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
The new La Matta collection from Area98 is an anthem to the modern and sensual woman (pictured right), featuring animal patterns, exclusive acetates and precious details. Both LM3186 and LM3185 models feature a slightly accentuated thickness at the temples for an unusual cat-eye effect in a square metal front, while the LM3190 uses an enameled metal insert with a graphic pattern to mimic an ancient goldsmith's artifact. Model LM3192 looks like rough nuggets joined together to form a precious ornament, while the acetate LM3189 features wider rims for progressive lenses. And both LM3187 and LM3194 include all the iconic La Matta features with double animal themed acetates, vivid colors, and temple decorations.
Bollé
For the first time, all five models in the Bollé Sport Protective line (pictured left) are being offered with the option of prescription lenses with photochromic technology. First introduced in 2014, the collection provides ECPs with one of the industry's most complete collections of high-quality, well-designed eyewear for young athletes. The new photochromic lenses can be comfortably used both indoors and out, with a visible light transmittance rate from 89 to 12 percent. They also offer 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, and all Bollé Sport Protective models comply with ANSI Z87.1-2010 and ASTM F803 standards.
Classique Eyewear
New from Classique Eyewear is CIE, the Classique Eye Essentials (pictured right) — a collection of value eyewear offering a wide variety of styles for everyone who appreciates quality and comfort. CIE was born from Classique's experience in the industry and an understanding of people's essential optical needs. Featuring styles for both men and women, the new collection offers an eclectic assortment of discerning color palettes produced from carefully selected materials, including Mazzucchelli zyl, multi-layered acetates, and stainless steel. And styles range from traditional to trendy, with spring hinges and flexible temples offering a comfortable fit.
ClearVision Optical
ClearVision Optical recently launched its largest eyewear collection ever with Steve Madden Eyewear, featuring 51 styles — 20 women's, 16 men's, six kids and nine sun. Designed "for millennials, by millennials," the collection captures major trends in eyewear today as well as the details of the Steve Madden shoe collection, such as animal patterns, quilting textures, and metallic finishes. Standouts include the women's Edjji acetate frame with an exaggerated butterfly eye shape and custom laminate materials; the men's Chippa with 3D printed wood grain textures on the temples; the kid's Spplashed frame featuring combined multicolored acetate materials; and the Skarlett women's sun (pictured left) with glitter lamination on the temples.
And ClearVision also recently announced its 2017 Sun Collection, featuring new patterns and materials over a number of brands. The BCBGMAXAZRIA collection has been refreshed with updated takes on bestsellers and daring new styles, while the Ellen Tracy collection is offering two new sun styles with a clean and elegant design ethos. The Jessica McClintock sun collection embraces modern sensibilities while also providing classical styling, and PuriTi 100 percent titanium sunwear adds a classic style to the collection, featuring polarized lenses, textured temples, and European screws. And the new IZOD suns offer classically sporty looks with a clean, youthful aesthetic.
ic! berlin
New from ic! berlin is The Weekender — a capsule collection of plotic and plotic-hybrid sunglasses in new ‘weekend blue’ colorways. Inspired by the endless possibilities of open skies and not having to be in the office for two days, this particular shade of blue is available in the new 3D-printed frames Glacier (pictured right), Panorama and Roadster. And for the five days in the week we must get through to get to the weekend, ic! berlin offers its new Autumn/Winter 2016-2017 collection with new custom-designed acetate laminates such as "very berry" and "espresso," as well as rich color combinations and intricate laser-etched patterns.
Kenmark Optical
Kenmark Optical recently released the new 2017 sun collection for Zac Posen, featuring styles for both men and women. New men's styles include new modern rectangular frames, such as the Culver and Soren, as well as the flat metal rectangular style Odin (pictured left) with Italian horn acetate on the temples. The Siegal is a modern round combo frame, and the Clement is a metal/zyl combo aviator frame with a custom metal rivet on the temple tip. New women's styles include the full acetate Ruthie, the Johanna with a modern round full acetate front and full metal temples, and the oversized square Eloyse that uses HD plastic for a thinner front profile. The Noble is a full zyl oval style, the Farrow is a full rim zyl cat eye, and the Luciana is a fashion-forward combination cat-eye style with connecting acetate brow.
L'Amy America
L'Amy America recently announced the worldwide launch of three new Champion Extended Size ophthalmic models (pictured right) for winter 2017, complementing Champion's existing optical and sun collections introduced to the market just this year. Each new model is made of either handmade acetate or stainless steel, equipped with Champion's own heavy-duty Power Flex hinge system for added comfort. The new series features nine new skus with three colors in each model, in easy-wearing shapes all with 58 eye and 150 temple measurements.
Morel Lunettes
In 2016, Morel Lunettes is taking its Koali collection on a fresh journey with Fuchsia (pictured left) — an elegant and sophisticated concept inspired by the movement of plant life. Available in four stainless steel models (both rimmed and semi-rimless), the frames feature a separation of materials to create a fluid, delicate sense of movement. The metal front consists of two stainless steel parts that overlap to produce a light and airy look, evoking the petals of the fuchsia flower. Fuchsia is available in 16 color combinations of both soft tones, such as matte gold paired with plum, bordeaux and black, and brilliant colors such as fuchsia with wine and electric blue with black.
OKIA
New from OKIA is Twisted On (pictured right) — a surprising new collection using HDA® technology, allowing for a mix-and-match approach to eyewear and fashion. This new collection combines HDA technology with the 3D Block technique, which blends HDA patterns with sparkling solid materials, resulting in wonderful new designs laminated within acetate. Additionally, the collection uses the CSB (Crazy Sparkling Beauty) technique that matches acetate with shining materials for random or controlled patterns with an extraordinary non-delaminated effect.
Plan B Eyewear
New from Plan B Eyewear is the latest release from its Glacée collection (pictured left), beautiful and eclectic just like the women who wear them. The latest release is prolific in its design, with a variety of unique looks and colors that will turn heads. Brilliant, vibrant colors blend to create perfect complimentary combinations, plus textural details created by acid and laser etching, as well as fabric and wood grain, offer a luxurious feel. Rounder shapes signal a new trend in women's frames, while animal prints continue to be a defining feature of several new styles.
Silhouette
New from Silhouette is the new rimless collection Dynamics Colorwave (pictured right), featuring refined styles with a touch of bold color for both men and women. Color combinations range from the exotically bright in bright purples and oranges, to more opaque colors such as forest green and maroon, combined with a strong, straight-forward Titan design. And the collection also offers a variety of fresh shapes, such as the double-bridge pilot aviator, cat-eye and various other over-sized classics.
Teka Eyewear
Teka Eyewear recently launched the U.S. website for its Swing Eyewear collection (pictured left), featuring unbreakable children's eyewear. Made with TR-90 natural technology, these non-deformable prescription glasses for toddlers and children are 100 percent anti-bacterial and anti-allergic. They are coated with an organic dye and only weigh between 3 to 5 grams.
WestGroupe
New from WestGroupe's Fysh UK brand is the stainless-steel model F-3567 (pictured right), which offers an interesting and eye-catching look designed for women looking for fashionable and original styling. The frame features a thin contoured silhouette with a modified rectangular shape, with delicate laser-etched swirl filigree designs on the bridge, end pieces and temples for an ultra-feminine look. This model is available in Black Emerald, Ink Purple, Black Gold and Eggplant Red.
And for men, two new styles have been recently launched by WestGroupe's EVATIK brand. New model E-9137 will delight the stylish man in pursuit of originality, featuring a remarkably thin stainless steel frame with a high-density acetate, smoky striped pattern on the front and back. This frame is available in Grey, Brown and Blue. And style E-9138 is a rectangular stainless steel frame with an adventurous pop of color on the acetate temples for a sporty look. This frame is available in colorway of Navy Blue, Grey Lime and Black Red.
Zimco Optics
Zimco Optics recently unveiled the latest styles for its Sierra Collection (pictured left) — a veteran collection perfect for managed care programs while providing style, precision and infinite attention to detail. The newest styles for the Sierra 300 Collection feature acetate frames with an assortment of temples — both spring-hinged and standard — as well as a variety of shapes and sizes, in colors both classic and new. And the newest frames in the collection offer shiny finishes over acetate materials, matte textures, unique patterns and gold embellishments, making it hard to believe this is part of a managed care collection.