Sustainable design

The team behind the Tyrol-based natural eyewear brand Rolf Spectacles has developed a new textured surface structure for their 3D printed plant-based glasses

Rolf Spectacles is driving forward with further innovation and design “firsts” in 3D printed sustainable eyewear. Their latest addition to the 3D printed plant-based frames is a new surface structure called ‘Substance Honey’. It replicates a honeycomb pattern across the surface of the designs. The natural beauty of the pattern was selected to “pay homage to the bees”. It acts as a reminder of the values behind the ‘Substance’ bean-based collection, a multi-award winner for its green and sustainable design innovation. Above: Bernhard and Roland Wolf at Silmo 2022 in Paris, on the presentation of the new eyewear collections and ‘Substance’ Honey collection – Photography by Amanda Sellem exclusively for Eyestylist.com 

The new surface adds a discreet aesthetic look to the frame which is minimal, refined and completely different from other 3D printed frame designs. The collection also features smooth 3D printed frames and styles with a texture of “shattered earth”. The model Rigi in the Substance Mount collection features this effect.  (https://www.rolf-spectacles.com/optical/substance-mount/rigi/).

The colour palette Colours in the collection for the new season range from natural stone, rock and nature inspired tones of grey, grey-blue, mocha and green as well as a few brighter colours which include a bright sapphire blue. All Substance frames are made from beans which originate from fast growing castor trees. The frame hinges, referred to as the ‘Flexlock hinge system’ are 3D printed at the same time and location as the frames themselves, further reducing impact on the planet. Find out more about Rolf Spectacles sustainable eyewear at www.rolf-spectacles.com

Yair Neuman is creating frames from recycled lenses

London-based product designer Yair Neuman has created a line of frames in DELEREX™ – a material made from waste lenses he collects from opticians and glazing labs. “I always wanted to use the material to make frames, he told Eyestylist. “After a period of creating other design objects from the material I was able to adapt it to frame-making and the results are very pleasing. I now make dedicated DELEREX™ slabs for frame cutting and process them using a combination of traditional and non-traditional manufacturing methods. All my frames are made by hand in London.”

First launched as a mini collection produced in collaboration with Cubitts in London last winter (2020)., Neuman set about designing and developing more styles and tweaked the production processes on the way. Now the frames are stocked by leading boutiques including Gogosha in Los Angeles. According to the designer, Julia Gogosha understood the aim of the project immediately.

Sustainability is one of the core principles of Neuman’s work in general. “Working with recycled waste rather than using virgin material is pretty obvious to me,” he explained. “I am not going to compete with acetate on practical terms – the other values of DELEREX™ are more important in this project, even if the optician needs to work a little harder to adjust it. My target here was to create something beautiful in its own right. DELEREX™ has the most magnificent depth and sheen, it is something between mother of pearl and marble.”

Neuman studied design in The Netherlands (Design Academy) and in London (Ravensbourne) and first became involved in eyewear design at Ron Arad’s pq Eyewear. He has since worked in Zimbabwe where he started a social project combining local craft with 3D printed parts to produce frames with zero waste. He then founded Wires Glasses producing innovative hingeless folding metal frames. In 2019, the first project featuring DELEREX™ was launched with Cubitts. “We have been occasionally collaborating on design, production and my DELEREX™ range ever since,” he adds. For more products created by Yair Neuman visit https://www.eyestylist.com/2021/02/recycled-plano-lenses-for-design-lens-light-heads/ This feature was written by Clodagh Norton at Eyestylist.com – all rights reserved.

London designer Yair Neuman creates lights for interiors marketplace HARTH

Following a lockdown design project with Cubitts of London, making lights with repurposed optical lenses, Yair Neuman has gone on to create a new line of pendant lights called Lens Light Heads, available to purchase at design site HARTH.

Handmade from upcycled spectacle lenses, Neuman has created sculptural pendant lights in a limited special edition. The exclusive designs use contemporary 3D design with an acute understanding of the circular economy, and a donation to the Climate Coalition will be made with every light purchased.

The Lens Light Heads are an ideal pendant feature light for the home or store interior. The spherical structures are delicate and elegant, surrounded by a halo of the petal-like lenses. Two halves are fixed with brass rivets. Each piece is easy to install with a simple cable and hook system, to allows for maximum flexibility. The overall effect is of an organic form, a little like a flower head. The Lens Light Heads emit a glow when switched on, but also gleam with iridescence when unlit, due to the unique material that Neuman has devised.

From his extensive work in eyewear design, Neuman has seen first-hand the hidden waste in the business and the Lens Light collection is a direct response, showing firstly that the waste exists, and secondly how the material can be turned into something aesthetically beautiful and useful – for years to come. Neuman developed the waste plano lenses into a sheet material after extensive experimentation. The result is a material that is strong, attractive, and that clearly communicates the story of the potential reuse of this type of waste. Find out more at https://harth.space/ (@harth_space) to purchase the products  / Visit www.yairneuman.com for more on the designer. Written by Clodagh Norton for Eyestylist.com