Eyestylist

Perroquets for Christmas

Magnifying glasses from Filao Paris

16th November 2011 These adorable parrots are so cute – and useful! The charming magnifying/readers design, by Caroline Abram at Filao, is handy for small type and street maps, plus other necessities in fine print. Crafted in glossy acetate, the charming little creatures fold easily to slip into a pocket or purse. Available in bright, joyful colours of shocking pink, orange, forest green, burgundy, plus elegant black. Filao designs can be found in Paris at Les Créateurs D’Opta, 25 rue Abbesses 75018 Paris, and in Vienna at Siebenstern Handels optician. www.filaoparis.com JG

Winter gift guide

John Varvatos V801

14th November 2011 The season for gift giving rapidly approaches, and we have found some unusual, useful and chic eyewear ideas. Good things do come in little packages, like these splendid readers (above) from lifestyle designer John Varvatos. Beautifully crafted in antique gold and silver, and extremely comfortable to wear, they fold compactly into a little leather pouch case. The Transitions lenses provide clear viewing, and the distinguished nosepiece adds a smart touch. www.eyerespect.com www.johnvarvatos.com www.remeyewear.com JG

Optica Toscana, Madrid

10th November 2011 Eyestylist.com’s Art Director Helen Bratby has just returned from a weekend in Madrid, and took some pictures for us of the very special Optica Toscana. It’s one of the stores in Europe that is always being mentioned  to us for its style and atmosphere and incredible selection of specs. The old-fashioned flagship shop (above) is a former seed store full of tiny old wooden drawers, bursting with exciting-looking frames. Blasts of colour are dotted around the wood displays.

The main shop is very buzzy and full of people (not just at weekends), and it’s in an atmospheric regenerated shopping area.

Wall display at Optica Toscana

 

Owner Antonio Lopez, explains further: “Our shops are designed for those with an interest in design and aesthetics, who see spectacles as an important part of their identity, for themselves. We have a wide selection of collections; they include Anne et Valentin, Barton Perreira, Cutler and Gross, L.G.R., Francis Klein, Rapp and Leisure Society and many others. We do well also with the buffalo horn by Ralph Vaessen.”

Why is the store a trendsetter? “We are coherent, we stick to our preferences and tastes when choosing frames, and we work closely with our suppliers bringing a wide choice of complete collections, the best from around the world, to our customers.

“We have opened a second store in Ayala because we saw a demand for our frames in another part of Madrid! Designed by the architects Maroto and Ibañez, this shop is completely different and modern, but we believe it shares the essence of who we are.” CN

www.opticatoscana.com

 

Optica Toscana, Hortaleza 70, 28004 Madrid

Optica Toscana, Ayala 34 28001 Madrid 

 

 

 

Optica Toscana's branch at Ayala 34, Madrid

Photography by Helen Bratby www.helenbratby.co.uk 

Slide

EYE’DC

11th November 2011 Marseilles based designer Lionel Bellet can always be counted on to create a collection with unique touches. In 2009, the company won a Silmo D’Or (an industry accolade) for their innovative  eyewear concepts. The newest collection features “Slide” (above) that allows the customer to select two or three different acetate colours; mix them to ‘slide’ into place, et voilà,  very distinctive frames. Ebony and champagne merge into these neat little shapes, and express retro harmony. Eye’DC designs are available at Les Createurs D’Opta in Paris, and Arthur Morrice Opticians in Knightsbridge, London. www.eye-dc.com  www.idc-lunettes.com JG

LAMARCA EYEWEAR
ERKERS
Article One
MOREL
GIGI STUDIOS
ROLF Spectacles
VAVA Eyewear
LEINZ
SILMO Paris 20-23 SEPT 2024

Austrian Designers

Katharina Plattner – Andy Wolf

10th November 2011 The next stop on our Austrian designer tour is to chat with Katharina Plattner, designer and managing partner at Andy Wolf. Although the brand is only five years old, it has captured international markets. Vintage heroes and heroines often inspire the timeless designs – including Betty Boop. Everything is handmade in the Styria region of Austria, located in the southeast section of the country, with a history that dates back to Roman times.

“Nowadays, it is difficult to find people to create handmade frames,” observes Plattner, “but is it important to have knowledge of old handcrafts, or else everything will be lost if you don’t learn from the old. The new collection is inspired by criminal novels from Agatha Christie – the sunglasses have names like Miss Marple or Colombo. This is because I grew up with these old films – my granny loved them.”

Plattner is adamant about quality, and every frame goes through a rigorous handcrafting and time consuming process. “I think it’s very important to give time to the finishing processes – we give the frames seven days – it’s usually three – and you can feel the difference.”

For the future, Plattner would like to experiment with materials. “I’d like to work with French lace for frames, and I think every type of cloth would be good, like silk for example.” Andy Wolf followers eagerly await the new Austrian eyewear creations. www.andywolf-eyewear.com JG