Eyestylist

Lunettes Alf in Rotterdam pop-up

7th July 2023

The French brand has launched a pop-up at the independent store, Blick Brillen

The Paris-based eyewear label Lunettes Alf has launched its first pop-up with Blick, the optical store which has a dedicated store space for partner brands. Above: the exterior of the Blick Brillen in Rotterdam

The Lunettes ALF collection is highlighted at Blick Brillen

ALF’s collection was launched in store at a party event on 30th June, and is now on display for 3 months, featuring optical models and sunglasses from across the collection.

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Exploring the classical elegance of French-made acetate glasses, Lunettes Alf is inspired by classical timeless frames of the past, and uses exclusive high-quality Japanese materials in combination with anti-reflective photochromic mineral glasses and genuine leather cord and case. The label was created by two brothers, Germain and Alexis Bouchara, in Paris in 2018.

Pannekoekstraat 37A, 3011 LC Rotterdam For more information visit https://blick.nl/nl/home / www.lunettes-alf.com

Boutiques

New opening: Seeana Black Store, Aveiro, Portugal

5th July 2023

Seeana’s second store in Aveiro is dedicated to bold, beautiful fashion eyewear

The Portuguese eyewear store Seeana has opened a second store in the city of Aveiro, north of Lisbon. Inaugurated in June 2023, the new boutique, which features striking, full-height glass windows, launches with a handpicked selection of independent and more mainstream eyewear brands, chosen for a discerning customer who is looking for something different and unique. Above: the exterior of the newly opened Seeana Black store

Interior of the new Seeana Black: independent brands available include the Porto-based eyewear brand, VAVA

The new store features a large, open retail space with wooden floors, sleek industrial furnishings and glass fronted displays, with plenty of space to try on frames in a well-lit and well presented showroom.

Interior: high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows characterise the interior space, where customers can try on frames in a comfortable light space, equipped with small tables

Specialists in optics and eyecare, Seeana dates back to 1995 and represents a leading optical retailer in the city of Alveiro, offering state-of-the-art optometry and optical care with emphasis on a high-quality, customised service adapted to the individual needs of the customer.

The new store is located at Alameda Silva Rocha, 72, Alveiro, Portugal. Photography by Nuno Freire – mind.art | photography. To find out more about the shop visit www.seeanaeyewear.com

Design + Inspiration

Carla Fuentes for FOLC Eyewear

4th July 2023

A new collaboration with artist Carla Fuentes

Barcelona’s exclusive independent eyewear label FOLC introduces a new collaboration with the Spanish artist Carla Fuentes, resulting in evocative portraits which the brand is featuring for their latest cleaning cloths for summer 2023.

Fuentes created two oil paintings inspired directly from the FOLC campaign. Printed on different sustainable textile supports, Folc has designed and locally produced a limited edition of cleaning cloths that accompany the sunglasses and eyewear collection.

Carla Fuentes (Valencia, 1986) has created visuals and album covers for bands and solo artists such as Polock, Russian Red, Hewel, and Ariel Pink. Her work has been published around the world. Find out more at www.folc-eyewear.com Above: The making of the portraits, featuring the artist.

Arts + travel

Hall of Frames, Lucerne

3rd July 2023

The popular Hall of Frames event for independent opticians returns to Lucerne on 24th September 2023

Hall of Frames (HOF) will return to Lucerne in September for a 1-day event at the renowned lakeside Museum of Transport – one of the most scenic locations in the optical fair calendar. The event, which showcases eyewear brands and work by independent designers from Switzerland and Europe, will be held in a large exhibition hall with table space for all exhibitors. Show organiser Nathanaël Wenger told Eyestylist he expects forty brands to participate, making it a must-attend event for anyone involved in the Swiss eyewear scene. Above: Nirvan Javan’s new Shades of Toronto collection was released last month. Hall of Frames will be an opportunity to see the young Swiss brand’s latest ranges in a friendly and convivial setting

Visitors to the Hall of Frames can expect to see a wide range of eyewear styles at the fair, with exhibitors including iconic brands and specialist designers, among them Coblens, Nirvan Javan, Morel, Moscot NYC, Orgreen, Rolf Spectacles, Porsche Design, and You Mawo, among others.

High tech eyewear – Porsche Design – Patrick Dempsey Edition: Porsche Design attend Hall of Frames this September

Nathanaël Wenger has confirmed that Beck Optikhandel has joined HOF as one of their partner companies for the 2023 event. Beck Optikhandel distributes a large assortment of optical products throughout Switzerland. HOF’s main partner, Nikon, will continue its cooperation with the exhibition.

MOREL 20173K: made in the Jura (France) – the French company returns to the event in Switzerland this year

The material variety and colour expertise of Ørgreen Optics are always highlights at the Hall of Frames event

Dynoptic, an association of around 100 owner-managed opticians from all over Switzerland, the Basel-based architectural firm Studio Arenas and Contedi, a developer of online tools for opticians, will also be back as partner companies. The fair has confirmed that bookings remain open for independent brands who wish to take part. For more details, visit www.hallofframes.ch

Reviews

Summer showcase: a new TVR®504 edition, handmade in Japan

29th June 2023

The Japanese artisan label’s new release is a 10th Anniversary version of the popular 504

If you’re a fan of this label, you’ll know the 504, an iconic shape inspired by a 1940s archive frame: for the brand’s 10th Anniversary, the style returns in a new configuration with smart new hinges and striking metal cores. First introduced in May 2013, TVR®504 has already been made available in over 80 colours and seven different sizes. For summer 2023 — having been unavailable for over a year — the model is now also thicker than before in a 6mm Zylonite with a structure and angle offering a very solid feel. Above: the new version of the 504 featured in a classic black with lightweight polarised lens clip with vintage filigree design

“Quality handcrafted eyewear is our DNA and we are proud to re-introduce these iconic vintage styles to a new generation of eyewear customers…” Sawada-Yaemon – Master Craftsman for TVR®

TVR® OPT – the 504 optical style (above) and exclusive ‘Anniversary’ case and accessories (below)

Tradition is fundamental in the making of the TVR®504. Each piece is made by hand by skilled Japanese master craftsmen using the traditional measurement method called ‘Datum expression’ — a fading methodology that has been used to produce spectacles since the 1950s in Japan, and remains a cherished form of art that TVR® OPT continues to uphold; other complicated processes in spectacle making are also part of the artisan process at the Japanese label, including hand-cutting, moulding, as well as reexploring the beauty of long-lost details for the frames.

The new model also boasts meticulously decorated new metal cores. As one of the first brands to reintroduce the highly detailed core in the temples in 2015 (feather core details seen in Yamada Mitsukazu x TVR® YM-001, YM-002, and YM-003 collections respectively), the latest cores reference the dragon from the Myōshin-ji Temple in Kyoto in Japan. The design depicts the dragon known as the happonnirami no Ryū, also known as ‘Dragon Gazing in All Directions’ from the painting by Kanō Tan’yu: a veritable artistic feast for the eyes! Find out more at www.tvropt.eu

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