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.

New Sunglasses and Eyewear from Ray-Ban

"In this season, Ray-Ban continues its research into the possibilities offered by the new technologies. In particular, Liteforce – a material used in the aerospace industry – has a major role in two new sport styles in the sun segment, and in a mini collection in the optical segment: Ray-Ban uses this ultra-light, highly durable material to produce extremely lightweight and long-lasting models." So goes a post from Midwest Lens. "The Light Ray technology, based on a titanium alloy and a patented screwless, weldless hinge, has been advanced into Light Ray 2.0, featuring an innovative mix of nylon and Light Ray. As epitomes of design, both the Wayfarer and the Aviator were the ground breakers of this new combination of innovation and style. But it is the Wayfarer that claims the role as the icon of spring-summer 2015: offered in denim, and leather, as well as Liteforce in the optical version, or in a new premium acetate with an original fleck effect, the model demonstrates its ability to meet any challenge and to maintain its cachet across materials and new technologies." Read more.

New Sunglasses from Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban has added a fluid coloring for the lenses and frames of its Wayfarer eyewear, called Iridescence. It's not an optical illusion. The lenses are made of silica micro-crystals that are coated with refractive metal oxides. Depending on the power and angle of light, the oxides produce various colors that blend with one another, producing a liquid appearance. The frames undergo the same  treatment and respond to sunlight similarly.  Read more.

Two Luxottica Brands Win Clios

One month ago, two Luxottica brands picked up Clios. Ray-Ban's 2013 advertising campaign, "Never Hide," took the Grand Clio in the Out of Home (OOH) Category. The Lenscrafter "My Look Magic Mirror" campaign also went home with a Clio in the OOH category. The Clio Image Awards 2014 are part of the Clio Awards for the advertising, design and communication sector. Read more.

The marketing recognition pick-me-up came about a month before the rebroadcast of the October 2012 60 Minutes story about Luxottica's domination of the U.S. eyewear market. The only real difference between the June 2014 and October 2012 60 Minutes story came with the close. It mentioned that Luxottica and Google teamed up to design and market specs with Google Glass, ancient history in the world of digital journalism. Click to read about DVF and about the Google-Luxottica "partnership."

New Sunglasses from Ray-Ban

"The style of Ray-Ban sunglasses has never ceased to renovate itself, without ever changing, since 1937," according to Midwest Lens."The Ray-Bans for next summer have new designs, new colors and ... technical developments. Read more.

Ray-Ban's Foldable Aviators

"After 75 years of producing distinctive designs that have been deemed fashion classics worldwide, American eyewear brand Ray-Ban reinvents the Aviator eyeglasses in a foldable form, fit for traveling and compact storage," notes PSFK. "A small hinge is installed on the bridge of the Aviator frame to make it fold in half and fit inside a smaller lens case." Read more.

Onion Spoffs Ray-Ban

"Premium eyewear manufacturer Ray-Ban confirmed Monday it has 'some very real doubts' about whether its summer 2012 line of sunglasses is something American consumers will be able to pull off." So goes the post on Onion, a satiric website. "'It's a tricky look, not everyone can make it work, and even those with enough confidence to make a serious attempt usually end up looking like they're just trying too hard,'” said company spokesperson Vincent DeSoto, who acknowledged that marketing research indicates Americans wearing Ray-Ban aviator shades are 24 percent more likely to be perceived by their peers as assholes." Read more.