Eyestylist

A renewed focus on the creation of more sustainable eyewear accessories and packaging is more evident that ever at the start of 2023. Alternative materials include recycled cork, vegan leather, wood and different varieties of recycled leather. Eyestylist investigated some of the most thoughtful design-driven alternatives proposed by eyewear brands.

A drive towards using materials that have a lower environmental impact is changing the face of accessories and packaging design produced by independent eyewear companies. At opti Munich, we’ve seen Götti Switzerland launch a new vegan eyewear case, a minimal, smart and beautifully finished product which is made at the company in Switzerland – from a high-quality vegan leather sourced in Europe. Götti Switzerland also uses Swiss-made kraft paper packaging which they have developed and introduced themselves, used as a paper case or protective sleeve, and also suitable for notepaper. Above: Götti Switzerland – vegan leather case, new Bionic frame and multi-use paper sleeve to protect the frames – www.gotti.ch

At Rolf Spectacles the wooden glasses cases, like the frames, are made in the mountains of the Tyrol in Austria. The design is minimal, natural, and has no screws or metal parts.

The case for their 3D printed Substance eyewear collection, made from beans, is a sturdy, natural-coloured Italian made, recycled leather case, printed with certification marks that identify that it is made from a sustainable, recyclable material. www.rolf-spectacles.com

Morel offers a biodegradable bag to protect eyewear. They have put significant work into the sustainable focus for their packaging and cases via their Engagement Plan, a detailed project through which they have pivoted all operations to be responsible, sustainable and transparent in areas such as reducing energy consumption. For their packaging they say that “MOREL has made a conscious decision to decrease the number of case designs by creating a single case for the MOREL brand. Its reduced size directly impacts our transport volume and CO2 emissions.” The protective packaging of the case and the cleaning cloth inside are both made of recycled materials. For more information on their Engagement Plan visit www.morel-france.com

Leinz contemporary eyewear Berlin´s eyewear cases and presentation displays
are made of recycled leather, with a smart design that matches the frames. The new material is created from the leather remains in glove production, created by employing a modern, certified, upcycling process; the material is both durable and light and at the same time conveys the classic look of leather. Find out more at www.leinzeyewear.com

Sea2see has worked with sustainable packaging from its inception. The cases are produced in recycled cork, while the cleaning cloth or pouch is made from recycled PET. The external box is made with recycled extract of sugar cane which is 100% compostable and everything is printed with plant-based inks. Sea2see has measured the carbon footprint of its cases and offsets this energy usage to achieve “carbon negative” status. Sea2see is one of few eyewear companies that holds B Corp certification. www.sea2see.org

EOE Eyewear from Swedish Lapand, part of a company which has done much work in the area of sustainable materials development (www.regrind.se), puts their frames in a case produced with fully traceable Swedish or European paper. The eyewear case has a minimalistic design. All printed products and textiles from EOE are ecologically produced and traceable. For details: www.eoe-eyewear.com

From what we observed at the opti trade fair in Munich, other brands are following suit, and more will make the switch in the course of 2023. They include the Spanish brand KALEOS who have launched a line of recycled foldable cork cases this month. They offer three shapes, a rectangle they say is elegant and minimal for women, a triangle shape for men, and a cylinder for kids, which converts into pencil storage. www.kaleoscollection.com

This feature was written by Eyestylist.com. All rights reserved.

Based in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain, Jisco is an independent eyewear company that prioritises design, colour and sustainable manufacture. The environment is at the epicentre of every step of its design process, from raw materials to manufacturing and natural inspiration. Eyestylist’s Victoria G. L. Brunton spoke to founder, Joerdis Neubauer as Jisco announced celebrations of its 10th anniversary…

Your collections are colourful and vibrant, where do you find the inspiration for your colour palettes? All inspiration for new shapes, colours and colour combinations I take from my surroundings and my environment. I always study face shapes; which shape fits what basic features and whose personal style, moving on to how I can help to emphasise a person’s style through my design and colour choice. Colour combinations can be found practically everywhere around us. In the urban landscape, as well as in nature, there is an infinite wealth of colours and textures – you just have to open your eyes to it.

You speak a lot of and are passionate about your Mediterranean heritage, could you tell us a little about this / your Mediterranean upbringing? The Mediterranean, of course, is characterised by very unique colour combinations. The influence of the Mediterranean light makes colours and structures appear very individual and very special. In addition to that, there are always feelings, sounds and pleasant smells that can complete the mood or whole picture.

Which pair of your frames best represents you and why? There is not one model that is specifically typical for me, but there are many in which  I feel my personal style is particularly represented. For example, models like “Deseo”; here, I love the colour combinations especially. Another example is “Irina”, the technical side with the screw-less spring hinge and its timeless style again shows a completely different side of my collections.

What is your most popular frame and does it, in your eyes, represent the typical JISCO customer? If so, or if not, what does that customer look like according to you? To address this question, I’ll go straight back to my previous point. Deseo and Padruga, each with their own colour variety are, in my eyes, very typical of our collection, and of our very own unique style.

What does sustainability mean to you? Environmental sustainability is a very important point! We only have this one earth and must urgently rethink how we live, work and impact it. However, this revelation still does not seem to have arrived for many. Some years ago, we were one of the first to purchase certified raw materials according to this desire to change our ways. Until recently, acetate manufacturers only offered black and brown acetate as “organic” options, but new ways have been found through the corresponding increased demands of designers and developers, so now we can choose from a huge portfolio of  colours – this definitely makes it easier for me to work sustainably. Pure nature-based and biodegradable materials are my passion, Bio Acetate or pure titanium are now a normal and regular feature in my collections.

Tell us about how JISCO produces its frames sustainably and how / if you continue to improve on this…As I said previously, sustainable products are my favourites to design. Because of this, we will be expanding accordingly and developing each upcoming collection together with the acetate manufacturers. We take our responsibility very seriously.

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Healthy attendance and an interesting and broad choice of brands and design collections at opti – in total 307 exhibitors – were encouraging signs of optimism in the optical business at the start of the year. 

opti munich, a key trade show for the optical business, took place last weekend over three days. Brands and eyewear designers from around the world exhibited at the fair, which put special focus on sustainability and ‘innovation for optics & design’. The fair also supports new brands via the OPTI BOXES, where a number of emerging names were featured, including Raydiant Cologne and Leipzig Eyewear.

Above: Luxury, high-quality and technical collections were well represented across the halls of opti: Blackfin had just launched their new campaign on the eve of the opti show, underlining colour stories and a bold statement style, www.blackfin.eu

Bionic 3D printed eyewear was launched by Götti Switzerland alongside their brand new vegan eyewear case, made from a vegan leather produced in Europe. The case, which is made at Götti HQ, folds in two different ways so the customer can choose how they want it and the optician can arrange it according to their preferences. www.gotti.ch

New colour stories were very much in evidence across the halls of opti, with many fresh and beautifully rendered directions, from transparencies to runway-oriented colours such as neons, and fashion colours such as digital lavender.

Emmanuelle Khanh showed their new styles which included frames with a new bold EK logo to add glamour and attitude to the range. Their yellow Silencio is a beautiful statement for Summer.

A palette of new yellows was very popular in some of the most fashion focused collections as were the ranges of very chic neutrals – recycled patterned materials (www.regrind.se) have become a feature of the innovative material offer in independent eyewear and were well represented at opti this month, alongside the strong selection of quality 3D printed frames (see below, ROLF Spectacles and a brand new limited edition) and luxurious, natural wood and horn designs.

The second opti BOX AWARD was won by the Swiss brand  LARS Brillen – a start-up making 3D printed frames highlighting timelessness and sustainability. LARS Brillen is the second winner of the prize following eyewear designer Beate Leinz, who won the first opti BOX AWARD in 2022. opti 2024 will take place on 12th to 14th January, at the Fairground Munich. www.opti.de

The eyewear creators from Swedish Lapland, EOE Eyewear are launching the Eternity collection at opti (Munich), a new departure for the brand exploring the natural qualities of gold

“At EOE, the material we create our frames from is always a guiding light in the entire process, and there is something both full, raw and beautiful about the gold that has attracted us for a long time. With this collection, we get to take everything we stand for to its peak –with a  sustainable material, world-class craftsmanship and design inspired by the nature found in Swedish Lapland…” – Camilla Lindberg, Creative Director at EOE Eyewear

The three 18K gold glasses shapes in the collection – Milkyway, Andromeda and Crater – come with equally astounding hand-blown cases, designed by Lisa Reiser from Studio Reiser, made in Kosta Boda.”This is an exclusive collection, and we want to pay tribute to everything it stands for. It felt important that the glasses should rest in a special and slightly mysterious place at home,” says Camilla.

To find out more, find EOE Eyewear at opti at Hall C2 / Stand 261 and visit their website at https://eoe-eyewear.com