New Eyewear from Safilo's Smith Optics and Polaroid

Smith Optic has launched its new collection of sunglasses and optical frames specifically designed for outdoor activities. A Safilo spokesperson says that the lines comes with ChromaPop, the world’s most scientifically advanced polarized lens that reportedly optimizes color vision and increase visual clarity.

Polaroid has a new collection of sunglasses, which is divided into five categories of sunglasses, all having different technical and stylistic features but the same high-performance polarized lenses: Polaroid UltraSight. 

New from Polaroid

“The innovative Polaroid Plus sunglasses collection represents the perfect partnership between cutting-edge polarization technology and a “New Basic” design. The collection focuses on essential shapes and minimalist color schemes whilst providing maximum comfort, utmost eye protection and perfect vision,” according to Midwest Lens. “The Polaroid Plus collection is designed for contemporary people who are looking for optimal eye protection as well as a refined and unique style. Polaroid introduces the new and innovative UltraSightTM Plus lenses, the evolution of the polarized lenses. The new lenses are produced using the revolutionary ThermofusionTM Plus technology, integrating the exclusive ThermofusionTM process – which is used to produce the Polaroid polarizing filter – with a skillful manufacturing technique that is 100% glue-free and designed to inject the polarizer into a polyamide lens.” Read more.

New from Polaroid

Safilo reports that its new Polaroid Plus sunglasses collection represents the perfect partnership between cutting-edge polarization technology and a “New Basic” design. Polaroid has introduced its UltraSight Plus lenses, which are produced using the Thermofusion Plus technology. Polaroid’s exclusive Thermofusion process – which produces its polarizing filter, is 100% glue-free and designed to inject the polarizer into a polyamide lens. The company also has integrated its new metal ‘P-Label’ graphic mark on what it is calling a new and exclusive block hinge. Technical information about the collection is written inside the left temple. Read more.

Essilor to Produce Safilo’s Polaroid Brand Lenses

Safilo has hooked up with Essilor for 10 years to design, manufacture and distribute polarized ophthalmic lenses under the Polaroid brand for use with eyewear products in general. Read more.

Polaroid Sponsors Art Exhibit

On the occasion of MIA (Milan Image Art Fair, May 10-12, 2013), Polaroid Eyewear will join forces with the famous photographer Maurizio Galimbertion an exclusive artistic project, according to a Safilo press release. Galimberti, who describes himself as an “Instant Polaroid Artist”, has created a series of 15 “photo-mosaics” for Polaroid Eyewear. They portray eight people representative of modern-day Milan. Galimberti used different photo techniques project: traditional Polaroid film for the eight photos featuring the subjects wearing glasses, and the new Polaroid “Impossible Film” emulsion for the “naked eye” shots. Read more.

Safilo Pulls Out the Stops for Mido 2013

Apparently Safilo wants to make waves at Mido 2013 exhibition this March 2-4. The company claims that research is the key to new designs. It points to the Avantek technology it has used on its new Boss and Safilo collections, claiming that the stress and distortion-free lens mounting system eliminates perforations in the lenses and, as a result, risk of visual distortion or deformation for rimless 'glasant' optical frames. Its Polaroid Plus Collection has adopted the UltraSight Plus lenses. Its Hugo collections are using titanium.

Shapes
Its collections feature a wide range of silhouettes, which include large and small cat-eye shapes, and its round-shaped models have an essential, minimalist design. The square-shaped proposals feature large silhouettes that evoke the fashion of the ‘60s or ‘80s and come in opal or shaded nuances.

Colors
The collections will have a wide range of shades and  new color combinations. With their unique interplay of black and white that captures the Optical Art spirit of the ‘60s and their fluorescent shades that recall the ‘80s and pop culture, the new collections are designed for people who are not afraid to show off their daring, personal style. Some models combine also pastel nuances. The wild side collection, however, takes life with animal patterns and spotted prints. Color-blocking, a hot trend for the 2013 season, catches the eye with vibrant color combinations. Last but certainly not least, sunglasses with the ‘80s-inspired mirrored lenses. Read more about specific collections. 

Multibrands Helps Finance Safilo's Polaroid Acquisition

Safilo Group and Multibrands Italy B.V. signed a loan agreement and an investment and underwriting agreement whereby Multibrands Italy B.V. will grant Safilo Group the financial support to partially fund said acquisition. Multibrands Italy B.V. will provide Safilo at least two thirds of the purchase price of the Polaroid Eyewear. 

In addition, Multibrands will loan Safilo 44 million Euros immediately following the acquisition, for a portion of the purchase price. Multibrands could also underwrite and pay-in a reserved capital increase of Safilo Group approximately equal to Euro 44 million, through the set-off of the credit deriving from the above mentioned loan with the debt deriving from the subscription of the reserved capital increase. Safilo will finance the remaining 21 million Euro for Polaroid.

Safilo Agrees to Buy Polaroid

Safilo has agreed to acquire Polaroid Eyewear from StyleMark. Polaroid Eyewear, which invested the first man-made commercial polarizer in 1929 and the first Polaroid sunglasses in 1935, is part of the StyleMark. For the year 2011, the Polaroid Eyewear business is expected to record sales of approximately $63 million and generate an expected EBITDA of around $8.75 million. Read more.

New Lady Gaga Specs from Polaroid

"It’s clear... [Lady Gaga is] onto something cool with the new glasses she’s designed for Polaroid, which focus less on what you see than on what others see when they look into your eyes—by using tiny screens in the lenses to project images outward, as opposed to inward," according to a WallStreetJournal blog.