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Quick Take: Eyewear Designs Ltd. has launched the initial Hello Kitty Eyewear collection under their distribution deal with Sanrio Co. just in time for the back-to-school season.
Wearer: The brand is aimed at pre‐adolescent girls; however Hello Kitty is extremely popular with people of all ages.
Specifics: The initial eyewear collection features six styles, three metals and three plastics, which are available in three colors each.
Selling Points: The popular Hello Kitty character’s first in Japan in 1974 and made its debut in the U.S. in 1976.
The Hello Kitty brand now sees annual revenue surpassing $1 billion. Hello Kitty kids products range from purses, stickers and pen sets to toasters, televisions, apparel and computer equipment and accessories. “The Hello Kitty brand is extremely popular and has an incredibly loyal fan base,” said Andrea Gluck, co-president of Eyewear Designs. “We believe that the collection will appeal to girls who appreciate Hello Kitty while ensuring their parents that they are purchasing quality eyewear from a brand they can trust.” Each frame features the adorable Hello Kitty branding and logo treatments that have made the brand so popular with girls.
Price Guide: $$
www.eyeweardesigns.com

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Quick Take: Maui Jim has announced the addition of seven new sunglass styles throughout 2012 to their On the Water Collection of high-tech sunglasses. The collection focuses on the eye protection needs of serious water sports enthusiasts who fish, boat, stand-up paddle, sail, canoe and kayak.
Specifics: Three of seven new styles have been introduced. By the end of the year, a total of 27 sunglasses for men and women will be offered in the collection.
Selling Points: Styles available include the unisex Dorado (new), Nine Palms (new), Surf Rider (new), Island time, Canoes, Peahi, Longboard, Stingray, Akamai, Lagoon, Navigator and Offshore, as well as two shield-style sunglasses, Kula and Honolulu. Three styles are specifically designed for women and include Palms, Rainbow Falls and Punchbowl. All of the styles in the Collection feature larger lenses made from lens materials that offer the best optics for water sports, including Maui Jim’s SuperThin Glass lenses, Evolution lenses and Polycarbonate lenses. Most of the styles in the On the Water Collection can also be made with MauiPassport prescription lenses in powers from +3.00 to -3.50. Maui Jim offers four lens color options in the collection: neutral grey, HCL Bronze, Maui HT (High Transmission) lenses and Maui Rose. The company also fully wraps each lens with up to nine layers of proprietary PolarizedPlus2 lens technology; as well as cutting 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Each style in the collection has unique, bi-gradient mirror technology that adds protection from light through the top and bottom of each. Maui Jim’s unique waterproof and oleophobic lens coatings repel water and grease, and make smudges and fingerprints easier to wipe away. All of the frames in the On the Water Collection have wide temples to reduce side-glare. The frames in the collection are all either full-frame nylon or Grilamid for lightweight, long-wearing comfort.
Price Guide: $$$-$$$$
www.mauijim.com

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Quick Take: Charmant has added new styles into their Elle Eyewear collection for 2012.
Specifics: Four optical styles for women.
Selling Points: Elle optical styles are a triumph of bold, contemporary design and dashing femininity. Inspiration for these new looks is taken from luxuriously decorative jewellery as seen on the catwalk, seductive new color trends and Elle's signature fashion flair and feel-good essence which lies at the heart of the line. Style features include decorative temple elements in enamel and metal, colors in smoky, translucent hues and classic matte tones. The EL13334 pairs a simple semi rimless metallic front with smooth acetate temples with a neo-tribal patterned Elle logo. The EL13335 is a polished sleek elongated rectangular style enhanced by vivid smoky color plays and a decorative Elle temple logo in enamel. The EL13336 is an upbeat feminine frame in metal that flows into a printed acetate temple with an Elle logo. The EL13337 is metal in a soft, deep shape with an original temple design featuring an open loop with smaller circle inside.
Price Guide: $$
www.charmant.com/us

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Quick Take: A&A Optical announces the release of three new styles from Jalapeños eyewear. Jalapeños eyewear captures the attitude of the young adult market utilizing the latest trends in graphic treatments, shapes, colors and materials, enabling the wearer to re-define their look and express their own personal style.
Specifics: Three new optical styles: the Sparks, Jagger and Pumped Up.
Selling Points: Jalapeños brand identifies with today’s fashion minded teens in addition to appealing to fashionable adults with small faces. The semi rimless metal style, Sparks, features a classic shape and color with a rectangular cutout on the temple that reveals a pop of color in translucent acetate. The Jagger features a dragon motif and Chinese letterforms stamped on the front and back of the translucent acetate temple. The bold eye shape with an extended eye rim conveys the geek-chic trend. Pumped Up is a wearable, classic style with a temple that features a sporty, rectangular cut out which reveals a colored acetate layer underneath. Through Sept. 15, 2012, accounts will receive a free Jalapeños sun frame with every Jalapeños frame purchased with a minimum eyewear purchase.
Price Guide: $$
www.aaopticalco.com

Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm have introduced a hybrid sunglasses, a blend of supersized visor coupled with traditional spectacles elements which makes it look like a piece of sporting headwear. This model, named Daisuké, was inspired by the longstanding connection of Willhelm to Japan. The Daisuké, made of Mylon, has a narrow bridge that runs from the top edge of the frame down to the middle of the nose which gives the effect of making the wearer’s face almost disappear behind the tinted visor. The visor is available in black, green or a gold/reflective. www.mykita.com

The new Pearl Block Collection by Okia was designed to emphasize the refined effect of mother-of-pearl but also the patterns inspired by the hottest contemporary trends in fashion. The intensity of the brilliant colors - yellow, orange, dark purple and petroleum - are combined with a surprising pearl effect using Okia’s application of their HDA Technology. The patented technology allows for the combinations of textures that are shown on acetate and mixed with a sophisticated pearl effect. www.okia.com

Clariti Eyewear Inc. has released a new collection of women’s eyewear, Mademoiselle. The delicately crafted designs were inspired by chic and timeless European styles that express sophistication and class at a reasonable price. The Mademoiselle frames are made of pure Titanium which allows the collection to be entirely hypoallergenic. Additionally, the frames come in a palette of warm colors to complement a variety of hair colors, skin tones, and personal styles. www.claritieyewear.com