Mazzucchelli Zyl Acetate

Mazzucchelli (mat-su-keli) is produced in Italy, and is considered the highest grade of acetate in the world, on a par with Japanese Zyl Acetate . The company Mazzucchelli 1849 has been making acetate for 160 years and is used by the top independent brands in eyewear such as Claire Goldsmith, Cutler & Gross and Garrett Leight, to name a few.

Zyl acetate is tough, with a deep gloss and high transparency. It possesses a feel that is often described as more natural than other plastics due to it consisting of 80% cotton fibre and 20% polymers, which explains its consistent popularity as a material for items that are handled frequently such as spectacle frames and tool handles. Zyl acetate can also achieve colour effects that are beyond injection moulding - as the frames are hand cut from slabs of zyl, each frame that is patterned (like tortoiseshell or leopard) has a unique pattern just as with tiles of marble. Acetate is desirable for its feel, colour, luster, strength and ability to be shape, and is made entirely from renewable resources.

The zyl acetate process goes something like this:

Purified cellulose from cotton fibre is mixed with powder and solvents and passed through filters until forming a fine sheet of transparent paste. Organic colour pigments are mixed with acetone and applied directly onto the acetate and worked into the surface. An artisan then passes the coloured acetate through a roller several times, finely spreading the colour evenly throughout. For a patterned sheet, this same process is repeated using a different colour for each sheet, which are then layered together and passed back through the rollers. The compressed layers of acetate are then mixed together in a random pattern and cut into small pieces. These pieces are then pressed together to form a block of random patterning ready to be trimmed into frames.

All of our frames at Michael Holmes Premium Eyewear are made using either Japanese or Mazzucchelli zyl acetate. Unless they are titanium of course, but we'll save that story for another day.

Goodbye Breaking Bad

If you're a fan of the tv show Breaking Bad, you'll be more than aware that tonight is the final episode of the season. Monday nights will never be the same! To commemorate the occassion, Ty Mattson of Mattson Creative came up with four poster designs depicting the transformation of Walter White over the five seasons from humble chemistry teacher to meth kingpin.

These posters really highlight Walter White's signature glasses, which are different in the last poster representing his latest alias Mr Lambert.

The posters are available in limited edition from the official Breaking Bad store, numbered and signed.

Get The Look: Samuel L Jackson

For those of you who've ever recited Samuel L Jackson's bible speech from Pulp Fiction or declared you're sick of those snakes being on a motherflippin' plane, then we have got the look for you.

Samuel L Jackson really works a smaller round frame with temples and bridge midway through the frame. He mixes things up a bit using colour, transparency and tinted lenses.

Available at Michael Holmes Premium Eyewear:

Yellows Plus "Joan" in Black

Yellows Plus "Rob" in Grey Sasa

Claire Goldsmith "Bailey" in Purple

Cutler & Gross "1049" in Grey Pink

Glasses of the Week: Wedding Style!

Spring is upon us and you know what that means... wedding season! The best way to look stylish during the ceremony while also balling your eyes out is to wear a fabulous pair of sunglasses. We have plenty of wedding-appropriate options to choose from, from the fashion-forward to timeless elegance. 

Jeanette Parsons embodies wedding chic here with her Oliver Goldsmith "Fuz" at her nephew's wedding in South Africa. Both Jeanette and the bride look absolutely gorgeous, thanks for sharing with us Jeanette!

The Holmes Boys (minus Tom)

Michael & Kay's youngest boys Sam and Oscar still have a thing or two to learn about glasses it seems! 

Oh hang on...

What do optometrists' kids get up to on Saturday afternoon? Kay took Samuel and Oscar to the Explorers Club where they dissected cows eyes. Looks like they do start them young.

Happy birthday Sam!

The Irrepressible Iris Apfel

If anyone can prove that age is just a number then it's Iris Apfel. New York socialite, business owner and interior textile designer (to no less than nine Presidents) Iris is as full of life at 91 years than she was 21. A regular on the New York scene, Iris shot to fame in 2005 after the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art featured an exhibition of her wardrobe (their first ever exhibition hosted for a living woman), and has been featured in many magazines and fashion blogs since as a model of how to age with style - and spirit! Iris is known for her flamboyant personal style and oversized round glasses; she doesn't know how many pairs of glasses she owns but she bought her first ever pair at a flea market.

We have to admire Iris for her total disregard for the norm and for staying true to her personal style throughout the years. Long live Iris!

Glasses of the Week

Gorgeous Lauren Collins is glowing in her new Bevel "Mate" in grey split! Lauren and her lovely Mum dropped in after a visit to NZ fashion week and were a joy to chat to, we're happy we could help Lauren pick out the perfect frames to help her study.

Mark McNairy

Longtime Garrett Leight collaborator Mark McNairy recently showcased his latest eyewear collection at New York Fashion Week. We're looking forward to getting our hands on some in time for summer!

We currently stock the Garrett Leight X Mark McNairy optical frame "McNairy" in dark tortoiseshell.

Glasses of the Week

The lovely Shanley Nottingham wears her Claire Goldsmith Wing so well! We had a lot of fun helping Shanley choose her glasses, we think she made a great decision. The black on claret colourway allows a subtle peek of red to shine through the black outer frame.

Get Local

This is fantastic! The world's first "can for a coffee" cafe has just opened in Auckland, where on every Friday and Saturday morning local folks can trade a can of food for a coffee fix. Locals is situated on 13 Rose Road, Grey Lynn and every can of food goes to the Auckland Mission to be redistributed amongst those who need them. The not-for-profit pop-up cafe will run for a month, and hopefully longer if it gets the support it needs. Read more about Locals here.

Playing Muse

Garrett Leight sheds some light on the men playing muse to some of his optical designs in a series of short films called "Garrett Leight Icons". In the first film released, we get a sense for the inspiration behind his Harding frame, writer (and husband of one Marilyn Monroe) Arthur Miller.

Garrett Leight California Optical is inspired by iconic, soulful individuals, and strives to encompass all that is classic and timeless with each piece of eyewear we produce. Icons themselves find inspiration in different realms of life - in people, places or things, past and present.

Short film and description by Garrett Leight California Optical.

Garrett Leight "Harding" in Grey Fade with midnight gradient polarized lenses

As a bonus, here's comedian Will Arnett (of Arrested Development fame) rocking the Harding in GQ magazine.

Just Add Sun

Zoe Neave looks amazing in her Garrett Leight Hampton clip-on specs/sunnies, two looks in one! You'd never guess that Zoe is 33 weeks pregnant here, we wish we looked this good all the time! Best of luck with the little one Zoe.

Glasses of the Week

Alex Hitchcock looks very sharp in his Garrett Leight "Harding" matte black sunnies. Garrett's signature Californian surf style gives Alex's city look an edge.

Fashion Week Winds Down

After a week of work by our stylist Phoebe who was representing us at our stand, putting a lot of glasses on lots of fabulous people, New Zealand Fashion Week has officially ended. We had a wonderful time and it won't be our last! 

Here's Phoebe with Dave England of Jackass fame wearing our Graz KMC sunnies.

Model, TV host and NZ personality Colin Mathura-Jeffree with Australian model Natalie Cantell, sharing hosting duties on their Fashion One show and looking fantastic in Claire Goldsmith Watson & Lowe.

And what's this? Oh, just Kay and Michael sipping bubbles front row at New Zealand Fashion Week! They had a great time and were even given a backstage tour by the wonderful organizers of NZFW.

Thanks for having us Fashion Week, see you next year!

Fashion Week Continues!

New Zealand Fashion Week has been a blast so far, and we're only halfway through! Here are just some of the lovely people modeling our frames...

Lovely bartender Rory gears up for opening night wearing Garrett Leight x Mark McNairy in tortoiseshell

Coco and Daniel wear his'n'hers Graz. Coco wears the KMC in tort, Daniel wears the JNG in matte grey

 Amelia looks amazing in the Graz KMC in tortoiseshell

PR guru Jessica Walsh wears Garrett Leight x Mark McNairy to see the models strut

New Zealand girl band TnT rock the Oliver Golsmith Hex, Tak and Fuz at a fashion party

Photographer Patrick Seng sets off his classical outfit with the Garrett Leight Kinney

Orlando looks fresh in the Claire Goldsmith Watson in black

Claudia looks fab amongst the flowers in KMC

NZFW intern Tara with our own Phoebe, both working Claire Goldsmith's Lowe at the Zambesi party

   

Toma is a musician, he played during Nyne's show. Seen here in the Garrett Leight Harrison

Top sylist Kylie Cook looks gorgeous in Graz JNG in matte grey at a show

Director of NO magazine Matt Offord wears Claire Goldsmith's Watson in black