Every first and third Thursday of the month, we will take a look at the latest collections in the eyewear industry. Enjoy the read!
Area98
Area98 recently announced the debut of its new CCS by Coco Song line (pictured right) — a fresh and versatile collection designed to seduce a young female target that is attentive to trends, but with a simple and romantic soul. The natural elements that have always distinguished the Coco Song brand — such as silk, dried flowers and feathers — are now laminated into new crystalline and transparent acetates or pearl colors, resulting in a fresh and bright style ideal for a young audience. Brightness defines the CCS by Coco Song designs, which are inspired by the natural world of flowers, playing with vivid and intense tones of pink, red, orange, purple, green, and blue. They come in four models that are each available in six colors.
Also new from Area98 are a collection of Oliviero Contini frames — a historic brand dedicated to men and women looking for an eyewear accessory with an elegant, but discreet taste. The men's frames are characterized by classic shapes and colors together with clean lines, which can be seen in models OV4237 and OV4238. And rounded shape models OV4239 and OV4240 feature fronts made entirely of acetate with matching temples. And for women, acetate models OV4241 and OV4242 feature small rhinestones set in an enameled metal plate for a touch of glamour, while model OV4243 has attention-capturing interlacing enameled metal decorations applied on the rods.
And the new collection for eyewear brand Robert Rüdger stays true to the brand's DNA with sophisticated styles that are extremely up-to-date. Models RR040 and RR041 offer a minimalist but refined look, while the retro-inspired RR042 frame takes on a high-tech quality thanks to the use of HDCA acetate and a subtle profile and wide square frame RR043 features an HDCA acetate keyhole bridge and front. And there are also titanium models, such as the refine RR044 and RR045.
Blake Kuwahara
New from Blake Kuwahara is a limited-edition capsule collection, Blake Kuwahara Personal (pictured left). Only 100 sets of this limited-edition collection of three styles in two colorways each will be available worldwide. Featuring styles that would be in Kuwahara's personal eyewear wardrobe, the frames in this collection are all textured by hand using brushes and drills, and then hand-rubbed with pigment to highlight the nuances in the surface. Additionally, the Personal Collection will come with a custom designed wooden presentation tray, and the Blake Kuwahara box and case will also be available in a special color.
Brando Eyewear
New from Brando Eyewear are new styles for three of its brands. Following the successful launch of Alyson Magee's first collection last year, Magee is refreshing the line with seven new styles, four optical and three sunwear. The new designs feature metal frames with custom made Mazzucchelli acetates splashed with color, suggestively playful, but carefully curated to highlight facial features and compliment skin tone. Magee’s unique use of spatial arrangement creates depth and compliments the tonal crystal and opaque acetates, to build on a collection that is feminine and contemporary yet with a masculine edge.
Iconic luxury brand Serge Kirchhofer is being revived with a 70s-inspired optical collection with a contemporary twist (pictured right). Featuring five frames for women and five for men with a unisex feel, the designs traverse a broad spectrum of styles from delicate 14K gold and rose gold metal frames to chunkier Mazzucchelli acetates, with a focus on exaggerated shapes and dream-like hues.
And the new spring/summer 2017 optical collection from Yohij Yamamoto hones in on Yohji’s fascination with cutting techniques and the personality they afford him. Style YY1031 explores cutting methods in a timeless, masculine manner, with a handmade acetate frame with rounded-off rectangle shape, while YY1030 is Yohji’s adaptation of the cat-eye with accentuated raised end pieces.
Cutler and Gross
New from Cutler and Gross is a capsule precious metal collection (pictured left) featuring 12 frames across two new styles — the 1266 aviator and 1247 navigator — both made from stainless steel, either in silver with palladium plating or in gold with real gold plating. The frames feature a double metal bridge and adjustable hypo-allergenic, ceramic nose pads. Available in both optical and sunglass options, they come in exquisite, sunshine-ready new colorways and feature a modern flat lens with 100 percent UV400 protection, tinted in washed-out pastel colors.
FYSH UK
New from FYSH UK are seven new styles for spring 2017, all drawing inspiration from the latest eyewear and fashion trends. New style F-3572 is an acetate modified cat-eye frame featuring a solid leopard print pattern on the front and the temples, while stainless steel frame F-3573 showcases a laser-etched tropical print on the front and the temples. Made of high gloss marble inspired acetate, F-3574 is an extremely polished and modern frame, and model F-3575 is the latest optical addition to the popular Links collection and is inspired by the watercolor trend seen on spring 2017 runways. F-3576 (pictured right) showcases a two-tone intricate temple pattern that is inspired by the interwoven laces of gladiator sandals, while F-3577 is a flirty stainless steel frame with a modified cat-eye frame featuring a unique organic pattern achieved through a digital pad print process. And stainless steel model F-3578 is a romantic throwback to the 90s with a bohemian-inspired paisley pattern laser cut into the front and temples.
ic! berlin
Inspired by the flexibility needed of someone with an on-the-go lifestyle, ic! berlin presents its first ever collection of rubber, a brand-new range of sporty and bendy rubberized sunglasses that are up to the challenge of any activity of the wearer, in three brand new shapes. Handmade in Berlin and treated with a polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-U), rubber from ic! berlin strikes the perfect balance between high performance sports eyewear and high fashion sheet metal eyewear. TPE-U bends freely and easily with the frame, providing a bolder, more defined look without sacrificing ic! berlin’s famously flexible 0.5mm sheet metal. The three new styles in rubber — Wipeout, Kingpin and Pulse (pictured left) — are each available in four colorways, black, grey, dark green and marine blue.
Marchon Eyewear
The spring 2017 Diane von Furstenberg Eyewear Collection from Marchon Eyewear features iconic styles with modern finishes, with five new sun and one new optical styles. For sunwear, new style Adeline (pictured right) is a glamorous round silhouette in fresh DVF patterns, while Paige is a classic flat metal round style with a vintage look and appeal. Gia is a must-have classic aviator silhouette in rich metal hues, and Tessa features a rectangular silhouette with a stunning marble pattern. And Rosie is a classic modified round silhouette constructed from handmade acetate featuring a keyhole bridge. And the new optical style DVF5089 is a full plastic frame with colored translucent fronts is paired with abstract patterned temples for a contemporary look.
Nine West Eyewear's spring 2017 collection features three suns and three optical styles, all inspired by the brand's shoes and accessories. New sun style NW6O6S is an oversized round sunglass with rich metal accent detailing exudes the duality of femininity and edge. NW6O7S is a modern version of the retro cat eye decorated with abstract animal skin, while NW9OOS features two-tone color blocking temples in a combo of satin and metal finishes. For ophthalmics, the rectangular NW5124 has a thicker profile in classic and crystal colorations, while NW5125 is a vintage-inspired shape offering a fashion-forward look. And NW8004 brings a sleek thin profile to the modern cat eye shape.
And the new Sean Jean eyewear collection features oversized silhouettes, mixed materials and metal details in three mens optical styles. SJ1051 is a unique combination frame that is bridgeless and has a thin profile for a retro-inspired look. SJ2079 offers a classic rectangular lens shape with a bold yet understated aesthetic, while SJ2080 is an oversized round frame with subtle metal details complimented by a rich matte color palette.
neubau eyewear
As part of its new See & Do Good campaign, neubau eyewear recently premiered the use of a material called naturalPX in three new eyewear models. The naturalPX material is made from organically-sourced and renewable primary products, as 65 percent of the company's naturalPX is produced from an oil extracted from the seeds of castor oil plants. The three new shapes include Bob (pictured left) — a male pioneer with a stronger upper contour and smooth curves that highlight the face in just the right way — to the more feminine Valeria, featuring a subtle upswing and poppy two-tone color details just around the lenses. And the unisex Dani frame has a contrasting round shape with an edged nose bridge. All three are available in six different colorways.
Nike Vision
New for Spring, premium sports eyewear brand Nike Vision launches its Men's Training Sunglass collection with five new styles (pictured right). The line will initially launch with the Nike Terminus, Nike Traverse and the Nike Intersect, with two additional styles — the Nike Hyperforce and Nike Hyperforce Elite — coming this summer. Developed with insights from Nike athletes and trainers, the Men's Training collection is designed to provide athletes with maximum coverage, personalized comfort and high action stability during dynamic movement for optimum performance. The lightweight and durable new line builds on the innovative designs from last year's Nike Running collection, bringing the latest advancements in technology and manufacturing to the Men's Training and Baseball categories.
Persol
This year marks the 100th anniversary for Persol, who this month unveils the second chapter of the Meet the New Generation Campaign that celebrates a bold new direction for the 649 Series with a modern update using lightweight metal. Persol reinvents the brand’s outstanding icon and expands the 649 family with two new sunglasses and opticals created by combining refined tones of metal, precious acetate temple tips and crystal lenses. Two new sunglasses include PO7649S — the new metal interpretation of the 649 — and PO7359S, which is a boxy, completely metal sunglass with a sophisticated range of deep tones. And the collection includes two new optical styles — the new contemporary icon PO7092V (pictured left) and the lightweight metal PO7007V that reinterprets Persol's cult model PO3007.
Plan “B” Eyewear
Plan “B” Eyewear recently added new models to its sports protection line, VerSport. The new Hercules, Apolo (pictured right) and Zeus models join the existing Troy and Olimpo, bringing the collection up to five unique styles for men, women and kids. Each of the new models features a patented quick-twist temple system that allows for a quick and secure lock. Each frame also has an aero bridge for increased air flow. All models are completely Rxable and come in a variety of colors and sizing.
Vuarnet
French sunglass brand Vuarnet recently expanded its Cable Car collection for spring 2017 with three new silhouettes featuring an interpretation of 50s style. The new Cable Car styles feature an acetate frame with a single stainless steel bridge and are available in a glamorous cat-eye for women, a classic rectangle for men, and a graceful unisex pantos shape (pictured left). The construction of the frame has been meticulously designed to guarantee optimal lightweight comfort and support, and the trio come in a wide range of colors including a dark tortoiseshell enhanced by a blue flash lens, and a translucent blue and amber acetate frame perfectly complimented by pure grey and blue bronze Lynx lenses.
Xavier Garcia
The new spring 2017 collection from Xavier Garcia surprises with stunning colors, textures and shapes with its latest acetate, metal and sun designs (pictured right). The sunglasses and eyewear collections in acetate, which have been inspired by the fabulous 60s, feature extraordinary shapes, harmonious textures and daring havana tones such as black/white, red, blue and purple. The Bomba style revisits the must-have round shape, while Croqueta features a traditional cat-eye shape and Sifon showcases a boxy shape with strong detailing.
Zyloware Eyewear
The new April releases from Zyloware Eyewear continue with new Stetson and Stetson Off Road styles. Stetson 338 is a full rim metal frame in a masculine square shape, while Stetson 341 is a full rim metal frame in a classic rectangular shape with a wide fit bridge giving men with larger facial features extra room. Stetson Off Road 5058 is a semi-rimless metal sporty frame that incorporates six rectangular cut-outs on each temple for a masculine look, and Stetson Off Road 5059 is a full rim injected frame in two defining colors.
Also new for April are two new styles for Gloria by Gloria Vanderbilt. Style 4051 is a semi-rimless metal frame in a classic rectangle shape with a wrapping metal endpiece offered in the colors Gold and Mauve, while Style 4056 is a full rim metal frame in an oval shape with wrapping metal endpieces that lead to a chain link laser design on the temple and a marble pattern on the outside temple tips.
New from MaxStudio.com, full rim metal style 153M features a lightweight, thin construction using sheet metal and wire material, offered in Black or Eggplant. And style 154Z (pictured left) is a full rim zyl frame with two colors in an on-trend geometric shape. And new for Leon Max Limited Edition, style 6020 is a full rim zyl frame is an exaggerated geometric shape will accentuate any wardrobe, while 6021 is a full rim zyl bold, thick and on-trend frame in a dramatic cat-eye shape.
Like what you read? Follow OptometryWeb to keep up with our latest articles, news and events. Plus, get special offers and more delivered to your inbox.