Handcrafted in Italy, the new line boasts a proprietary material and a redesign of the brand’s signature adjustable nose pads
Article One, the independent eyewear brand creating handcrafted active and optical frames, today announced the launch of its ACTIVE x Optical line for prescription wearers. As experts in optical eyewear, the expansion to its award-winning ACTIVE sunglasses collection is a return to the brand’s original roots in producing timelessly-styled specs. The active lifestyle collection features a new proprietary material that is lighter and more flexible than acetate with increased scratch resistance, as well as a redesign of Article One’s signature ACTIVE collection nosepads.
“We are so thrilled to launch a true athletic transfer collection that is adaptive to active lifestyles in both styling and technical innovation,” said Article One Founder Wes Stoody. “As with our ACTIVE sunglasses collection, we centered fashion in designing the optical-performance category to disrupt repetitive aesthetics in the active lifestyle space. The ACTIVE x Optical line was made to seamlessly fit into the lives of all glasses wearers, from professional competitors to casual athletes and adventurous individuals, in a way that compliments individual style while providing sight for sport.”
The five-piece ACTIVE x Optical line utilizes GKM, a polymer plastic proprietary to Article One’s family-owned factory partners in Northern Italy. When compared to acetate, the most commonly used material in the eyewear industry, GKM is lighter, more flexible, stronger in terms of scratch resistant, and allows for enhanced shape memory. Along with the innovative frame material, Article One designed and developed nose pads specific to this collection that provide equal grip and adjustability as the ACTIVE sunglasses nose pads but in a more discrete profile built for the smaller optical frames. The frames also boast high-quality spring hinges and engraved ridges on the temple tips to assist with grip.
In the first release of the ACTIVE x Optical line, each frame will debut in four distinct colorways ranging from bold greens to unique variations of tortoise and matte navy. A stylistic highlight of the line is the Dunn frame, which pays homage to the aviator shape of the ‘70s. Equally as distinct and vintage-inspired is the cat eye design found in the Juno frames. The Dayton, Buck and Ward frames offer more classic, wearable shapes that are friendly to every face.
The ACTIVE x Optical Collection (MSRP $285) will be available to browse and try-on virtually on articleoneeyewear.com, and available for purchase through select optical partners in the United States starting today. To find a shop near you, visit articleoneeyewear.com/find-us.
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About Article One Products
Article One is an independent eyewear company founded in Flint, Michigan by former collegiate runner Wes Stoody. As the principal designer since the first collection launch in 2016, Stoody centers fashion at the heart of his creative process – constantly challenging traditional aesthetics of the performance category. Article One hand selects independent artisans from all over the world to create its timelessly-styled, innovative optical and athletic transfer collections. With high-quality materials and high-performance innovation, Article One’s ACTIVE Collection has earned several awards for style and sport function. In 2023, Article One launched its unique partner program, sponsoring professional athlete-advocates and lending decision-making power as a way to support a diverse variety of philanthropic efforts.