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LAUNCHES
Smith Optics Debuts ChromaPop Polarized Lens
Quick Take: Smith Optics is launching ChromaPop Prescription Sunglasses featuring proprietary lens technology.
Wearer: ChromaPop is a scientifically advanced polarized lens, engineered to optimize color and increase visual clarity. ChromaPop eliminates color confusion for the brain, ultimately recognizing true color, faster, regardless of lens tint.
Specifics: ChromaPop prescription sun lenses will be available in four proprietary tints: ChromaPop Polarchromic Ignitor, ChromaPop Polar Brown, ChromaPop Polar Gray Green and ChromaPop Polar Platinum.
Selling Points: When light passes through a traditional lens, there are two points where light waves intersect and the brain has to work to decipher whether it is seeing red, green or blue. With ChromaPop lens technology, the color intersections are blocked so the brain immediately recognizes true vibrant color as it should be seen with increased depth and detail of objects, while reducing eye fatigue. ChromaPop Prescription Sunglass lens technology also offers a proprietary authentic Smith Prescription Sun solution through its Trivex Confined Tint Technology (CTT). This CTT engineers the tint and photochromic dyes within 0.9mm of the front surface of the lens, which results in an RX lens with uniform color and a visually attractive appearance after surfacing and edging.
Price Guide: $$$
www.smithoptics.com
ClearVision Launches Premium Titanium with PuriTi
Quick Take: ClearVision Optical has launched PuriTi, a private label 100 percent titanium eyewear collection for men in high quality materials at a competitive price point.
Wearer: PuriTi is positioned as a high end men’s fashion brand that’s available at an attractive opening price point for the aspirational man seeking clean, high quality designs.
Specifics: The collection launches with six styles,
with more planned for spring 2014. Key features of the collection
include integrated spring hinges, stainless steel screws, cellulose
acetate temple tips and PVC nose pads.
Selling Points:
“We designed PuriTi to meet the needs of both our customers and their
patients,” said Peter Friedfeld, ClearVision’s executive vice president.
“PuriTi fulfills an industry need for high quality titanium eyewear set
at a price point that’s advantageous to the ECP without sacrificing
style and quality.” Classic and modern eye shapes feature subtle details
like carbon fiber inserts, textured tooling and architectural temple
piercings. Each lightweight, handcrafted design is enhanced using an
innovative ion plating technique that provides strength and richness in
masculine colors like brown, gunmetal, black and pewter. Available
in-store merchandising materials includes a brand ID, counter cards, a
hanging banner and and a custom window display.
Price Guide: $$
www.cvoptical.com
SECOND LOOKS
Safilo Presents New Gucci Men’s Styles
Quick Take: For Spring/Summer 2014, Safilo presents a new Gucci men’s sunglasses and optical frame collection, in innovative high-tech interpretation of an urban attitude with a sporty-chic style dedicated to the contemporary man.
Specifics: One optical style and one sunglass.
Selling Points: These new sunglasses and optical frames are a blend of classic allure, with their easy-to-wear square-shaped silhouette, and contemporary touch, thanks to the use of new materials, such as carbon fiber temples. The quality of these styles is completed by the rubber tips on the end of the temples, allowing for a comfortable fit, and by the polarized lenses, which guarantee an excellent quality of vision and color perception. The Gucci logo on the lenses and on the temples, the web green-red-green stripe and the Diamante pattern on the inside of the temples are the iconic details underlining the distinctive DNA of these frames. As part of a worldwide eco-friendly program designed to progressively reduce the company’s impact on the environment, Gucci sunglasses feature 100 percent recyclable packaging with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified paper, while the unique foldable cases minimize stock space, limiting both the weight and amount of shipments and in turn helping to reduce 60 percent of CO2 emissions.
Price Guide: $$$-$$$$
www.safilo.com
Marcolin Bows the Diesel SS14 Eyewear Collection
Quick Take: For the SS14 eyewear collection from Marcolin, the inspiration comes from the Diesel collections’ innovative designs and materials, and from the undeniable preference for vibrant colors.
Specifics: The new introductions include seven ophthalmic styles and eight sunglasses, some of which are not available in the U.S.
Selling Points: Standouts in the ophthalmic collection include the DL5063, DL5060 and DL5066 – Full Denimize. The DL5063 is available in four different colors to give the wearer a chance to move outside of the classic black rectangular glasses; it features a half matte/half shiny finish with three contrasting metal dots on the temple. The DL5060 is a combination of injected materials and metal framing in a square shape with a metal cage on the lower part of the setting and on the temples and an injected top frame. The DL5066 – Full Denimize boasts an unusual shape with new iconic asymmetric temples which are completely covered by authentic denim Diesel inserts available in grey and blue. In the sun collection, colored, mirrored and shiny lenses, as well as meticulously designed frames, all contribute to the Diesel eyewear collection uniqueness. Some standouts include the DL0076 which uses digital printing to make the asymmetric temple and is paired with mirrored lenses. The DL0087 for men, DL0089 for women, and DL0090, a unisex style, are all Denimize styles featuring authentic denim inserts on the temples.
Price Guide: $$$
www.marcolin.com
L’Amy America Offers New Balmain Optical Styles
Quick Take: L’Amy America, part of Groupe TWC-L’AMY, has released new Balmain ophthalmic styles this season.
Specifics: Three new women’s ophthalmic models and two men’s ophthalmic models.
Selling Points: Embellishments still rule in Balmain; however, they are subdued and balanced in the new styles. The overt punk themes are toned down in these new models, making them much more approachable, but retaining that luxurious Balmain feel. The 1018 features a retro acetate front with a metal eyebrow trim that extends to the metal temple reminiscent of Balmain’s baroque embroidery. The 1020 has a distinctive modern metal theme front inspired by the architecture from the Fall/Winter 2013 Balmain clothing collection. The 1027 acetate frame has a metallic touch at the hinge where the design was inspired from the geometric shapes from the metal belt in the SS2012 collection. The 3020 for men is a triple laminate acetate with a metal accent on the temples and inspired by Balmain’s men’s leather jacket with architecture effect, while the 3023 for men is a double laminate acetate with a metal accent and inlayed leather on the temples, which gives the frame a subtle tone-one-tone effect.
Price Guide: $$$$
www.lamyamerica.com
ALSO NEW
Costa Introduces the New Hamlin Sunglasses
Costa Sunglasses has released the Hamlin, the first of its 2014 new styles, named for Capt. Ron Hamlin, the legendary angler who’s released more than 27,000 billfish throughout his career and helped revolutionize sport fishing through his early adoption of circle hooks. In his honor, Costa’s Hamlin style features tough, durable features, including co-injected nylon molded frames, sturdy integral hinges and no-slip Hydrolite nose pads and temple tips. The extra-large fit features a wrap shape and is available in Costa’s patented 580 lens technology, either 580G (glass) or 580P (plastic). Costa sunglasses are custom built and hand assembled in Daytona Beach, Fla. and come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defect. Hamlin is also available in Costa’s Rx sun lenses, which offer a one-year warranty.
www.costadelmar.com
Activist Adds Two New Styles for the New Year
Activist Eyewear has added two new styles for the start of 2014. The new Byrd and Champlain sunglasses are a mash-up of high-tech materials and mid-20th-century charm. The main chassis is built from surgical-grade stainless steel for strength, while the Split-Fit temples and fingerprint-textured nosepads sheathed in rubber for superior grip and comfort. Both styles feature Japanese-made acetate trim along the brow-line in a subtle matte finish, and are fitted with Activist’s exclusive ActiVIZm Polarized lenses for exceptional optics. Both sets include a color-matched microfiber handkerchief in the brand’s ZigZag pattern and a waxed canvas carrying case. Only 347 pieces of each style were made in each of the four colorways available.
www.activisteyewear.com
Orgreen Expands the Diamond Collection
The Orgreen Diamond Collection is an exclusive selection of frames representing the brand’s dedication to state of the art craftsmanship, elegantly combined with Orgreen’s design philosophy, the company said. All frames are produced in titanium and beta titanium, with a precision plating of precious metals in either gold or palladium. Each model is set with one to six high quality diamonds. “When the Diamond Collection first launched, it consisted of just two styles,” said Henrik Orgreen, creative director. “Since the response has been overwhelming and we have seen a clear demand for this high end line, we decided to expand the collection. We added six more styles, and also introduced two sunglasses styles with CR-39 Polarized sun lenses from Carl Zeiss. The collection now feels more complete, ranging from more traditional tastes to the preferences of those looking for something very exclusive, but with a touch of Orgreen cool.”
www.orgreenoptics.com
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