Fashion

South Australian Designer Peter Coombs Reveals How Fashion Has Come Full Circle

Renowned eyewear designer, Peter Coombs, reveals the muse and history behind his round frames 30 years on.

Eyewear has played a significant role in the history of fashion. Whether you pick up a $30 pair or prefer to splurge on craftsmanship and fine quality, trends are certainly at the forefront of design. For 32 years, Adelaide designer, Peter Coombs Eyewear, has surprised and delighted individuals lucky enough to wear his exclusive collections. The spectacles are art in itself, using alternative, innovative ways to form and colour a variety of precious and refractive metals – a constant defining feature throughout time.

The man behind the frames, Peter Coombs, has revealed to us his inspiration for the latest additions to the 4 O’Clock Collection. A showcase of how fashion has truly come full circle.

It was my grandmother who taught me that style and fashion were cyclical. As a Scottish milliner for the best part of her 103 years, she had seen it many times. The point she made and the message that will resonate with me forever is that quality design and craftsmanship transcends trends; if you make something beautiful and do it well then it will last forever.

As always, my grandmother was right. In 1985 I made my very first pair of eyewear frames. Electro Torch. They were round, industrial and reminiscent of the Jules Verne under-the-sea/apocalyptic thinking of the 1980’s. Nowadays they would be classified as “steampunk” even though they preceded the movement. What is old is new again and today with an increasing appreciation for authentic craftsmanship these frames are just as desirable, if not more so, than they were when I created them 30 years ago. Plus, they still exist and function after 30 years of wear – because the design was good and I made them well.

Round shapes have been at the core of my eyewear designs for over three decades. Initially, it was a simple shape to work with and as a jeweller, it made sense to me to sculpt precious metals in this form. Over time, as my design challenge became rooted in the evolution of frame construction and the hinge element, the round frame was a sentimental favourite regularly revisited and re-imagined.

The cycle has now come full circle; 360 degrees around to my way of thinking once again. It is no coincidence that fashion repeats. It’s the suitability and practicality factor. In this case, round shapes work well on faces. There is no tension; they are perfectly and equally proportioned and affect a natural balance and harmony.

In response to a renewed demand for my much-loved shape, I am excited to introduce 4 O’CLOCK Port and 4 O’CLOCK Brandy. These round titanium and sterling silver handcrafted frames are a new addition to my Peter Coombs 4 O’CLOCK collection. Bold simplicity is the purposefully executed beauty here. There are no adornments and there is nowhere to hide; a simple, unique and natural balance designed and made for eyewear aficionados who subscribe to my vision… and that of my wise grandmother who also loved a late afternoon Port to warm her up in winter. Slàinte.

The Peter Coombs 4 O’Clock Collection uses, beta titanium and sterling silver. They’re s limited edition (only 99 per colour) so you know you’ll be the talk of town if you can get your hands on a pair.

Peter’s 4 O’CLOCK Eyewear Collection was shortlisted for the coveted 2015 Good Design Awards. Australia’s oldest and most prestigious award for design and innovation with its origins dating back to 1958. The awards showcase superior examples of good design across a broad range of industries and design disciplines.

“I think of Peter Coombs eyewear as ‘Jewellery for the Face’. All pieces are limited and rare if not one-off designs and many have been the result of private commissions over the years. Some I have just made because I needed to prove that I could.”

“This is my art. All frame design and construction starts and finishes with me – at my bench – in my studio – in Adelaide, South Australia.”

You can visit the Peter Coombs design studio by appointment and see where the magic happens or pop into one of the exclusive national retailers.Or, head to www.petercoombseyewear.com.

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