Eyestylist

Luxurious natural green tones offer a fresh mood for Autumn

Green has been a steadily rising tone in eyewear, as in fashion, with natural hues being the most prolific source of inspiration in the palette. Tones of olive, leaf, sage and mint are amongst the most popular for their subtle muted qualities, yet Kelly green, acidic tones and some jewel inspired emerald hues were also on show at the Silmo fair in September, suggesting that bright and brazen is an option for eyewear and can feel luxurious and modern paired with other tones, for a contemporary style. Above and below: the Ørgreen Acetate collection explores complex colour stories – carefully uniting shades and introducing original combinations, each acting as a fundamental design component for a specific style. Their tone of green is fresh and luxurious with enough intensity of colour to give warmth and a natural glow – www.orgreenoptics.com

Abundant Green was a highlighted Pantone tone at London Fashion Week this season; the hue is part of a variety of tones that blend “timeless tones and artful brights” to embrace a mood of “serenity and stability and also energy and excitement”.  The lively Abundant Green was highlighted alongside trending tones of Molten Lava, Spicy Mustard, Lichen Blue, and Meadow Violet.

The most prestigious green hues vary considerable across the eyewear collections, with different translucencies in acetate, and different variations depending on seasons: for autumn, the most enticing tones have associations with forest colours, emerald tones, and ‘terre verte’ naturally occurring pigments.

Natural materials are also proposed with natural colorations, through application of natural dyes, at Hoffmann Natural Eyewear. The colour is soft and enhances the natural lines of the horn material in model T87010. www.hoffmann-eyewear.com

At Lunettes Alf, the green tone is vintage-inspired, translucent, and natural. The label’s unique red thread at the temple is just visible, contrasting with the acetate frame colour, a mark of handmade quality and artisan design. Find out more at  www.lunettes-alf.com

Exceptional variety in product design, quality craftsmanship and technical innovation were key features of the collections exhibited at the Paris optical fair this year – small and voluminous shapes were displayed side by side, material and colour combinations were innovative, paying attention to small details, and a mix of adventurous concepts and minimalist design work offered something for everyone; sustainability and social and environmental commitments remain talking points for all sizes of brand

The international optical community gathered for Silmo at the Villepinte exhibition in Paris, for a September weekend that was filled with bright sunshine, energy, enthusiasm for fresh new eyewear, and a colourful upbeat, overriding theme. After a scaled-down version in 2021, this year the Halls of the Silmo show were filled with bold and imaginative stand designs and bright, eye-catching displays, some with exciting art works, creating a lively, revitalised ambiance across the show.

Above: Titanium model Eiffel 1 by FACE A FACE -machined to reveal fine ‘interrupted’ lines – the colour combinations focus on dark backgrounds brought to life with bright neon tones – www.faceaface-paris.com

Shapes that are distinctive, graphic, thick and sculptural and characterised by the interesting possibilities of hand “carved” bevelling are plentiful across collections for the season; eyewear designers are working like artists to create unique effects that lend a very refined aesthetic – reworking with raw edges, shiny and matt contrasts, and highly polished or unpolished surfaces. Round, oval and soft “roundish-oval” shapes have re-emerged as a strong focus alongside squares, cateyes, pantos and wonderfully unusual shapes that celebrate individuality and a nonchalant ‘joie de vivre’.

Natural, sustainable, 3D printed and recycled materials were plentiful at the fair this year. The classics such as luxurious buffalo horn and wood continue to be well represented, right through to the popular sustainable choice, Eastman Acetate Renew. MYKITA has fully switched to Eastman Acetate Renew, stating that “the innovative material has made a complete pivot possible without compromising the appearance or performance of MYKITA’s handcrafted eyewear design” (www.mykita.com)

Experimental materials with an eco orientation were also attracting interest at the fair, with brands like Ochis (Ukraine) (https://ochis.co) showing their styles made from used coffee granules and colourful natural flower petals; ROLF was showing their portfolio of natural materials and the intriguing subtle textures in their 3D printed Substance and Substance Mount line, made from castor beans (www.rolf-spectacles.com).

Fine quality metal materials were well represented, ever popular for their strength, lightness, minimalist aesthetic and long life; they included titanium, beta titanium, and stainless steel. At Fleye Copenhagen, the models like Alberte (above) with a pure minimal design offer a timeless style for every day.  The Alberte model comes in sandblasted colours and is characterised by  a very delicate pattern engraved on the temple (www.fleye.dk).

In the much loved Silmo D’Or show awards, highlights included a win for Jason and Karen Kirk for their Kirk and Kirk two-tone optical design Thor in handmade acrylic (www.kirkandkirk.com) while the Japanese designer Masahiro Maruyama won the Sunglasses Category (Eyewear Designer) for his Kintsugi MM-0078 sunglasses based on the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.

New breakthrough technology was also recognised in the Silmo D’Or awards. In the category Technological Innovation in Connected Products, Sweden’s SKUGGA Technology (https://skugga.com) won the award for their miniaturised patented smart module which can be integrated into any frame design, sunglasses or optical. Companies such as McLaren Vision and Inspecs are already working with the company to launch smart eyewear products in the coming months.

A pair of performance sunglasses with a lens which changes colour in 1 second in any tint between 17% and 42% of transmission won the Silmo D’Or in the sport category. The product “Bot with IRID lenses” is designed by ‘Out Of’ (https://out-of.com).

Silmo Paris will take place next year from 29th September to 2nd October 2023. For more information about the Silmo show and the Silmo D’Or event this September, visit www.silmoparis.com For further comment on trends and directions, watch this space…