Click here to download a PDF of Float On.
WHO: Fans of the hover board, bubbles, balloons, clouds, David Blaine, wedding dress designers or anyone into wearing charmeuse, chiffon and tulle.

WHAT: Creating visual interest can often be hard to achieve when dealing with such a limited amount of material like that found in eyewear. Instead of adding stones, glitter or other sorts of bling, some eyewear designers have begun playing with the use of negative space by presenting styles with lenses that don’t always mirror the frame shape or are attached to the frame in the most minimal way possible, as if to appear to be floating.

WEAR: (L to R) With its gradient lenses set in a round metal frame and perched in a squared-off acetate cat eye frame at the bridge, the dual-colored Fendi FF 0137/S from Safilo packs a lot of style into a small amount of space. Constructed from one continuous piece of titanium, the Silhouette Titan One integrates the nose bridge and temples with the lenses anchored solely at the bridge, allowing them to float above the face. The Mykita/Damir Doma Bradfield sunglass appears to consist of two frames but upon closer inspection it’s clear the frame front is made from one flat piece which is folded in half and tucked back behind itself producing a look of perfectly round lenses that hover in front of classic panto rims. The lenses of the Lanvin VLN059 ophthalmic from De Rigo Vision USA dangle from a cable brow bar that integrates seamlessly with the temples, making the lenses of this semi-rimless style look almost suspended.

WHY: Most people are always looking to lighten up and eliminate bulk and their eyewear is no different. In addition to the added visual interest and design appeal of a floating lens, the increased open space makes the frames lighter and more comfortable, not to mention built in ventilation. On top of that, the unique ways these lenses tend to be attached to the frame chassis offers something new and interesting to wearers looking to update their look.

dcarroll@jobson.com