Eyestylist

| Eyestylist 1st May 2011

Sunglass Style Guide

Giuliana Grosso in Phillip Lim

4th May 2011 Giuliana Grosso (above) is the Sales Manager at Modo Eyewear Srl in Italy. Modo Eyewear produces a range of lines including the 3.1 Phillip Lim Sunglass Collection. “I am wearing Doctora by Phillip Lim, in navy. I really love the pilot or aviator styles, and I like wearing the shape with casual clothes and jeans, which are great with the colour I’ve chosen. This is a lightweight, metal model combining the navy with brushed gun.

My style is very simple, I don’t think I’m a fashion victim. As I get older, I’m becoming more feminine. For glasses and sunglasses, I look for designs that match the style of clothing and colours that I’m wearing…mostly black, brown and natural tones.”

Doctora by Phillip Lim

 

www.modo.com

| Eyestylist 1st May 2011

Sunglass Style Guide

This season’s looks, modelled by the girls on the inside

3rd May 2011 Seeing how real women wear their sunglasses is much more inspirational than looking at pictures of models in magazines. So we’ve asked our female friends in the eyewear industry to share with us the styles they are enjoying wearing for S/S 11. And while some were a bit shy, the results of our research will be posted over the next days …we absolutely love seeing how they have styled their frames, and we want more images please!!! If you are working for a frame designer and want to send us your picture this month please hurry and email us ([email protected]) – if you can send us a high quality photograph plus a picture of the frame you are modelling, we will feature you and details on your favourite design! Hurry girls… CN


Monica Chong (pictured above) is Creative Director and PR Director at the British eyewear brand Cutler & Gross. Her frame is called Blue Sparkle 1004, one of the styles in the Cutler & Gross S/S 11 Mermaid and the Office Collection.

“This sunglass style is right for me,” says Monica, ” because I love 40s and 50s fashion; I am wearing a 40s style playsuit in this picture which I designed myself for my own collection. The cardigan is a vintage 50s piece. The Cutler & Gross Blue Sparkle sums up the blue sparkling ocean on a hot summer day. The style represents pure Hollywood glamour with a vintage feel, perfect for Mermaids! I look for frames that suit my personality and style, as I collect vintage 40s and 50s hats, clothes and jewels. I have a tendency to choose cat’s eyes to complete my look, but I also love what is current and on trend. I have more evening wear than day wear; I adore the works of McQueen, Givenchy, Lanvin and Westwood.”

Cutler & Gross Blue Sparkle

 

 

www.cutlerandgross.com

 

 

| Eyestylist 1st May 2011

Trend watch: Flower Power

Floral sunglasses for Spring/Summer

1st May 2011 Florals are so much in fashion, and I’ve been looking for sunglasses that work with this trend. Nicole Farhi’s Jackie Poppy Print Sunglasses, an oversized round shape, are a wonderful choice (see picture above and below). They are retailing at £90.00 and can be purchased direct from the website. The style has appeared in all the fashion pages in the last weeks and are probably close to selling out as they combine a flattering shape with the sensuous colouring of the lavish poppy fabric ( www.nicolefarhi.com).

Jackie Poppy Print sunglasses by Nicole Farhi

 

 

I have also fallen for the Shell sunglasses below by Francis Klein (www.francisklein.com), a French brand which is producing quite a few floral themed products, including optical frames…all of which you can browse through on their very enjoyable website.

 

Shell sunglasses by Francis Klein

 

Some of them have little enamelled flowers decorating the printed acetate, they are very chic indeed.

Dolce & Gabbana DG 4111M

Other florals that I have found in eyewear are the new styles in the Dolce & Gabbana collection, including the DG 4111 M, which has flowers on the arms, contrasting with a single colour front such as this punchy red.

There is also the popular collection produced in Italy by RetroSuperFuture for the London fashion store Liberty, featuring the store’s famous Liberty prints. Having looked at the models yesterday in the shop, I am really impressed – the price tag at £120/£130 offers a sturdy vintage design and lovely details such as the colourful fabric and the high-quality Zeiss UV protective lenses, not to mention the very pretty matching packaging.

http://store.retrosuperfuture.com/ CN


 

Elysian by RetroSuperFuture

 

 

| Eyestylist 1st May 2011

Jones and Co. Styling Opticians, Manchester, UK

Fine eyewear comes to Manchester

The former Bank of England building on Manchester’s King Street is the impressive location of one of the UK’s most exclusive optical stores. Jones and Co. Styling Opticians has undergone a major renovation project this year, and now boasts an interior that rivals some of Europe’s finest optical retailers.

Attracting a style conscious and successful, professional clientele, the store offers impeccable service and a structured styling service, to help people choose their glasses. “We want the customer to enjoy a relaxing yet inspiring eyewear experience,” explains director Conor Heaney.  “We only display around 30 optical frames at a time, to excite our customers a taste of what’s on offer, and we change this display every day. We recommend frames to each individual using a well refined and structured styling process that depends on many factors. Our approach is such that the customer generally tends to find something better than what they were expecting, in a sumptuous stress -free environment, with a décor that is evocative of an old-fashioned private library. We are also very clinically minded and offer state-of-the-art testing facilities.”

 

Vintage furniture and an elegant decor at Jones and Co.

 

Jones and Co. offers exclusive brands, some of which are not easily found in the UK. These include Alain Mikli, Chrome Hearts, Etnia, Face à Face, Gold & Wood, l.a. eyeworks, Lindberg and Theo. The new interior was opened just 2 months ago after a refit lasting 4 months. Designers ‘93ft’ from Sheffield have created three separate yet unified areas: the reception, the testing rooms and the eyewear gallery. The optical frames are situated a considerable distance from the sunglasses, also intentional, allowing customers an uncluttered space where the product can then speak for itself. Handpainted wallpaper, industrial storage cupboards and retro furniture, deep, warm yet subdued colours with touches of vibrant yellow and an intentional feeling of open space instead of cluttered shelving gives an overall effect of quality, design appreciation and attention to detail. A welcome addition to the UK’s independent optical retailing business, Jones and Co. Styling Opticians has cast a new direction for the consumer who wishes to explore an interesting selection of creative eyewear designers and lesser known luxury eyewear brands. CN

Jones and Co. Styling Opticians, 82 Upper King Street, Manchester, M2 4WQ T 0161 834 7798

www.jonesand.co.uk

 

| Eyestylist 7th April 2011

The Rookery, Clerkenwell, London

An elegant hotel where kids are welcome

7th April 2011 I recently met a friend for tea at The Rookery; she was staying and I rather wanted to see how it feels inside. The hotel is out of the centre of London in Clerkenwell, a popular area slightly to the North of central London with plenty of interesting bars and restaurants. Housed in a converted row of Georgian buildings, the interior is filled with fine furniture and accessories creating a warm, homely yet stylish setting.

'Mary Lane' room at the historic Rookery

This is a hotel that gets recommended by word-of-mouth and the sort of place that you can look forward to staying in.  And I love the way they are very accommodating to children. Cots and rollaway beds are available, and this is not always the case in hotels. Babysitters can also be pre-arranged. www.rookeryhotel.com

Should you be looking to stop over in a more central location, I would choose Hazlitt’s, the sister hotel, which is perfectly located for the theatres near Piccadilly and Oxford Street, and equally as exceptional in terms of comfort, individuality, and elegance. CN

www.hazlittshotel.com