Austria-based independent eyewear brand Andy Wolf presents three new models for the fall season. Blossom, one of the new models, is an elegant cat-eye sunglasses with sophisticated touches. The model’s distinctive thick inner Windsor ring protrudes elegantly, leaving a striking blossoming effect. Blossom’s color options include timeless orange havana with black, captivating transparent olive with solid pink, chic orange havana with mint accents or slushie, a gradient soft colored acetate. Andy Wolf’s other two new vintage-inspired models are both oversized and in bold acetate. Both handmade models, which take you back to the 70s, are available in classic colors as well as in soft feminine tones with a three-dimensional glitter.

October 2023

Safilo Group and Amazon.com have announced the launch of new Carrera Smart Glasses with Alexa, blending Safilo’s design with Amazon’s cloud-based voice service. This is the first collaboration between Safilo and Amazon. The launch consists of two styles: the Carrera Cruiser and the Carrera Sprinter. In addition to the two Carrera frames, Amazon is also launching five of its own new Echo frame styles: modern rectangle, rectangle, round, square and cat eye. Angelo Trocchia, Ceo of Safilo Group, said, “Safilo has always looked to the future with an innovative approach, and this is why we are very proud to collaborate with Amazon on this innovative project, offering our Italian design and the unique style of Carrera Eyewear. Furthermore, we are proud to combine our well-established traditional wholesale distribution model—which encompasses eyecare retailers, chains, department stores, specialized retailers and boutiques—with Amazon’s incredible online distribution.”

October 2023

Kaleos presents its brand new collection Evolutionary Shapes. The collection reflects shapes reaching unprecedented heights with unwavering enthusiasm. Kaleos’ contemporary signature, combined with its well-known and distinctive emphasis on structure, translates into an innovative series that expands the boundaries of eyewear design. As the brand matures and evolves, so do the frames they introduce. The collection consists of 35 new frames in total. Evolutionary Shapes pays homage to Kaleos’ commitment to shape and its ongoing evolution. The Evolutionary Shapes collection features the rectangular Eddy, the cat-eye aesthetic faithful Swenson, the confident square Thayer, the timelessly appealing round Macguff and the impactful oversized Lynn. Kaleos makes meticulous choices on colors and materials as well as shapes in the new collection. With a strong presence of acetate frames, the collection offers a symphony of color that harmoniously balances laminated color combinations and striking mono colors for those who love sophisticated touches.

October 2023

Klenze & Baum, the German brand that pioneered the establishment of translucent, vegetable oil-based 3D printing, has gone one step further and introduced a 3D printed acetate-like material. This makes possible glasses that both tactilely and optically resemble traditional acetate and take advantage of the benefits of 3D printing. The German brand is expanding its product range, offering a new look with a matte finish for all frames in the Sleek collection. Another special feature of the material is the through-colouring, which means that the colour not only affects the top layer of the glasses, but is an integral part of the material itself. This results in incomparable colour brilliance and durability.The new production process not only enables faster manufacturing than previous 3D printing technologies, but also saves significant energy, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint.

October 2023

Modo Group announced the acquisition of Italia Independent. “I have always admired the incredible success of Italia Independent from the very beginning, and we are proud to take charge of its future and to have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the brand’s development. Modo Group and Italia Independent have always shared the desire to stand out from the crowd; our aim is to reunite the great community that Italia Independent has created over the years, both in the optical sector and among end consumers,” says Alessandro Lanaro, Founder and Ceo of Modo Group. “I’m glad that Modo Group acquired the brand Italia Independent. I am sure that Alessandro and his team, strong of their track record, will be able to evolve the brand I founded to which I will always remain attached.” comments Lapo Elkann, Founder of Italia Independent. The first drop of the Italia Independent collection in the Modo Group’s orbit is scheduled for Spring/Summer 2024 and will be entirely Made in Italy and distributed through an exclusive network of opticians worldwide.

October 2023

Metropolitan continues to focus on careful design and solid quality this season. Inspired by the creative energy of the Bauhaus movement and the avant-garde film style of the 1920s, the Germany-based brand draws attention with minimalist eyewear designs with an urban aesthetic. In its new collection, German brand Metropolitan plays with intriguing material combinations to add a subtle sophistication to its models. The 8114 model, which stands out in the collection, combines block titanium and acetate for a contemporary look. The model has an impressive square form with attractive accents. The faceted acetate section at the upper edge of the eye adds a distinctive touch. The diverse color palette ranges from solid acetate to harmonious gradients, while the large, angular shapes are in line with current design trends.

October 2023

The Philipp Plein Group and the De Rigo Group have signed e licensing agreement for the creation, production and distribution on a global scale of both Plein Sport-branded sunglasses and prescription frames. Michele Aracri, managing director of De Rigo Vision, said, “We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership with the Philipp Plein Group. Plein Sport is an innovative and new-generation activewear brand, which represents a fantastic opportunity to strengthen the men’s segment in our portfolio. This new license agreement is great news for us and confirms both the significant success that we are achieving alongside Philipp Plein and the relationship of mutual trust we are building together. Our collaboration is proving very successful indeed and has great potential for growth.” Philipp Plein, Ceo of the Philipp Plein Group, said, “I’m both proud of and satisfied with this collaboration with De Rigo, an international group, which—thanks to their expertise and knowledge of this product category—has perfectly translated and conveyed the essence of all our brands. Plein Sport is an extremely ambitious project and, from a technical and design perspective, the product is wholly consistent with the requirements of both the brand and market.”

October 2023

Essilor, the leading brand in prescription lenses worldwide, has announced legendary cricketer and global sports icon Virat Kohli as its India brand ambassador. This strategic partnership signifies a powerful alliance with both entities having remarkable legacies. Essilor will roll out a multi-media campaign, featuring Virat Kohli, which will bring to life the value proposition of Essilor’s brands. The campaign showcases a strong portfolio of innovative brands – Stellest, Eyezen and Varilux being lenses which meet all vision correction needs across age groups and Crizal being the famous invisible shield protecting the lenses. Essilor is a world leader in the Ophthalmic Industry, with over 170 years of technological innovations and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, meeting consumer needs across age groups around the world. Virat Kohli, a living legend, and a role model to millions, has been at the top of the cricketing world with exceptional performance standards and work ethics, right from when he led the India Under-19 team to a World Cup victory in 2008.

October 2023

California-based eyewear brand Salt, known for its eco-friendly products, presented its collection for the Fall/Winter 2023 season at Silmo Paris, the world-famous optical fair held between September 29 and October 2, 2023. The US brand worked in collaboration with Japanese production facilities while preparing unique and personalized acetate glasses that reflect its unique design style and language in its highly acclaimed new collection. All the shades featured in the collection are inspired by the natural world, and Salt uses imagery from nature as a reference to produce these shades. Salt’s newly developed proprietary color palette has been added to the brand’s other collections for the Fall season. Thus, it has added a new dimension to some of Salt’s already best-selling designs.

October 2023

For the campaign of his Fall Winter 2023 eyewear line, David Beckham takes us on a journey to the desert: as location, a beautiful campsite setting, where David Beckham wears his latest creations while enjoying the picturesque sunset, was chosen. The glowing campfire invites us to dream and play with the warm lightening and the magic colours of the the setting sun and the glittering ocean. The campaign images were shot by Matthew Brookes in the golden desert. They embody the spirit of a modern traveler that is always curious to discover more of the beauty the numerous places of the earth have to offer. In the meantime he allows himself to enjoy each moment of his life and admires the beauty of the endless horizon. Being significant for this line is its wide range of sunglasses and optical frames that stand out due to their magnificent craftsmanship, highest quality materials, subtle masculine approaches, plus exclusive design details. What stays in mind as well is the simply sophisticated colour choice. They take their inspiration from the warm nuances of the desert, including graceful tones of sand, brown, beige, as well as natural colours of havana.

October 2023