Kirk & Kirk launches debut Vivarium collection

Forget glasses with plain pins in the top corners of the frame. Forget the ubiquitous lozenge shape rivet that dominates the mass market. And opt instead for an intricate fly or a horse inspired by Victorian natural history collectors .

Do so and you'll be getting your hands on the hotly anticipated debut collection from eyewear's new luxury eyewear name, Kirk & Kirk.

As a lifelong fan of Kirk Originals, my brow furrowed last summer when I discovered that the brand's founders, Jason and Karen Kirk, had left the company. Kirk Originals continues, and EWG wishes it well, but it was the launch of the Kirks' new brand, Kirk & Kirk, that was always going to excite us, hence the first post in a long while.

As with brilliant Beam collection a couple of years ago, Vivarium is made of acrylic, which makes it lighter than acetate. The frames are handmade in France while the animal jewellery pins have been crafted in England and are made of sterling silver or 9 carat gold.

Frames top to bottom: Carson, Curie and Fleming, featuring gold horse pins.

Brixton Village #3: Kirk Originals Beam in green on Meriem

Meriem wears a wonderful frame from the Beam collection at Kirk Originals, whose Sale at the flagship Conduit Street store in London ends  tomorrow - Saturday 22 July (70% off some stuff so quick, quick, quick).

Look out for Meriem in her Kirk shades in a separate post soon. Like many people with Kirk Orginals specs, she's a fanatic so has >1 pair.

Footnote: Meriem works round the corner from Kirks' on Heddon Street for Momo, where EWG remembers a Roberto Cavalli Eyewear launch in (about) 2002. Lots of snakes on the temples... I think I met someone from S Club 7.

UPDATE  21-7-12: It was 2001 and it was Liberty, later known as Liberty X, not S Club.

Beam, Benz or Bentley: Kirk Originals' best batch yet?

"Beam" of course. Kirk Originals really has stepped up its game with what EWG thinks might be its best batch of bins yet. The colours, the shapes, the innovation, these glasses are good enough to eat.

The Beam collection was raved about back in September 2011, and here are a few brand new shots of some of the latest rays of light to emanate from the Kirk design house.

View more pictures on the Kirk site here...

Or watch Jason Kirk talking about them on the 2012 Designers video...

2012 Eyewear: 12 designers, 12 frames (VIDEO)

Eye Wear Glasses returns from Silmo, the huge eyewear show in Paris, having caught up with 12 designers . They talk about 12 frames for 2012. Featuring contributions from Graz, Kirk Originals, Ron Arad at PQ Eyewear, Lena Hoschek, Oliver Goldsmith, Kilsgaard, ProDesign Denmark, Claire Goldsmith, Ørgreen, Lunettes Kollektion, TD Tom Davies and Blue Magic Eye.

MUSIC: Frigidaire by Delko

Beam me up Kirk: colourful acrylic glasses for 2012

Wow! Look at the colour on these fantastic glasses from Kirk Originals. The new Beam and Sunbeam collections for 2012 are being launched at Silmo, the big eyewear show in Paris next week.

These specs look amazing; but technically they're brilliant too. They're made of acrylic. Kirk Originals has been working on these for more than a decade and while the UK designer has been using acrylic for a while now in the temples, this is the first time it's made the front of this material too.

Note the lack of any metal wire in the temple and the fantastic polish on the acrylic. Looking forward to trying a few of these on next week!

RRP: €420

McClintock party time: Rock Optika launch in Covent Garden

McClintock Eyewear in Covent Garden, London, is famed not only for its superior collection of handmade glasses, but also for its parties. We've frequently turned up for our fill of glasses – of wine and of the spectacular.

McClintock last week hosted the official launch of the wonderful Rock Optika collection, as made by Tom Herrington and previewed here last month, so here are few pictures from the night...

Opening picture: Rock Optika's Key Largo. Above Bertie wears a bespoke frame made by McClintock. And below are a collection of pictures taken by Julian Cox, who's rather handy with the iPhone camera, and a few by EWG.

To get more of an idea of the lovely frames in stock in McClintock, have a look here. Finally, Dr Savage performs a poem...

Brian McGinn in his own creation. Photo: Julian Cox	Séamus McClintock in Kilsgaard. Photo: Julian Cox
Dr Savage in Rock Optika. Photo: Julian Cox	Funk Eyewear. Photo: Julian Cox
Tom Herrington in his own Rock Optika. Photo: Julian Cox	Eyewear designer Lawrence Jenkin in vintage 1980s Anglo American Optical. Photo: EWG
Hydron in Funk. Photo: EWG	Sophia in Kirk Originals. Photo: EWG

Who makes Heston Blumenthal's new glasses as featured in British Airways' Great Britons campaign?

Well Mr Headline Writer, that would be Kirk Originals. Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal – pictured above with Brit artist Tracey Emin and actor-director Richard E Grant (piss artist Withnail)  – and his new spectacles have featured on this domain before. Blumenthal, in his good-but-perhaps-not-as-good-as-these-new-ones, bespoked Bugatti frames, and the Kinetic collection from Kirk Originals. Specificaly, the Kinetic Java, I think, in aubergine.

The best thing about this great frame, of course, is that the temples incorporate lenticular prints that change with movement. Fun stuff and only fully appreciated with some moving images, below. More Kirks posts here...

Kirk Originals opens its doors on Conduit Street with music from David McAlmont

Any week where a new glasses shop opens in London is a good week. So when Kirk Originals' new flagship store officially opened its doors on Conduit Street on Thursday, and revealed the full majesty of its "projections", the incredible spec display you see above, the week entered hitherto unchartered highs - I've never seen a glasses shop as cool as this.

Kirk Originals parties are always a laugh and a good chance to find some spectacular people. EWG even had the pleasure of meeting David McAlmont and Guy Davies (performing below) and designer Karen Kirk (right wearing a frame from the Kirk Originals Kinetic collection).

More pictures from the launch party here from Kirk Originals, but first a video...

And here's the shop when empty...

Kirk Originals' new flagship London store now open

After years in Covent Garden, Kirk Originals has relocated to this great new shop just off Regent Street. I will   of course be heading over then ASAP so expect more detail soon. But doesn't this look terrific!?

Kirk Originals gets clever: glasses that change as you move

Any glasses launch from Kirk Originals involves a wee surprise. So here is Equaliser from the new Kinetic collection. Good eh? Nice shape, 80s-esque graphic equaliser on the side. But what's this? The temple changes as you move? Turn up the bass, tweak the treble...

Don't believe? Check this video of another model, the Spectrum, from the Kirk Originals Kinetic collection...

Here's one more pic, featuring "Flash" in three exposures... Look how the temple changes. Can't wait to see the beauties in Paris next weekend! These are up for Silmo d'Or; like an Oscar, but for specs...

Kirk Originals' Sculpture glasses in Dusty Gold

Kirk Originals 2010 Vector sunglasses - Nicole

Kirk Originals combines lens and frame colours perfectly here with Nicole from the 2010 Vector sunglass collection...

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 Spy, Angelo 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:

• Roger Spy and John Foxx have no glasses; Dennis Da Silva, from Arthertz, wears Sir Reginald in black and red from the Kirk Heroes range
• Steve Diggle from The Buzzcocks wears Earl in black and turquoise from the Vector sunglasses collection
• Robin Dutt (journalist) wears Dusty in gold harlequin from the new Sculpture collection
• Joe McGann is wearing Dusty in orange also from the new Sculpture range.

Photos: Angie Klein.

Kirk Originals glasses walk on water - the 2010 Sculpture collection

...Well perhaps walk is an exagerration, but these glasses from Kirk Originals' Sculpture range, to be released in Milan in two weeks, are pretty miraculous. This one is Otis, in grey and scarlet but there are six new shapes in nine new colourways. The fronts are acetate while the temples, which appear to be textured yet smooth, are acrylic. Take yourself off to Kirk Originals' site (always fun) to find out more.

Kirk Originals launches latest website - always worth a look!!

Kirk Originals has always done good websites and its latest redesign lives up to expectations...

Addicted to Kirk Originals? Might as well face it

Kirk Originals' latest collection of sunglasses - Vector - is terrific and, as is frequently the case from Kirks, it ignores some of the more obvious trends and includes an element of quirkiness.

The asymmetry of the Kirk Heroes collection is back, but it's not just the colour that changes, it's texture and pattern - a barcode to be precise. Great shapes, and great images.

I always thought Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love video could not be improved, but I was wrong. A pair of Vector sunnies for each of the musicians...? I think so.

Photos, from top: Alana, Blake and Nicole.

Kirk Originals vintage Ezra glasses: thrill o' the thrift

Mrs Eyewearglasses, Beck, is the real queen of charity shops, as demonstrated by these incredible Kirk Originals Ezra spectacles which she snapped up for just £20.

I love the juxtaposition (yes, one of those) of the 1950s metal brow and temples with the modern acetate frame, including the Kirk signature shape where the outer-lower corners are diagonally trimmed away. Beautifully made.

Not sure how old these are but I expect someone in the know will leave a comment with an approx date...

[Update: Open link to find out more about the frame]

Holding out for a hero... a Kirk Hero

When I first came across Kirk Heroes about three years ago I wasn't so sure. click on the image for a closer look - not the way the glitter gradually start above the left eye. I think these are Melissa Kirk in black and silver...
I love them now, and I have a similar pair of my own in black and red - well ahead of their time.

Kirk Originals party continued...

Despite the signage, this (right) is Stephen, not Nigel.

Stephen clearly has an eye for style and shows what a little enthusiasm and taste can do - a great look, great combo of crystal and blue.

This pic was taken at the Kirk Orginals Turbo Preview launch in Covent Garden, London. The next few photos will feature more of Kirks' signature style, with the temple curving round the front of the frame.

































Cheers! Jason (left) with Seamus from the shop on Floral Street.

See Eyewear 1204 - all the way from San Fran

While I enjoyed a bottle of Becks courtesy of Kirks I met a few interesting glasses related folk.

Rebekah laughed at my quirky English ways, but was nevertheless willing to have a picture taken wearing her tremendous retro frames.

The glasses are by See Eyewear, for whom Rebekah works in San Francisco.

A little research and I think they're model no 1204. She will no doubt correct me if they're not...