Eyestylist

The show season is now in full swing. London will welcome optical companies and designers from far and wide at the third edition of 100% Optical, held at ExCel. Designers are preparing new collections for the seasons ahead, with focus on innovation, new technology, technical processes, colour and design. Trend highlights will include hot new colours – we’ll be expecting more interior design inspired metallics, and a rise in light, delicate pastel tones. The delightful coral featured in the Kaleidoscope Collection by Kirk & Kirk is a good example of this direction – www.kirkandkirk.com. A soft focus, summed up by new caramels,nude tones and cappuccino hues, offers a fresh colour story that we can expect to be a lasting one, with its chic, ultra-flattering look for natural skin tones.

With our eye on the new arrivals and up-and-coming talent, 100% Optical promises a good line-up of international newcomers this year, including brands like Smoke x Mirrors, Fakoshima and Tavat Eyewear, who have a new lightweight acetate version of their eye-catching SoupCan design launching at the show – www.tavat-eyewear.com.

Trends in colour combinations will be a key topic, brightening up classic shapes or avant garde silhouettes with a dash of something unexpected. Labels like Woow Eyewear from Paris – a 2-year old design brand by Architectures (Face à Face), show the fun opportunities of multicoloured eyewear geared to a young generation who increasingly expect fashion-driven trends and idiosyncratic details, here in the form of little messages or words written at the end of the temples or on the lining of each design. www.wooweyewear.com

From even further afield, Australia’s Jono Hennessy, now widely available in leading optical boutiques in the UK, will show bright combinations of wood-look with punchy blocked colour (Carter Bond) and textile embellished eyewear (Jono Hennessy) that sum up a widespread desire among the independents to shake up the classic looks with striking colours and beautifully attentive finishing. www.jonohennessy.com / www.carterbond.com

100% Optical is a trade fair for the optical sector. The exhibition takes place from 6th to 8th February 2016 at London’s ExCel. www.100percentoptical.com CN

Opti has impressed with a very wide selection of specialist eyewear labels and busy stands and aisles for an optimistic start to the year. The short journey to Munich from other parts of Europe remains a big draw for many optical retailers who see the post-Xmas show as an ideal way to kick off their new year buying; visitors we met had also travelled from the USA, Japan and the Middle East.

Independent designers attended in force. Leading trends (and there are many we will look at in the months ahead) included a progression in high-tech and 3d design, and continued developments in sustainable production and eco materials. Colours were bold but there is also a sign of more natural, gentle tones appearing again, combined in sensitive, understated ways, as well as some colour schemes linked to the design world: copper is one that popped up several times when we were talking about autumn/winter 16/17.

Among the young exhibitors were a number of Scandinavian designers, including E&E Glasses, Monkey Glasses, Falvin Eyewear and the independent label Karmoie, a Norwegian brand who have specialised in frames created in Mazzucchelli’s quality sustainable M49 material. Designers Kirsten and Lars Iversen launched their 2016 campaign at the fair – pictured above – and showed a collection that is about simple, flattering aesthetics inspired by the nostalgic elegance of vintage styles. www.karmoie.com

RES/REI from Italy illustrates the continued attention to detail and hand-finishing in quality acetate. A close look at new models including Mimosa (above) exhibited the brand’s genuine dedication to artisan design, originality and clever colouration  – very pretty marbling and elegant combinations were beautifully represented by the label. www.resrei.com

Collaborations continue to be an important area for creative exchanges. One example: ic! berlin is working with David Tomaszewski, the fashion designer based in Berlin, and their latest design together, Grazyna has all the makings of an elegant designer icon. Selecting acetate for the first time, Tomaszewski worked closely with the ic! berlin design team to bring his signature architectural and graphical structures into a multifaceted three-dimensional frame. His inspiration – the eclectic colour world of the 1960s and 70s – lead him to caramel and havanna, accents which compliment the rich autumn tones and intense colour gradients found in the upcoming David Tomaszewski Autumn/Winter 2016 collection. www.ic-berlin.de

Wood and paper products continue to arrive in the market. For recycled eyewear, Paper Style shows a refreshingly serious approach to fit and comfort alongside interesting aesthetics – including smart, textured surfaces – and collaborations with creatives from other fields such as Truus Brands in the “Artists by Paper Style” series. www.paper-style.it

Opti 2017 will return next year from 28th to 30th January 2017. More information is available at www.opi.de CN