Like so many other industries, the impact of Brexit has been the talk of optics over the summer and Silmo presented visitors from all over Europe with the first opportunity to talk about matters face to face.
The performance of the pound and the increased cost of buying European eyewear was one subject of discussion, but until the full details of single markets and free movement are thrashed out, a lot of exhibition chatter is conjecture.
In the mean time, Optician takes a light-hearted look at some of the best British and European brands at the show and asks whether you would vote to remain or leave.
Kirk & Kirk
When you already have one of the most distinctive colour palettes in the eyewear sector, how do you develop it? This was the question facing Jason and Karen Kirk when they began to develop the brand’s autumn 2016 eyewear Kaleidoscope collection. The answer was to experiment with lamination, but the use of acrylic meant the brand’s manufacturing partners had to work tirelessly developing a lamination process that would suit the make up of the material. The result is a substantial fade between two glass-like hues, which retains the collection’s quality of taking on varied shades of colour from different angles. Two new models, Frank and Gene, have been introduced, along with three new colours – midnight, emerald and violet.
Oliver Goldsmith
All over the world, Oliver Goldsmith is synonymous with luxury eyewear. The ophthalmic frame side of the business now lies with British frame manufacturer and supplier Fabris Lane, with Andrew ‘Oliver’ Goldsmith at the helm of the brand. The brand’s photograph collection has been extended with six new styles, including a number of metal shapes such as the Jess frame. The stainless steel rectangular frame features marble-effect inlays that are applied by hand, meaning no two patterns will be the same. Marbled acetate end tips provide a contrast against the subdued hues of russet and grey enamel, purple with mauve enamel and midnight fade with slate grey enamel.
The Oliver Goldsmith Jess frame
Booth & Bruce
The mohican hairstyles and the piercings may have gone, but the strong image of Booth & Bruce remains. Founded in the 1990s to reflect a burgeoning group of fashion conscious eyewear connoisseurs, the brand has remained trend aware. Co-owner Peter Sunderland says the collections released at Silmo reflect the trend of a wide shift to metal frames. BB1613 is a modern looking round eye with double nose bridge combining the juxtaposition of flat brow line and curved nose join. Sunderland says the brand is always looking for the small details in frame production that will allow the brand to stand out. A good example of this on the BB1613 is the nose pad wires, which have crimped from the same piece of sheet stainless steel as the rest of the frame, creating a cleaner look.
The BB1613 frame
CG Claire Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith sunglass custodian, CG Claire Goldsmith, decided to mark last month’s 90th anniversary of the Oliver Goldsmith brand with a fresh take on two of the brand’s most iconic silhouettes, Manhattan and Lord. Both styles have been updated with modern-looking gold coloured stainless steel sides and will be available in three new colours, including a limited number raw black and gold combinations. The limited frames will feature a rough, unfinished texture along with gold flash mirror sun lenses. ‘The introduction of the flat sun lens uses early 1900 lens technology but gives these classic frames a very contemporary look – the perfect merging of old and new – something OG does best,’ says managing director Claire Goldsmith.
The Lord sunglass
Mykita
A slew of new releases were on display at Mykita’s mini village at the show. The most interesting was Mykita Studio, a new experimental, fashion forward collection in which the constraints of traditional eyewear design have been ignored at the design stage. The only requirement is to capture the current zeitgeist among futurism and graphical illusion. From the front, the panto-shaped 2.2 sheet metal sunglass takes on acetate look thanks to its thick eye wire. A geometric overlay of solid and mirror finishes applied to both the frame and the lens, gives a futuristic, nonconformist take on an iconic retro silhouette.
Mykita's new sunglasses
JF Rey
Children’s eyewear has been a fast-growing part of the sector in recent years and luxury eyewear brands have started to take advantage. More style conscious than ever, children look to adults for sartorial inspiration and cutesie frames no longer cut it. French manufacturer JF Rey has serviced the children’s market for some time now with the JF Rey Kids collection. The latest model to join the line-up is the unisex Gabriel frame for children aged between six and eight years old. The black and white asymmetric design of the squared frame uses three different acetates and brings a daring look to children’s eyewear.
The Gabriel frame
Prodesign Denmark
Unsurprisingly, clean, functional, contemporary Scandinavian design is the order of the day for Prodesign Denmark. Functionality comes from a dedication to facial fit and a design process that encompasses frame drawings using real portraits of people. The Danish Heritage collection is the company’s homage to the architects and the golden years of Danish design and an interpretation of what it says is the ‘contemporary vintage’ trend. The 50s and 60s look is evident in the design of the 4136 model, but a twist can be seen in the enamel inlays. The frames are a mix of galvanised metals, incorporating rivet contours and subtle enamel coloration.
Prodesign's 4136 model
Budri
As materials go, they do not get much more opulent than marble. It is fitting that marble eyewear comes from Italian manufacturer Budri, which made its debut at this year’s event. The idea was conceived in 2011 while working on a design project. A piece of marble was dropped and the resulting fragment resembled a pair of spectacles. This heralded the start of a challenge to make marble into a wearable accessory.
Each frame is made from a single slab of stone, selected directly in the quarry and analysed to find the best section. The selected portion of marble is milled to produce a solid convex piece, from which the shape of the glasses frame is cut. Fronts and temples are assembled with a specially developed carbon fibre core.