dimensional shapes of swimming goggles and the sharpness of sports eyewear. The aim, according to Bertels, was to push the limit of what eyewear can and could be.
The artisan’s expertise is reflected by the way the lenses are placed on the frames, referencing ancient and traditional ways of setting stones and diamonds on jewelry. “These frames are shaped out of the idea that we should experience and feel our surroundings more consciously through the objects we are in touch with on a daily basis,” explains the designer. Anneleen aims to reach out for objects that have the power to create effective experiences and make us want to invest more in a tactile and emotional relationship and interaction with these objects over time.
For this collection, Anneleen Bertels collaborated with and called upon the expertise of jewelry designers and makers Vincent Verstrepen en Eline De Winter, who assisted her throughout the whole design process with their knowledge and insights. They crafted the eyewear in their atelier with extreme precision. All the coloured lenses were provided by Zeiss. The designs are available exclusively from the designer via www.anneleenbertels.be. CN
Vinylize extends their ranges this season with a new musical connection. The Official Vinylize x AC/DC collection is a special edition of “collectible” optical frames and sunglasses, with fronts laminated with the 22 x multi-platinum “Back in Black”, AC/DC’s seventh studio album and sixth international release, produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, which has gone down in history as one of the best-selling albums of all time.
The frames have the distinctive hand-finished nuances typical of the Budapest brand, with names inspired by the tracks on the album. Model Noise is linked to the final track on Back in Black – “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”, an anthem that captures the feeling of the time.
Three optical frames and three sunglasses (with polarised lenses) are available in the limited collection, each in three sizes. Find out more about handmade vinyl designs by Zach Tipton at www.vinylize.com CN