theo eyewear Constantia Custom Tinted Photochromic Lenses | Lens Art®
HAZEL
A Lens Art® Interpretation
Frame: theo Constantia
Lens Design: Bespoke Burgundy → Antique Saffron bi-colour gradient
Photochromic: Marma Dinamica Amaranth
Finish: Glamour coating
The Story
Hazel contacted me because she wanted to enjoy wearing glasses again.
After years of predominantly wearing contact lenses, increasing discomfort from dry eyes meant that glasses were becoming a much bigger part of her everyday life.
But she didn't want them to feel like the compromise.
She wanted to find a style of her own. Something expressive, feminine and interesting, but not so loud that she felt the glasses were wearing her.
That took us towards theo eyewear.
I often think theo's Characters collection is a brilliant introduction to the brand. There is enough personality to make the eyewear feel different, without immediately taking you into some of theo's more adventurous territory.
Although there is a slight danger.
Once the compliments start, theo can become rather addictive.
THE FRAME
We chose the theo Constantia.
It has a beautifully feminine shape, but what interested me just as much was the colour.
The frame moves from a rich burgundy into a warm, almost antique gold.
At first glance, that transition can appear quite simple. Having visited theo's production and seen the work involved in creating these graduated finishes by hand, you begin to appreciate how seriously the brand treats colour.
It may be playful, but it isn't accidental.
And against Hazel's colouring, those warmer tones worked particularly well.
The question then became:
What should the lenses contribute?
THE INTERPRETATION
Hazel didn't want her lenses to exaggerate or draw additional attention to her eyes.
Depending on the prescription, spectacle lenses can alter the apparent size of the eyes. Combine that with a distinctive frame and sometimes the eye area can become more prominent than the wearer would like.
So rather than introducing another colour story, I continued the one theo had already started.
I designed a bespoke burgundy-to-antique-saffron bi-colour gradient through the lenses.
The burgundy connects with the upper section of the frame, while the softer saffron tone falls into its warmer gold.
Rather than looking like a tinted lens placed inside a coloured frame, the two begin to read as one composition.
There was another consideration too.
I wanted the colour around Hazel's eyes to behave almost like make-up: warming and gently lifting the eye area rather than overpowering it.
HOW IT FEELS TO LOOK THROUGH
Lens colour shouldn't only be considered from the outside.
Hazel also wanted the world through her glasses to feel a certain way.
The warmer palette creates a view that feels contrasted, cosy and warm.
That's an important part of Lens Art.
We're designing two experiences simultaneously:
how the lenses look to everyone else, and how the world looks to the person wearing them.
THEN THE LIGHT CHANGES EVERYTHING
The design doesn't remain static.
We incorporated Marma Dinamica Amaranth photochromic technology into the lens composition.
As Hazel moves outside and the lenses respond to UV, the colour deepens dramatically.
The upper burgundy develops towards a rich ruby-red, while the lower part of the lens takes on a softer violet character.
The result is much stronger than the indoor state, but it doesn't suddenly feel like a different pair of glasses.
It is simply another expression of the same palette.
That was important.
The lenses become richer without becoming louder.
THE FINAL LAYER
To finish the composition, I used a Glamour coating.
Beyond helping to reduce reflections and glare, it introduces a subtle golden sheen across the surface of the lens.
Look closely at the Constantia and there is already a metallic quality running through theo's graduated paintwork.
That small flash of gold from the lens therefore has something to connect with.
Frame colour.
Base tint.
Photochromic colour.
Surface reflection.
Each layer has its own job, but they all belong to the same idea.
COMMISSION DETAILS
Frame
theo Constantia
Lens Art® Design
Bespoke Burgundy → Antique Saffron bi-colour gradient
Photochromic Technology
Marma Dinamica Amaranth
Lens Finish
Glamour coating
Design Direction
Warm, feminine and expressive without becoming loud.
ABOUT THIS COMMISSION
This commission wasn't really about making a spectacular pair of tinted glasses.
It was about changing Hazel's relationship with wearing glasses.
Contact lenses had been the default for years. Now eyewear needed to become something she could genuinely enjoy rather than something she wore because she had to.
The frame gave us the beginning of that identity.
The lenses completed it.
Sometimes the best Lens Art doesn't compete with the eyewear.
It finishes the thought.
COMMISSION YOUR OWN LENS ART®
Lens Art® is our bespoke lens design and luxury reglazing service at The Optical Gallery, London.
We design prescription and non-prescription lenses around the individual, the eyewear and the way the glasses will actually be worn — combining custom colour, photochromic technology and specialist lens finishing where appropriate.
Already own a frame you love? It doesn't need to be purchased from us. Existing and collector eyewear can also be considered for a Lens Art® commission.
