Among the vast array of colour options on show at Opti was a deeper red across acetate styles that offered a warm look when worn and captured the light when held away. Browner reds, such as plum, maroon and burgundy, all stood out among a broader trend for muted colours and semi-transparent acetates like the darker greens that have prevailed in recent years.
Vasuma’s Montivipera (1) in wine offers a touch of Hollywood glamour as a tribute to Brigitte Bardot. The oversized frame has a square silhouette with sculpted edges on the eco-friendly Mazzucchelli acetate.
The Stockholm-based brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025 with a collection inspired by its home in the historical area of the Old Town. The range features an anchor iron detailing inspired by the beams that hold the city’s building up. Detailing of the anchor irons is found on the inner core on acetate models and along the sides of brushed metal styles, such as the inverted pilot-shaped Cerastes (2).
The Sopraterra collection by Swiss brand Einstoffen blossomed with innovative features, taking inspiration from flowers growing towards the sun and how humans similarly seek light. Every frame evokes the delicate curves of petals with milled acetate structures creating complex lines.
Designs include a smashed effect created by repeated fine lines that represent crinkles in petals, circular milling patterns that create a 3D look, and gradual steps that have a softer aesthetic on easy to wear frames with special detailing.
Warmer colour options are found in Sopraterra and Einstoffen’s essential collections, such as cranberry, ochre and red, alongside green, brown and pine, across models such as Voyante, Haute Couturier (4) and Floristin (3).
Sun styles by Mykita included a selection of sculptural silhouettes made from Acetate Renew with raw edges and matt finishes. A new semi-transparent maroon colour was paired with Cruxite brown lenses in the Dakar (6) and Nima models, while Kilenda (5) showcases a pine honey acetate that changes in lighting conditions and is coupled with black gradient lenses.
3D printed colours have so far been limited to earthier tones but brighter hues are starting to be achieved by Ørgreen and Rolf.
Sun styles by Ørgreen pair Japanese titanium with 3D rings that provide a dash of colour to the otherwise minimalist designs. The In Safe Hands model (7) showcases a sophisticated wine colourway, while the hexagonal Meridiana (8) evokes the French Riviera with a touch of teal on the brow line.
In a 3D-printed booth that took three days to assemble, Rolf launched a stonewashed fire red colourway (9) that achieved a slightly worn effect. The colour was an option for new model Rais (10) from the Substance collection, which has a wave-shaped bevel above the eyes on the round silhouette.
Debuting at Opti was Sapiens (11), a new eyewear brand designed by Xavier Garcia in Barcelona using Mazzucchelli acetate. Frames look to human evolution for inspiration and embrace the diversity and complexity of nature and the Sapiens manifesto promises to push the boundaries of design.
Design features evoke the orbital shape of the human skull, include Garcia’s fingerprint on the temple core and take colour inspirations from cave paintings.
Box fresh
New eyewear brands in the Opti Box area included Ffin, which is designed in Wales by Anna Lewis and made in Italy using bio-based acetate. The brand name translates from Welsh as border, boundary or frontier and the brand’s ethos is about being at or crossing these defining lines at the edge of things.
Models Ado, Amo (12) and Mod (13) expand its existing collection of spectacles and sunglasses and feature bold silhouettes and asymmetrical linear details.
Ado is a hexagonal shape that takes its name from Shakespeare’s Italian-set play Much Ado About Nothing, while Amo is a square frame with a laminated gap on the brow. Mod is inspired by the ’60s movement and has a wasp-like silhouette that recalls the iconic Vespa scooter.
Barcelunettes is the new brand from designer Fabián Hoffman Bonengél (former ic! Berlin and Metzler), who showcased Japanese titanium and Mazzucchelli acetate models. Drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean region, styles feature the colours of the coastline and reflect the light qualities of the area.
This is most evident on the chunkier acetate models that feature a wave effect (14), which is heat pressed onto the rear of the front and is visible through the semi-transparent colourways.
The brand’s poppy logo features on the screws of the frames and on the nose pads of the metal models (15), providing additional comfort in the fit.
Children’s brand Manti Manti (16) won the Opti Box award with its range of 3D printed and bio-acetate models in vivid colours like pink
and green. Designed for children aged two to 12 years old, collections are modular and adjustable with plenty of flexibility built into the frames.
Features include a robust hinge, bendy tips and adjustable nose pads, as well as a practical, sewn in lens cloth on a case designed to look like a pencil case.
