Jono Hennessy’s latest creations include a graceful, contemporary style in pretty floral hues of crystal. The shimmering see-through design – Model 8414 – is accented with a distinctive bamboo acetate temple with a matt finish. Pale pink, tender green, soft lavender and clear crystal tones are beautiful additions to the Jono Hennessy collection. See all the newest Jono Hennessy releases at SILMO! www.jonohennessy.com JG
Eyewear creatives owe much to the international trade fair, SILMO, which takes place every year in Paris. Founded in the Jura, the traditional spectacle-making region of France, today the French show has grown into an international platform for designers and creators in eyewear, with fairs in Sydney, Istanbul and (shortly) Bangkok as well as Paris where the fair also boasts a strong alliance with the fashion industry via Premiere Classe, the Parisian fashion accessories fair.
Taking place in early October, the 50th edition of SILMO promises a large selection of exhibitors as well as celebrations, special events and what promises to be a memorable SILMO d’Or awards ceremony. As the climate of expansion in the independent sector continues, a significant number of newcomers are listed as exhibiting. They include Komorebi (Belgium), Stealer (Korea) and optician, Joseph Haver (Israel) who launches a brilliant eponymous sunglasses edition (image: above, new campaign by Joseph Haver).
Independent eyewear leaders returning to the annual event include: Ørgreen Optics. The Danish brand will showcase seven bold, yet elegant male and female titanium styles – photographed in a campaign by Philip Messmann. The shapes range from round vintage looking styles to contemporary square college inspired silhouettes. The colour combinations include timeless black, varying shades of brown, and stylish tones of blue and red.
Expect to find further impressive innovations at the Ørgreen stand this year – visit www.orgreenoptics.com and https://www.eyestylist.com/2017/04/orgreen-optics-20-years-tribute-future/ for additional information and our 2017 interview with Henrik Ørgreen.
Claire Goldsmith (UK) brings the iconic OG Sunglasses collection with new colour proposals and new lens details. “The Introduction of 2-base lenses into the Icons collection is giving some of these classics a completely fresh look. Combined with some luscious new acetate from Mazzuchelli some OG icons got a facelift!” Also showing is the new CG Optical Collection. www.olivergoldsmith.com / www.clairegoldsmith.com
US eyewear producers Kenmark return annually to Paris with their designer eyewear collections, Vera Wang and Zac Posen. Vera Wang’s fashionista sunglasses line will be available to view with the new ophthalmics, designed with superb references to directional trends and bold shapes in captivating acetate colours. www.kenmarkeyewear.com
Designer Ti Kwa of Rigards always delivers innovation and expertise in his exceptional artisan eyewear: the Sterling Silver Collection will be one of the highlights at the Rigards stand at SILMO, an expression of precise, luxurious design that is rare, exotic and always surprising. View more details about Rigards at www.rigards.com
SILMO Paris 2017 takes place from 6th to 9th October at Paris Nord Villepinte. For more information visit: www.silmoparis.com Further Previews will be available on Eyestylist in the coming weeks. CN
Our friends at independent luxury eyewear destination, Eyespot, are launching a new series of in-store events, dedicated to emerging designers. EYESPOT X COLLECTION will be run as a Pop Up shop featuring exceptional designer ranges, selected from around the world for a limited engagement. Some of the exciting new labels with be making their first appearance in the US, allowing customers to get a very special taste of the most creative and innovative small labels and, in many cases, to meet the designers behind the brand at the opening events.
Appearing for the first boutique exhibition is Mondelliani Glasses from Rome, whose collection will be launched in store on September 15th and 16th from 10am until 5pm (open to everyone). Flying in from Italy, founder of the brand, Federico Mondello and family member and designer Roberta will be available through the weekend at Eyespot, to talk about the creation of the collection and their background in optics in Rome, where the Mondello family whose first optical store opened in 1975, now own several optical boutiques themselves.
Typical of the eye-catching handmade collection is the Eolie Collection, comprising glamorous sunglasses inspired by the beautiful, vivid colours of the Mediterranean and the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily. These super sunglass styles have uniquely flattering shapes and fresh toned, matching high-quality lenses produced by world leader Zeiss for an “exceptional visual experience”.
Also exhibiting is the Birds Collection, inspired by the play of colours of the feathers of birds, and the brand’s avantgarde Rigadritto range, a tribute to great icons of international cinema. Minimalist lines and exciting lens shapes come together in this exclusive artisan series. The label will also show a super collaborative limited edition line with US textile designer, John Robshaw.
EYESPOT is the only retailer in New England carrying this prestigious collection from Italy. The collection will be available at the store following the Event this coming weekend and through to end of December 2017. The EYESPOT event takes place at One Boylston Street, The Street, Chestnut Hill, MA. For further information, visit https://eyespot.com/ – www.mondelliani.it Eyestylist.com is delighted to support the new EYESPOT x COLLECTION events. CN
Visitors to the autumn edition of Hall of Frames Zurich have the opportunity to explore new, expressive and exciting visual horizons. The two-day event – 15th and 16th October – will showcase independent designers and brands, with exceptional collections of beautiful frames. (Top image: Dante-S by Götti Switzerland)
Among the designers exhibiting are Götti Switzerland, Adrian Marwitz; Blackfin: Face à Face Paris; Miamai Eyewear; Neubau Eyewear; L.G.R; Didier Voirol; Johann von Coisern, Orgreen, and more! Over fifty brands will introduce their latest styles in a new, remarkable and architecturally impressive location.
The Umweltarena (Environmental Centre) in Spreitenbach – less than thirty minutes from central Zurich, is a fascinating ecological centre – an ideal location when sustainability has become a global challenge. The optics sector is aware of the need to care for resources, and increasingly, frames are being crafted in sustainable materials.
In addition to fabulous frames, visitors are invited to participate in the “Think Tank” sessions, given by experienced professionals, and include short talks on topics relevant to optician’s needs and interests.
Save the dates! 15th and 16th October – and discover innovative eyewear that exudes style and statement design, plus enjoy visiting the fascinating, dynamic Umweltarena ecological centre.
www.hallofframes.ch www.umweltarena.ch JG Entourage of 7 image: Marc Gysin Photography www.marcgysin.com Model: Tina Thommen by www.aqua-models.com Jewellery: Bucherer Lucerne
A great fit and avantgarde style: Sandra Kaufmann and Monica Fink, the founders of award-winning Sol Sol Ito, who come from outside the eyewear sector, told Clodagh Norton about their approach to design, as their new styles launch for the coming season.
“As designers we need to be aware of our role in creating personality”
How did you come to set up Sol Sol Ito? We both wear glasses – me for distance (Sandra) and Monika for better close-up vision. We happened to be searching for a perfect frame which would fit correctly and then we started to create our own ideas. With our different optical prescriptions we felt this was a good starting point. The name of the brand came from Sausalito, the seaside town north of San Francisco.
What are your backgrounds as you are both from outside eyewear? Monika studied sculptural art in Barcelona and Geneva after an apprenticeship in design engineering. I am an industrial designer with years of experience in the Swiss watch industry. As a student, Sandra wanted to work at the Philippe Starck studio and ended up, by chance, working for Alain Mikli, a close friend of Starck and the eyewear partner of the Starck collection, where she learnt a lot about glasses.
You are keen on craftsmanship and quality – how did this come about and tell us a little about the frames – where are they made and what materials do you prefer? Traditionally, Swiss design is quite minimal, smart, adhering to a high quality standard. We are both innovation driven in our fields, and that’s why we started to work on a special hinge as a USP. For weeks, we were bending and cutting wire in Monika’s art studio. In the Swiss watch industry, we found a small manufacturer who was able to produce our metal parts. It’s difficult to produce our temples, although they look so simple. The acetate comes from Italy, and we put everything together in our studio in the centre of Zurich. We can check every detail of each frame ourselves, and that’s important to us.
Can you talk about the “open” design of the temple – the origin of this and how it has evolved since you started the collection? A strong, unique brand recognition is helpful for a newcomer in the market. We searched for an eye-catching design element that would be functional and aesthetically interesting. As we use the same temple shape for the different fronts, opticians can easily exchange the temple colours. Logistically this is interesting for a start-up: it’s the concept of an ‘eyewear kit’. Our first collection had very thick temples and was quite extreme; subsequently, we made the frames lighter and thinner and easier to adjust. Swiss people do not tend to wear heavy frames.
How does your use of colour represent the brand – you use some daring citrus and very bright tones, what inspires this mood? We don’t have a particular source of inspiration for the colour palette. We are inspired by many things, throughout the day – even with closed eyes you get wonderful inspiration. Monika is working on the colours, it’s her passion. The combination of a functional, technically inspired frame concept and an extreme, often elaborate colour range is our speciality. It’s a ‘feeling’, and something that’s in the air.
What is coming up in the collection? Cool new feminine pilot sunglasses in flashy colours. That’s what we will be wearing next season! Sol Sol Ito will exhibit at #SILMO50 in October. For more details visit www.solsolito.com CN Still life images by Hans Hansen.