EYELOVE: 2012

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Shady ladies

No need for mascara with the latest offering from the uber talented duo Tatty Devine! We have recently collaborated with the wonderfully chaotic Brick Lane studio on their newly released eyelash sunglasses, which are handmade from acetate and gold metal. Tatty Devine have also created a rather lovely matching necklace to co-ordinate. Both are available from their shops as well as the online store at www.tattydevine.com.

Eyelash sunnies and necklace - image from Tatty Devine

Image from Grazia magazine

Eyelash sunglasses - photo by EyeloveEyelove

Harriet from Tatty Devine sporting the sunglasses in Paris - image from Tatty Devine blog

We are incredibly excited by this product and hope this is the beginning of a devine affair with eyewear for tatty.

Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Ron Arad

Late in 2011, I visited a very special project called 'Curtain Call' at the Roundhouse. Conceived by the renowned product designer Ron Arad, Curtain Call made use of the buildings architecture and acoustics. Central to his work, the project allows the audience to relate and interacts with the installation. A curtain made from plastic tubing hung like a jellyfish from the centre of the room. Inside the jellyfish, sat on the floor, the audience were hypnotised by the most beautiful visuals projected onto the inside and soothed by atmospheric sounds.

Ron Arad's Curtain Call - photo from Roundhouse

As a fan of Arad, we were equally as intrigued to visit his stand at Mido to view his eyewear collection firsthand and see how his theories and method translate into eyewear design. We were lucky enough to happen upon the man himself at his stand, who kindly chatted about his collection and posed for a photograph!

Ron Arad on his stand at Mido - photo by EyeloveEyelove

True to his design theory his two collections are an intelligent investigation of the relationship between product and consumer. The A-Frame collection is group of fully adaptable products that can be tailored to the fit of the wearer through the metal A structure in the nose bridge area.

A-Frame Chancery Lane - photo from p-q eyewear

The Corbs collection draws inspiration from the vertebrae in animal spines. A hinge has been developed which allows the temples to fit perfectly to the head.

Corbs Waterloo - photo from p-q eyewear

For more information on Ron Arad please visit www.ronarad.co.uk

Sculptural eyewear

Heavily embellished eyewear has been on the horizon for a while, but designers Anna-Karin Karlsson and A-Morir are proving that it is a trend not just for extroverts indulging in eccentricity....

Last month at Mido in Milan, we happened upon the Swedish eyewear designer extraordinaire Anna-Karin. Armed with a singular box of her latest pieces, we eagerly sat with her to have a peek and try on the latest bespoke collection and a chance to get the gossip as to which celebs were wearing which piece. Her kooky statement acetate frames were perfectly offset by delicate lace and animal prints as well as laden with 3d sculptural florals, animals and kitten ears!
We found A-K K a very exciting and inspiration lovely lady.

Rose Rouge

Rose et la Mer

A-Morir are pioneers of the heavily embellished look in eyewear. Established in 2008, A-Morir began stocking to Liberty in 2011 and have continued to gain in popularity since. The SS12 collection is utterly stunning and mirrors perfectly the under-the-sea-feminine look shown by the likes of Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

Nylon magazine - A-Morir

A-Morir Phillips

We anticipate the evolution of embellished eyewear!

For more information on Anna-Karin Karlsson please visit www.annakarinkarlsson.com

and www.a-morir.com for info on A-Morir.

Friday, 9 March 2012

Marni mania

Wednesday night saw the Marni preview at the Regent Street H&M store, which we were all very excited to go along to!

photo by eyelove

Armed with lists of products we wanted to purchase and suitably warmed-up by the cocktails and fizz on arrival...we approached the war zone that was the shop floor!

photo by eyelove

We had all been very excited by the accessories, which did not disappoint... signature chunky plastic bracelets in boxes of 2 for £24.99. WOW! Our personal highlight (obviously!) being the acetate sunglasses for a mere £19.99!!

photo by eyelove

The Marni collection is on sale whilst stock lasts.
www.hm.com/gb/marni

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

It's that wonderful time of year again....London Fashion Week...!

It is the final day of London Fashion Week today and what a week its been!!

We popped down to Somerset House on a rather rainy Saturday evening for the Antipodium show which was just brilliant!..Pretty pastel blues and neutral taupe shades, a mixture of pvc, leather, fur and chiffon came down the catwalk, watched by an audience of young edgy Dalstonites.

Photo by EYELOVE

After a rather miserable Saturday, we were pleased when a sunny Sunday arrived and we could once again pop down to Somerset House and get a good spot of people watching and street style photography in...

After looking through our snaps, we noticed the trend that saw young ladies wearing clear oversized glasses. They tended to be vintage or offer vintage styling and gave the wearer a kooky, but cool and confident look...

Photo by EYELOVE

For more information on Antipodium please visit www.antipodium.com

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Thom Browne

Opening its doors in 2001 offering made-to-measure tailoring, collaborating with the likes of Brooks Brothers and Moncler, Thom Browne's label has grown from his original appointment-only NYC Meatpacking shop to debuting at Paris Fashion Week in 2010 and hasn't looked back since.

Browne's label has recently introduced womenswear as well as an impending daring eyewear collection in collaboration with the renowned LA-based Dita. Thom Browne is fast becoming one of New York's most successful and inspirational menswear labels.

We are super excited to see the collection, which has been hand-crafted in Japan using acetate and titanium, taking 6months to a year to produce. LA times describe the range as "One part Mad Men, one part Michael Douglas' glasses in Falling Down"...
...we say tailored industrial New York grunge..HOT

Clockwise from top- studs A/W12, Michael Douglas in Falling Down, new explorer eyewear collection, A/W12 fringed suit, current side shield sunglasses, Mad Men, current collection clubmasters, current collection plastic/metal mix aviators, new collection round explorer sunglasses.

Pieces from Thom Browne's eagerly awaited unisex, but rather masculine eyewear collection are available on his website. The whole range is likely to be released in March.

www.thombrowne.com/webstore/category/eyewear

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Shades of NYC

I was in New York last week and at last got to visit Opening Ceremony!!

After what seems like a lifetime of drooling over products and collaborations by the downtown Manhattan boutique in magazines and online, I finally was able to explore the three dolls-house-like floors of retail space, showroom, gallery and bookshop as if it were playtime!

Bringing together world-wide talented designers and artists - emerging and established, Opening Ceremony buys stock through identifying renowned designers that epitomise the country of origin, emerging designers and unique vintage products to exhibit and sell.

Opening Ceremony

Photo by EYELOVE

I certainly was not disappointed with the vast collection of sunglasses on offer. Below are my favourites (and yes I do have a penchant for rounds!)...