Eyeglasses.com Blog

‘Designer Eyeglasses’

We were excited to hear that a new line was launching from one of our favored brands, Safilo eyewear. We think the brand is preparing itself for a great 2012. There are a number reasons why we believe this. First, as opposed to competing in the highest priced designer eyeglasses market, Safilo creates more affordable lenses. The reason why this is important is that the company is creating its eyewear for a much larger market. Although they may make less money on each pair of frames, they do expect to sell  a significantly higher number of frames. Safilo has already been surprisingly successful. This may come as a surprise to many people, because they are not nearly as well known as other brands. Part of the reason is because how competitive and resource-heavy the incumbents in this industry are. Brands such as Versace eyeglasses are willing to do a lot to ensure that they remain on top. These are the brands that people normally think of. There are not many industries that are as competitive as the designer eyeglasses one. It is certainly a challenge for brands to compete in this market. Safilo round eyeglasses have been around for a long time, however it seems like they are catching their break now. This new collection stood out for a number of reasons, but primarily because the lenses include patented technology. You cannot say that about all designers eyeglasses. In fact, we cannot think of many brands who utilize this technology. In the future we are expecting more brands to integrate technology, so Safilo is on the forefront of a strong trend.

Some eyewear trends seem to never go out of style. A perfect example of this are crystal eyewear frames. For a long time, people wrote off the trend as dead. However, today we are seeing a number of new crystal eyewear lines being launched. Clearly designer eyewear brands are realizing that there is a market for these frames. We have heard rumors that some established brands are even considering creating crystal lines. It seems like crystal round eyeglasses might be making a comeback. This is something that many people would be surprised to hear, as it seems like this style was very recently abandoned. However, it is always difficult to determine what the newest trends in fashion will be. Even top designers have difficult with this. One particular collection of crystal designer eyeglasses that we like is by Silhouette. Silhouette has built a strong reputation for spearheading a number of new trends. The name is very emblematic of the look of the collection. The collection was created specifically for women. Having been made in Austria, the collection includes half a dozen designer eyeglasses. We do not see too many collections originate from this region of the world. Each model is unique and the designer eyeglasses showcase four looks that cover a number of looks. We’ve heard fantastic things about the designer eyeglasses. A lot of effort is going into the marketing of the new glasses. For consumers, the Crystal Collection can be seen as similar to jewels. It will be interesting to see what turns this trend ends up taking.

Here is an update on an exciting new launch from Ogi. This is a new line from the brand that has been long heralded. In fact, we had been expecting the launch several weeks ago. For reasons unbeknown the line had been pushed back. Perhaps the company had felt sales would be improved if the launch was nearer to the holidays. Ogi has been a company on the rise in recent years. The company has already been very successful with their designer eyeglasses collections, and are looking to make an impact in the growing round eyeglasses industry as well. As opposed to the most expensive eyewear brands such as Versace eyeglasses, Ogi’s eyeglasses frames are targeted to a more affordable audience. The company has certainly found a profitable niche. We believe the company is heading for a breakout in 2012. The reason we believe this is because of the company’s new line. The new line is called the Heritage Collection, and it includes eyeglasses with small, colorful frames. The look is quite different from earlier lines that had been launched. The philosophy of the round eyeglasses company is simple. The company was really aiming to create a line that embodied the brand. Eyeglasses brands can often succeed by sticking to what they do best, and Ogi is a great testament to this. If you had not yet heard of Ogi, you certainly will be hearing more about them in the upcoming year. Started over a decade ago, Ogi has made a name for itself with high-quality and affordable round eyeglasses. Today Ogi has taken that philosophy one step further to become an established eyewear brand. We are expecting great things from this round eyeglasses line because of the company’s commitment to its brand.

Danish eyewear companies seem intent on invading the US market. The latest news is from Studio Optyx, which is a well regarded European brand. This is not the first time we have heard of the company. In fact, the brand’s attempts to launch in the US have been well recorded. However, the success of prior lines have been limited thus far. The designer eyeglasses is surely hoping for a change this time around. The company is launching their collection Monoqool in the U.S. Combining a unique, patented screwless spiral hinge with great looking fronts, the NXT series fills the gap between metal and acetate frames. Each frame is made completely without any screws and weighs only 5 grams. The frames are even more remarkable when you see them in person. The result of the structure of the frames is a lightweight frame that has the volume of acetate and the comfort of metal. Although earlier lines have not done as well in the US, we are expecting these to be a hit. From people we have spoken to, there already appears to be a buzz surrounding the launch. In the collection there are 14 NXT styles in four colors each and 19 stainless steel styles in four colors each. The frames are designed for both men and women. This Danish company was founded only 10 years ago, however it has already made its mark. After intensive product development, the Denmark-based brand launched its first collections in 2010. Despite its short time on the market, Monoqool has already won several international design awards. We wish this European brand the best of luck in its US launch.

It seems that every day we hear of fashion brands creating new designer eyeglasses collections. This week does not appear to be an exception. Yesterday we heard that Zimco Optics will be launching a collection called English Laundry Eyewear. You may have heard of this brand because of the creator, who’s name is Christopher Wicks. Christopher is well regarded for his hand-sewn shirts, and his company has already expanded into menswear, women’s apparel, accessories and fragrance. The designer seems to be following the lead of renowned companies such as Ralph Lauren glasses and Dolomiti eyeglasses. These brands started off in different industries, however they all eventually found their way into the eyeglasses industry. With this designer eyeglasses collection, every category is inspired by Christopher Wicks’ love of vintage looks and his hometown, Manchester, England. The new eyewear line, which includes of 10 men’s and 10 women’s styles, takes its inspiration from England’s gray skies. We were surprised to see such a large collection from the designer, however we have heard he has been working on this line for some time. The women’s designs feature vintage styling, the English Laundry signature print and the EL logo. The men’s frames are updated retro styles with such accents as pinstripes, stitched leather and bold gothic metal details. All eyeglasses frames have metal Union Jacks on the temple tips and are named after a different parts of the music scene in Britain. One thing we love about these frames is the inspiration behind the collection. These designer eyeglasses will be available at select stores across the US. If you are a fan of British fashion or of music inspired frames, we recommend you take a look at this collection. We will keep you updated with how they end up doing.

Interested in seeing a new collection of sports eyeglasses that was launched earlier this year? The company making the exciting launch is Spy, which was founded in 1994. The company was started by a group of athletes and design innovators seeking a new perspective for sports eyewear. This collective group saw the success that other sports brands such as Nike were having and wanted to compete in the market. Fortunately for the company, the efforts were embraced by the world of action sports, motor and multisports, and bike culture. The success of their earlier collections have allowed the company to expand into new athletic markets. Even larger brands such as Adidas should be keeping note of this company. The line that the company is launching is called Spy Rx. Targeted to individuals between the ages of 20 and 50, the line included 18 eyeglasses frames. The eywear has clean, modern fronts combined with temples evoking a fun attitude. Each frame is offered in three colors. Thus far the collection looks to be a great extension from the company’s earlier lines. The Vice President of the company says that the Spy Rx collection was specifically developed to meet the requirements of the youth culture. Regardless of your particular style, Spy Rx is a collection that you should be keeping your eye out for next time you are shopping for sports eyewear. The sports eyewear collection will be available at eyewear stores throughout the United States and at select stores internationally.

Signature’s Rough Justice eyewear collection debuts, featuring eye-catching styles in fierce designs with pops of vibrant color. Inspired by the funky footwear collection of the same name, the eyewear line is targeted to women with a real attitude and an edgy fashion sense. Highlights consist of hand-painted animal prints, sparkly laminates and laser-carved details. Included are 15 ophthalmic frames and three Rxable sunglasses. Frames are made of zyl, recycled plastic, metal, including stainless steel, and combinations of metal and plastic. Most styles are equipped with spring hinges. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.)

PHILOSOPHY: “The Rough Justice eyewear collection focuses on delivering a funky, fashionable, standout product that still incorporates technological features and benefits to customers at a reasonable price,” says Michael Prince, Signature CEO. “The fresh splashes of color create a glamorous feel to this sexy eyewear, and the shapes and sizing ­flatter any woman bold enough to be a Rough Justice gal.” INSIGHT Rough Justice was founded in California by Bodo Loerke in 2007. As a fashion-forward, contemporary lifestyle brand, its mission is to design, market and sell sexy, sophisticated shoes that make a bold, yet glamorous statement. Rough Justice couples quality materials with Italian craftsmanship to create styles that are perfect for women who adore gorgeous, sexy footwear.

(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James Spina.)

Eye Salute You: “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” Who said that? It was Amelia Earhart and be assured it was about accomplishing near impossible feats of flying but it might also have been about her embracing a style and dress code copied nicely from a man’s dress code. And when it comes to the aviator style of eyewear, women have willed it into their own whirl of face space. Our guy friend here in his Carrera frame knows THAT style is also woman friendly. We’d suggest our other guy size up or... ship out.     

(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James Spina.) Sun Diego: Folks always make a special point about the noir-ish light in LA but the light in San Diego deserves equal mention for its brilliant, unfiltered-by-haze intenCity. So the important issue here is proper protection rather than fashionable projection. That said, guess 20/20 needs to get the word out to all points south of La Jolla that both sun and Rx frame styles for men have kicked it up a notch in shape-sizing of late.