Eyestylist

London’s fair at ExCel, 100% Optical, presented an array of new looks in eyewear, from designers and companies across the international frame and sunglasses business. The UK demand for individual glasses is growing, and astute independent opticians have realised the gains in searching for the less easy to find labels, offering creative shapes, innovative, technical frames and beautiful eyewear materials and  colours. Above: TAVAT Tactile: from Italy, an evolution in its timeless collection of fine acetate and metal/acetate combination designs. www.tavateyewear.com

Highlighted at the fair, Silhouette’s extensive launches for 2018 include a collaboration with Perret Schaad, representing a new re-craft of Silhouette’s iconic Titan Minimal Art frame for Spring/Summer 2018.

Johanna Perret and Tutia Schaad, the pair behind the label, are best known for sleek, minimalist designs. For Silhouette, the resulting frame takes the form of a unique modified hexagon shape  – with cutout on the outer side of each lens -which embodies influences of architecture and geometric styling. Despite the dramatic angles, the design personifies the designers’ passion for minimalism and weightlessness. www.silhouette.com

The colour palette for 2018 encourages bold, exciting statements and 100% helped to highlight the very latest hues. Along with an array of new neutrals, we were impressed by the prevalence of the colour purple, which, with many other pastel tones from pale pink to baby blue and pistachio, is making a huge impression for the coming season. Fresh colour combinations were particularly lively at the independent labels we visited and tone-on-tone effects where lenses match the frame, were fresh and sophisticated. Above: Andy Wolf’s sunglass model Austin, in lilac. The lens tone blends with the frame hue: www.andy-wolf.com

Protective, stylish cases are an important element in eyewear and the array of styles has become more creative and luxurious. Butti Eyewear Cases, a new British label, produces a refined slip case design with a hard protective layer and a silk lining, perfectly suited to modern tastes. A small leather tab releases the glasses! Made in the UK, the brightly coloured cases are produced in Italian leather with a smart lustrous finish. Butti made their first appearance at the 100% fair: find details at www.butti.co.uk 

This year, 100%’s excellent “Celebration of Vision” competition for RCA students offered a fascinating insight into the creative talent of the future in the UK. Two winners were announced this weekend: well done to Julia Hauss, (Womenswear – Fashion, Year 1), who designed frames based on children’s birthdays and the joy they bring, and Ely Cao, (Womenswear – Accessories, Year 1), who proposed “a gift from the crazy optician” – a box containing 94 imaginative multi-coloured modular eyewear pieces, “full of possibilities”. 

Next year, 100% Optical will take place on 12th to 14th January 2019. For further details visit www.100percentoptical.com CN

Parisian eyewear designer Alain Mikli and haute couture designer Alexandre Vauthier have today shown an edition of avant-garde eyewear captured through the lens of Mert & Marcus on British fashion icon, Kate Moss. Above: Moss wears model Roselyne

The collaboration includes four styles: Edwidge, Edwidge jeweled, Roselyne, and Nadége that appeared on the runway at the Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture show today at Paris Couture week, with much comment.

Since the launch of his Haute Couture range in 2009, Vauthier’s luxurious and futuristic fabrics, Parisian savoir-faire and vision of the female body have ensured his creations have seduced clients around the world.  CN

Photography credit: Kate Moss wears the Alain Mikli x Alexandre Vauthier Edwidge jeweled and the Roselyne in Noir Mikli with Swarovski Crystals and Grey lenses.