Crystal and gold merge with beauty and harmony in this striking frame by Finest Seven. The design captures the major eyewear fashion feature for 2015 – sunglasses with volume shaping, but extremely light and airy. The sculptured detailing on the frame front adds a dramatic touch, and the Zeiss gold mirror lenses complete this chic eyewear statement. www.finestseven.com JG
Craftsmanship and enduring beauty are keynote at RIGARDS – and their latest natural horn collection is exciting and directional. Ti Kwa likes to blend old and new in one instrument, with inspirations that are fluid and eclectic. But at the core, vintage references are translated to eyewear in a modern yet non-conformist way, as elegantly expressed in RG0008, pictured above. www.rigards.com JG
German eyewear designer Adrian Marwitz has just launched a new frame in featherweight Titanium, that is part of his Urban Stranger series. The graceful, contemporary shape in Stranger No. 18 – all handcrafted in Germany – is particularly stunning in a lustrous, shiny finish – a colour that is a lovely blend of copper and gold. www.adrianmarwitz.com JG
rapp Eyewear continues to produce creative avant-garde frame designs. A family business, led by Shilo Rapp, trained as a goldsmith, the frames have a unique handmade look and feature materials like titanium and Italian acetate – always with a distinctive finish. Francine caught our eye: the style is like all of Rapp’s designs made in the brand’s own production workshop in Toronto. The acetate material has a subtle striated pattern. The shape also boasts a fantastic bevelling effect which gives it lots of character.
1st February 2015 The Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris is absolutely a little gem. Founded in 1928 by the founder of the La Samaritaine Department Store (sadly, now closed) Ernest Cognacq assembled an amazing collection of emblematic eighteenth-century art works. They are on display in a beautifully renovated sixteenth-century townhouse in the Marais. M. Cognacq chose items that would be representative of “the artistic décor of French life”… and include a stunning collection of portrait miniatures, superb paintings, busts, Meissen porcelains and furniture.
To celebrate the re-opening of the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Christian Lacroix, the peripatetic fashion and interior designer, was offered a “carte blanche” – a dual challenge of re-imagining the “guiding narrative” of the exhibition spaces, while exploring a concept which has shaped his own approach to his art – the fascination exerted by the eighteenth century. Lacroix has curated contributions from over forty contemporary artists, invited to reflect upon ten key themes identified in Ernest Cognacq’s collections. Some of the themes include: 18th century taste; Show, balls and sociability; Paris, capital of the Enlightenment; Fables, stories and novels; and Europe’s artistic economy. Lacroix’s selections have been assembled with a view to enhancing our understanding of the Age of Enlightenment, and its continued relevance in our own era.
Enlightenment: Carte Blanche à Christian Lacrox is an innovative exhibition, enhanced with Lacroix’s inimitable flair. The exhibition continues through 19th April 2015.
Photo credits: Vigée Lebrun: Musée Cognacq-Jay /Roger-Viollet
All photos: Agence Roger Viollet “Press Photo”