Disappearing nosepads from James van Vossel and Theo

Nosepads on metal frames can sometimes appear too noticeable a part of the finished product. For something so functional to interfere with the form and fit of the glasses is a little annoying for a frame designer.

James van Vossel has suggested a solution in his latest collaboration with Theo, by freeing the lens from the frame where it edges the nose, but continuing the frame back toward the face to provide integral nosepads with no need for the winding stems that are usually the host to a silicon pad.

The result: a quirky looking frame with a corner 'missing' that I am intrigued to try on!

A bridge too far? Theo by James

Here are some specs you're unlikely to forget. Theo has collaborated with James Van Vossel to create this unique design, a single-wire rimless frame with a memorable looping bridge. A bridge too far? No - Theo has always created some frames that stand out and long may it continue.

We rarely feature rimless so it's a pleasure to find a pair which include such statement. Referring back to yesterday's Cazal post, are these maximal minimalism?

Theo by James is available in six colours. Square-lensed models are James 3 while round ones are James 4.

Who made Kanye West's shutter glasses?

Shutter glasses, also known as Venetian blinders, were made for Kanye West by French eyewear supremo Alain Mikli. Kanye West brought them to the fore again, after a period of popularity in the 1980s, in his video Stronger. Why am I writing about them now, five years later? You'll see...

The first example I found of them being worn was in Simple Minds' 1982 video Glittering Prize below...

You'll see that the original 1980s frame above – image from my review of Moss Lipow's excellent book Eyewear and courtesy of Taschen – and the gold one in the Simple Minds video had only a narrow frame at the temples and is quite different to the Stronger aviator-shaped white pair worn by the Kanye West .

Others have made them too.

Indeed there's a company called Shutter Shades who churns them out in every colour.

And Mykita collaborated with Romain Kremer for this version, left,  in stainless steel.

But I think, partly because of his amazing blog post on how he did it, my favourite is Ch00ftech Industries who adapted a pair for 2012 New Year's Eve partying...

Pulling the wool over your eyewear: Lunettes Kollektion x Cooperative Designs

Another of our big favourites of 2011, Berlin's Lunettes Kollektion, has started the New Year well, announcing this 2012 collaboraton with London's witty knitters Cooperative Designs.

Hand-crocheted spectacle chains from Cooperative Designs combine with five Lunettes sunglasses which have been transformed with lens cut-outs for the "Wish you were here" sunglass collection.

Genius.

Available at selected stores priced £270 or €299 and online from Lunettes Kollektion.


Photos: Emma Tempest.

Mykita & Moncler: the best winter sunglasses for 2012?

Sorry for the lack of posts – have been away and then Christmas kind of took over. Trust everyone's had a cracking time and you've received all the goodies you wanted!

Theo x Tim Van Steenbergen: the Hierro sunglass collection

Any collaboration between Theo and Tim Van Steenbergen pleases the eye, and this fourth meeting of brands is no different: a limited edition sunglass collection, Hierro.

The inspiration came from Spanish embroidery and a long-held tradition of leather working. Hierro means iron or brandmark. Every hacienda has its own logo and these sunglasses are 'branded' in metal either with a Theo or Tim Van Steenbergen emblem.

Each frame is named after a Spanish patron saint: above is Isidro, and below, Jaime and Mercè. Neither leather nor embroidery is actually used but it looks extremely convincing.

Maek Eyewear makes it original – including collaboration with Jon Burgerman

It's great to see some originality emanating from little ole England. And Nottingham-based Maek Eyewear has a tonne of it, as is demoed herewith. The top frame is a collaboration with renowned street artist Jon Burgerman featuring his doodles on the temples and, a really impressive and bright, raw finish.

Next is a frame designed for Maek Eyewear with urban fashion brand Regenerate. And below that is Letloose and Another Level, another two sunnies from Maek that show that it truly lives up to its slogan: Maek It Original.

Thirst by Colab and Mike Perry - great tortoiseshell acetates

More from my trip to Shoreditch t'other weekend... I managed to get Chie's name in my last post but failed to get the brand of her glasses. Meanwhile I didn't ask this stylish gent's name, but I did establish the brand of spectacles he so successfully wears.

There are amazing eyewear retailers around the the area, not least the brilliant vintage glasses stall in Spitalfields Market and Zone7Style's pop-up shop on Redchurch Street. Despite this, Chie, like this eyewearwearer above (I wish I'd asked his name) brought her glasses on the other side of the globe.

The frames he wears are by Colab, the serial sunglass collaborators from Down Under. Colab work with talented designers and creative types from all walks of life to create 1,000-piece limited-edition shades. I think these are Thirst by Mike Perry, but I'm more than happy to be corrected. Thirst looks great as sunglasses and glasses. Unfortunately all 1,000 have been sold.

Forget make-up, just wear a pair of glasses: Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm's Violetta

Bernhard Willhelm and Mykita have created the Violetta using lens colouring to great effect. The frame at the front above features fine gold rims and teardrop-oval lenses, which have a subtle green glow in the upper half that turn to a rosé colour above the cheekbones.

In the second version, made of light stainless steel, the blue-to-cognac colour scheme is complemented by a matt-silver frame.

It's not the first time Mykita has had a brush with cosmetics - remember last year's nail varnish colab?

Mykita says 
the upper colour acts like a green or blue eye shadow, while the lower section emphasises the cheeks as rouge would.

Looks good to me!

Gucci 500 sunglasses - car not included

Imagine if you could have a designer car to match your designer glasses. Now stop, because this is a reality. You are not dreaming. "500 by Gucci" limited edition aviators and a matching Gucci 500 Fiat.

Beep, beep! Available in Gucci shops, a few opticians and your local Fiat dealership.

Hometown hook-up: Lena Hoschek sunglasses in collaboration with Robert La Roche

Austrian fashion designer Lena Hoschek presents her first collection of sunglasses, and all I can ask is why she hasn't done it before!?

The collection is a collaboration with Robert La Roche, the top notch eyewear brand from the same country, indeed from the same city, Graz.

After assisting Vivienne Westwood, Hoschek started her own label at the age of 24 in 2006. Fascinated by the female ideal of the 1940s and 50s, she mixes quality craftsmanship and high-end tailoring with rock 'n' roll, punk music, tattoos and fast cars.

Well welcome to the wonderful world of eyewear Lena and congratulations. Mrs EWG says well done too! Here's hoping this isn't a one-off!

All made up in Mykita and Uslu Airlines limited edition Jet Set aviators

This Jet Set collaboration between German glasses geniuses Mykita and Berlin-based luxury cosmetics brand Uslu Airlines means you can have sunglasses – "BOB"or "EVE" – with perfectly matching nail polish. Colour-co-ordination to the max! Available in a few hand-selected Mykita stockists before Christmas in neon yellow, grey-brown and lilac.

IC! Berlin goes asymmetric with Jiro Ito glasses collaboration

IC! Berlin has collaborated with Japanese designer Jiro Ito to create this limited edition collection of four subtly asymmetric frames, each available in two colours. The temples are bent in a wave-like
curve for comfort and better fitting. Top to bottom: Jiro, Naomi, Yasuhiko and Yutaro.

Ørgreen and Arne Jacobsen special edition Swan chairs and frames

At last month's London Design Festival, Danish eyewear designers Ørgreen Optics joined forces with furniture specialists the Republic of Fritz Hansen to produce a series of Arne Jacobsen Swan chairs featuring the same Copenhagen skyline design as a special edition of eyewear by Ørgreen.

The chairs and eyewear collaboration, pictured here at the EDC London showroom, referred to as the Skyline Edition, marks a new addition to a series of creative projects in the Ørgreen "Playground".

Thierry Lasry x L'Ecurie red and blue crystal sunglasses

Thierry Lasry has been collaborating again, this time with French design house L'Ecurie. Once again, the material and build looks amazing.

Plastic Man sunglasses by Thierry Lasry for Colette

Thierry Lasry has teamed up with DC Comics and Warner Bros to create these Plastic Man glasses for the ubercool Parisian concept store Colette. The right lens features 200 hand-set Swarovski crystals.

Other designers involved in the comic book collaboration for the boutique, celebrating 75 years of DC Comics, included Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel and Balmain.

Zooey Deschanel x Oliver Peoples: Zooey sunglasses

Oliver Peoples Zooey sunglasses, made in collaboration with Zooey Deschanel, who also features in the ad. Courtesy of Oliver Peoples. Photo: Autumn de Wilde.

Romain Kremer x Mykita Eyewear Yuri sunglasses-cum-helmet

Romain Kremer has teamed up with Mykita to make these Yuri (named after Yuri Gagarin) sunglasses...

Lady Gaga in Edeneyes sunglasses by Herr Von Eden and Mykita

Amazingly, I haven't posted once about Lady Gaga, despite her obvious eyewear-wearing prowess.

Here she's wearing sunglasses by Mykita in collaboration with Herr Von Eden.

The model is Edeneyes and it's available in four colours in limited runs of 80 pieces. These beauties use Mykita's incredibly No. 2 hinge, reason enough to grab a pair quick, that's before we even get on to the terrific, timeless design.

Super makes 333 Chocolate sunglasses

Not real chocolate, that would not be good on a hot day. No, Super has teamed up with skateboard brand Chocolate to create these limited editions, in celebration of Chocolate's 15-year anniversary. A total of 333 are available, complete with high-quality Zeiss lenses.