How to combine lenses and acetates?

Acetate frames and colored lenses: a duo that offers countless opportunities but that, surprisingly, also follows very specific rules. We asked to Silvia De Col, who works at Marcolin’s Style & Design Department, to reveal some of them. «First, there are styling rules which are associated with the history, image and personality of every single brand in Marcolin’s portfolio: every brand has its own iconic and representative colour palette. These are the must-have that any collection just can’t do without. There’s room to play with all the possible variations, but our job is to keep an eye on the latest fashion trends, both those linked to the world of accessories and eyewear and the general ones linked to the season and the historical moment we face.The project itself is also important, what we want to tell with the eyewear we are creating. Full lenses, cosmetics with neutral tones combined with Havana frames for a project, for example, linked to the world of natural colours. Mirrored lenses and brighter colored frames for a sportive mood. At this point, starting from our archive, we start to select to arrive at pairing proposals to be shared with the licenses».

Flat or spherical? Single- or two-lens? Also, the geometries of lenses or masks affect the final colour choice. «Together with the designer and based on the requests and DNA of the brand, a study taking into account the most suitable geometries for the creation of the new eyewear is carried out. For example, if you want to create a sportier look we will work with more enveloping lenses and masks. If you are working on a more fashionable project, you can also indulge in flatter lenses and masks.

If it’s true that color combinations do not only depend on a brand’s DNA but also on fashion trends, let’s look at the eyewear trends for the next spring-summer collection. «I can only give you a little hint and anticipate that there will be “no in-between”: monotonal colors will prevail among the lenses even in cosmetic nuances with natural references, darker shades will also coexist to create dark or total black looks. For those who love mirrors, they will also be present this season, especially for the active and casual world. What about jewel-like inserts? They will be bolder and more eye-catching than before, the fruit of many different techniques and processes».