french eyewear

The French optician turned eyewear designer Alexandre Caton has created an eyewear collection that continues to stand out from the crowd

An extraordinary depth of research and inspired product development, an understanding of the finest eyewear – old and new, and a fascination with the spectacle-making traditions of Japan….Alexandre Caton has applied his knowledge and passion for eyewear design, and his experience as an optician, producing each frame and sunglass design in the Lazare Studio collection as an expression of past classics refreshed “with a contemporary touch”; after just four years, this collection is available in some of the world’s finest fashion stores such as Dover Street Market, and eyewear stores of the highest repute. Above: detail of Nada by Lazare Studio, one of the latest sunglass styles to be added into the collection

As the designer explains, each frame is the result of two worlds coming together: on the one hand, the Japanese element and the signature parts made out of materials which have been sourced from leading Japanese manufacturers, and on the other, the savoir-faire of the French artisans of the Jura, where craftsmen and women are trained in long-established skills and new cutting-edge technology. Added to this is a careful “physiological design approach” devised by Caton with focus on balanced lines and delicate weight distribution of the product, always adapted for the ideal comfort of the frame.

Inspired by the classic shapes of the 1970s, the new model Rothstein illustrates the use of 6mm milled Japanese acetate for the frame front, and details typical of the collection: the signature rivets, metal cores and refined hinge design.

Lazare Studio has committed to an environmental and socially responsible approach to production by choosing high-end suppliers working with care and conscience and selecting long-lasting and sustainable materials. The brand’s ultimate goal is to provide “timeless eyewear, built to last”. Find our more about the frames at www.lazare.studio

2020 will be a year that celebrates timeless classics in eyewear, frames that work with traditional forms and shapes, in high quality materials with an attentive respect for artisan techniques and meticulous hand finishing. In a series focusing on classic style in 2020, Eyestylist will highlight notable new labels and icons of eyewear through the year.

The past few years have seen a flow of new artisan eyewear labels, fascinated by quality, traditional spectacle-making processes and an aesthetic that updates classic design with delicacy and style. One of the finest and latest to arrive in France is Lunettes Alf, who launched their first line in early 2018. “Whether sun or optical, alf glasses are synonymous with high quality,” say co-founders and brothers, Germain and Alexis. Above: introducing new shapes for 2020.

Alf frames are inspired by the early decades of the 20th century, and more specifically the elegance of the rimmed spectacles of the 1920s to the 1950s with beautiful yet restrained colorations, and hand polished surfaces with an eye-catching shine. Designed in Paris and made in Normandy in France, the frames are identified by a small red thread woven by hand into the end tip – a reminder of their artisan provenance and alf’s dedication to quality and considered design.

Lunettes Alf will show their full collection including four new styles at opti 2020 (10th to 12th January 2020) in the opti BOXES (www.opti.de), an area dedicated to new and emerging trendsetters. Their collection is now available in 50 independent optical stores.

About the brand – Alf is a French family business, created in early 2018. Alexis has worked in optics for many years and trained at l’École des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Lunetiers. Germain is an expert in business and works within the luxury sector in France. Designed in their Paris studio and made in Normandy, Lunettes Alf use Japanese acetate and mineral photochromic lenses in designs with a classical elegance, respectful of tradition with a clean, simple aesthetic and predominantly sober, clean lines. Find out more at www.lunettes-alf.com