Hello Fall!

Posted on September 30, 2015 by providenceoptical

Now that cooler temperatures finally have arrived, we can turn our attention to fall fashion. If you’re ready to update your look, here’s a quick look at what is trending in the Land of Eyewear this fall:

Updated Neutral Base Tones

Earthy neutrals have dominated the fall fashion scene for a while, but we’re seeing a new twist on the palette this year. Warm, rich, earth tones are more complex this season, yet they provide a comfortable base for designers’ use of bold color statements. The juxtaposition of classic and bold creates a dynamic, compelling look.

Pantone’s latest color trends offers a sneak peek of the coming season. One of the new key neutrals is Desert Sage, a cool and soothing greenish-gray. It is timeless, unobtrusive and has a visual interest in its own right, yet it pairs well with many others colors. Similar in tone is Dried Herb, an olive green resembling the hue one might see in a safari suit or military uniform. With the popularity of gray tones still at the forefront, it’s no surprise that Stormy Weather is also one of the top color choices this season. Oak Buff, a mellow golden-yellow, is a brighter neutral that gives off a warm, sunny feeling. Marsala, on the other hand, was a top pick in the spring and has returned to bring its reddish brown hue into fall fashion lineup.

Bold, Bright Accent Colors

Bolder and brighter colors have entered the scene to add some visual pop in combination with a neutral base. Examples include:

Cadmium Orange, a warm but dramatic orange
Cashmere Rose, a softer pink hue
Amethyst Orchid, more in the purple hue – a beautiful shade that is both vibrant and enigmatic
Biscay Bay, a cool teal with undertones of both blue and green that evoke evokes thoughts of soothing tropical waters.
Reflecting Pond, a more serious and contemplative shade that is reminiscent of deep, dark waters.

Unisex Color Combinations

Unisex frame shapes have been around for a while, but this fall we’re seeing the evolution of a more gender-neutral color palette. Distinctly “masculine” or “feminine” colors have given way to color combinations that are bold, yet appropriate for both genders. We are seeing a truly unisex color palette.

Classic Black

The timeless quality of black has secured it an enduring place in the palette of eyewear colors. It remains a style stronghold, though it is losing ground to a range of bright colors.

Patterns

Geometric, bold and colorful frames, Conservatoire International de Lunettes.

Dazzling shades are popping up in a growing trend of prints and patterns. The clothing industry inspired this decorative movement, peppering glasses with floral motifs, geometric designs, stripes and ethnic prints.

Shapes: An Eye for renewal

The vintage wave is still rolling and is taking us to new places. Modern, updated butterfly shapes (inspired by the cat-eye) are emerging, launching a neo-retro look.

Round frames (they’re back!) are oversized for women, since small round glasses are reserved for men this season. Octagonal glasses – a cousin of the round shape – offer an escape from the rigidity of rectangular frames with more edgy geometric interest than a classic round. This is a shape to keep your eye on!

Vintage panto glasses with polarized lenses. ($117)

The panto is one of the most iconic shapes in the history of glasses design. The term panto comes from the word “pantoscopic”, which literally means “seeing everything” or “wide view”. These frames are a combination of round and oval shapes with a high hinge.

Here at Providence Optical, we have the latest new designs as well as never-worn, real vintage glasses, with polarized lenses and anti-reflective coating for just $117 – a very affordable option.

Materials: Combinations in View

The female preference for plastic has taken on a new dimension: metal frames that appear to be plastic! Surface treatments offer very realistic simulations that allow for the bold look of plastic with the lightweight advantage of metal.

Kicking it up a notch, laser cutting techniques are used to create metal lacework of an exquisite finesse for very refined frames. Taken to the extreme, laser-cut frames appear as light, airy “wires”.

But why limit yourself to one material? Increasingly, designers are combining plastic and metal for aesthetic combinations that are original, and where materials blend seamlessly into one another for unprecedented looks.

Innovative Materials

The quest to find innovative eyewear materials lives on. Naomed, for example, has released a new line of eyewear made seaweed. Leather with embedded stainless steel for strength also is on the scene. Designers also are embedding fabric and paper fibers into plastics for a lighter weight, textured look.

At the same time, the use of wood as an eyewear material continues, but is evolving from a chunky appearance to a more sophisticated and elegant silhouette.
This fall’s new trends open up possibilities for a wide range of looks from bold and artsy, to playful, classic or understated. The look that’s best for you depends on the shape of your face, your coloring and the attitude that you want to project. Our skilled opticians are ready to offer their expertise in helping you find the combination of style, colors and materials that fit well, feel good and look great.

Eyeglasses Frames and Hollywood: Guess What They Have in Common

Posted on July 29, 2015 by providenceoptical

If you’re a fan of retro eyewear, or if you’re old enough to remember when it was the “new thing,” you know that early plastic eyeglass frames were thick and pretty heavy for the poor nose that had to hold them up. New colors for plastic eyewear emerged in the mid-20^th Century, giving birth to the idea that eyewear is a fashion statement rather than a medical necessity. A variety of shapes also emerged in this era, but they were all pretty thick. We’ve come a long way since then to the modern, ultra light plastics that feature flexibility and über thin lines in a wild array of colors. Let’s take a look back to see how we got to where we are today.

A Volatile Beginning

The first composition plastic used for eyeglass frames was celluloid – yup, the same stuff used by Hollywood filmmakers – which was invented way back in 1869. Technically, it was called cellulose nitrate, or nitrocellulose. The word “nitro” isn’t just a coincidence. This stuff was highly flammable. The story goes that German-Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein (1799-1868 ) used the family kitchen to conduct experiments with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. Even great chemists have “oops” moments, so when Schönbein spilled some of the mixture, he used his wife’s apron to wipe it up. The aprons of the day were made of 100 percent cotton, so Schönbein unknowingly mixed cellulose fibers from the apron into his nitrate compound. He hung the soiled apron up to dry above the stove and then he had a second “oops” moment when the apron exploded.

Despite its flammable nature, cellulose nitrate – nicknamed “zyl” by the optical industry – was used for eyeglass frames from the late 19^th Century all the way through the mid-20^th Century. We finally wised up and found other, less volatile, plastics for eyeglass frames, but cellulose nitrate is still used today in the manufacture of smokeless gunpowder, printing ink, wood varnish, foil and film lacquers, automotive paint, fingernail polish, leather finishes, adhesives and coatings to protect silver and other tarnishable metals. And now you understand why you shouldn’t smoke, light a candle or crank up your space heater in the presence of any of these products.

The Next Generation

Celluloid nitrate’s cousin and successor is a compound known as cellulose acetate, or “acetate” for short. This more stable compound comes cellulose, usually derived from wood pulp (birch, eucalyptus) or cotton, treated with acetic anhydride (basically, vinegar minus the water molecules) to make the fibers soft and pliable. In this form, it is used to manufacture cloth. For eyeglasses, cellulose acetate is bound with plasticizer, such as diethyl phthalate, to give it the strength and rigid structure needed to mold frames. While the CDC has issued health warnings about direct exposure to diethyl phthalate, it is so strongly bound into the acetate that it cannot leach out at temperatures below 122 degrees.

Cool New Eyewear Materials – Thinner, Lighter, More Color Options

The latest eyewear plastics are nylon-based, which makes them stronger and more flexible than cellulose acetate. Because nylon molecules have a strong bond, eyeglass manufactures can use less of it, which means thinner, sleeker and lighter eyewear – up to 72% less weight than cellulose acetate. Nylon also accepts dyes very easily, which means a wider range of colors, including translucent shades that look like frosted glass. The only down side is that they are vulnerable to shrinking when exposed to heat, so don’t leave those designer sunglasses on the dash of your car!

If you really want a pair of glasses that you can abuse, look for frame made of Ultem ® (PolyEtherimide) resin. It’s resistant to heat, UV rays and chemical exposure. Because of these properties, it’s widely used in the medical and chemical industries. Like nylon compounds, it is light-weight and can be molded super thin. You can get temple pieces as narrow as 1.2 mm for that “barely there” look. And, your eyeglass frame could be 50% lighter than a comparable one in metal.

See award winning glasses from RISD student at Providence Optical!

Posted on June 4, 2015 by providenceoptical

Rhode Island School of Design’ student from Virginia, Daniel Morgan, won the third place with his concept MAGO: an innovative magnetic hinge, anchored in both the front and in the temples, making the glasses almost unbreakable. Morgan designed MAGO for all those active people, looking for a stylish pair of glasses.

With the magnetic connection, the temples can be removed from the front just as easily as they can be connected to each other again. What was convincing from a technical point of view was not only that the strength of the magnets was exactly balanced, but also that Morgan used the rapid prototyping method beforehand. The result: a bright red, fully functional pair of glasses that the jury could hardly keep their hands off. The front and the temples are 3D printed.

Organized by OWP Brillen, a German eyewear manufacturer, the aim of the International Eyewear Design Contest 2015 is to reward creative and innovative product ideas in the field of prescription eyewear. he contest proved extremely popular, with 146 young designers from 26 countries – including Iran, Mexico, Thailand, Israel and Australia – submitting their creative ideas for eyewear. Based on the theme ‘urban street style’, young product designers are welcome to think differently and to challenge themselves. A jury of designers selected three winning concepts based on the choice of materials, wearability, manufacturability and functionality.

Makeup tips for girls who rock glasses

Posted on May 9, 2015 by providenceoptical

Glasses definitely make a style statement, but your eyes can get lost beneath your frames unless you adjust your makeup.

“Being a beauty expert, I’ve always been aware of how dlasses can transform the face and wanted to take the mistery out of how to choose the right glasses”- Bobbi Brown, founder and chief creative officer of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Inc.

Here are her favorite ways to make your eyes pop from behind your lenses she decribes in “Everything Eyes” by Chronicle Books.

Eyeliner is key; it really adds definition from behind your lenses.
Always define your brows with a shadow the same shade as your hair color. This ensure that your glasses don’t overpower your face.
The glass in your frames can hightlight undereye discoloration and darkness, so corrector and concealer underneath the eye and in creases is essential.
Waterproof mascara won’t smage on your lenses.
If you have strong frames, you can get away with stronger makeup.
If your frames are delicate, or in a nude shade, don’t let your makeup overpower your frames. Choose softer colors for shadow and create definition with a dark liner and mascara.
The color of your eye shadow shouldn’t compete with the color of your glasses. If you want to do the same color as your frames on your eyelids, try a base hue that’s a shade lighter, and go a few shades darker for the crease color. Finish with black liner and mascara.
For an easy look, go with a bold color on your lips and just corrector, concealer, and mascara for your eyes. Put on your glasses and you’re done.

1. An eye shadow color that is lighter and brighter than your frames will stand out, instead of competing with your glasses.

2. When you have a mix of confident colors on your hair, lips, and frames, kep your eye makeup simple and clean with only a little liner and mascara.

3. White frames highlight both your eye and makeup colors, making them a great choice to pair with statement eye makeup.

4. Bold liner, with minimal shadow, looks amazing with thick, oversize frames.

Don’t go to Brooklyn to find Brooklyn Spectacles, they are here!

Posted on April 13, 2015 by providenceoptical

Established in April 2012 and based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Spectacles grows fast. Inspired by the challenging requests of her Brooklyn customers, Jenny Ma, the founder, has composed a collection that matches their expectations. She creates quality-crafted eyewear inspired by local independent artists, musicians and trendsetters.

Brooklyn Spectacles offers a wide array of frames all with bold designs, quality craftsmanship and a comfortable fit.

“Our mission is to design eyewear that is fashion-forward, interesting and technologically advanced. We believe the future of eyewear fashion is the discovery of styles beyond the ordinary.”

We presently offers two Brooklyn Spectacles collections: Wood Collection and Classic Collection. The Wood Collection is not made with real timber. While the frames are made of plastic, they have a finish that makes them appear to be wooden which provides the unique look of genuine wood while enjoying the comfort of the versatile synthetic material. The Classic Collection is a traditional polished or matte acetate with invisible hinge.

The collection is inspired by the bustling atmosphere of the neighborhood. We offer solid neat frames for a very competitive price range of $195. These frames are perfect not only for wearers looking for a fresh new look and feel but for those patients looking for a hip new style.

Contemporary glasses from the heart of Brooklyn New York, come take a look at our great new brand Brooklyn Spectacles.

“Golden Lorgnette” 2015 Awards Ceremony at MIOF, Moscow

Posted on March 8, 2015 by providenceoptical

Our Onega Astaltsova had an honor to attend the first National Awards Ceremony “Golden Lorgnette” for Russian Optical Industry, holded in Moscow on February 17, 2015 as a guest judge. The event took place at 16th Moscow International Optical Fair (MIOF).

The event in 9 categories is designed to recognize the most important individuals and companies in the optical industry for providing excellent service, fostering innovation and spreading awareness of the optical industry. Among nominations were: debut in Russian market and new best product of the year, best marketing project and campaign in wholesale and retail, best local optical chain and independent optical store, innovation, person of the year. The guests of the evening were treated with a concert of finalists of TV show “Golos”, which equivalent to USA show “VOICE”.

At an event Onega wears dress by Karolina Zmarlak, polish-american designer and our own Providence Optical 3-D printed eyewear.

Salon ALMAZ-Optic from a small town of metallugists in Ural mountains region is a winner in the Best Independent Optical Shop category.

Elena Pedashenko of Almaz-Optic is getting an award

Alexander Zhurbin, a well-known composer, is a guest perfomer at an event

Temple Worship: Bayne Peterson Honors Native Traditions

Posted on February 17, 2015 by providenceoptical

Young and talented sculptor Bayne Peterson, that resides in our own beloved state of Rhode Island, has released new series of deconstructed optical frames inspired by his study of the artwork of native peoples in North America and the arctic region.

It all began a year ago, when Peterson was awarded a trip to Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa to study the art of inuits, or natives of the arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Chukotka. He was so impressed by their ivory carving, that he later went to Baffin Island in Canada for further studies. World interest in the art of arctic natives is growing every year and, as a result, Peterson made a presentation at the archaeological conference at the University of Illinois and produced a series of wooden sculptures to capture the essence of what he had learned from the inuits.

Earpiece size 23″, wood

Peterson’s passion led him down an intriguing path. Rather than create sculptures that reside in private homes where few can see them, he chose to create wearable art that brings this artistic tradition out into the everyday world, where all can experience and enjoy it. Thus was born his sculpture-temples for eyeglass frames. Despite their impressive size, their style and proportions clearly reveal the source of their inspiration.

In the tradition of native peoples who cherish the gifts of nature, they are carved of wood. Some are covered with layers of painted matte epoxy to echo the vibrant colors of native art. Others, honoring the tradition of caring for Mother Earth by reusing her gifts, include pieces of colored plastic reclaimed from cups, knives and forks from a local deli. To avoid the caustic process of melting and reshaping this plastic, the dinnerware is milled in a coffee grinder.

Nosepiece: wood, epoxy, bits of plastic

Though based on centuries of tradition, these sculpture-temples have a modern look. Their painstaking craftsmaship and high quality definitely can take center stage in any optical salon.

We are proud to display them in our shop.

Elegant and sophisticated. New Dita Eyewear.

Posted on January 29, 2015 by providenceoptical

Model STATESMAN is availiable at Providence Optical

John Juniper and Jeff Solorio founded DITA in Los Angeles in 1996 with the mission to create innovative, finely crafted eyewear with a totally unique look and feel. They always shared the same passion for photography and design. Together they were inspired to capture their passions not just on film but in eyewear as well, thus creating the first collection of Dita frames.

Frames FOLSOM and VIDA

Edgy yet elegant with an East meets West aesthetic and design influences ranging from Hollywood’s glamorous Golden Age to the mechanized beauty of the Industrial Revolution, DITA’s ability to enhance and transform a wearer’s persona has earned the brand a cult-like following amongst the world’s most influential celebrities, stylists and trendsetters. Dita became a well-known company in Europe.

Dita is an independent and somewhat underground brand for edgy, unique people with style of their own. The frames are based on traditional shapes but morphed in the design and technology to be unique and original.

While the design is made in Los Angeles, Dita Eyewear manufacture in Japan, in some of the oldest and the most respected factories dedicated exclusively to producing eyewear which use laborious combination of traditional and modern production techniques and technologies to transform the world’s finest metals and acetates into luxurious eyewear. Dita eyewear is an innovative and unique juxtaposition of timeless elegance and mechanical chic dedicated to creating original artistic statements.

Come to experience the exquisite quality and beauty of Dita!

SINTRA in crystal cream color

Award winning eyewear is here!

Posted on December 5, 2014 by providenceoptical

Silmo Ceremony where Lucas de Staël won the Silmo d’Or for the Best Optical frame.

There’s something about a repeat winner. Think Serena Williams, Tom Hanks, Peyton Manning, Lebron James, Meryl Streep. You can rely on such people to give you an amazing performance again and again. In the world of eyewear, Lucas de Staël has become a repeat winner, as he walks away once again with best ophthalmic frame design award from this year’s Silmo d’Or – the eyewear version of the Academy Awards. For a run-down of his previous Silmo award, see our blog posting of Oct. 17, 2012.

We’re proud to say that we’ve been working with De Staël for a long time. First, he brought us his innovative Undostill and Suprematic lines, which revolutionized the industry by creating frames from a single piece of steel with no hinges. His next adventure was to craft frames of out of leather, including his Minotaure line, made of cow skin, and separate collection made of goat-skin, which he dubbed “Monsieur Seguin”. The frames have hinged temples and high calibre stainless steel between layers of leather for durability. But don’t think boring leather shades like in shoe wear. Think attention-getting mod colors.

Production of Minotaure cow-leather line at Lucas de Staël studio in Paris.

Fronts from Minotaure line.

His latest innovation is eyewear made of genuine stone like granite, slate and pearl schist. He has two lines using thin stone cuts, “Stratus” and “Petrus”. “Stratus” uses a combination of stone, steel and leather. “Pertus” frames have a stone front and stone temples. The the material is so thin that it actually bends. Again, de Staël used a metal skeleton to provide support while minimizing weight.

Presentation of “Petrus” at Silmo 2014

Lucas de Staël and Onega Astaltsova at his studio in Paris

Fascinated by this unparalleled ingenuity, we visited de Staël’s studio-factory in Paris to see the manufacturing process for ourselves. The site is as innovative as the eyewear it produces. The two-story glass building nestled between two typical city buildings is light, spacious and well-organized. Inside are machinery and tools created by de Staël and his team. They have to create their own because no other technology can manipulate the natural frame materials in this unique way or produce such meticulous results. For example, the layers of the frame have to line up with a minuscule 0.05 mm tolerance.

Production

Sheet of slate for “Petrus” line gives matté finish to the frame.

Since 2016 Undostrial line is available in asian, also known as universal fit.

Fall Holiday 2014: Garrett Leight New Releases

Posted on November 21, 2014 by providenceoptical

Amélie Pichard for GLCO: Frame “Pamela” with sparkling acetate on the front and in the lenses.

California based frame maker Garrett Leight and French shoes and bags designer Amélie Pichard launch this fall a limited series of solar retro glamor eyewear.

The singular frame shape presented in different color versions to express three very different personalities of feminity: Grace Jones for her fierce and fearless nature, Juliette Lewis the tomboy and Pamela Anderson the lively bombshell. This timeless line is composed of all classic features of Amélie Pichard aesthetics like glitter, sparkles, and radiance. Sparkles are present on the frame, incorporated in the acetate or on the lenses.

Amélie is everything that she claims her brand to be: dreamy but realistic, masculine but terribly sophisticated. She makes shoes in her image: timeless, surreal, and glamorous, but fitted to everyday life.

For this season, Garrett Leight California Optical is also releasing new models for his own collection. It is about a return to classics. You will see some familiar shapes in rich new acetate colors and larger sizes.

Stop by Providence Optical and check them out. We will offer a 10% discount on all GLCO frames for the Holidays!