Roaring 2021
Cocoa Mint

Roaring 2021

August 12, 2021 Jai Breitnauer

As practices stock up ahead of the next Southern Hemisphere summer, this year’s most stylish sunnies are all about being subtle but having fun, reports Jai Breitnauer.

 

This time last year we were looking at the way Covid had impacted the world of optics, with one eye on the future and assuming that, surely, by the start of summer 2021 we would be back to ‘normal’, or at least not so concerned with pandemics. Even those with 20:20 vision no doubt made this mistake and here we are, 12 months later, with most of us still heavily focused on coronavirus.

 

Though the impact of the pandemic on the eyewear industry should not be underestimated, it has affected the direction of style as much as the bottom line. As industry suppliers continue to feel the pinch of the pandemic on their pockets, consumers are allying themselves more with versatile and timeless styles. This doesn’t mean they aren’t spending their hard-earned cash on good glasses, it’s more that frivolous choices are less at the forefront of the catwalk than they were 18 months ago. Buyers want quality and style endurance; they want to spend their money well on investment pieces that they’ll wear over and over again.

 

Understated elegance and…

 

Ryan Smith, sales manager for Australia-based distributor Sunglass Collective (Eyes Right Optical), has witnessed this trend first-hand. “For season 2021 and 2022 we are seeing a resurgence in both luxury-orientated styles and application-based sunglasses,” he says. “Mazzucchelli acetates, combined with premium metals and understated embellishments, are the order of the day when looking for fashion-focused styles, while larger sizing and pastel and neutral colour options are still very much in vogue.”

 

This has been sharply reflected on the European catwalks this season. In its spring/summer 2021 online show, Miu Miu showcased some great understated acetates – full of personality yet with more universal appeal than in seasons past. Miu Miu’s squarer and slimline cat-eye style in neutral or blocked pastel colours was also popular, as were offerings from heritage designers such as Dolce & Gabbana. The likes of Gucci and Versace also displayed a good selection of oversized yet understated-in-detail acetate glasses – protective, cloistered and bold in their own way but not the highly decorated and ostentatious pieces we’ve seen over the last few years. There is significantly less diamanté all round!

 

 

Miu Miu’s blocked pastel colours

 

…timeless, functional fashion take centre-stage

 

A lot of the more boutique designers who pride themselves on affordable, high quality, ready-to-wear collections have followed suit. Paris-based Caroline Abram has subtly updated her beautiful acetates range to include more timeless shapes and pastel colours, while UK-based Cocoa Mint offer just a hint of cat’s eye across this year’s collection.

 

 

Caroline Abram

 

Ryan Smith also notes the growth in utility glasses bought for their purpose as much as their look. Covid has also had a hand in directing this trend, as people are spending more time in the great outdoors. “As many sports have had a massive spike in participation over the last 12 months, the sport-specific sunglass market has also enjoyed the same success,” he says. “Retro styling and larger shields will be prevalent in this segment, but it’s the lens technology that’s proving to be the aspect that most consumers are interested in. Photochromic, polarised and HD lenses are now familiar terms for consumers and they’re insistent on combining technical lenses with great looking frames.”

 

Versatility and style is a key trend for today’s consumer. Dragon Alliance, for example, offers styles that work just as well for winter and summer sports, while maintaining their style off the pitch as well. Meanwhile, Bose has got in on the action with sports frames that also provide the soundtrack to your sporting event via speakers in the temples.

 

 

Bose

 

The classic aviator is still going strong, sitting at number one on British Vogue’s top seven sunglasses trends in 2021. The half-moon acetate is also enjoying a moment, with a similar feel to aviators but with a focus on colour blocking rather than the signature metal. The amazing pair by Tom Ford really sums up the trend.

 

The take-home message from the sunglasses offering on the 2021 catwalks seems to be that you can still have fun, but be cautious and make wise choices.

 

Hey, dude!

 

Many of this year’s hot new summer trends are unisex but there’s some interesting action in the male-focused specs world, with actor Daniel Levy (of Schitt’s Creek fame) becoming the latest celebrity to launch his own bold range of men’s acetates under the brand DL Eyewear. The big retro trend that is specifically hot for the menfolk, however, is clip-on sunnies!

 

 

James Dean wearing on-trend clip-ons

 

Bang for buck, clip-ons are great, particularly for clients with a complex or often changing prescription, for whom a second pair of specs could be a tricky upsell. Clip-ons are an off-the-shelf solution enjoying their moment in the sun. They work particularly well with metal-framed and oval-style specs and are often polarised. Tom Ford and Ray-Ban offer clip-ons that work with their collections, and there are many universal magnetic versions available too. Whether you’re aiming for timeless James Dean chic, steampunkesque cool or just a practical and affordable solution, clip-ons appear to be here to stay for a few seasons yet.

 

 

 

Jai Breitnauer divides her time between New Zealand and the UK (pandemic restrictions allowing) and has a particular interest in retail and sustainable business. She is currently working on her second book about how epidemics affect public healthcare and is a regular contributor to NZ Optics.