Cutler and Gross Open NYC Store

“The luxury eyewear label is set to open its first ever US store in New York City's famous SoHo neighborhood,” starts the post on Yahoo OMG!. “Cutler and Gross has been at the heart of London's luxury eyewear scene since the company was first founded in 1969 by Graham Cutler and Tony Gross. Each pair of the spectacles is handcrafted at the brand's factory in northern Italy, and can take up to four weeks to manufacture using a combination of traditonal techniques and cutting-edge materials.” Read more.

The Rise of the Independent Eyewear Designer?

“Well, it turns out that in the shadow of these large licensing companies [Luxottica, Safilo, Marcolin], a number of independent eyewear designers are on the rise and resonating with more knowledgeable, discerning consumers, challenging the grip of the ‘big three’ behemoths,” reports the Business of Fashion. “Some, like London-based Linda Farrow, have partnered with designers like Alexander Wang and Dries van Noten. All have tried-and-true methods rooted in craftsmanship, unique materials and fashion-forward design — qualities for which their customers are willing to pay.” Read more.

Maison Martin Margiela Releases Its First Eyewear Collection

"Its name is Poids Plume and it is the first vision eyewear collection designed by Maison Martin Margiela for spring/summer 2013 in collaboration with renowned British eyewear maker Cutler & Gross," says a Mido News 365. "A collection with a clean, simple style that marks a return to basic eyewear design. Stripped of unnecessary embellishments, the frame has been restored to the bare essentials. Ultra-light metal eyewear with rims designed for prescription lenses that fit so perfectly they seem to float on the face and give the wearer a very wide field of vision. Notes of refined elegance are given by very bright silver and deeply polished gold." Read more.

Designer Pays Homage to the Classics

Eyewear designer Marie Wilkinson talks to the National Post: "I think the economy of design and lack of ego of Mr. Cutler and Mr. Gross in terms of them not interfering with classic shapes in ways that might “date” a frame may account for the longevity of the designs. And when designing a frame, it’s important to think about shapes from past eras but then to immediately discard the literal shapes and work on the new shape afresh. Each season we “nudge” our clients into thinking about progressive new shapes: I think our clients seem ever hungry for more forward styles." Read more.