Virtual eyewear: Innovations in rimless and semi-rimless styles

The popularity of rimless and semi-rimless eyewear is set to continue, as customers are always going to want light, discreet, comfortable designs. Janet Halliday outlines some of the latest developments.

Rimless and semi-rimless eyewear, once considered the exclusive preserve of grandpa and grandma, have been reinvented. Today everyone from cool dubbers to sophisticated professionals seeks after these styles, in trendy shapes and hi-tech materials. Designs range from self-effacing to in-your-face; the only common factor is a drive for lightness. New materials and combinations of materials are appearing everywhere - Genium, magnesium, SPXng, Flexon, carbon fibre and aluminium, to name but a few. And all these and more may be combined with other metals or other materials, such as acetate or precious metals. Pure and beta titanium are becoming almost common, but are being treated in innovative ways to create fantastic new finishes and decorative touches. Unusual shapes are coming in. Under frames turn semi-rimless eyewear upside down for a cutting-edge look, and lenses may be mounted in front of or behind the rim to give a 3D effect. In other cases the frame has virtually disappeared, making these designs a popular choice for people who are in the public eye and often before the camera. The fact that well-known figures wear these designs can enhance sales at the optician's practice.

FASHION'S POINTS

As a result of all these developments, the styles are selling strongly and show every sign of continuing to do so. "Rimless and semi-rimless glasses are relatively easy to sell to the customer," says Dixie Klein, of Francis Klein Opticians, Paris, France, while Dieter Knickrihn, a Synoptik optician in Hamburg, Germany, reports "Rimless eyewear is in great demand at the moment. Everyone wants it. It is a style with great appeal for young and old. "Rimless and semi-rimless styles do not detract from a person's looks. They do not change a person's appearance and people like that. But lightness is also a factor for customers and I'd say both factors are equally important," continues Mr Knickrihn. Other selling points are the fact that the optician has considerable freedom of choice regarding the lens shape, which enables him to select the one which best suits his customer's visual and aesthetic requirements. With the arrival of the new generation of progressive lenses, smaller than their predecessors, rimless and semi-rimless styles can now be fitted with these advanced lenses. Also, rimless frames offer an unobstructed field of vision.

Mounting lenses in rimless and semi-rimless designs can be a nerve-racking experience for opticians, as drilling the lens involves a risk of wrongly sitting the hole and of breakage. "On average, I'd say I spend about an hour on lenses I have to bore and it's very delicate work," says Mr Knickrihn. However some manufacturers, such as Silhouette, Rodenstock, EBM Design, Marchon and Lindberg, have now created special drilling kits, templates and other dedicated equipment for optical professionals, which are designed to simplify the mounting process and remove some of the worries. Adaptability is also an advantage. For example, Lindberg describes its Air collection as a building system; where opticians can select temple length, bridge size etc to suit the customer. l'imon Lunetterie offers bridges designed for Western or Asian noses, and an assembly process designed, to prevent lenses from getting loose or breaking. Genium, used by - among others - Allison in its Try and Try Ultra light collections, is suitable for a wide range of applications since it is nickel-free and compatible with all skin types; lightweight; corrosion-resistant; supports tensile stress of 2,200N/mm 2, and has a "memory" to retain its shape.

THE WAY AHEAD

Whatever the material or design, all manufacturers are striving for lighter and ever lighter frames. Everything superfluous, such as screws, welds and even hinges, is eliminated, refining the frame until it becomes almost "virtual". Nylon threads have replaced titanium wire around the lower edge of the lens in many of the semi-rimless models. However, at the same time flexibility and strength are essential. It is a design challenge, which has resulted in some very hi-tech models, ultra thin; hinge less, flexible yet robust. In future manufacturers will continue to pursue new materials, both for lightness and other properties. Designs are likely to evolve in two ways, with manufacturers seeking ever more minimal designs on the one hand and also offering elegant and striking styling on the other.