Eyestylist

  | Eyestylist 13th May 2025

The Lens of Time, Venice

A new exhibition in Venice, produced and sponsored by ANFAO, explores the history of Italian eyewear

Celebrating the story of eyewear, through art, design and innovation, the new exhibition, ‘The Lens of Time’ explores the history of spectacles and sunglasses in Italy, from the Middle Ages to the present day, with more than 150 original pieces and related materials on display. Curated by Fondazione Museo dell’Occhiale, in collaboration with Fondazione di Venezia and Fondazione M9 – Museo del ’900, the eyewear displayed has been sourced from three distinguished Italian collections – the Eyewear Museum of Pieve di Cadore, that of the Vascellari Family, and the Arte del Vedere Collection by Lucio Stramare. Above: ‘The Lens of Time’ at Palazzo Flangini in Venice

The Lens of Time: archive materials from iconic campaigns by Safilo, Persol, LOZZA and other heritage brands

The exhibition also features a virtual tour of the famous eyewear museum in Pieve di Cadore and an interactive kiosk entitled “Timeless Frames” which allows visitors to experience a virtual try-on of some of the historic spectacles and sunglasses on display and share the images. Among art works featured are two contemporary works by the artist, Maurizio Paccagnella. The first, Trasparenze, is a sculptural piece that draws inspiration from the Cadore mountains – the heart of Italy’s eyewear production – and from the beauty of Murano and Venetian glass, in tribute to the lenses of the earliest spectacles. This installation was crafted using recycled acetate. The second, Sguardo nel Tempo, is described as “capturing the essence of looking through time”. Its undulating surface is a a nod to the Venetian lagoon – “reflecting the countless gazes of those who have worn glasses throughout history, weaving together the story of humanity with that of eyewear”. Below: The iconic Peggy sunglasses – Safilo, Italy – 1990 – Peggy Guggenheim originally commissioned her friend Edward Melcarth to design the oversized butterfly shape, https://www.eyestylist.com/2014/09/eyewear-and-an-avant-garde-art-collector/

Zero sunglasses, Zagato, Cadore, Italy / 1978 – a piece of fashion history

Curated by architect Daniela Zambelli, Director of Fondazione Museo dell’Occhiale, and art historian Alessandra Cusinato, ‘The Lens of Time’ is part of the official programme for the National Made in Italy Day, sponsored by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and is also included on the calendar of the 2025 Venezia Architecture Biennale.

‘The Lens of Time’ is open to the public (11am to 5pm) until 30th July 2025 at Palazzo Flangini – Cannaregio, Calle Flangini 252 – Venice. For more information: www.anfao.it

  | Eyestylist 12th May 2025

SALT. Optics: classic sunglasses for the season

Collection II 2025 at SALT. : timeless design, modern precision

SALT. Optics explores 80s-inspired glamour and classic lines in new models Virginia and Turner, two of the brand’s latest sunglass styles offering understated timeless shapes and beautiful finishes. Produced in Japan, the designs are the result of a meticulous attention to quality and comfort, and feature particular details including subtle hardware and high-quality polarised lenses. Above: the latest models from SALT. Optics, Virginia and Turner

SALT. Optics – the Virginia sunglasses

Virginia features an oversized cat-eye shape – a very flattering design – and comes in nature-inspired tones of rose fog, antique leaves, black and Evergreen. The model is 100% produced in Japan in Japanese acetate which has a high luster.

SALT. Optics – Turner: a classic style for men – in “antique leaves”

For men, the Turner sunglasses blend nostalgia and innovation. The design includes rivet hinges, Japanese componentry, and like the Nevada, the frame is 100% made in Japan.

SALT. Optics’ new campaign was shot on location at Hotel Les Cabanettes in the Camargue in the South of France. The hotel was designed by the artist Armand Pellier and provides a secluded architectural backdrop for the new SALT. imagery. For more details about the lates styles in the SALT. Optics collection, visit www.saltoptics.com

  | Eyestylist 9th May 2025

{rewind} Eyewear, Florence, Italy

Niche eyewear brand {rewind} by Patrizia Puliti and Paolo Corraddossi enjoys a growing network of highly rated independent optician stockists around the world. The collection embodies the essence of Italian craftsmanship, blending the nostalgia of iconic 90s frames with a modern and refined design and a dedicated focus on quality. Eyestylist asked co-founder and designer, Patrizia Puliti to explain her vision of the collection and its success at a relatively early stage in its evolution.

The current collection was launched at MIDO – what was your experience of the show and did you open in some new markets? I had the pleasure of participating in MIDO last February. As always, it was an extraordinary event that brought together professionals, companies, and innovators from around the world, offering a unique opportunity to exchange views on the latest trends in the eyewear industry. MIDO continues to be the benchmark event for all levels of the sector and represents a truly international showcase, giving smaller brands like {rewind} the chance to present themselves in a prestigious setting.

During the event, I had the opportunity to connect with companies from various countries, discovering different approaches to management, communication, and value propositions. Each encounter was a rich exchange of ideas, insights, and visions, helping me to better understand the needs of both emerging and established markets.  In addition to Italy, {rewind} is already present in several European markets: Finland, Switzerland, and France have embraced the spirit and personality of the collection most strongly. However, interest is expanding: Greece, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and non-European countries such as the United States, Brazil, and some Middle Eastern regions have shown strong curiosity and potential.

{rewind} is a niche product that combines design and elegance. Interest in Italian design remains strong, and in many markets, “Made in Italy” continues to be synonymous with exclusivity. Above: Flashback by {rewind} features bold geometric lines and thick rims with bevelled edges; below: Countdown by {rewind} is characterised by a geometric shape with facets. “The colours are designed to remain timeless, effortlessly overcoming the passage of time…”

Countdown by {rewind}

You have selected particular Mazzucchelli acetates in this collection and some very unique tones? What is your inspiration for the colour palette and the delicate tortoise tones included? Creative work doesn’t stop at shape: I dedicate great attention to the choice of patterns and colours, which must reflect the personality of each model. The acetates come from selected collections by Mazzucchelli, La/es, and Jimei, and are chosen only after thorough research.

I favour original and distinctive tones and shades, which are capable of giving each piece a unique identity while maintaining a coherent aesthetic that makes the collection recognizable and harmonious. I love working with havanas, enriching them with touches of colour that make them both classic and contemporary. This approach is highly appreciated by our clients and is applied to every model.

The model that best embodies this philosophy is Countdown, currently the most popular with the public. Its colour variations stand out thanks to a play of glossy and matt facets, handcrafted to make each piece unique and visually captivating.

Looper by {rewind}

Models like Flashback and Countdown are typical of the style of {rewind} – familiar shapes and yet slightly different from the norm. Can you comment on this singularity of style and how you have evolved it for the modern customer – what do you hope someone will experience when they put on one of your designs? The new models presented at MIDO are Flashback and Blackout. For the shapes, I started by studying eyewear from the 1990s, meticulously following the principle of originality and focusing 100% on {rewind}’s distinctive details.

All the models I create are born from a study of past shapes: I don’t like to make copies, but rather reinterpret details in a contemporary way, so that our audience can recognize themselves and find in each model a way to express their own personality.

Those who choose {rewind} seek authentic, comfortable eyewear that stands apart from fleeting trends. Because, as we know, adhering to mass models is inherently alienating: the true secret lies in building one’s own identity without ever giving in to standardization.

The collection is cross-generational and appeals to a wide age range: from younger women, who find an authentic expression of individuality in models like Deja Vu and Double Life, to more mature individuals, who rediscover memories of the past in models like Sensitive and Sliding Doors.  Even a confident woman with a bold look can identify with the Looper model — a shape that might traditionally be described as “masculine,” but which is actually very popular with female customers. Each model carries a carefully chosen name, intertwining the themes of “time” and “memory” into a narrative that continues to live through those who wear them.

Flashback by {rewind} featuring Swarovski crystals

How would you describe the DNA of your brand ? We know you have some important retailer ‘fans’ in Italy; what is it they enjoy about your designs, is it particularly the wearability of the shapes and colours or something else they comment on that makes them particularly unique and desirable at this time? Every pair of {rewind} glasses is much more than just an accessory:  it is a personal journey through time, a conscious choice of style and identity. The model names are never random: they speak of time, memory, lives that flow, intertwine, and are rediscovered. With {rewind}, we don’t chase the future: we build it, bringing along everything worth remembering. Because true modernity is born from a respect for our roots. And authenticity is timeless. Each model is much more than just a pair of glasses: it is a testament to a journey I have undertaken and that continues to evolve.

Have you always been into eyewear? What do you think are the secret advantages of having worked as a distributor in eyewear before turning your hand to the creative work itself? Over more than thirty years, I have seen the industry change and trends come and go, but I have always held firm to one conviction: authenticity is the key.  It’s not about chasing fleeting fashions, but about building something that endures, that adapts to those who wear it without ever losing its essence or becoming a mere copy of something already seen.

Timeline by {rewind}

Before creating the brand, I had the opportunity to travel extensively in my role as a distributor, even abroad, and this sparked in me the desire to create something different. Each model I design is a reflection of myself, of my experiences, and of what I deeply believe: that eyewear should tell a story — *your* story.  {rewind} is a collection created for those who aren’t satisfied with simply appearing, but who seek a style that speaks of themselves. Every detail, every shape is the result of years of study, research, and passion, but above all, of an intuition always guided by the desire to offer wearers a chance to express their uniqueness. It’s not just about design, but about the emotion each piece of eyewear can evoke, the energy it transmits. My experience has taught me that nothing lasting can be created without passion, and {rewind} is the result of that passion. Each new model is a step forward in this quest for balance between past and future, between tradition and innovation — a step that allows me to continue telling, through eyewear, the stories that define us.

{rewind} Eyewear is available at independent opticians including I Visionari in Florence (Italy), Centro Ottico Bastia, Veneto (Italy), DM Optics, Barcelona (Spain) and Les Createurs d’Opta, Paris (France).

For more information visit www.rewindeyewear.com

  | Eyestylist 6th May 2025

Paloceras: Pebble Collection SS25

The European eyewear brand, based out of Portugal and Finland, is launching its Pebble Collection in New York this month; two new SS25 silhouettes are premiering with this release

In fashion spheres, Paloceras has been dubbed an exceptional rising force and in the optical world, while early adopters of the bold and stylish inflated forms included a handful of the leading opticians across the globe, at the forefront of eyewear fashion and qualitative design.

Today, they launch two new styles in their Pebble Collection, known for its bold inflated forms and colour innovation. The new Aviator (VX) and Diamond (DX) which join frames like the RX, an oval shape with the distinctive signature style, extend the eye-catching collection with new directions. “The development began not with sketches, but with simulation,” Design Director Alexis Perron-Corriveau explains. “Using digital matter in motion, we watched as geometry settled into place. Not through control, but through release. Shape was found, not forced….”

Paloceras first launched their frames in Europe in 2022. The co-founders, Mika Matikainen and Alexis Perron-Corriveau, who had met a short time previously at one of the world’s most exclusive design schools in Switzerland, founded the brand on finishing their Masters, choosing Lisbon as their  base from which to launch.

Above: from the Pebble Collection – Dulce Drift RX features a frosted gold 8mm Mazzucchelli acetate with solid green lenses. The frame features the brand’s DualLayer™ laminated construction, a layering technique which allows the interweaving of two individual pieces of acetate – the model below, DX “diamond” is one of the two new unisex-fit styles, subtly inspired by the cateye

[Extended] Pebble Collection – the new DX “diamond” shape in ice blue

“Some ideas are drawn. Others emerge. The Pebble Collection was never about following tradition. It was about challenging the predictable, embracing discovery, and leaving space for the unexpected. We let the digital world take the first step, not with rigid sketches but with virtual matter in motion, shifting and settling naturally. Using computational simulations and generative design, we watched as forms revealed themselves, not through control but through discovery. Like finding a perfect pebble on the shore. Something already whole. Something that feels meant to be. Then came the hands. Artisans translating discovery into permanence, shaping acetate with precision until it felt inevitable, as if it had always existed. Colour was not just applied but composed, layered through custom lamination to bring depth and contrast. Bold yet natural. Playful yet refined.…” Alexis Perron-Corriveau, Design Director

Paloceras: VX aviator is a new entry in the [Extended] Pebble Collection, pictured in Havana Gold with gradient green lenses
The second of the brand new styles is based on an aviator concept.  Styled as an oversized statement, it is being released in warm Havana Gold, vivid Velvet Rouge, sophisticated Shadow Black and Babi Cino – a playful baby blue tone; each variation expresses a different character behind the softened geometry and “contrast, tension and rhythm” in the sculptural form.

About Paloceras – Founded in Switzerland with creative roots in Finland and Portugal, Paloceras is an independent eyewear house set up by Alexis Perron-Corriveau, Design Director and Mika Matikainen, Creative Director. As praised by Vogue, Elle, Grazia, and Elite Daily, each Paloceras creation blends digital precision with hand-finished craftsmanship and draws on a rich visual language shaped by nature, memory, and quiet rebellion. Find out more: www.paloceras.com

All images provided courtesy of Paloceras. © Paloceras 2025 Shoot imagery – Creative Director: Mika Matikainen / Paloceras, Art Director & Stylist: Anne Törnroos, Photographer: Juho Huttunen, MUAH: Jenny Jansson, Talents: Marié-Grace Iradukunda & Antti Nguyen

This feature was written by Clodagh Norton. All rights reserved.

  | Eyestylist 30th April 2025

MYKITA in Japan

A third store has opened in Fukuoka, Kyushu

MYKITA has opened a third store in Japan this month in Fukuoka, Kyushu’s largest city. The shop is located in the brand new One Fukuoka Bldg., and has been designed to reflect the city’s balance of heritage and modernity in its interior concept. Traditional araidashi-finished walls and a custom marble-glass counter nod to retro influences, while the spacious layout and clean architectural lines speak to a minimalist, contemporary aesthetic. Verdant greenery is also a feature of the interior. As in all MYKITA stores, the space is anchored by the MYKITA WALL—a bold, modular display showcasing the brand’s full range of optical and sun collections. Vitors to the store can expect a comprehensive eyewear experience with high-end optical services powered by state-of-the-art ZEISS technology, the company adds. www.mykita.com