lens

Lotho team in Soho…

for launch of Glints London

Aroun Ducroux, Parisian founder of Lotho, the boutique luxury eyewear label, has created a new company, L&G Eyewear, with a new brand launch for the UK market. Glints is based in London and designed as a direct to customer brand, available exclusively to buy online. Designed by Coco Tsuji, the 16 acetate optical styles are made in Japan, have a strong style statement and a choice of colours and well crafted designs with appeal for a young, fashion-driven crowd. Pictured above: Coco Tsuji wearing Lotho spectacles (www.lotho.fr).

Coco Tsuji told Eyestylist: “Glints is a young dynamic eyewear brand, multicultural, passionate, offbeat and original. We want this new concept to appeal to a mixed audience in the UK, those who appreciate vintage shapes and a nice twist on colours and details, and the story of the making. We also look forward to getting to know the customer directly.”

Frames by Glints London
Frames by Glints London

Glints’ debut collection will be available in the UK by June 2015 and will be retailed online and through a showroom space in Soho, managed by an optician. For a retail price of £135, customers will receive a handmade Japanese frame complete with lenses by Hoya. The website will also offer home try-on for those who want to try out different shapes before committing.  For more details pre-launch, sign up for news at www.glints.london Photography by Eyestylist.com CN

Summer Lens Hues

Which colour?

1st May 2015 Lens colours and special effects are all the rage. From the palest pastels to classic dark greens and blues and wild and intoxicating mirrors, making a decision on the right lens colour and coating has never been a hotter topic. Eyestylist recommends seeking guidance from an independent optical boutique, where the team will know the latest technology, as well as the fashion styles and lens fittings and how those might suit your complexion, eyes and hair colour.

Gwendoline Radley, dispensing optician and eyewear stylist at Adam Simmonds / Primrose Hill Optometrists (www.adamsimmonds.co.uk) shared some tips with us on how to choose a gorgeous lens design that protects your eyes and highlights your style.

“As last year, this year sees lots of bold mirror colours, flash coatings and, by contras, lots of the more subtle graduated and pastel tints which are mainly there to compliment the frame colour.” (Above: Vuarnet model 002).

Etta in camo by RVS by V
Etta in camo by RVS by V

“Bold mirrors work very well with neutral colour acetate frames or fine rims such as metal, where the lens is the one doing the talking. This year there is a trend for oversized clear / nude / peach styles, making a blank canvas for the strong lens colour, for instance a flash turquoise lens can look stunning in a fine rim gold or silver metal frame, as equally as it would look stunning in a nude acetate frame.

Christopher Shannon x Lunettes Kollektion
Christopher Shannon x Lunettes Kollektion

“The beauty of neutral frame colours means they work with many complexions and outfits and you can go to town with accessorising your lens colour with your favourite bag, lipstick or shoes. There is also an array of bold coloured frames, matching the colour of the lens or producing exciting contrasts.”

Mykita Lite
Pale tints: Mykita Lite

Oversized frames apart from being uber stylish also offer greater protection against the suns harmful rays. A fine soft rim with either a baby pink lens or a sky pastel blue lens, both on trend this year, can also work beautifully with either dark or fair complexions.

L.G.R. Dahlak combines Havana rim and Green G15 lens
Classically elegant: L.G.R. Dahlak, a Havana rim fitted with Green G15 lens

If a mirror coating is too much, then opt for a dark tinted lens. “Again there is a lot of colour choice,” explains Radley, “but the darkest and most versatile tints are grey, brown, blue and green. The green offers the most traditional look, a green lens in a simple tortoiseshell or nude is the ultimate in cool classic style.”

Lens tints – the checklist

Aim for: 1. 100% UV and CE marked / 2. Which category? General purpose tints range from 0 (lightest) to 3 (darkest) – look for Cat 0-3 / 3. Polarising lenses cut out glare – the reflected light off horizontal surfaces / 4. Choose between full tint (same density through the lens) or graduated tint, usually a very attractive choice for the aesthetic results / 5. Mirror coatings reduce even more of the light transmitting the lens as some light is reflected off it, making the tint appear darker. Mirrors are varying hugely in quality this season; look closely and be sure you are happy with the quality of the finish/colour effect – we love the gold and silver options in particular / 6. Understand the tech features behind the lens: buy your sunglasses from an optical boutique if you want high-quality lenses + high level fashion.