Mido report: Eye-catching frames

Back stories conjuring up images of the natural world vied with futuristic shapes and the ethereal at this year’s Mido exhibition in Milan. The in vogue eye shape remained round with key colours provided by golds and pinks.

Previous editions of Mido have taken technologies characterised by 3D printing or titanium alloys as their cue, this year function was a key word as were insets and lamination. Wide acetate borders were also much in evidence. Materials and heritage continue as a theme as does the frame within a frame, detailed manufacture and covered metal.

The embodiment of the Mido ideal is the Lab Academy where 40 designers are invited to showcase their styles in a designated area. The Lab is a kaleidoscope of colour and form ranging from the classic styling of Peter and May to the futuristic and coloured plastic of Henau. Others look to materials: silver, wood, magnesium and artistry, as in Rigards, or glamorous shapes and colour as Barn Haute Lunetterie. The shocking is also there in designers such as Joseph Haver.