I have just come back from the Paris eyewear show, an annual event that showcases everything to do with specs and sunglasses, with particular emphasis on the creatives and designers working in this niche of the accessory business. It’s paradise for anyone who wears eyewear and appreciates the creative processes that go into making some of the most luxurious, sought after glasses and shades. And it’s the place to preview the trends and trendsetters of the future.
Focus for many of the smaller labels this year was on quality, sophisticated production and handcrafting. Vintage trends and the geek chic fad remain important in the general mood of things, but it was clear that heavy vintage acetate styles will be replaced with thinner, more refined frames in the year ahead. Wood is a big trend in this environment, with some clever new labels popping up from as far afield as Australia, and more use is being made of a high-tech carbon material as a decoration for frame temples.
In sunglasses, that kooky, round look is the leading one for 2012…even aviators take on a more curvy dimension in the women’s collections.
Highlights to look our for next year include the British label Kirk Originals’ new Beam Collection, using the material acrylic, a relatively unexplored material for specs, which is polished to offer an almost glass-like appearance. Light and comfortable, these styles are statement pieces, and are all slightly different in colour; bright jewel hues such as amethyst and emerald were used, in a deliberate move away from black and tortoise.
Also from the UK, Claire Goldsmith was showing both her classic Oliver Goldsmith range, and the expanding Legacy collection, which blends vintage and contemporary elements in brand new trendy colours and shapes. Bespoke label TD Tom Davies launched some finely crafted block titanium sun and optical designs…Davies predicts a resurgence in quality metal designs in 2012.
California’s cult label l.a. eyeworks also promised lots more metal innovations in their collections, where a series of incredible, perforated stainless steel designs, sat alongside some lovely “post-vintage” pared down modern plastics such as model Rerun and the cutely named Dinks and Pigeon.
Newcomers of note included Henry Holland’s new line with Australian label Le Specs, and Ron Arad’s first spectacle range….including A-frame, a new concept designed to raise the bar in terms of comfort and fit of the frame.
Finally, a moment spent with the Danish company Lindberg uncovered some exciting sunglass designs based on the classic round eyeshape, and prize-winning luxury spectacles in the very fashionable material buffalo horn paired with refined titanium arms.
