Eyestylist

Travel in Style with Tumi

25th June 2012 Frame designs by Tumi are recognised for their performance, function, fit and fashion – it’s a great collection. I’ve also developed a yearning for Tumi luggage – the collection is at Le Bon Marché in Paris, and it’s really super. Like the frame designs, the luggage is created with craftsmanship and durability, and superior technology. This couple is ready for boarding and then take off  with Tumi – she wears Newport, featuring leather temples, and he sports Brooklyn in stainless steel. Bon voyage! www.tumi.com JG

Mark Tungate Explores The Luxury World

22nd June 2012 Author, conference speaker and journalist, Tungate is the author of the acclaimed Luxury World: The Past, Present and Future of Luxury Brands (Kogan Page) and shares his Luxury concepts with Eyestylist.

What does luxury mean to you? “The word “luxury” is used so often to market overpriced goods that it has almost lost its meaning. But in terms of goods and services, luxury is usually a product that exists in a basic form – whether it’s a watch, a car or a bar of chocolate – raised to the highest extremes of quality and refinement. We’ve all experienced the standard version, but we can appreciate and admire the ultimate expression of the same idea: the Romanée Conti or the Rolls Royce. Having said that, luxury could also mean a day at the beach or an afternoon at the movies when you should be at work. Luxury is an escape from the daily grind of reality”.

What does luxury mean in the current economic climate?  “Luxury weathers recessions quite well – mainly because the super-rich always stay comparatively super-rich. The luxury industry has also proved skilled at going where the money is, switching its marketing focus to the emerging economies of Asia while Europe suffers. You may have noticed that luxury brands have changed the message of their advertising from glamour – a surfeit of celebrities with handbags – to one of authenticity and craftsmanship. Having been forced to turn themselves into fashion brands to boost their profits, they’re now trying to convince us that they’re about quality and longevity after all.”

What luxury items do you own? “Well, my JLC spectacles are genuine buffalo horn, so I suppose that counts. I’m also a great believer in buying good shoes: I have three pairs from J.M. Weston, a couple from Church and one pair from Edward Green, which appear to be indestructible. And right now I’ve got my eye on a Pierre Paulin desk from Ligne Roset. I think I deserve a nice desk.”

What luxuries can’t you do without? “I hate ironing and find it too time consuming, so I love getting my shirts pressed. I’ll also pay over the odds for a haircut. Not just for the cut, but for the cup of coffee and the good-looking staff. I go to a place called Edge near Place Madeleine here in Paris.” www.tungateinparis.com JG

Photo: Géraldine Dormoy-Tungate www.cafémode.fr

20th June 2012 Our friends at Silver Lining Pictures, a boutique production company shooting in South Africa and Malta, are located in Cape Town close to the well-known optical store, The Oculus. Executive producer Renier Ridgeway – above, wearing Italian label L.G.R.’s Cape Town sunglasses (aptly named!) – arranged a shoot there, exclusively for Eyestylist, and here are the fabulous results.

Renier Ridgeway, Executive Producer: “This is a great find. As a producer I am often out on location and I wear sunglasses religiously. The collections here are well beyond the norm, and I like that they have names that I have not heard of. Our work is in advertising, both tv and stills. We represent a roster of international directors covering the spectrum from comedy to high-end beauty and more, as well as some incredible photographers – Marguerite Oelofse, Christoph Musiol, Jesse Leigh Elford, Max Mogale and Richard Keppel Smith, shooting all around the world.

Optometrist Pieter Steyn, The Oculus: “I have been wearing specs since I was 7 and I’ve always found it quite daunting that you have to compromise on your own personal aesthetic when choosing frames in a traditional eyewear store. The concept for The Oculus was born out of that need to provide a funky, relaxing, stylish, non-clinical environment to make the choice easier. I believe that your eyewear contributes more towards your personal style than any other item you own.

I love handcrafted eyewear. We stock Rolf wooden spectacles, Anne et Valentin, l.a. Eyeworks, L.G.R., Thierry Lasry, Mykita, Isson and RVS by V., one of my favourites. I am always on the look out for fresh, high-quality eyewear labels. For bespoke and couture eyewear, we have TD Tom Davies.” www.theoculus.co.za CN

The Oculus, Showroom 4, The Hudson, Cnr of Strand & Hudson Str, De Waterkant, Cape Town, South Africa

Photography for Eyestylist.com by Silver Lining Pictures. For more information, visit www.silverliningpictures.tv

Shane Baum at Leisure Society Discusses Luxury

How do you define Luxury? “Luxury is the act of feeling good about something, and whether it’s an object, a time – there can be a variety of luxuries in life – and they are all based upon really feeling good about something”.

What elements are most important when designing Luxury eyewear? “With eyewear, there’s always states of economy involved with whether you can create something or not. When building luxury eyewear, you have an open palette to paint with more colours, more exotic materials, more intricate designs, more labour and everything else. So eyewear becomes luxuruious when your palette of ingredients to design with becomes greater.”

Where do you find inspiration? “At the end of the day, eyewear is simply a product, and products are influenced by a variety of capacities. Whether it’s an heirloom piece from a chalice at a castle in Scotland, or a beautiful chair with beautiful lines, there’s a certain aesthetic. There is wrong or right to it because the public will vote and look at something and say:  ‘are these lines in the right place?’ The relation of those eyes to the human eye defines the most beautiful pieces of any luxury product. For me it’s all product design and architecture, so that can be as simple as beautiful heirloom pieces from Europe that are vases, candelabras, door handles, anything that is made from a pliable object and molded, is inspiration from my viewpoint.”

Do you have any special ‘luxuries’ you cannot live without? “Well, you could live without any of them, but life without luxuries isn’t really worth living, is it? (he says with a chuckle).  You know, my children are a real luxury, and I could not live without them. Everything else I feel thankful to have. I think in general luxury comes down to both quality ingredients, but also a lot of hard work. When you look at the great artists and what it took for them to make paintings, sculptures, or masterpieces of their eras, these are not things that were done in fifteen minutes or copied from anyone else. This was true artisanal craftsmanship and a dedication to an art form and a craft – with a lot of heart, time, effort and talent. When you think about eyewear design, it’s people with the extra inspiration that push all of us forward, and take this from a medical device that you wear on your face, to an art form that can be cherished from generation to generation.” www.leisure-society.com JG

15th June 2012 Metal sunglass styles are on the up and I’ve found these super ones that show how the trend just keeps on accelerating. Above, from German label ic! berlin, a style called ‘sauvage’ from their cool tres chic! collection, worn by picture editor, Maira Becke. This style is typical of this lightweight, graceful line for women designed with the collaboration of French designer Olivia Delorme. The fronts are engraved skilfully creating a special texture when you see them close-up. Every model comes with a silver neck chain in the same shape as the glasses, a touch I love!

Aviators are classic in luxury metals, but as demonstrated by this design from Finest Seven, there is scope to play on the traditional look of the frame. Here we see the fine lines of a triple bridge and triple arm in 14K gold. Part of the new collection by Finest Seven, these very luxurious sunglasses also feature UV protective Zeiss lenses. Available at www.net-a-porter.com and www.finestseven.com.

Meanwhile, some eyewear designers continue to develop clever techniques for metal work, creating mini works of art. Secret by Boz is a spectacular women’s spectacle design in stainless steel, inspired by a spider’s web and studded with Swarovski stones. Made in France by Jean-Francois Rey and his wife Joelle, BOZ frames are recognised for their creative elegance and are always intriguing. For more details go to www.boz-eyewear.fr. The BOZ label is available in the UK at Roger Pope and Partners www.rogerpope.co.uk CN