Luxottica Still Leads Retail Sales with a New #2 at Its Heels

Luxottica's retail eyewear sales tumbled from almost $2.4 billion in 2012 to just under $2.34 billion last year. That's the report from Vision Monday's Top 50 Retailers. A newcomer squeezed into the number two spot between Luxottica and Walmart: Vision Source. Its 3500-member optometrists reportedly operate 2797 units that pulled in $1.97 billion, pushing Walmart into third place. Read more.

Charlotte Ronson to Design Vogue Eyewear Line

Vogue will use Mendes in
its Spring advertising.

Ronson to design Vogue line.

"Charlotte Ronson is trying her hand at spectacles. The fashion designer, who has no previous experience in the eyewear category, has been tapped by Luxottica and the Council of Fashion Designers of America as the participant for the 2014 Design Series for Vogue Eyewear," reports WWD. "The Vogue Eyewear/CFDA Collection by Charlotte Ronson, which was featured in the designer’s spring runway show in New York, will launch at Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters in North America in mid-January and international retailers in March, ranging from $130 for sunglasses to $140 for optical frames. The frames will be featured on [Eva] Mendes in a global advertising campaign next spring." Read more.

Armani Claims to Have Turned Eyewear in Fashion Accessory

"Giorgio Armani turned eyewear into a fashion accessory by having the 'courage to say no to what sells,'" so claims a post on Yahoo!OMG. "The designer launched his signature and Emporio Armani eyewear collections for spring during Milan Fashion Week over the weekend. Giorgio is a pioneer in turning eyewear into a fashion accessory. He recalled the struggle he faced getting the industry to accept his initial feelings about fashionable styles.  'The eyewear industry struggled to accept my intuitions about fashion, round frames, for example," Giorgio recalled to WWD. 'At the beginning, a lot of people didn’t understand them, but you must have the courage to say no to what sells and to imagine what could sell.' To mark the launch of the new lines Giorgio hosted a party in Milan on Saturday night with the new distributor for the lines luxury eyewear company the Luxottica Group." Read more.