So beau!

It’s that time of year when you look at your stock room and think, “What’s next?” New Zealand might be 11 hours ahead of Europe, give or take, but as our summer arrives later in the year we can cast our eyes back to the catwalks of Paris and Milan and see what trends our northern cousins are rocking.

Modern-retro metal

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Marchon with Chloé won the trend category for optic frames at Silmo d’Or 2017 with their simple-yet-stylish octagonal metal frame. We’ve seen the thin metal frame trend continue onto the catwalk and into the high street this year, replacing the chic-geek thick black styles that had captivated the youth market since the Zoë Deschanel sitcom New Girl slammed the small screen in 2011. Supermodel Gigi Hadid was spotted in a pair of metal frame glasses as early as autumn 2016, and has been promoting Vogue Eyewear’s 2018 range of slim and lightweight metal frames. Metal aviators have now become mainstream for optical lenses as well. This style works particularly well for photochromic lenses. Los Angeles eyewear designer Garrett Leight attributes the trend to high fashion’s current love of classic Gucci, with designer Alessandro Michele sending an oversized aviator out on the spring 2017 runway. But this previously very niche trend has officially hit the high street. Ray-Ban, of course, are offering a great selection of these styles as well as Polo Ralph Lauren, Chloé, Carrera, Rodenstock and Mykita.

Get in shape

From geometric to macro-boxy, statement shapes are proving themselves to be forward in style this year. The fall 2018/19 catwalks have so far seen an intense reimagining of winter goggles for both sunglasses and optical lens wearers. Bold, bright, moulded plastic shapes that take over the wearer’s whole face are majorly in. Gucci in particular have offered up some particularly wild designs that bring the words ‘oversized’ and ‘sculpted’ firmly to mind. Embellishments also fall into this category, with high fashion houses like Dolce and Gabbana, Dior and Armani using prints and diamante to draw even more attention to their massive specs. Thin metal geometric shapes are also a thing. On the high street we are seeing offerings in these categories from Kylie Minogue, Balmain, Cath Kidston, Fleye Copenhagen and Blackfin.

Tiny glancer

When it comes to sunglasses, tiny, matrixesque frames have been all the rage on the runway since Balenciaga models stepped out in their 2017 show. Futuristic, unisex and street, the internet lit up when Rihanna wore this style by Ojala at Cannes 2017. Kim Kardashian quickly followed suit on advice from husband Kanye – known for his outlandish eyewear – with Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu both including small sunglasses in their 2018 catwalk shows. Australian designer Poppy Lissiman has an amazing range of ready-to-wear tiny sunnies, and Ray-Ban has incorporated the metal frame trend into their small styles. This is one trend that hasn’t really tipped over into optical frames, although those Elton Johnesque tiny circular frames still hold cult value in the men’s market, with Thom Browne Eyewear offering a particularly cutting-edge interpretation available in black, grey and tortoiseshell.

Extreme cat-eye

With a flat top and shorter lens, this new, modern take on the ultra-feminine cat-eye styles of the 1960’s and 70’s is gaining a lot of ground with the under-30 crowd. Louis Vuitton previewed their own extreme cat-eye shades on the catwalk in their spring/summer 2018 show at The Louvre, and dynamic millennial trend-setter Zoë Kravitz was spotted wearing cult NYC designer Adam Selman’s Le Specs The Last Lolita frames. Versace, Dolce and Gabbana and Ray-Ban all offer an optical frame in this extreme style, with Miu Miu previewing a sunglasses frame in their recent fall 2018/19 show. This style lends itself particularly well to older women, offering a touch of glamour without having to embrace ‘vintage’. Meryl Streep was spotted wearing a slightly gentler metal cat eye frame at this years’ Golden Globes.