Eyestylist

| Eyestylist 14th May 2012

Trends Under The Sun

Super Sunnies from Marni

14th May 2012 Reds really sizzle this season – as we’ve featured in previous posts. I recently had the pleasure of previewing the Marni sunglass collection for Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 – and marvelled at the fabulous shapes, amazing colours, and superb quality. I singled out this red and cappuccino design in particular for its casual chic, a graceful rectangular frame shape, and distinguished nose bridge. Marni frames are handmade in Italy and exude authentic fashion flair. Available at Corso Como in Milan, and Poul Stig (www.poulstigbriller.dk) in Copenhagen.  Further information at www.marni.com JG

| Eyestylist 11th May 2012

The Sunglasses Salon, Liberty London

11th May 2012 The Sunglasses Salon in Liberty’s was updated last year, and now features around 600 sunglasses, from 24 luxurious brands, many of our favourites! I am always popping in for inspiration and love the superbly curated selection. It’s one of the best places in central London if you want to pick up an utterly desirable design…. from Moscot to Lasry, a-Morir and Cutler & Gross to the Linda Farrow ranges, there are classics as well as trendy-focused designs for Spring/Summer ’12.

 

Pepper Retro Lucia, exclusively for Liberty's

Chic Liberty print sunglasses are also on display, part of a collaboration with RetroSuperFuture, the trendy Italian sunglasses label. I like the Retro Lucia design in Pepper Liberty Print, which features quality Zeiss lenses for proper protection from UV rays. Available on the web at £130.00, www.liberty.co.uk CN

| Eyestylist 10th May 2012

Trend watch: a red alert

11th May 2012 Red is hot! I received this image from our good friends at the Berlin store Lunettes Brillenagentur last week (www.lunettes-brillenagentur.de), and the little hint of very striking scarlet looked very cool and uplifting indeed; this colour has certainly had its moments through eyewear history in the last decades. There are quite a few exciting luxury reds around that we’ve been enjoying, but with so much talk of pinks and pastels, I haven’t had a moment to fully appreciate how amazing these scarlet shades can be. Bright red offers something positively decadent and characterful in eyewear…

Casper, Oliver Goldsmith

Three favourites, the Casper from Oliver Goldsmith, www.olivergoldsmith.com (above, which we wrote about last month in our reviews section and we simply can’t get enough of this one, and the completely flamboyant “catty shades” (that’s my preferred name for the catseye) by RVS by. V. (www.rvsbyv.com), as well as that Framers choice we just wrote about, all very enticing. Enjoy the brights while there are plenty of flirtacious ones on offer. CN

Paris, RVS by V.

 

| Eyestylist 10th May 2012

Trends Under The Sun

L.G.R. teams with trendy A.P.C.

10th May 2012 Eyewear innovator Luca Gnecchi Ruscone of L.G.R. has joined forces with A.P.C., the French casual clothing and home accessories brand, to create a select collection of sunglasses. The frame designs, suitable for both men and women, emphasize true naturalness – no solvents or paints are used in making the frames: everything is hand polished, and fitted with anti-reflex lenses that provide 100% UV protection. Frame shapes embrace a touch of Retro, with a modern air. Beautifully marbled Havana acetate (above style 4231) – my favourite – is paired with brown photochromic lenses.

 

A.P.C. Style 4225 in black acetate

The classic black model features sporty green lenses. Both styles harmonize so well with the relaxed clothing designs from A.P.C. They have just gone into the A.P.C. stores today! All L.G.R. frames are handcrafted in Italy. www.lgr-sunglasses.com JG

 

| Eyestylist 10th May 2012

Schiaparelli and Prada at Metropolitan Museum

Fashion Divas Honoured at Costume Institute, NYC

10th May 2012 Two grand Italian fashion design divas, from totally different eras, are the subject of a fascinating exhibition at The Metropolitan of Art Costume Institute in New York City. Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada:Impossible Conversations opens today, and explores the striking affinities between these two Italian designers from distinctive fashion decades. Iconic ensembles by Schiaparelli and Prada are in the galleries, with approximately 100 designs and 40 accessories by Schiaparelli (1890-1973), dating from the late 1920’s to the early 1950’s, and Prada’s creations span the years from the late 1980’s to the present. Harold Koda, Curator in Charge, noted: “Juxtaposing the work of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada allows us to explore how the past enlightens the present, and how the present enlivens the past.” Curator Andrew Bolton added: the connection of the historic to the modern highlights the affinities, as well as the variances, between two women who constantly subverted contemporary notions of taste, beauty, and glamour.”

 

Miuccia Prada, spring/summer 2011

Schiaparelli worked in Paris from the 1920’s until her house closed in 1954, and she was closely associated with the Surrealist movement – she collaborated with Salvador Dali on several projects. Prada, who holds a degree in political science, took over her family’s Milan-based business in 1978, and focuses on fashion that reflects the eclectic nature of Postmodernism. Both women are influential style mavens, and their designs continue to make an impact on fashion culture – and beyond. Exhibition dates: 10 May – 9 August 2012 www.metmuseum.org JG

Photo credits: Top image of Wallis Simpson in Elsa Schiaparelli, Vogue 01 June, 1937 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s. Prada photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by David Sims.