Friday 30 April 2010

Small black oval glasses in Amsterdam - probably by Theo

Small black oval glasses in Amsterdam. Photo: Paul Somers
I love this picture by Paul Somers in Amsterdam. I don't know who makes these glasses - if you look carefully there's a bright green finish to the inside. This shape really suits this guy - great choice.

Tuesday 27 April 2010

Screwless, hingeless, jointless, single-piece glasses from Reykjavik Eyes

Reykjavik Eyes beta-titanium glassesReykjavik Eyes beta-titanium glassesReykjavik Eyes beta-titanium glasses
Regular readers will know I'm quite fanatical about clever technology on your face.

Essentially, the simpler a glasses frame is, the fewer parts it has, the better the material; the more likely it is to be a piece of face furniture for a long time.

So how about these frames from Reykjavik Eyes? No screws, no hinges, no joints, AND it's one piece of strong yet light material. Designed by Gunnar Gunnarson, they look great. And, weighing in at just 2.2g, a bit like a spec of volcanic ash, you'll barely know they are on your nose.

Now watch the clever film...

Clubmasters with a difference: a modern Garfield twist from OGI Eyewear

OGI Eyewear's Garfield sunglassesThese are nice: Garfield sunglasses from OGI Eyewear. Presumably pretty good as ophthalmic specs too.

Sunday 25 April 2010

Make it large - Mykita's Gary glasses from the AW10 collection

Mykita No.2 collection: Gary glasses in Tobago
Cool glasses don't get much bigger than these. Genius hinge No.2 from Mykita is included, twice, in these Gary spectacles.

Thursday 22 April 2010

Unidentified sunglasses with hat at a Vienna flea market

Unidentified sunglasses with hat at a Vienna flea market.Photo: tomorrows cheese on Flickr
It's been a while since I've done some posts of eyewear when I don't know what it is. This terrific photograph was taken by Tomorrow's Cheese in at a flea market, which probably means these are vintage shades. But, as always, I'm open to suggestions...

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Frames go optometric in Clare Lopeman's AW10 collection

Clare Lopeman AW10
Moscow-based British designer Clare Lopeman proves that it's not just glasses that are cool, it's just about anything connected with opticians... Lopeman's debut collection, for Autumn/Winter 2010/11, features various Russian testing frames - more here

Tuesday 20 April 2010

A Prism glasses story that broke my heart

I love Prism glasses. Mainly because they look terrific, but also because the company had the balls to go launching glasses without restricting themselves to opticians to sell them.

So I felt much saddened to hear the story of Susie Bubble, a fashion blogger (one of the best according to Mrs EWG) who can spot stylish frames from a mile-off - but, sadly, only when her sight is corrected. The things is folks if your prescription is high, or even just highish, larger frames may not accommodate the lenses you need to spot the cool glasses on the shelf.

I happened to be out with a few opticians on Saturday night - anyone suggest a solution? Susie, if you're reading, get scrolling downward to see if there's anything you like. What about some green translucent Cutler & Gross frames?

Here's Susie in her Prisms:

Susie Bubble in her Prism glasses. Photo: stylebubble.typepad.com

Monday 19 April 2010

Thursday 15 April 2010

Jee Vice Fabulous sunglasses - accurately named

Jee Vice Fabulous sunglasses
These Jee Vice sunglasses are called Fabulous and, yes, I think they're right. Jee Vice is of course the brand that Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing in the soon-to-be-released Sex and the City 2 movie. Similarly, these Fabulous shades have been worn by Vanessa Williams on Ugly Betty, in her role as Wilhelmina Slater.

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Barton Perreira's Sebastian eyeglasses

Barton Perreira glasses: Sebastian in Umber Tortoise

Here's Tim wearing some fantastic Sebastian spectacles by Barton Perreira. I think these are the Umber Tortoise colour but they may be Saxon Brown. Good look Tim!

Also available in Black, Dark Walnut, Dusk, and a Turtle Dove Gradient, as right.

Note how they're precariously balanced on another identical pair...

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Zoom in: Orgreen Dylan and Edna glasses up close

Orgreen Dylan glasses: click to see the whole frame

Orgreen Edna glasses: click to see the whole frame
I like to provide you, the glasses wearing public, with big pictures. Partly because it looks nice but also because it helps to give you a better idea of the quality of the materials and build of decent spectacles. But, other than persuading you all to buy Times Square-style 40-foot plasma superscreens, they're never gonna squeeze in to this here space.

And so, unusually, I present here Orgreen Dylan (top) and Edna, but very, very close up. Just looook at that acetate!

Want the whole thing? Click the pic.

Monday 12 April 2010

John Foxx, Roger Spy, Jo McGann and Steve Diggle at Kirk Originals bash in The Garden


Longstanding followers will know that this blog kicked off at a party at Kirk Originals store in Covent Garden and so we continue. Kirk Originals often dispays art throughout the store and last week it hosted a private view for electronic music pioneer John Foxx alongside Foxx-inspired works from artists Roger SpyAngelo Cerantola,  Andrew Back, Antonillo Cardillo and Roger Spy.

The exhibition, organised by ArtHertz, continues at Kirk Originals Floral Street store until July 2010.

So who's who and what's what? Top to bottom:
Photos: Angie Klein.

Sunday 11 April 2010

Vintage Serge Kirchhofer black sunglasses: shut me up.

Every now and then I find something that leaves me a bit speechless.

These sunglasses are by Serge Kirchhofer, a designer who worked for brands like Carrera, Dunhill and Porsche Design in the 1960s and 70s. I'm particularly excited by the prospect of a soon-to-be-released cinema docuentary about his life. With thanks to Loveiwear which has loads of good stuff like Serge Kirchhofer regularly on offer.


Tuesday 6 April 2010

Top Marcs: the Harbour Island collection from Robert Marc

Robert Marc sunglasses - RM629 in Island Violet and Coral Sand (this finish is amazing)

Robert Marc eyewear - RM250 and RM632, both in limited edition Raffia (explained below)

Robert Marc eyewear: RM633-19 and RM633-17

Robert Marc eyewear: RM251-127 and RM252-129
To create something truly brilliant, there has to be attention to detail. Glasses are a prime example. New York based Robert Marc Eyewear continues to attend to the detail and the new Harbour Collection is typical of his approach.

I've raved a little about Robert Marc before, particularly about the hinges, but the other stand-out detail about  his frames is the material. He uses acetate extremely well - sometimes simple, sometimes complex - and the above demonstrates both extremes.

It was the RM629's finish (top) that caught my eye, but its the RM632 and RM250 in the second picture  that steals the show. In the temple, incorporates hand-woven raffia into the crystal finish - hence the limited numbers... great work, all inspired by Harbour Island in the Bahamas.

Monday 5 April 2010

Carrera 5251 vintage sunglasses - do sunnies get better than this?

Sunjet by Carrera 5251 vintage sunglasses from the late 1980s: a transparent frame with green coloured lenses. These are a bit brilliant and very 2010. Thanks to Solaris Vintage.

Sunday 4 April 2010

Spitfire blue Mixed Ability sunglasses at London's Portabello Market


There are a lot of good sunglasses in the world. The very best can be expensive so here is a pair that won't break the bank from Spitfire, who sell shades in fashionable London markets such as Portabello (as pictured), Spitalfields. They're round, they've coloured, translucent frames and they're very 2010, they're "Mixed Ability".

Photo: Nicholas Lativy

Saturday 3 April 2010

Prism London spectacles continue to get noticed


...this time by Because, a new online mag of cool. And here are a  couple more great pics of Prism eyewear recently...



Prism London glasses

Friday 2 April 2010

Benjamin Eyewear's 2010 sunglasses: Douglas and B Ray

Benjamin Eyewear 2010 sunglasses: Douglas. Photo: Igor Termenón

Benjamin Eyewear 2010 sunglasses: B Ray. Photo: Igor Termenón

These are Benjamin Eyewear sunglasses for 2010 as presented by LeeLeeLu. Top is Douglas, bottom is B Ray. Photo: Igor Termenón.

Benjamin Eyewear is the work of LA eyewear specialist Benjamin Montoya.  Product is currently available only in LA, New York, Paris and Tokyo.

Thursday 1 April 2010

Oliver Goldsmith glasses from the 1960s to be re-launched this month

Oliver Goldsmith Retro Eyewear

Oliver Goldsmith Retro Spectacles. Model: Anabel F

Oliver Goldsmith Retro Eyewear. Model: Kolus

Oliver Goldsmith Retro Optical collection. Model: Pelota

Oliver Goldsmith Retro Eyeglasses. Model: Wongl

Oliver Goldsmith Retro Eyewear. Model: Consul SS
One of the biggest global names in eyewear, Oliver Goldsmith, will be launching retro models of his original glasses designs from the 1960s and 1970s by the end of April, Eye Wear Glasses can reveal.

To begin with they will be available only from David Clulow's Ledbury Road branch in Notting Hill.

Original retro sunglasses from Oliver Goldsmith were launched back in 2005 but, until now, Oliver Goldsmith retro glasses designs have only been available in Japan and the Far East, where the spectacles and brand, described below by A Oliver Goldsmith in a film for the Victoria & Albert Museum, are hugely popular.

These frames pictured are just a fraction of the 2009-10 collection. Exactly which models will be available in the West remains to be seen. All designs are exact copies of original designs, handmade in Japan from top quality acetate. Hover over the pictures above for model names, I've shown the black ones to highlight the great shapes but also shown some of the colours available.

Learn more about Oliver Goldsmith here...