Kering Pulls Design In-House and Why

"In September 2014, French luxury conglomerate Kering announced that it was bringing most of its eyewear business in-house," starts the Moodie Report. "It was a major step on every level. Until then, nine out of 11 Kering eyewear brands had been managed through licence agreements (with five different partners), generating consolidated royalties of approximately €50 million. Kering’s partnership with its major partner, Safilo, included eyewear licences for such lustrous names as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen. The decision to repatriate the brands in-house followed a lengthy assessment of growth prospects in the burgeoning eyewear category, particularly in the luxury and sport & lifestyle sectors that Kering’s main brands are part of." Read more.

Counterfeiters Robbing Industry Blind

"Counterfeit eyewear goods are taking a heavy toll on manufacturers' revenues, and the problem looks likely to escalate, says a new report." That's the word from Securing Industry. "The eyewear market overall is set for buoyant growth between 2015 and 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 7 per cent over the period by value and 3.5% by volume, but the availability of counterfeits presents "a big market challenge," says report publisher Technavio.'Sunglasses and contact lenses are the most affected product categories by counterfeiting in the eyewear market,' Technavio analyst Arushi Thakur told SecuringIndustry.com, adding: 'Ray-ban, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Versace are some of the brands most affected by counterfeiting.' While the impact of this activity is hard to gauge, the report suggests that on average, manufacturers lose between 15 and 20 per cent of their market revenues annually due to fake products, according to Thakur." Read more.

Safilo Terminates Licenses with Kering

Safilo will terminate its Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, and Saint Laurent licenses with Kering SA at June's end and its Gucci license by 2015's end, according to a report by Reuters of India. Safilo will pick up a license to produce and distribute Gucci's Made in Italy brand from 2017 through 2020. These are some of the moves resulting from an agreement signed by Kering and Safilo back in September. Read more.

Kering Creates Separate Entity for Its Eyewear, and Resigns with Safilo

"French luxury and retail group Kering ...is looking to strengthen its eyewear business by creating a separate entity that will fully control the eyewear value chain, from design to product development and supply chain, and from branding and marketing to sales," reports RTT News. "The owner of the Gucci and Saint Laurent brands currently manages nine of their 11 brands through license agreements with five different partners. It only receives royalty totaling about 50 million euros on these licenses." Read more.

Meanwhile Safilo and Kering said that they will continue their 20-year partnership. The two will go-steady with the Gucci license until December 2016 and product development until December 2020. Read more.

New Eyewear from Gucci

Gucci presents its Fall/Winter 2014-2015 eyewear collection, introducing new sunglasses and optical frames dedicated to a contemporary and sensual woman. The styles are embellished with new versions of the brand’s distinctive signature motifs, interpreted with innovative finishes that reflect the tradition of excellence and the flawless savoir-faire of Gucci. Read more.

James Franco Promoting Gucci in New Commercial

"Put your recent misgivings about James Franco’s pulling technique aside – the actor proves he knows exactly how it’s done in his newly-released ad for Gucci eyewear," writes Elle UK. "The newly-released Techno Color Sunglasses video features Franco cruising around LA in a ‘charming game of seduction’ with model Natalia Bonifacci, looking James-Dean-cool in his shades, which have coloured lenses that reflect the lush scenery." Read more.

And More New Eyewear from Safilo

Gucci Capsule Collection: Gucci presents its new sunglasses for women and men that has lightweight construction. The lenses fully stand out with their shades, while the slim steel frame subtly underlines the shape. The new eyewear capsule collection includes four sophisticated shapes, enhanced by exotic colours and graphic lines. Read more.

Gucci for Men: Gucci's new men’s sunglasses and optical frame collection are a blend of classic allure, with their polarized lenses, easy-to-wear square-shaped silhouette and use of lightweight carbon fiber temples with rubber tips on the end of the temples. They come with the Gucci logo on the lenses and on the temples, the web green-red-green stripe and the Diamante pattern on the inside of the temples. Read more.

Tommy Hilfiger: The Tommy Hilfiger Group has introduced a new collection of men’s and women’s sunglasses and optical frames featuring lively color combinations and sophisticated details in the usually Hilfiger preppy style. Read more.

New Eyewear from Safilo (Choo, Hugo, Gucci, Veneta, Boos Orange, Boss, McQueen)

With coming of the spring and the annual optical conventions weeks away, Safilo has continued to release new collections from its designers.

Jimmy Choo: The Jimmy Choo eyewear collection for Spring Summer 2014 celebrates the brand’s luxury spirit, with its contemporary and sophisticated sunglasses and optical frames. See images from the collection and read more.

Hugo: The style of Hugo Eyewear's Spring/Summer 2014 collection combine cutting-edge design, contemporary inspirations and an avant-garde spirit. The sunglasses collection, enriched also with new optical frames, features innovative technical details and minimalist shapes. A sophisticated color palette and refined transparencies highlight the models’ technical details. A new design element of two parallel lines creates a link to the brand name and the letter “H”. See images from the collection and read more.

Gucci: Gucci presents its Spring Summer 2014 eyewear collection, introducing new sunglasses and optical frames dedicated to an elegant and feminine woman. The styles are embellished with pastel nuances and fine textures. Delicate silhouettes reflect the tradition of excellence, the savoir-faire and the flawless craftsmanship which have always defined the house. See images from the collection and read more.
 
Bottega Veneta: This season, Bottega Veneta enriches its sophisticated eyewear collection with new sunglasses and optical frames that highlight the brand’s unique aesthetic and enduring motifs and feature subtle signatures including the intrecciato motif, photoengraved studs, as well as the block hinge, reinterpreted in new versions. Made from the finest quality materials, these new styles feature the superb craftsmanship, versatility, and timeless elegance that define the Bottega Veneta brand. See images from the collection and read more.

Boss Orange: The Spring/Summer 2014 Boss Orange Eyewear Collection showcases new sunglasses and optical frames with a contemporary flair and a trendy, urban-inspired design. See images from the collection and read more.

Boss: The Spring/Summer 2014 Boss Eyewear Collection presents new sunglasses and optical frames with a sophisticated allure, a perfect blend of vintage inspirations and elegant hues. See images from the collection and read more.

Alexander McQueen: The Spring/Summer 2014 Alexander McQueen eyewear collection features sunglasses and optical frames with new interpretations of the brand’s most iconic details, such as the skull. This latest collection boasts skilful manufacturing techniques and precious materials, perfectly blending tradition with a modern flair, to reflect the brand’s unique style. See images from the collection and read more.

More New Eyewear from Gucci

For Autumn/Winter 2013/2014, Gucci has introduced a new collection with web stripe detail on the temples. The green-red-green or blue-red-blue ribbon has its roots in the art of horse-riding, where it was used on a saddle’s girth strap. Now it’s a Gucci motif. The sunglasses and optical frames, available in metal versions or in Optyl, are fixed externally by a gold-colored metallic “GG Britt” logo and internally by a metal plaque bearing the Gucci’s engraved trademark. Read more.

New Eyewear from Gucci by Safilo

Gucci for women: For Autumn/Winter 2013/2014 Gucci presents the new eyewear collection dedicated to the seductive and unequivocally feminine woman. The collection showcases glasses with large butterfly silhouettes, embellished with pastel nuances and fine elegant details which highlight the eyes of every woman. Read more.

Gucci for men: For Autumn/Winter 2013/2014 Gucci presents the new sunglasses for men with a classic flair and contemporary notes: this eyewear perfectly reflects the alluring blend of casual elegance and metropolitan spirit of the House’s ready to wear collection.
The aviator model is dedicated to the contemporary gentleman, with its sophisticated, masculine feel, highlighted by unique stylistic touches, such as a stunning interplay of gloss and matte materials, the ultra-slim metal temples and the House’s iconic, discreetly engraved logo. Read more.

Gucci Viaggio Sunglasses: For Autumn/Winter 2013- 2014 Gucci presents Gucci Viaggio sunglasses designed to meet the modern globetrotters’ desire for highly versatile items. These sunglasses, with their unique aesthetic yet functional elements, are the perfect balance between formal sophistication and casual attitude, dedicated to people who want to feel stylish and comfortable when traveling. With its unique folding design, the model perfectly combines a relaxed urban attitude with a dynamic personality. The result is an ultra-lightweight and incredibly comfortable item: the hinge joints on the front and temples conceal an exclusive mechanism that allows the sunglasses to be folded and placed in a special case. Read more.

Eco-Gucci Sunglasses: Gucci renews its commitment to environmental responsibility presenting a new version of sunglasses made from Liquid Wood, a biodegradable and eco-friendly material that represents an alternative to the plastic usually used in the production of eyewear. Liquid Wood is originally made from bio-based materials: wood fiber from sustainably managed forests, lignin from the paper manufacturing process and natural wax. These new sunglasses feature a square upsweep silhouette shape with mineral glass lenses, which enhance the impeccable quality and the elegance of this new model. This eco-friendly style comes in new wood-effect shades, in nuances of grey, burgundy and brown. Read more.

James Franco New Face for Gucci Eyewear Ad Campaign

Elle  asks, "A close-up of James Franco's scruffy, chiseled face? You've got our attention. That seems to be part of the strategy for Gucci's Bamboo Sunglasses campaign starring the multi-hyphenate with photography by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. ...The '70s-inspired frames, made with natural bamboo cane, won't be available until October, but you can check them out now on Franco's face in this exclusive behind-the-scenes shot and campaign image. Read more. 

The campaign, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and debuting worldwide in August 2013, highlights the classic yet contemporary elegance of this new style, perfectly matched with Franco’s sophisticated personality. 

These sunglasses are a refined evolution of the classic Bamboo version launched in Spring/Summer 2013. The exclusive eyewear that James Franco wears in the campaign stands out for the new black version of the bamboo detail, complementing the dark ruthenium and grey shaded mirrored lenses. This style, which uniquely uses natural bamboo cane, blends tradition and innovation to reflect the House’s philosophy of contemporary luxury. The 70s-inspired pilot-shaped metal frame, embellished with the bamboo cane detail on the bridge and the Gucci laser signature on the lenses and temples, make these sunglasses highly distinctive and iconic.

New form Gucci

The United Kingdom’s edition of the Elle writes: “We still haven’t given up hope that, at any moment now, summer is going to start and when it does we plan to be prepared – and that means updating our sunglasses collection. Topping the ELLE wishlist? The latest eyewear from Gucci, an eight piece capsule range called Diamond Glitter.” Read more.

New from Gucci

“The Spring/Summer 2013 Gucci eyewear collection for men is an expression of vintage flair with sophisticated modern notes. Innovative and precious materials give elegance and distinctiveness to the new sunglasses and optical frames,” according to Midwest Lens. Read more.

New from Gucci

The Spring/Summer 2013 Gucci eyewear collection for men is an expression of vintage flair with sophisticated modern notes. Innovative and precious materials reportedly give elegance and distinctiveness to the new sunglasses and optical frames For example, its metal aviator sunglasses are the perfect combination of classic design and Seventies inspiration. The front is embellished with a unique leather insert while the temples are adorned with a laser-engraved Diamante pattern providing a sophisticated effect. The colour palette features exclusive tones of gold and ruthenium with brown or grey lenses. And the collection’s optical frames for men combine with what Gucci calls classic lines with dynamic profiles. The square or round-shaped frames are embellished with unique details, such as the ultra-slim T-bar hinge, highlighted by subtle hues of brown, black, blue, Havana, ruthenium and military green. Read more.

New from Gucci

The Diamante pattern comes from the heart of Gucci’s heritage and, translated in a glitter version, lights up the House’s new Spring/Summer 2013 sunglasses and optical frames: a unique capsule collection created for contemporary, sensual and sophisticated women. The Diamond Glitter sunglasses and optical frames reflect Gucci’s traditions reinterpreted with a modern, exclusive twist. The new models in Optyl, a registered trademark for an ultra-lightweight plastic material with unparalleled color effects, are made using unique manufacturing techniques. A fine sheet of glittering silk inside the frame gives these models a sparkling allure and a refined silky effect. The new models are embellished externally with the Diamante pattern that conveys the brand’s stylistic identity. Read more.

Gucci's Ad Campaign Features Li Bingbing

Gucci's new eyewear campaign featuring actress Li Bingbing, as shot by Solve Sundsbo. The company says that the beauty and elegance of Li Bingbing highlights the sophisticated femininity of these unique sunglasses (GG3623/K/S). These softly rounded sunglasses feature Guccissima leather covered temples bearing the “Gucci” metal signature logo. The sunglasses come in two color shades: gloss black with black leather and shaded grey lenses and brown with black leather and shaded brown lenses. The glasses are available in International and Asian fit versions. The campaign will debut from February 2013 across the Asia Pacific region. Read more.

New from Gucci

For Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 Gucci unveils vintage style sunglasses, revealing magnetic, romantic and dreamy glances on the latest men’s runway. Intellectual rebels bohemian charm, new poètes maudits with a self-confident attitude create a very personal style: this is the distinctive nature that characterizes this model with the acetate front and the semi matte metal bridge which underline its aviator timeless appeal. The metal temples, with a low relief shiny/matte manufacturing creating a web effect, are emphasized by a unique cut that highlights the subtle Gucci logo: this is the perfect luxury accessory for the modern dandy. Read more.

Top Selling Sunglasses

Measured in sales, media exposure, Internet searches, and the experience of the purchasing manager for GlassesOnWeb.com, here are the top five sunglasses brands of 2012. See how your sales compare.

1. Ray Ban. This is reported to be the most popular brand among both celebrities and regular people supposedly because they look good on anyone and they come in a variety. The Wayfarers are the model most often seen on celebrities, with over 2,600 spots, according to CelebritySunglassesWatcher.com. Following closely are the classic Ray Ban aviators, the Clubmasters, and then several variations of these styles.

2. Chanel. If it’s Chanel, then it’s chic – this is what most fashionistas would say when faced with the choice of a designer brand, so says the company representative. The signature style of Chanel sunglasses is oversized and dark, like Nicole Richie and Ashley Olsen love to wear.

3. Prada. Prada and Miu Miu reportedly have been trendsetters this year. The Minimal Baroque collection is definitely a celebrity favorite, with fans among the Kardashians or Rihanna.

4. Tom Ford. A product of the Marcolin Italian group, Tom Ford sunglasses are characterized by an interesting type of semi-rim. Most frames feature lenses disconnected from the rim, which creates cut-outs at the sides.

5. Gucci. With sunglasses produced by the Safilo Group, Gucci has a long history of manufacturing quality goods, and is renown worldwide, which makes the customers trust this name. From Angelina Jolie to Miley Cyrus, everyone is a fan of their aviators, and some of their oversized, plastic frames have been sported by Gwen Stefani or Lauren Conra

Gucci's Eco-Friendly Liquid Wood Eyewear

Less than one year after setting an industry precedent with the launch of sustainable eyewear, Gucci and Safilo are pleased to make a further commitment to environmental responsibility with new eco-friendly packaging and the first-ever sunglasses made from Liquid Wood – aninnovative biodegradable material never before used in the eyewear sector.Read more.

New Lines from Safilo

Jimmy Choo: The new Jimmy Choo eyewear collection celebrates the brand’s luxury spirit with new sunglasses and optical frames: the sophisticated silhouettes are embellished with the brand’s iconic signatures such as exotic skin textures and sparkling crystals, for an irresistible, seductive appeal.Read more.

Hugo: The new Hugo optical frame collection reflects the brand’s modern and avant-garde design, which is embedded in its DNA. The new eyewear models feature unconventional aesthetic elements highlighted by the use of high-tech materials: a combination of post-modern and truly innovative style. Read more.

Gucci: Gucci unveils its new eyewear collection for Spring/Summer 2012, dedicated to fascinating women who clearly express themselves and their enigmatic personality. The collection features large square-shaped eyewear, underlined by pastel tones and refined iconic details, to highlight the eyes and bring about a sophisticated female who is both sensual and androgynous. Read more.

Dior: The “BlackTie” eyewear collection figures the essence of the Dior Homme collections. Its signature focuses on the iconic metal cut on the temples. The new styles reflect the distinctive personality of Dior Homme: both sophisticated and minimalist in a perfect balance of the contemporary and the timeless. This fashion concept highlights the 3 sunglasses shapes and the 5 optical frames. Read more.

Bottega Veneta: The new Bottega Veneta eyewear collection highlights the brand’s distinctive aesthetic and enduring motifs. The sunglasses and optical frames are an inspired blend of skillful craftsmanship, superb functionality, and timeless design. The new models, made of the finest quality materials, all feature Bottega Veneta’s subtle signatures: metal studs on the outside of the terminals and a photoengraved butterfly on the inside.Read more.