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LAUNCHES
Smith Optics Revamps Itself on 50th Anniversary
Quick Take: With a 50 year-heritage under its belt, Smith, wholly-owned by Safilo, is celebrating its half-century anniversary by re-launching their entire product range with a new logo and brand presentation, including a new visual identity.
Wearer: “The updated logo hearkens back to our original identity and speaks to the fundamental tenets of our brand: performance, movement, and essential design,” the company said.
Specifics: With rebranding underway, Smith is updating its visual identity across in-store visuals, consumer and trade advertising, updated website and new product packaging. Goggle straps, snow and bike helmets, lifestyle and performance sunglasses and ophthalmic eyewear will also be rebranded with product logo updates.
Selling Points: Founded in 1965 by Dr. Bob Smith, Smith Optics started when the then-orthodontist and ski fanatic wanted to hit the slopes on days when everyone else had to go indoors. Determined, he created the first sealed thermal lens and breathable vent foam goggles and went on to grow a company that introduced the first interchangeable lens system for sunglasses and snow goggles. It’s now famous for its innovative outdoor adventure gear.
Price Guide: $$$
www.smithoptics.com
Area98 Reinvents Robert Rüdger for Latest Collection
Quick Take: Area98 and designer Rudi Himmelfreundpointner have launched the new Robert Rüdger eyewear collection. “The key stylistic features of the 1990s, back from Robert Rüdger’s early period, are given a contemporary re-drafting, conferring on the Austrian brand a new appeal that is more in keeping with current trends,” the company said.
Wearer: The men’s eyewear brand is back introducing reimagined styles with modern twists.
Specifics: The collection features seven optical styles that combine materials like horn, wood and titanium.
Selling Points: The RR001 is emblematic of the Robert Rüdger renewal with its mix of old and new. Two off-center circular lenses are joined by a single metal bridge for a vintage feel. Twin pads in wood and adjustable sidepieces in beta titanium with a wood sublimation coating complete the frame. A sunglasses version of RR001 will be presented in limited edition. Model RR005 features titanium double-circle lenses with wooden temple inserts. RR010 is a wooden frame with a decisive top rim and horn pieces. Model RR0011 has bold color contrasts, combining wood grain patterns with a black and blue colorblocked front. The RR015 has horn materials combined with brick red or electric blue wooden temple inserts. The titanium RR006 features classic metallic tones and the RR014 is made wholly of horn.
Price Guide: $$$$
www.area98.it
SECOND LOOKS
L'Amy America Debuts New Columbia Styles
Quick take: L’Amy America’s Columbia Eyewear introduces new ophthalmic and sunwear models for two of its collections.
Specifics: Six new ophthalmic models debut in the Columbia Sportswear collection and nine new sunglass models debut in the Columbia Performance Sunglass collection.
Selling Points: Columbia’s Sportswear collection now includes Dusty and Ewan, both available in extended sizes and made of the company’s exclusive Eco-Acetate material that is recyclable, plant-based and compostable. The frames have retro designs and heavy-duty spring hinge systems. McBride Mountain and Hayden Mountain frames have intricate split temple designs. McBride Mt. is made of handmade acetate and has a full-rim front and stainless steel temples. Hayden Mt. is semi-rimless and made entirely of stainless steel for durability. Colton 500 and Colton 600 are petite-fit models with stainless steel fronts and H90 thermoplastic, fully-adjustable temples. In sun, the traditional Mt. Jupiter 100 rectangle navigator frame and Mt. Jupiter 200 aviator frame both feature stainless steel fronts and injection-molded temples. The Hightower style has a squared shape with a stainless steel front, H90 temples and multi-sport wrap. Point-of-purchase marketing materials for the Columbia Performance Sun collection includes counter cards, large format imagery, counter and floor displays. All new models of Columbia’s Performance Sun collection have polarized lenses and are Zeiss-certified for Rx. Each sunglass comes with a semi-rigid zipper case with carabineer clip for easy storage.
Pricing Guide: $$
www.lamyamerica.com
REM Intros Twist 'N' Temples in Converse Eyewear
Quick Take: REM Eyewear’s latest Converse All Star optical collection keeps today’s personalization trend in mind with a “Twist ‘N’ Temples” concept.
Specifics: This Converse collection has three new ophthalmic frame styles.
Selling Points: All three Converse All Star optical styles cater to individualistic tastes, featuring rubber twist ‘n’ turn temples that can be switched to reveal new colors. The Q038 has a classic, stainless steel front with a modified square shape. Its switchable temples come in two-tone color combinations of black, brown and gunmetal. The Q039 has a bold square shape and an acetate front with rubber finish. Its temples come in black and grey, blue and navy, and brown and orange. The Q044 is a modified round shape for women, with two-tone colors of black and purple, brown and pink, and purple and red.
Pricing Guide: $$
www.remeyewear.com
Zyloware Presents New Leon Max Eyewear
Quick Take: Zyloware Eyewear has released new styles in its Leon Max collection for the latest quarter.
Specifics: The collection will have three new progressive-friendly styles and 11 individual frames.
Selling Points: The Leon Max 4017 is a full rim zyl frame with a cat eye shape, and is available in multi-layered olive, translucent champagne pink and soft tortoise. Its zyl endpiece features a wrap-around metal arrow that flows through the company’s trademark globe logo plaque on the frame’s temple. The Leon Max 4018 is another full rim zyl frame with a cat eye shape, but its almost translucent colorations are bolder. The 4018 is available in purple tortoise, mint fade, magenta fade and brown teal fade; zyl endpieces also feature a wrap-around metal arrow through the logo plaque on the temple. The Leon Max 4019 is a full zyl frame with a rounded shape. A metal endpiece is embedded into the frame front as a top bar and metal bridge. A two-color front treatment features color styles like tortoise, plum orchid fade, teal tortoise fade and burgundy tortoise. The style’s zyl temples incorporate a metal Leon Max globe logo plaque.
Pricing Guide: $$$
www.zyloware.com
ALSO NEW
Plan 'B' Adds Bold Textures and Patterns to Glacée
Plan “B” Eyewear has added new styles to their Glacée collection. These glamorous new models play on vintage style. Bold frame shapes meet colorful patterns and textures to create a look that unique and beautiful, the company said. The 6731 features retro geometric, snake and stone patterning. The 6734 use a precise painting technique to create the illusion of rhinestones. Finally, the 6736 goes for sleek, shiny color, mixing purple with mint and orange.
www.alternativeeyes.com
Costa's New Rooster Style Gives Anglers an Edge
The performance features in Costa’s Rooster style give anglers an edge over their worthy opponents. The large-fit sunglasses include built-in side shields to block incoming glare, as well as vents to alleviate fogging. The temple tips provide open slots for a retainer cord. The frames are built of nearly indestructible co-injected molded nylon, with sturdy integral hinge technology, the company said. The hypoallergenic rubberized interior lining and nose pads keep the sunglasses comfortably in place all day. All Costa sunglasses can be customized in its full array of patented color enhancing polarized 580™ lenses. The Rooster is also available in customized Rx sun lenses.
www.costadelmar.com
Mondottica Bows New Luxury Hackett Bespoke Sun
Mondottica has introduced new handmade, luxury Hackett Bespoke sun styles. 2015 sees the launch of the first Hackett UTX sunglasses. The HSB838 features graduated faded acetate with a retro nod. With this new UTX technology, Hackett Bespoke Sun offers acetate frames 30 percent lighter than normal and half the thickness of a regular frame, according to the company. These new lightweight silhouettes combined with vintage inspired eye shapes can also be seen in the HSB835 with real riveted hinges and metal end piece details. Each handmade frame is fitted with anti-reflective reverse coated lenses.
www.mondottica.com
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