The British naval officer and explorer John Oxley is the inspiration for Shane Baum’s elegant Oxley, in lightweight titanium that is plated in 18K gold, with a thin acetate silhouette that creates a luxurious two-tone look. High quality enamel and intricately etched insets on precious metal add to the subtle refinement. Handcrafted in Japan, polarized CR-39 lenses with Anti-reflective UGR12, and Diamond Cast Anti-Scratch, Hydrophobic coating complete the striking look. Available in Havana Tortoise 18K Gold (above) plus matte black 12K silver, and brown 24K gold. www.leisure-society.com JG

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Award winning Rolf Spectacles sets the tone for superb men’s eyewear with their new frame – Islero. The Tyrolean based designers mix shale and wood in a timeless shape, expertly crafted. Featured above is Shale Black Line 40. The colour variations of shale vary from greenish-blue grey, and black grey through to yellowish, red and purple tones. Shale rocks are found predominately in Europe in Spain, France the UK Portugal and Germany. Islero was awarded the “Best of Show” at Stuttgart Hall of Frames. www.rolf-spectacles.com JG

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Sleek and refined, Song combines timeless design with beautiful hand finishing, a trademark of this Italian artisan label. One of five new retro-inspired models, Song is available as an optical style or as a sunglass fitted with Zeiss G15 lenses in green – the narrow double bridge is elegant either way. 100% handmade in Italy. www.lgr-sunglasses.com CN

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The new colours are coming…and we have created a new presentation in our reviews where we will pick the stand-out trends. To start, the super brights, from oranges and lemons to the big buzz on turquoise and other great chic shouts of colour. This round shape from The Row – model Row 45 – is likely to fare well in the spring and summer months as a fashion piece. The style comes in ochre, beige, bottle green (an ideal new choice for 2013) and teracotta – pictured above with solid dark red lenses –  as well as classic black or tortoise. The style here also has luxe dark red soft lamb skin covered arms combined with stainless steel inserts to top things off, as well as CR39 lenses. The Row’s designers, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were named womenswear designers of the year 2012 by The Council of Fashion Designers of America. CN www.therow.com / For the new Linda Farrow website go to www.lindafarrow.co.uk

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We launch 2012 with designer sunglasses and artistic frames from innovative, international designers. This month we are attending the trade exhibition Opti Munich, and will introduce you to the latest eyewear collections – a great way to start 2012! Our award-winning Designer of the Month expresses his unique perspective, and the Boutique section highlights exceptional shops reflecting current marketing strategies. Click on City Guides for what’s new in exhibitions, restaurants and other cultural activities. With the New Year, Eyestylist celebrates its 1st Anniversary! We want to sincerely thank our readers and valued sponsors for their support, and we look forward to 2012 being a stellar year for eyewear and fashion excitement! JG

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I enjoy finding new labels, and while I haven’t yet worn one of these or had the chance to see the whole line, I am very pleased it has appeared on my desktop. Arcadia is topping my wishlist for 2012…this is a bold thing in red, the slightly articulated, angular design is modified from a 60s cat shape with a lovely deep lens, and it bears no decoration or emblem which seems to serve it very well indeed. If you want your sunnies to combine a very trendy shape for 2012, and preserve a touch of vintage chic and handcrafted originality, this is a style we recommend. Made from Japanese zyl, the frame has top quality, durable 5 barrel hinges and double gradient AR backside coated lenses for a high-level UV protection. The brand Entourage of 7 is located in Los Angeles, and is run by two Danish eyewear designers, Rikke Brogaard and Jakob Talbo, who love 50s and 60s Danish design, and L.A.s laid back style, which is caught in the frames through the choice of warm, playful colours. Frames to look out for. www.eof7.com CN

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An aviator that has caught my eye, partly because this shape defines a key mood for next year, but also because this one adds a decorative touch to the metal base with a patterned acetate. An American fashion designer of extraordinary repute who has won countless awards including, in 2011, GQ’s best new menswear designer of the year, Wang’s sunglasses have an edge that send fashion editors into a frenzy…his “extreme” cat eye sunglasses with metal corners were, and still are, a bit of a cult piece for girls. It will be very interesting to see if this one, or any of its sister shapes in the designer’s S/S 2012 range produced with the UK’s Linda Farrow, gets the same buzz this year. Coming soon to the online store at www.lindafarrow.co.uk CN

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This designer sunglass collection is an elegant addition to Ms. Beckham’s fashion collections, and, produced by Cutler and Gross, it seems there is no compromise on quality or style. Metal Charles is possibly the top shape of the collection and will be an editor’s favourite, but we have looked closely at the whole line and love the 1970s theme and crisp white or washed out hues and pastel tones in the collection. Metal Charles combines gold and black metal frames with mink, honey, black and white lenses and are fashionably lightweight and easy-to-wear. Handcrafted in Italy, the collection is made with fine techniques and materials. Each piece reflects the modern considered aesthetic of the Beckham fashion range, and, as we viewed the sunglasses next to the S/S ready-to-wear, we can see that in context the sunglasses add a fresh and effortless elegance to the overall collection. For really lightweight sunnies try the Fine Metal Style, an exercise in featherlight construction, which Victoria has devised to overcome the red marks on the nose, often produced with a heavier or ill-fitting sunglass style. www.victoriabeckham.com  CN

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Robert Marc’s Tortoise Jungle is a collection of optical frames and sunglasses inspired by the organized and rhythmic pattern of tortoiseshell with new unexpected colours. Tortoise is a central theme in eyewear history but can still look thoroughly modern, as Marc proves here. And as the New York designer puts it, tortoise says beauty, quality and craftsmanship.

I have viewed the whole collection first hand and I’m a fan of the quality of the acetate teamed with clever colour proposals. The exotic interpretations work brilliantly, red spotted tortoise and chic onyx with black tortoise are for those who want a walk on the wild side.

Robert Marc is an established luxury name in New York with an enviable celebrity following and a passion for quality, creativity and hand-finished products. If tortoise is your thing, don’t let this pass you by…   www.robertmarc.com

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