STYLE SPOTLIGHT
Eyewear promoting
green initiatives BY JOAN GRADY
Collection dyed with beetroot; the Mellow Collection with turmeric; the Trailblazer Collection with chlorophyll as a dye; and Holy Mackerel made possible by scientists in Scotland who sourced a blue spirulina, stable enough to withstand strenuous machinery processes. The results are charismatic, individualistic eyewear creations.
FORWARD-THINKING AND FASHIONABLE Eyespace, the award-winning British brand created by Jayne and Julie Abel, brings environmentally-friendly frames to the table with its Eco Conscious collection. The collection is certified as biodegradable, which is the result of extensive development by the company’s design studio. The streamlined frames are made from premium bio-based acetate with nontoxic plasticisers that are sustainable, renewable and fashionably contemporary. The lenses are also biodegradable, while plastic-free packaging and point-of-sale assets using carbon-neutral FSC-certified cardboard are utilised. The Worcestershirebased company has also committed to a planet pledge by partnering with One Tree Planted. This means that a tree is planted for every frame sold to help reforestation efforts.
Mellow collection: the Superfood Series by Hemp Eyewear
Climate change affects multiple areas of everyone’s daily lives – and livelihoods. This simple truth is creating compelling new realities and attitudes in all facets of business and fashion. The eyewear community has joined numerous worldwide companies helping to protect the environment with an active commitment to sustainability. Discovering unique materials with a low environmental impact has resulted in innovative frames crafted with everything from coffee beans and castor oil to the Indian spice turmeric and the algae spirulina. Further efforts to protect the planet and people are initiated by international companies, increasingly dedicated to
Trailblazer collection with chlorophyll by Hemp Eyewear
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Vision Now SEPTEMBER 2021
responsible, local manufacturing whenever possible. Furthermore, hiring people from the community, using packaging that reduces waste, and shipping products by train and boat to reduce carbon emissions, are all positive steps to halt the debilitating effects of climate change. PLANTS, HERBS + SEEDS = FRAMES Designers and companies are researching new and unexpected, sometimes edible, products that can be crafted into stylish, sustainable eyewear designs. Unique materials are the foundation for extremely ingenious frame designs from Hemp Eyewear.
From the very first collection launched in 2009, Rolf Spectacles has always created frames in natural products – including wood, stone and horn. Rolf’s latest creative roll-out is plant-based bean glasses, made from a species of the euphorbiaceae plant family. This unique collection is produced in the Tyrolean valley of Lechtal, the Austrian headquarters for Rolf Spectacles, and has received the European Green award Gold Trophy from the European Institute of
The Scottish start-up, created by founder Sam Whitten, explores natural and vegan materials that include a hemp base grown in France. Passionate about craft and maintaining ecological equilibrium, the newest launch from Hemp is the Superfood Series, which includes beetroot, turmeric, spirulina and chlorophyll. The vibrant colours in the series are achieved by first soaking the hemp fibres for 24 hours, and then air drying thoroughly before processing into durable, lightweight eyewear. There are four collections, each with three limited edition designs: the Cocktail
Juniper and Larch: Eco Conscious by Eyespace Eyewear
