Every first and third Thursday of the month, we will take a look at the latest collections in the eyewear industry. Enjoy the read!
Altair Eyewear
It's all about sleek designs and signature sparkle with the September 2016 collection from bebe Eyewear from Altair Eyewear (pictured right). Four new optical designs include the Shine handmade acetate and metal combination frame with crystal colored frame fronts, the geek-chic Scarlet frame available in jet, teal or plum; the semi-rimless Sleek frame with pyramid Swarovski crystals and metal triangle accents; and the Sparkle style with glitter animal print epoxy adorning its temples. And there's also four sun styles, including "Shine Bright" with its modified cat eye and "Steal the Spotlight" adorned with Swarovski crystals and rose gold and metal triangle accents. "Shoot for the Stars" features a modified square shape with on-trend pearl and crystal accents, and "Stop Staring" highlights an intricately-placed teardrop patina and lace patterns.
And the September 2016 collection for Cole Haan Eyewear is all about uptown polish and downtown style, with new optical and sun styles. Vintage silhouettes and classic shapes craft downtown style with both form and function in four new sunglass styles for men, while rich materials and signature details join together to create an uptown-inspired collection of four optical and four sunwear styles for women. And two new ZerøGrand optical styles for men round out this fall collection, featuring handmade acetate, silicone temple tips and Ti-Flex technology.
Cocoons by Live Eyewear
New for the Cocoons brand of polarized fitover sunwear by Live Eyewear are two new glossy, two-tone frame finishes available in all fitover sizes. Caramel Cocoons (pictured left) feature a dark toffee frame drizzles with a touch of golden caramel with a polarized gray lens system, and Leopard Cocoons encompasses a timeless tortoiseshell design with a luxurious gold interior. Thoughtfully engineered to fit comfortably and securely over prescription eyewear, the new Cocoons fitovers include optically-correct, scratch-resistant polarized lenses that come with a one-year warranty.
Eastern States Eyewear
Eastern States Eyewear recently announced the release of seven new optical styles for its Exces Eyewear collection (pictured right). Three of the new styles are for the brand's Core collection and feature youthful, colorful feminine creations mixing intriguing acetate laminations and fades with bright, multi-toned metal shades. And four of the new styles are additions to Execs' Princess division. Featuring one plastic and three metal styles, these frames offer elegant treatments such as rhinestone enhancements and feminine shapes deep enough to handle all progressive lens needs.
Luxottica
The Ray-Ban fall/winter 2016 collection from Luxottica focuses on contemporary details and modern lens variations, with the highlight being the brand's new flat crystal lenses available in flash gradient colors and new oval and hexagonal shapes. New styles include the RB3447N, RB3548N and RB3547N-RX3547V, all featuring the new flat crystal lens in sophisticated gradient flash colors such as gray, wisteria, light blue, gold and copper. Ray-Ban's Clubmaster collection sees the introduction of fine aluminum combined with golden metal profiles, rich bi-layer acetates, matt finishes and up-to-date flash gradient lenses in three new styles — RB3016-RX5154, RB3507 and RX6317. And the double bridge of the iconic Ray-Ban Gatsby is reinterpreted in fine metal in new styles RX7097, RB4266 and RX7098.
And there's a variety of new optical and sun styles now available for Persol, all striking the perfect balance between the past and present. Highlights include sunwear styles PO649 (pictured above left) and PO96495 — both nods to the iconic 649 model sunglasses that have been a symbol of the brand since 1957. Other standouts include the boxy acetate optical styles PO3141V and PO3142V that have the vintage charm of original 1940's designs from the Persol archives, and the PO3151S acetate panto sunglasses with a new crystal lens that makes the sunwear even more lightweight.
Marcolin
New from Marcolin is the spring/summer collection from Candie's Eyewear featuring three new optical styles and two sunwear styles, all with cool shapes and wearable trends. Optical style CA0500 features a high-definition polka dot pattern and dual tones, while CA0501 has a rectangular metal front and is offered in a mix of gradient colorations. And optical style CA0502 (pictured right) uses an ombre effect on a rounded square acetate frame. And the new sunwear styles include the retro-inspired CA1010 with a rounded square silhouette with striped colorations, and CA1011 with the same striped pattern in a modified rectangular front.
And Marcolin also recently announced the fall/winter 2016 collection from GANT Eyewear, featuring new optical styles for both men and women that encompass an all-American heritage with a touch of European sophistication. For women there are two new optical styles — GA4059, which features a rounded front and temples handcrafted in acetate in rich colorations of black, champagne or tortoise, and GA4067 with a stainless steel construction for a more modern look. And for men, the new GA3115 offers a clean and simple optical style with vintage-inspired styling. And also new for fall/winter are men's GA3121 and GA3122 that both feature a mix of metal and acetate.
MYKITA
MYKITA recently announced a new style for the RAW collection -- the company's collaboration with Maison Margiela. New style MMRAW004 (pictured left) takes the keyhole nose bridge to the extreme with a wide and virtually straight top line. Left unpolished, the frame's roughly cut shape shows traces of the industrial production process, while sophisticated beveled edges add refinement.
Nouveau Eyewear
New styles have recently been launched by Nouveau Eyewear for the runway-inspired Kay Unger Eyewear. Frame style K188 features a slim, rectangular front in shiny black or blue with tortoise or horn-like temples and stud accents. And style K191 (pictured right) combines a deep, classic front in black, brown or burgundy with tonal, sparkling temples for a glamorous look.
OWP
OWP has recently released a number of new frames for its Metropolitan Eyewear, Mexx Eyes, OWP and OWP Blau collections. New Metropolitan Eyewear styles include style 8032 that features a slim and simple design with a stainless steel front and high-quality acetate temples, and the acetate 8241 with an expressive panto shape. Men's style 8239 evokes the modern-nostalgic aesthetic of Woody Allen’s distinctive mark, while men's 8304 features a stylish pewter tone with mirrored lenses. And women's style 8303 teams acetate with this season's must-have trend: the metal double bridge.
New Mexx Eyes' frames include styles for both men and women. Men's styles 5169 and 5356 combine brushed acetate and stainless steel in a stylish, square frame, while women's styles 5167 and 5168 feature ultra-clean lines and an understated keyhole bridges. Other new Mexx styles include the feminine acetate 5354 with an urban romantic feel, the sporty 5170 with flexible Trogamid temples, sunglass style 6316 featuring a retro shape in super-stylish acetate, and there's even two new styles for Mexx Youth — the unisex 5929 and boys' 5930 available with two lens varieties.
For the OWP line, there are three new frame styles for women and one for men. Female styles 1411 and 2157 (pictured above left) feature refined temple designs in acetate or stainless steel, and style 1412 features a fine nylor front made from stainless steel with delicate acetate temples. And men's 8751 combines a block titanium front with unique aluminum temples with clean-cut lines for a distinctively manly style. And new for OWP Blau are two light-hearted acetate styles with fashionable metal temple designs for women — styles 2159 and 2160.
PFO Global
PFO Global recently released a collection of new frames (pictured right) for its Smart Eyewear™ program, which allows ECPs to meet a variety of patient needs and budgets while keeping profitability high and having a great collection of eyewear to choose from. The program is ideally for practices who are looking to increase their second pair sales, offer more variety and selection for managed care patients while providing better options for underinsured and underserved patients.
Safilo
The latest release from Safilo's Bobbi Brown Eyewear celebrates the 25th anniversary of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, with frame styles reminiscent of the shapes, treatments and colors used in the creation of Brown's original lipsticks. The Hemsley (pictured left) glossy optical frame is based on the #10 Red Bobbi Brown lipstick with a round acetate front and sleek flex temples. Sunglass options include The Alice/S influenced by the #9 Burnt Red lipstick distinguished by a shallow rectangular shape and gold metal touches, and The Lucy/S symbolic of the #6 Pink lipstick with a visually-striking mix of black, pink and gold. And The Truman/S aviator sunglass is inspired by the #2 Beige Bobbi Brown lipstick and features lightly mirrored lenses and a metal front.
Silhouette/neubau eyewear
Silhouette recently celebrated its U.S. launch of Austria-based eyewear brand neubau eyewear (pictured right) with an event in New York City. Attendees were treated to a look at the company's current ophthalmic collection and a sneak peek at fall styles slated to arrive in October 2016. Launched in June 2016, neubau currently offers 12 optical eyewear styles in six colors and its first sunglass collection will reportedly arrive later this year.