Eyestylist

Eye’DJ JO91

Eye’DC Junior Collection

The children’s collection Eye’DJ from Marseilles based Eye’DC merges uncluttered design with child-friendly materials.  Winners of a Silmo D’Or in 2009, the current collection is modern and free flowing, with sculptured shapes in stainless steel.  The colour play of the featured design between the top bar and the rim is a distinctive touch. Shape selections include oval, rectangular and round.  These frames are incredibly lightweight, yet designed to cope with playground antics. Eye’DJ can be found at Optique Vie in Roquebrune Cap Martin and more details at www.eye-dc.com JG

DIFFUSER Tokyo
LOFT NYC - chelsea industrial chelsea factory march 13-15 New York
Look
MIDO
JISCO
MOREL
IYI YOU MAWO
SALT.
J.F. REY
Orgreen
Götti Switzerland
EOE
OGI Eyewear
Article One
Res Rei
ROLF Spectacles
100% Optical, 1-3 March 2025, ExCel London, Register FREE
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
Suitto Sybarite
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
ERKERS
TVR True Vintage Revival
BLACKFIN

London

The big city with kids

As this is our kid’s edition, I have been looking into a few places that aren’t as well known as some kids destinations in London but definitely offer lots of fun and interest.

One of these is the V&A’s Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green (pictured above) which houses an impressive collection of children’s toys, games, clothing, furniture and other exciting artefacts relating to little ones through history. I went to the museum with my four year old to while a way a Sunday morning. First we came across “Doll Face”, an eye-catching exhibition of photographs by portrait and still-life photographer Craig Deane depicting dolls from the extensive collection owned by the museum. (The exhibition ended 27th March but you can see the whole series of images at www.craigdeane.co.uk, they are really incredible images and slightly creepy but my boy was fascinated by them). (more…)

ERKERS
EOE
Orgreen
SALT.
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
MIDO
Look
DIFFUSER Tokyo
MOREL
IYI YOU MAWO
OGI Eyewear
Götti Switzerland
TVR True Vintage Revival
100% Optical, 1-3 March 2025, ExCel London, Register FREE
J.F. REY
Res Rei
JISCO
BLACKFIN
Suitto Sybarite
LOFT NYC - chelsea industrial chelsea factory march 13-15 New York
ROLF Spectacles
Article One
LAMARCA EYEWEAR

Children’s stores, London

Shopping recommendations

London has some great shops for kids, here are my favourite boutiques and shops for clothes, toys and furniture. (Pictured above: Their Nibs).

Caramel Baby & Child This exquisite shop is growing, there are branches in Brompton Road, Pavilion Road (Sloane Square) and Ledbury Road (Notting Hill). The store prides itself on very individual items, and paired down everyday clothing with a touch of luxury. www.caramel-shop.co.uk

Green Baby, Notting Hill My babies may have grown up a bit but they spent their early years in cotton baby grows and pyjamas from this cute environmentally sound store. www.grenbaby.com

Igloo, King’s Road The ‘it’ boutique for kids in the King’s Road. A branch can also be found in Islington. Expect to find brands such as Ikks, Petit Bateau, Mookie, even Hunter Wellies.  www.iglookids.co.uk

LOFT NYC - chelsea industrial chelsea factory march 13-15 New York
OGI Eyewear
Suitto Sybarite
MIDO
Orgreen
J.F. REY
Article One
100% Optical, 1-3 March 2025, ExCel London, Register FREE
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
Look
EOE
MOREL
BLACKFIN
Res Rei
DIFFUSER Tokyo
TVR True Vintage Revival
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
IYI YOU MAWO
ROLF Spectacles
Götti Switzerland
SALT.
JISCO
ERKERS

Jigsaw Junior, 190 Westbourne Grove I have a very fond memory of this store in Notting Hill as this is where I took my bridesmaid Lucia to choose her outfit for my wedding….back in 2002. The shop is as wonderful today, with particular emphasis on fashions for girls, and the all important party dress or frock as my grandmother would have called them. www.jigsawonline.com/collections/1001284/junior

Habitat Home ideas and accessories for kids such as baskets for practical, fun storage to encourage tidying up. Also love the kid’s bedding and wooden toys here. www.habitat.co.uk

Marie Chantal Beautiful upmarket classics for children. Luxurious therefore pricey, but there are lots of lovely accessories and it’s a great place to look for outfits for special occasions. www.mariechantal.com

(more…)

Little Opta, Paris

An eyewear boutique ‘just for kids’

Tucked away in the atmospheric environment of Montmartre is an adorable children’s optical boutique, the inspiration of Parisian optician Annette Hoffmann. The enterprising Hoffmann has three other optical locations in Montmartre, but she has a particular philosophy for youngsters.  “Children have their own shops for clothes, shoes and toys, so I thought ‘why not a boutique just for children’s optics?’ I believe that children need a special place of their own to try on eyewear.”

Display of sunglasses, Little Opta

 

Hoffmann opened the little jewel of a boutique – it’s just 25 square meters – four year ago, on a lovely tree-lined street in Montmartre, an area beloved by painters Renoir, Van Gogh and Picasso. The shop’s sparkling white interior is enhanced with antiques, another passion of Hoffmann’s. As the leading optician in the area for decades, she knows the value of offering superior quality frames and personal service.

Orgreen
BLACKFIN
SALT.
EOE
Suitto Sybarite
JISCO
ERKERS
100% Optical, 1-3 March 2025, ExCel London, Register FREE
Götti Switzerland
ROLF Spectacles
TVR True Vintage Revival
Article One
IYI YOU MAWO
MIDO
J.F. REY
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
OGI Eyewear
LOFT NYC - chelsea industrial chelsea factory march 13-15 New York
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
DIFFUSER Tokyo
MOREL
Look
Res Rei

“We like to make appointments and spend time with parents and their children; kids love to look at the frames and then pick out what they want to try on.  Children like to wear glasses now, because it is really cool.” Little Opta offers only the crème de la crème from companies, as Hoffmann points out that creating quality frames for kids requires technical knowledge of a child’s face. The boutique stocks Lafont, ic! berlin, Karavan Kids, and Eye’DJ, among others. Little Opta is a charming oasis for kid’s frames, and opticians Jennifer and Victor are on hand to provide a warm and professional optical experience for both parents and their children. JG

Little Opta, 81, rue Caulaincourt 75018 Paris Tel: +33 (0) 1 4254 12 60 www.opta-createurs.com

Remy Charlip and l.a. eyeworks

A dance for the eyes

6th April 2011 During a meeting in Milan, l.a. eyeworks (www.laeyeworks.com) introduced me to the books of the American author and illustrator Remy Charlip, of which Arm in Arm is a true classic for children, and most often cited. Remy is now in his eighties, and rather wonderfully he has collaborated with the Los Angeles eyewear designers to produce a design for their lens cloths this year (image above). The commission brief was for a design that would be a “dance for the eyes”.  This is one of the first drawings that Remy has created since he suffered a stroke some years ago, making it all the more incredible; it is likely to become a highly sought after accessory.

For anyone who is lucky enough to be close to Parma in Italy in the next weeks, there is an exhibition about Remy’s amazing designs and illustrations entitled “Remy Charlip, danzare il mio libro” which is on until 25th April (Galleria San Ludovico). Some of Remy’s original editions are on display, as well as drawings and the many books that he has written and illustrated. The exhibition is part of the Festival Minimondi. For more information visit www.minimondi.com CN

SALT.
JISCO
MIDO
100% Optical, 1-3 March 2025, ExCel London, Register FREE
IYI YOU MAWO
ERKERS
EOE
DIFFUSER Tokyo
BLACKFIN
Orgreen
Res Rei
MOREL
Götti Switzerland
OGI Eyewear
ROLF Spectacles
LOFT NYC - chelsea industrial chelsea factory march 13-15 New York
Article One
TVR True Vintage Revival
LAMARCA EYEWEAR
J.F. REY
Look
Suitto Sybarite
LAMARCA EYEWEAR