BACO’s Fashion Editor Valentina Accardo scouts the latest artisanal eye wear brands you must know:
CLAN
Started by Federico Neri degli Uberti and Carlo de Cillis, Clan made a splash at Pitti W in Florence in January and at Tranoi in Paris this week. Their Veneto-made cellulose frame and Zeiss-lense glasses possess a 1930’s charm with an aviator tech infusion. Their “impossible” triangle logo is indicative of their understated elegance. “Overall we wanted to craft a collection that looks nice on all sorts of faces,” said 30-year-old Neri degli Uberti. His cousin, 34-year-old de Cillis studied at the European Institute of Design (IED) and has a background in accessories design. “Eye wear has always been a passion. Basically, we wanted to craft something that looks elegant, but at the same time is wearable,” de Cillis said. WHERE TO BUY: http://www.clanmilano.com/shop/ AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE: EUR160 HEADQUARTERS: Milan
G-SEVENTSTARS
With a capsule collection with pop brand Au Jour Le Jour and an upcoming film debut in a Warner Bros. animated film, G-SEVENSTARS, which was started in 2012, is on a rapid upward trajectory. The Sicily-based brand boasts a unique design and is entirely made by artisans in Italy’s Cadore Valley (Veneto). The young G-Sevenstars label is is run by Ylenia and Gabriele Puglia, heirs of a family-run optical tradition. Their first collection was dedicated to the Aeolian Islands as a tribute to their homeland. “We use top materials like celluloid frames and Zeiss lenses and we do a lot of research on the stylistic details. All of our handmade products render each pair of glasses a unique piece,” Ylenia told to BACO. Their most popular frames are the animal print and the mirror shades. Every style can be customized in a variety of colors with a choice of 25 different lenses. AVERAGE PRICE: EUR160 WHERE TO BUY:
SNOB MILANO
The fashion-forward Milan-based brand, whose frames are made in Varese and lenses in Bologna, are crafted with a unique design aspect: they only have one lens that covers the top of the whole frame. The glasses are crafted with a nylon base, 2 mask lenses and are shock-resistant for a collection that incorporates a potent mix between Italian manufacturing and technology and Milan’s fashion culture. “The effect is iconic,” said designer Tommaso Bossetti. AVERAGE PRICE: 110-130 euro. WHERE TO BUY:
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: LGR: An African Affair , BACO Reveals 3 Hot Eye Wear Brands , Turin Eyes: Bespoke Eye Wear, Jacques Durand, A French Classic, BACO Style: Bassist Saturino Celani
