Several weeks prior to Silmo, a small group of UK frame distributors made things easy for London practitioners by bringing a show to the capital, without some of the transport problems of Paris.
Visitors to the myhotel Bloomsbury could see the latest additions to the Gold & Wood, Beausoleil, Yellows Plus, Lunor, Orgreen, Initium, Blinde and Chrome Hearts lines in a small, intimate venue.
New styles from Optical Shop International's Blinde range caught the eye, in particular the acetate models that have added lustre thanks to 72 hours of tumble polishing. Of note were new hand-made designs for women with an exposed metal temple core that is powder finished in a subtle contrasting colour to the acetate. This gives a lighter-coloured strip in the side, for example model Fess Up [1] in lilac with contrasting lavender.
Robert Price, director of European sales says of the new styles: 'Blinde don't just do the six rivet hinge. There are 12 new styles combining ophthalmic and sun in fabulous new colours such as a blue grey and brown graduated acetate in On The Rocks [2]. We only use Japanese acetate, which is cured for longer, so that it doesn't bend out of shape like young, cheap acetate does when the moisture evaporates.'
Other top colours for the season are an ivory-like white pearl in sunglass model Dizzy [3], described by Price as a 1950s Hollywood look, and a pink crystal acetate with matching pink lenses in the range of colours for the Sucker Punch [4] sunglass.
Price highlights Blinde's renewed use of mineral glass sunglass lenses, including polarised options, and the attention to detail, such as the seamless temple and hinge join. 'Japanese manufacturing may be only 3 per cent of an improvement on other production, but it gives a tangible difference,' he says.
Chrome Hearts luxury eyewear from OSI also had a similar number of new releases, described as one of its strongest launches in recent years. One acetate frame has a large sterling silver 'Flerkneee' hinge detail matching a Chrome Hearts belt buckle, icon detailing that is also used in sunglasses.
A stand-out design for Price is a sunglass with a titanium semi-rimless front, whose sides have seven layers of ebony, including an albino version. These are stiffened with an aluminium strip and laminated and crisscrossed for extra strength. For a finishing touch, the sides are laser etched with hand-drawn cross motifs, designed by Chrome Hearts' founder Richard Stark and teamed with a sterling silver plus hinge.
As well as hand-finished details and the latest technologies, Chrome Hearts has added a new brushed antique finish for an even, matt look.
Brand showcase
Also on show were Yellows Plus, a small Japanese collection with nine new models, including acetate pantos and round shapes as well as Japanese titanium. 'The Japanese are always a step ahead of us in the UK and we tend to catch up a year later,' says Sid Firoozkoohi. 'We keep the brand selective as we want it to have longevity.'
He also represents German line Lunor with its classic looks, half eyes and sterling silver designs and is developing an Italian-made line with designs to fit the Asian market called Coppe+Sid, that may also be launched in the UK.
The latest frames from Orgreen include a toned-down, more commercial acetate with metal side detailing. There are nine new styles, a number of which are unisex, with four in the Helium range, three in Echo 97 and two from Airline. Bernard King says that some of the larger frames are suitable for the bigger man who likes the nod to contemporary styling. 'Quite often when they find a style that actually fits, they buy several colour options.'
King also represents US line Initium, originally a West Coast sunglass brand, it is now also producing opticals. These designs have minimal branding, are made in Italy and include an s-break temple. The eyewear is named after musical influences, for example Folsom (Johnny Cash) or Revolver (The Beatles).
One of the more vividly colourful lines on show was the Spanish Etnia collection. Mark Rothery explains that while the frames are designed in Barcelona, they use Mazzucchelli materials and Comotec hinges, which he describes as 'ingredients of the top end, including spring hinges'. There are combination colours of turquoise and crystal as well as red and crystal wave and all the designs are named after famous cities and regions, for example Milano and Chelsea. 'Etnia is now a quality product combining retro and modern designs, but the price point is very competitive,' says Rothery. ?