Arts & travel

Loft San Francisco, USA

25th June 2024

The 2024 edition is confirmed for 5th to 6th October – offering an opportunity to encounter a world of independent eyewear in an intimate setting on the spectacular West Coast

LOFT will return to San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture at Gallery 308 this autumn. This historic venue is set in the Northern Marina District of the city by Fishermans Wharf and features expansive views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Surrounded by parkland, the Fort Mason Center is a vibrant cultural hub located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

“We really love coming back to San Francisco, said Richard Mewha, founder of LOFT Eyewear Shows. “Fort Mason is always a spectacular venue. The views alone make this a very special event. We encourage vendors new and old to make this a must-see event on the eyewear show calendar. Change is in the air and intimate events like this are becoming much more preferable for many of our clients.”

LOFT Eyewear Shows are the premier independent luxury eyewear events held annually in New York City and San Francisco. Since 2000, the LOFT events have showcased exclusive and cutting edge designers from around the world.

“Pioneering this event in San Francisco has always been a pleasure. There is a growing appetite for independent eyewear shows and this event is steadily growing in popularity,” said LOFT Marketing Director, Louis Fullagar. “On the back of the major announcement of our plans to remain in New York, we acknowledge our vendors and their customers are keen for shows like this that have a completely different and relaxed vibe to major conference-type traditional events of the past.”

This year’s San Francisco event will take place over the weekend of 5th to 6th October and will be open from 11.00am – 8.00pm on Saturday, and 9.00am – 6.00 pm on Sunday. There is parking available at the venue and in the surrounding area. As usual there will be a barista, wine tasting, catering and afternoon beverages each day. Find out more about Loft San Francisco at www.lofteyewearshow.com / Eyestylist.com is a media partner for LOFT Eyewear Shows.

Arts & travel

Art inspiration: Corridoio by Nathalie Du Pasquier

19th March 2024

Milan Design Week artist preview: MoscaPartners will present Corridoio by Nathalie Du Pasquier – art and design join forces in a site-specific installation for the entrance of Design Variations 2024

From 15^th to 21^stApril 2024 MoscaPartners will welcome visitors to Design Variations 2024 with the site-specific installation Corridoio by the French, naturalized Italian, artist Nathalie Du Pasquier at the entrance to the 2,500m²space of the ex-garage in Viale Gorizia 14 at the heart of Milan’s Darsena area.

The artist has created a work especially for the entrance corridor made up of twelve large, decorative panels printed on MEG. This versatile material produced by Abet Laminati is resistant to light and harsh weather conditions making it perfect for outdoor use and the building sector. The installation, which was designed specifically for this location, will create a boldly graphic tunnel with vivid colour contrasts that will guide the visitor into an imaginary world. Above: Corridoio by Nathalie Du Pasquier – one of 12 large panels created for the space

Like previous editions, the artwork will not be limited to Milan Design Week but will be given a second life to ensure the continuity and dissemination of art through sustainable projects.

About Nathalie Du Pasquier – Nathalie Du Pasquier was born in Bordeaux (France) in 1957 and she has lived in Milan since 1979. Until 1986 she worked as a designer and was a founder member of Memphis. She designed numerous “decorated surfaces”: textiles, carpets, plastic laminates, and some furniture and objects. In 1987, painting became her main activity. Find out more about the artist: https://nathaliedupasquier.com

Images provided courtesy of MoscaPartners and the artist.

Arts & travel

LOFT 2024 to take place in March

24th October 2023

The LOFT eyewear show returns to New York in March 2024 – the organisers of the show have also confirmed that going forward, the event will continue in New York City

The 2024 New York event will take place from 14th to 17th March 14 2024 at the current Hudson Mercantile event space at the corner of 10th and West 36th St in New York City. LOFT NYC always runs from Thursday to accommodate buyers and optical professionals throughout their stay in the city. The event is well-known for its impressive showcase of independent eyewear designers and its themed industry parties which will once again take place in 2024.

“We are very excited for our upcoming New York event which is what we are primarily focused on at the moment. We’re soon to announce some new collections for 2024 which we know will be very popular with our customers,” said Marketing Director, Louis Fullagar. “In regard to the latest news, we are strongly committed to our New York event and look forward to taking on any new challenges and opportunities in the future. Our show is an established ritual for many people in the industry, especially in the North East and we don’t foresee that changing.”

VAVA Eyewear exhibited at LOFT NYC in 2023

Update for 2025 and beyond – In light of Vision Expo East moving to Orlando, the organisers of LOFT have confirmed this month that in 2025 and beyond, their event will continue to take place in New York City. Richard Mewha, founder of LOFT Eyewear Shows, said, “Like many others we were surprised by the recent news that Vision Expo is moving to another state. We want to let all of our vendors and loyal customers know that our event will definitely remain a fixture on the eyewear calendar here in New York. We love this city, and after 23 years, cannot imagine holding our event anywhere else.”

Since 2000, the LOFT events have showcased exclusive and cutting edge designers from around the world. The established brand has been successful in providing an alternative to mainstream eyewear events and has grown exponentially over the years to include events outside of New York, most recently the event in San Francisco – since 2019. For more information, visit www.lofteyewearshow.com

Arts & travel

Hall of Frames: 2024 date confirmed

11th October 2023

The eyewear event will return to Lucerne, Switzerland

Hall of Frames, the Swiss eyewear event which specialises in creating an intimate showcase of independent design collections and emerging brands for opticians in the region, has confirmed that the next event will take place on Sunday 15th September 2024. The show organisers say that they will return to the Museum of Transport in Lucerne, which offers an attractive light space overlooking the lake.

This year the September edition of Hall of Frames attracted a variety of designers and eyewear brands, including Rolf Spectacles, You Mawo, Ørgreen Optics, Nirvan Javan, Look, Dansharian Eyewear, Headrix, J.F. REY and Didier Voirol. Above: close up of the Nirvan Javan ‘Toronto’ series shown at Hall of Frames

Hall of Frames works with several partners for this eyewear event, including Nikon, Beck Optikhandel, Dynoptic and Studio Arenas. At Nikon’s main booth at the recent event, visitors had the opportunity to explore the latest advancements in lens technology, while visitors at the Dynoptic booth could gain insights into the new ‘Connect’ software; the architectural firm Studio Arenas, along with Contedi, a developer specializing in online tools for optical shops, also played an active role in supporting the event. The Kreuzlingen-based company Beck Optikhandel made its debut as a partner at Hall of Frames this year, showcasing three eyewear collections Milo & Me, Amalia and Danell. For more details about the 2024 edition, www.hallofframes.ch

All photos provided courtesy of Hall of Frames / Stefan Heesch, Nordfriisk Photography www.nordfriisk.com

Arts & travel

Hall of Frames, Lucerne

3rd July 2023

The popular Hall of Frames event for independent opticians returns to Lucerne on 24th September 2023

Hall of Frames (HOF) will return to Lucerne in September for a 1-day event at the renowned lakeside Museum of Transport – one of the most scenic locations in the optical fair calendar. The event, which showcases eyewear brands and work by independent designers from Switzerland and Europe, will be held in a large exhibition hall with table space for all exhibitors. Show organiser Nathanaël Wenger told Eyestylist he expects forty brands to participate, making it a must-attend event for anyone involved in the Swiss eyewear scene. Above: Nirvan Javan’s new Shades of Toronto collection was released last month. Hall of Frames will be an opportunity to see the young Swiss brand’s latest ranges in a friendly and convivial setting

Visitors to the Hall of Frames can expect to see a wide range of eyewear styles at the fair, with exhibitors including iconic brands and specialist designers, among them Coblens, Nirvan Javan, Morel, Moscot NYC, Orgreen, Rolf Spectacles, Porsche Design, and You Mawo, among others.

High tech eyewear – Porsche Design – Patrick Dempsey Edition: Porsche Design attend Hall of Frames this September

Nathanaël Wenger has confirmed that Beck Optikhandel has joined HOF as one of their partner companies for the 2023 event. Beck Optikhandel distributes a large assortment of optical products throughout Switzerland. HOF’s main partner, Nikon, will continue its cooperation with the exhibition.

MOREL 20173K: made in the Jura (France) – the French company returns to the event in Switzerland this year

The material variety and colour expertise of Ørgreen Optics are always highlights at the Hall of Frames event

Dynoptic, an association of around 100 owner-managed opticians from all over Switzerland, the Basel-based architectural firm Studio Arenas and Contedi, a developer of online tools for opticians, will also be back as partner companies. The fair has confirmed that bookings remain open for independent brands who wish to take part. For more details, visit www.hallofframes.ch