Mykita | The Third Renaissance Of The Round

Cecile Amber

For autumn/winter 2012 Mykita has transferred the panto form of the 1930s into the present. The design and styling of the four new models are representative of a recurring theme in Mykita’s philosophy: employing technical and aesthetic innovation to create collections that adopt classic forms of the past while at the same time being an expression of the present.

Teiti, Thorvald and Cecile reference the quintessential ”intellectual” glasses from the 1920s and 1930s: the panto form. The word panto has its origins in a Greek term meaning ”all, every, entire”. The size of the lens corresponds to the human eye socket, which is why panto is considered the first lens form to enable the wearer to see ”everything”.

This classic spectacles frame celebrated its first comeback in the late 1960s as an expression of opposition to the traditional, conservative lifestyle. In the 1980s the fashion world became interested in the panto look and popularised it in all colours and forms.


Thorvald Shiny Silver/Bordeaux and Teiti Pearl/Cobalt

For 2012 Mykta has launched a third renaissance of the round/oval-shaped classic; the stainless steel models Teiti and Thorvald from the Lite collection boast fine contours, large frames and tinted lenses in the colours Cobalt-Blue, Bordeaux-Red, Green and Black.

The panto form is also revisited in the Cecile model from Mykita’s acetate collection. The flowing transitions from bridge and sides into the frame are the characteristic features of this frame, while its counterpart Carlos has a more square-shaped look. Both models were configured for the here-and-now in the colour combinations Tobago with brown lenses and Amber with green lenses. Whether the panto frame again serves as an anti-statement today, over four decades since the Summer of Love, is a matter for the wearer to determine.

Carlos Tobago