Eco-friendly ‘Art Flowers’ Collection
5th November 2014 A fresh take on floral prints has rather won us over in the latest collection launch by Etnia Barcelona: Art Flowers. With the collaboration of Mazzucchelli, leading producer of acetate in Italy, the Spanish design firm has come up with a lively collection of expressive frames for men and women, celebrating flower-inspired colour and pattern in beautiful, delicate, and appealing ways. Inspired by the impressionists, the frames are “trimmed” with the floral-inspired bloc acetate material. The shapes are minimal to allow the decorative elements a central focus.
The 100% eco-friendly material used is manufactured with natural organic compounds such as cotton and cellulose paste, and is totally recyclable and biodegradable. Another bonus! Find out more: www.etniabarcelona.com CN
La Shaperie, Paris
Optical, hat and barbers shop, Paris
1st November 2014 It’s a brilliant edgy concept “for Shaves, Shades & Shapes” in the centre of Paris, where you can have a cool Parisian cut and select your next favourite frame. Located off the busy Rue de Rivoli in a cosy village-like atmosphere with several interesting bars and restaurants, the owners of La Shaperie are optical people with a terrific passion for independent labels.
“I’ve worked in the States for Selima Bond St, I have a close relationship with the US label Coco & Breezy, and I’m working as a distributor with new cutting-edge European labels like Hapter,” explained co-owner Hedi Hamdi. “I opened La Shaperie in April 2013 with Jey Noname. “I ran a completely different optical store previously in Place de Clichy but this concept is the one I love. We are doing half our business on eyewear and half with the barbers, and while you might not expect it we see as many women as we do men. We plan to open our second store in 2015 in another central location in Paris. Watch and see!”
The accessory selection at La Shaperie includes hats (Moodwoot luxury hats) and cool eyewear to fit with hair trends. Hard-to-find labels are showcased around the store: at present Coco & Breezy, GRAZ, Eyevan7285, Masunaga 1905, D’Blanc, handpicked vintage frames and the very latest addition in October – Hapter from Italy. Hamdi promises more coming up soon, and always “well made interesting design”. We’ll be looking out for what’s coming next.
La Shaperie, Optic, Hat & Barber Shop, 62 Rue de L’Arbre Sec, 75001 Paris, France. Follow La Shaperie on Twitter @La_Shaperie
Corbu
Blake Kuwahara Eyewear
From a new eponymous collection by a designer who first came to optics as the creator and designer of KATA, the Blake Kuwahara line is made by hand in Japan. I first met Blake when I started as a trade journalist in the eyewear sector in 1999, and was told by senior editors he was one of the most important trendsetting designers at the time. Today he expresses his eyewear passion once again in a collection that is elegant, understated, imaginative and executed with precision and attention to detail.
Style Corbu expresses the key concept of the collection, as Kuwahara explained to Eyestylist at Silmo: “I’ve taken familiar eye shapes but encapsulate them in a nontraditional surrounding shape. By making a “frame within a frame” the juxtaposition of shapes and colours creates a design tension that is fresh and quite unexpected.” The collection launches with nine unisex optical styles and nine sunglass styles. www.blakekuwahara.com CN
Zero 7 Blush
Finest Seven
Generous proportions enhance beautiful sunglasses from British brand Finest 7 in a new colour – soft, harmonious Blush acetate. A sculpted cut-out nose piece, and detailed gold metal temples complete the ultra-glamorous look. Exquisite handcrafting excellence! www.finestseven.com JG
Mutato
Mothersbaugh x Baum
Coming soon to very chic shops including Opening Ceremony and Eye Society! Mutato is one of the new styles from a collaborative line by Mark Mothersbaugh (front man for Devo and eyewear enthusiast) with eyewear designer Shane Baum. Bold and artistic, the frames are statement geometric designs with lots of luxury features – including silver reflective mirror coated lenses. A scholarly shape, Mutato is created – interestingly- in Beryllium metal, with a stainless steel chrome finish. It’s light, strong (six times stronger that steel) and resistant to tarnish and corrosion, as well as offering a unique bright greyish-tone surface shine. Find more on this collection at: www.eyesocietyonline.com CN