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Cover Story: Accessible Luxury

This is a joint editorial initiative of Vision Monday and 20/20 Magazine, sponsored by Kenmark, Lafont, Luxottica, Marchon, Match Eyewear, Morel, OGI , ProDesign, Wescan, Base Curve.

Thanks to the economy, luxury brands have taken a more affordable turn in an effort to become increasingly accessible to consumers. As a direct result of the changing retail environment, this has created an increased demand for product across the board at more attractive price points. Many frame manufacturers have responded with the introduction of new branded collections or a refreshing of established collections that incorporate luxurious styling and quality, paving the way for ECPs and consumers to enter the accessible luxury market.

The Capistrand Sunglasses

Pop imagery of optical style Laurel Canyon

Dana Buchman Vision

The Perfect Accessory to Complement a Career Woman’s Many Lifestyles

Dana Buchman has been at the helm of her eponymous brand for two decades, creating fashions for real women who run businesses, families and communities. As a woman whose life has many roles, she knows what types of lives women lead and designs with this in mind. With Dana Buchman Vision she provides career women with the perfect accessory to complement their many lifestyles.

For 2010, each new optical collection captures her timeless sense of style with intricate details and beautiful designs. Offering modern shapes and decorative elements for women ages 40 to 60 and beyond, a feeling of luxury is added in custom cast jewelry, inspired endpieces and decorative temples adorned with animal print motifs.

The 2010 sun collection is also inspired by Dana Buchman’s love for the Safari in modern shapes with exotic animal prints that provide texture and design to the temples.

The Deluxe and Deauville sun styles, along with the Dynastie optical style from Lafont.

Les Lunettes Lafont

A Family, A Style, An Eyewear Icon

More than 80 years ago, Louis Lafont opened his first shop in Paris. In 1972, Philippe and Laurence Lafont created the Lafont brand. Now far from the world of licensed-brand names and mass-market products, the Lafont brand is known as a top line of unique and stylish frames. Today, the studio is managed by Thomas Lafont, who has been working there for nearly 10 years.

The Lafont concept is simple—combine design and technique in order to create stylish frames with a refined aesthetic and a great deal of detail. The sources of inspiration are many but each Lafont frame has its own design, pattern and color. Each Lafont frame is exclusive.

The heritage of the French lifestyle, the celebration of Parisian elegance and discreet luxury, combined together with technical knowledge and the use of only the highest quality materials, is the essence of Lafont.

Three of the six new faces of Vogue eyewear and the VO2608S SUNGLASSES.

Vogue Eyewear

Young, Vivacious and Glamorous: The Everyday Fashionista

Since the ‘70s, Vogue Eyewear has been designing optical frames and sunglasses for curious, dynamic young women who adore fashion. These passionate fashionistas are the first to embrace trends, and their style is versatile and glamorous, yet flippant and fun. They choose Vogue Eyewear so they can feel like top models every day.

In its latest ad campaign, these fashionistas were invited to become the new stars of Vogue. Six lucky young winners were selected from an online casting call of nearly 35,000 entrants launched by Vogue Eyewear in six different countries.

These new faces can be seen in the 2010 Spring/Summer collection which represents three trends; Hippy, inspired by the ‘70s in fanciful shapes and colors expressing a free and unconventional spirit; Vamp, styles that accentuate the mysterious allure of a diva; and Geek, optical frames for girls who love simple styles with a vintage look.

The KL662 optical style. Karl Lagerfeld Eyewear Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld Eyewear

The Man, The Myth, The Eyewear

Karl Lagerfeld Eyewear is about bold modern designs that capture the spirit of the powerful Karl Lagerfeld style. Designed and manufactured with refined style and craftsmanship, its modernity is enhanced by the iconic design elements and colorations that reflect the style of Karl Lagerfeld, the man.

The Karl Lagerfeld 2010 optics and suns take inspiration from Lagerfeld’s ready-to-wear collection and accessories, including his favorite gothic axe tie pin, thereby creating iconic details that are exclusive and identifiable to Lagerfeld himself. The collection introduces vintage inspired accents and opulent materials, as well as the prevalent Karl Lagerfeld logo. The logo is replicated onto thin temples, accented with metal studs or intricately placed at the center of a bow that creates a newly styled hinge.

Bold and assertive, the Karl Lagerfeld collections continue to be innovative and identifiable.

The Adrienne Vittadini AV1006 style on model AND the AV1016 optical style.

Adrienne Vittadini Eyewear

Aspirational, Accessible, Modern: Forever 30

Adrienne Vittadini launched her sportswear brand in 1979 to provide customers with fresh and feminine styling appropriate for the office or more casual settings. Now a multimillion dollar retail business, the brand is being reintroduced in all retail categories as a total lifestyle concept offering women sophisticated designs that are aspirational and accessible and that still reflect the brand’s “Forever 30” image. The Adrienne Vittadini design sensibility is about creating a look that is effortlessly elegant, sexy and modern.

Thanks to a licensing agreement signed with Match Eyewear, the Adrienne Vittadini brand is being reintroduced to the optical industry just in time for Spring 2010. Twenty four brand new optical styles and six sun styles comprise the initial launch collection, paired with a point of purchase and merchandising program targeted toward finer optical shops and optometric practices, as well as a consumer advertising campaign.

The Lightec Carbon #6605L

Lightec Carbon

Visiting the Past for the Technology of the Future

Lightec is a blend of the past, present, and future. It offers a range of shapes and concepts that meld together using a proprietary flex hinge system that requires no screws, coils or springs. Technology drives the design process to create a product equal to the brand’s name—lightweight, technologically advanced products for men and women.

Since its inception, the Lightec range has been synonymous with lightness and technology in the service of comfort. In line with this approach, for 2010, Lightec has introduced Lightec Carbon for men.

This new concept, fitted with the screwless “alpha” spring-hinge, is made up of high-tech composited materials using the well-know materials of carbon fiber or fiberglass in new ways. Now combined with stainless steel and polyurethane rubber, they make for a new generation of eyewear with a flexible temple, solid and comfortable.

Brand imagery from Ogi Eyewear and optical style 4022.

Ogi Eyewear

The Evolution of a Brand on the Rise

Launched in 1997 by David Spencer, Ogi Eyewear has quickly become a standout in the fashion optical market due to their high quality, on-trend designs at unprecedented price points. The company has evolved from its humble beginnings as a small, affordable Midwestern company to its current position as a potent eyewear company with offices around the world.

To further strengthen the fashion forward company demeanor, the 2010 collection continues to redefine its image as the quintessential symbol of affordable luxury. The new styles embody the spirit of Ogi’s beginnings with a fresh flair. Inspired by the distinguishing elements of modern architecture, the new collection features bold, contemporary eyewear pieces designed to stand apart from prevailing styles.

These new models deliver style and substance through the use of premium materials and diligently placed details resulting in eyewear that is unrivaled for its design and price point.

The for ProDesign 9908-12 frames from ProDesign Denmark.

For ProDesign

Clean Danish Design With an Unexpected Twist

ProDesign was founded in 1973 but the company’s design philosophy, values and corporate identity have changed since then and today, ProDesign has grown its position in world markets through the ability to quickly recognize and pick up trends. Clean Danish design is the basis of their products but always with an added twist of something surprising or unexpected.

The FOR ProDesign collection is the company’s playground for external designers. For Spring 2010, American-born Danish jeweler and designer, Gail Spence, has developed a unique hinge featuring a visible opening in the front where the temples fit. An interchangeable matte transparent nylon temple connects with the front through a colored cylinder hinge that becomes a significant part of the frame design. The metallic color of the front then adds depth to the design and brings out the 3-D frame design.

Evatik

Combining Disparate Elements Into One Sophisticated Package

The newly launched Evatik collection from Wescan Optical is a brand dedicated exclusively to today’s urban male. Technologically inspired with an understated sense of luxury, Evatik is sleek, clean and minimalistic with a sophisticated combination of elegance and engineering.

Created for the modern man seeking a discreet and refined look, Evatik combines disparate elements like elegance, daring, restraint, intensity and subtlety into one sophisticated package. Every frame is designed to be expressive of one’s personality and individuality.

The brand’s high quality fabrications, lightweight materials, and unique applications result in a collection designed to keep you staring. Frames are constructed of acetate, stainless steel, TR-90 and titanium and feature a sophisticated palette of stylish colors such as black, grey, silver, blue, brown and olive.

John Varvatos Eyewear

Reaching Back to Take a Look Forward

Launched in 2000 with a collection of tailored clothing and sportswear, the John Varvatos brand now represents an entire lifestyle that includes belts, bags, footwear, eyewear, luxury skincare and fragrances distributed throughout the world.

Inspired by his love of rock ‘n roll and vintage style, the award-winning menswear designer continually strives to reinvigorate and modernize his eyewear collection. Perfect for the classic yet stylish man, John Varvatos’ latest releases master the beauty of simplicity. The collection features innovative, yet timeless styles that successfully merge sophistication with a sleek modern sense and elements of the past. Black, gray and brown tones dominate the collection, from darker shades of steel to subtle russet highlights and the silhouettes are precisely multi-layered.

In just a few short seasons, John Varvatos Eyewear has become a leading force in the contemporary eyewear market and has gained the reputation as a must-have label. ■