Here, at the start of 2023, there is a sense of uncertainty about the year ahead in fashion retail due to consumers grappling with the ongoing economic, political and environmental crises. As has so often been the case, the wider social-economic climate has heavily influenced what we see on the catwalks, high street and street style.
Wellbeing, creativity, the environment, and technology are at the heart of fashion forecasting and the eyewear industry has followed suit because these are the factors that will ultimately drive consumers’ purchasing power and decisions, and there are three clear themes impacting the eyewear market for 2023. These are: hyper-stimulating colour, providing that dopamine dressing vibe, oversized racer frames, reflecting the crossover between athleisure and streetstyle, and the inevitable and necessary focus on recycled or sustainable materials.
Dopamine dressing
Frames that give us a sense of optimism will be trending heavily in 2023. Playful designs, vibrant colours, bold acetates and even glitter and crystals. These highly stimulating, hyper-bright shades will reflect the need for creativity, optimism and an overwhelming desire to reignite the imagination. The concept is simple; that wearing colour will instantly install a burst of joy and what better way to do this than with the spectacles on your face.
Glossy finishes will also highlight the growing importance of immersive design and can be seen across the board, from Kirk & Kirk’s kaleidoscope of brilliantly bright colour options to these quirky waved temple sunglasses by GDCS (left), Loewe’s cat-eyes in Cherry and Canary Yellow. Even Tom Ford has stepped into the light with beautifully bright transparent pink and violet sunglasses.
‘Consumers are anxious about the cost-of-living and are demanding value,’ says Jason and Karen Kirk, co-founders of Kirk & Kirk. ‘They are not necessarily spending less money on frames and lenses, but they do want to know that their money is well spent. For this reason, they do not want “ordinary”.
‘The consumer is looking for eyewear that justifies spending otherwise they might as well stick with what they have for a bit longer. We are seeing more inclination towards the outer extremes of our collections; bigger, bolder, more colourful. Top shapes include Horace (right). This is a great example of statement eyewear – if you are going to buy new frames, make it worthwhile.’
Continuing from the Hyper Pink shade seen everywhere, thanks in part to Maison Valentino, Pantone’s new colour of the year is 18-1750 Viva Magenta. In their words: ‘Welcome to the Magentaverse!’ This beautiful hue is a shade rooted in nature and is expressive of a new signal of strength; a brave and fearless shade that pulsates with exuberance and promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration of colour.
‘In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real,’ says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at Pantone Color Institute. ‘Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family, as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known. Invoking the forces of nature, Viva Magenta galvanises our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.’
With recent #barbiecore trends from the catwalk continuing to inject Hyper Pink into collections, this bright shade will slowly spread through commercial markets this year, seen here in Lacoste’s L2920 optical frame and Orgreen’s titanium ‘lust for life’ colourway as well as Kirk & Kirk’s ‘passion’ design.
These bold shades of pink, as well as other bright pigments, will be key for monochrome dressing, and sunglasses are the perfect accessory to start with, injecting a pop of colour to a monochromatic vibe.
Going Green
Unsurprisingly, sustainable and eco-conscious eyewear will be trending in 2023. Frames made from recycled woods, cork, bamboo and bio-acetates will be making waves among consumers. With an almost endless supply of materials to choose from, alongside a heavy dose of green-washing by some brands, it is a difficult market to navigate, but there is a lot to explore and the growth in this area is substantial.
From Sea2Sea, whose frames are made entirely from recycled marine plastic, Ochis, who uses recycled coffee grounds from the coffee shops in Kyiv, to Hemp Eyewear, which uses a specially developed hemp fibre to manufacture its frames (as well as using recycled tartan and tweed off-cuts), and even brands such as Mosevic, who has repurposed and upcycled old denim and combined it with a bio-resin to create a brand-new material.
Mosevic has combined bio-resin with upcycled old denim
This transition to regenerative, abundant, renewable and local natural resources is key for 2023. Customers are demanding to know more about where their purchases come from and how they are made. They want traceable and certified materials that edge towards a more sustainable future, and it is brands like those mentioned above that are meeting the need. Technology is of course at the heart of this growth and is the pivotal shift between creating a credible, and potentially luxury, product from a previously experimental one.
‘For 2023, the big one for us as a company and for all our brands is sustainability,’ says Nicola Haines, independent eyewear designer. ‘This isn’t just a trend, it’s something we’ve been working on for years now, but it seems finally suppliers and factories are catching up with the demand. There’s now a huge choice of suppliers offering bio and recycled acetates in a range of colours at a reasonable price, making it so much easier to introduce these products across all our brands.
‘With sustainability in mind, a big focus for us as designers and our brands, is to have a core range of timeless pieces and reinvented classics. Future vintage is the key; each brand needs its own signature version of the pilot, wayfarer, panto, deep square and the rest that can be freshened up with new colours each season.’
Science, nature and technology will unite to co-create alternative bio-based, regenerative materials that leave a lighter footprint on the planet. To achieve this, a greater presence of circular solutions must be put in place with eco-frames able to withstand wear and tear, have repair and mending solutions and potentially be traded forward into the burgeoning resale market. The market is changing for the better, but there is still a long way to go.
Racer shades
Cat’s eye racer shades are emerging on top as a clear trend for 2023. These sports influenced shades are fashion-forward, maximalist and futuristic, taking inspiration from Tokyo’s club culture and rave scene. Check out Carlijn by Linda Farrow (left), taken from the company’s collaboration with The Attico or the ice blue lensed shield by Moncler (below). For the ultimate vintage shields, look no further than Oliver Goldsmith’s Yuhu and Wow, based on original designs taken from the 1960s.
These athletic, performance-inspired frames will expand into otherworldly, immersive and 3D-generated textures and forms as designers explore the varied potential of this silhouette; from super-slim to supersized goggle-like proportions across the category.
Reflective or mirrored lenses, iridescent acetates and tinted lenses bring a newness to the style, while playing with scale and detail brings a new dimension to the 90s references of 2021-22. Fashion and sport continue to play an important role on the catwalk and high-street, blending into the ever-growing athleisure and streetwear realms and we will continue to see this as a major influence for eyewear. These sporty wrap frames and visors are increasingly becoming an everyday accessory, with large luxe wraps maintaining trending power as we enter a new era of imagination going forward into 2024.
Oliver Goldsmith’s Yuhu and Wow, based on original designs taken from the 1960s