2019–2020 Eyewear Trends

Our team travelled to New York City in late March to attend Vision Expo East, a major show featuring more than 700 exhibitors from the eyecare industry. We picked out a few trends that will shape eyewear in the coming months. Read on for some of our general observations and a few of our favourite collections.

 

Colours

This year’s colour palettes range from neutral earth tones (beige, green, burnt orange) to bright colours (hint: neon is back!). We also noticed that the colours tend to be richer and pearlescent (midnight blue, grape purple, fuchsia), with less transparency. The Etnia Barcelona and WOOW collections offer styles in original colours.

1- Etnia Barcelona

2- WOOW eyewear

3- Etnia Barcelona colour palette

4- WOOW eyewear

Styles

Styles go from one extreme to the other: We saw minimalist thin metal frames alongside their thick acetate counterparts. The Marni haute couture collection, which will soon be available in some of our clinics, features some intriguing oversized models, while Moleskine primarily offers lighter, delicate metal models. For now, the metal frame trend is here to stay, and all frame manufacturers have metal models in their collection. Moving on to shape, although the trend of small triangular frames is less marked this year, pronounced geometric shapes (sharp angles, square and hexagonal frames, etc.) are popular with a number of designers, like Gigi Barcelona. Retro styles are all the rage: many iconic frame styles are back, with a contemporary twist. As for lenses, we saw fewer mirrored lenses and more gradient shades and neutral colours reminiscent of the 1970s.  

1- Marni

2- Chloé

3- Moleskine

4- Gigi Barcelona

Our picks

While all the collections had innovative styles to choose from, we had some favourites! Barcelona brands have a special place in our hearts. Gigi Barcelona, whose frames have been introduced in many Opto-Réseau clinics in recent months, showed off its new Beyond Capsule Collection. The frames use the same minimalist approach the maker is known for and step it up a notch with futuristic flair and a slightly bolder vision for those who are a little more daring! Etnia Barcelona also introduced a new collection: Titanium. The frames are made entirely of 100% Japanese titanium, one of the strongest, lightest materials used in eyewear. Even cooler: every piece in the collection incorporates an aspect of Japanese culture, such as traditional colours, minimalist round shapes inspired by Zen philosophy, and engravings evoking the armour of the ancient samurai.  

1- Gigi Barcelona

2- DKNY

3- Titanium by Etnia Barcelona

4- Elevenparis Boys and Girls

In children’s eyewear, Elevenparis Boys and Girls is offering a number of fresh new styles to fit younger children as well as teenagers. Soft colours dominate, so children can sport the latest trends as well. The collection is made entirely in France according to strict quality standards. Finally, the New York–based brands did not disappoint. DKNY is making a comeback with 1990s-inspired frames, and Kate Spade is focusing on feminine, colourful frames.

 

Thinking about switching up your style or trying out one of these new trends? Visit the Opto-Réseau clinic nearest you to browse our extensive selection of frames. Our optical stylists can help you find the on-trend frame that suits you best.