Vintage and rock ‘n roll are the perfect partners, and Varvatos captures it so well in this crystal and black acetate frame – with a square shape that is beloved of retro wearers. The award-winning designer is a passionate music lover, so Varvatos has inserted his signature guitar pick hinge on the temple – a unique touch – and a design that merges vintage and current trends most effectively. www.johnvarvatos.com In the UK, go to www.eyerespect.com JG
Precious wood is beautifully polished and wedded with ebony in this supremely elegant design. Gold and Wood is acknowledged for their harmoniously balanced volume and sculpture in the creation of a frame. This style features temples that are luxuriously highlighted with inserts of varying coloured woods. Elegance is measured in the finest details — achieved here with Gold and Wood’s exacting standards. More details at www.gold-and-wood.com JG
1st May 2012 Centuries of history; Imperial families; the home to many famous musicians; fabulous winter balls; Lipizzaner horses; and Art Nouveau architecture are just a few of Vienna’s incredible treasures. I found another – just around the corner from the Stephansdom, Austria’s finest Gothic edifice – a gem of an eyewear boutique called Schau Schau. In this superb little shop, customers can select eyewear styles of their choice, which are then crafted by hand, just a few kilometers from the centre of Vienna. The creative force behind Schau Schau (German for Look Look) is owner and designer Peter Kozich, with his knowledge and understanding of colour and shape, and more importantly, translating the design process into a luxurious bespoke product. Schau Schau is the haute couture of eyewear – the acetate is beautiful and the colour selections amazing. Each frame is custom created – every detail from nose bridge size to the width of the temple to the ear is carefully measured – ensuring that each pair of glasses is one of a kind. Customers from all over the globe wear Schau Schau, including artists and entertainers, sporting figures and professionals. For the ultimate in bespoke sunglasses and ophthalmic frames, Schau Schau is a memorable eyewear experience for exquisite frames. www.schau-schau.at JG
1st May 2012 During this month’s series, ‘Trends Under The Sun’, we’ll be chatting with designers about their favourite sunglasses. The series opens with Sven Götti of Götti Switzerland.
“My favourite sunglass frame in this collection is Pepe 360° in black pearl. The inspiration was the Cary Grant look from the old Alfred Hitchcock movies. The sunglasses were small and cool at that time. I want to give the wearer the chance to stay out of the crowd among all the big sunglasses that we see at the moment. This frame is in Titanium, and our sunglasses are made with the same manufacturer as the optical frames, so the quality is insured.
“We do only three colours – silver,gold and black, in order to give the frame an authentic look. Of course, we added our foldable Spin & Stow temples, for a new modern feature.”
Götti Switzerland has just received the prestigious iF Product Design Award 2012, for their innovative concepts in sunglass design. www.gotti.ch JG
We continue our Vintage Voyage this month with a selection of amazing original designs from decades ago, boutique happenings, and a stunning new fashion exhibition in Paris. For exciting Vintage news, click and stay with Eyestylist.
You’ll discover retro-inspired frames, Vintage Boutiques, an irresistible Designer of the Month, and in City Guides, books and exhibitions. Eyestylist Vintage is a new launch for Eyestylist.com and for April comprises a month long celebration – Viva Vintage! JG