By Troy Patterson
Luxury eyewear keeps consumers coming back to the brands they love by offering a level of quality to match a luxurious reputation.
Ranging styles, technologies and talent across the eyewear industry all play to what consumers want, while offering up the range of innovative and cutting-edge
styles companies put forward each year.
Optical Prism touched base with brands like Safilo, WestGroupe, Serengeti and Neubau, to have them gather some of their best offerings to showcase what luxury eyewear looks like to their brands in 2018.
Safilo’s rag & bone label shows how the brand combines British heritage with a modern and edgy New York attitude.
Launching its first eyewear collection for men and women in Spring/Summer 2018, the styles are examples the brand’s high quality craftsmanship and functionality.
“Every component of the product was crafted to reflect the unique design philosophy of this directional brand.”
Model RNB1007/S is an angular modern cat-eye in acetate outlined in metal with slim metal dagger-shaped endpieces and temples. RNB1008/S features an angular shield in acetate with metal daggershaped endpieces and temples. RNB5005/S are recognizable
with its vintage navigator shape in acetate with bold double bar bridge and prominent dagger shaped endpieces.
RNB5009/S are a stylized 1970s inspired metal navigator shape with a distinctive acetate nose bridge.
The collection that encompasses a total of 31 styles, including eight women’s and nine men’s sunglasses, as well as seven optical frames.
The Fendi collection features a “strong colour palette, daring and unexpected combinations of colours and materials, superior quality, product innovation, refined details and
precious materials.”
Frames like FF0295S, FF0296S and FF0298 blend in timeless “iconic stories” celebrating the brand’s savoir-faire and elegance. Fendi maintains cutting-edge and forward-looking
brand aesthetics to set itself apar t from competitors. Jimmy Choo focuses on product stories while maintaining a luxury perception.
For Spring/Summer 2018, for example, ultra-fine Swarovski crystals, glitter and stars dominate the collection.
“Jimmy Choo is an iconic luxury lifestyle brand defined by an empowered sense of glamour and a confident sense of style.”
Just check out the models JC204, LIZZYS or SHEENA to see why Safilo credits the brand for continuously combining luxury with innovation.
WestGroupe’s ZEISS Eyewear ZS20001 is constructed from high-quality materials, such as titanium and TX5, featuring titanium nose pads in keeping with the luxury appeal of the brand.
“ZEISS Eyewear is dedicated to designing and producing luxury eyewear with premium fit, comfort and materials.”
All styles feature the signature titanium inlay on the temple tips. FYSH UK’s describes style as its personal signature, with model F3595 showcasing the collection’s focus on mixed materials, with muted gold and rose hues.
“Combining the latest runway looks with the colour trends of the season, FYSH UK eyewear features a vast array of bold colours, intricate patterns, unique constructions and shapes.”
Animal prints, glitter acetates, pearlized and multi-coloured acetates also bring a new perspective.
KLiiK denmark takes direction from the clean, modern aesthetic of Scandinavian design, making its eyewear subtle yet always on trend. Model K602 is an example of the frame’s rich colorations, laser cut detailing and a mixing of patterns and materials, offering a wide
variety and a strong sense of style.
EVATIK puts equal focus on fit, function and aesthetics with frames like E9162, as the company’s eyewear for men looks to strike the balance between comfort and luxury.
The brand is described as “minimalistic with architectural designs” that are elevated with handmade acetate, high-grade stainless steel and Japanese titanium, with deep, rich, masculine colours and custom design elements creating a polished and refined look
for today’s modern man.
Serengeti’s Livio, Anteo and Andrea models offer a wide range of style and luxury to turn heads in 2018.
“Although the shape of these sunglasses is undeniably beautiful, it is the flawless fit and finish that truly capture attention,” says Vanessa Rebelo, Serengeti global product manager.
“The most optically superior lenses on the market deserve nothing less than the most exquisitely crafted frames.”
Livio comes from the brand new Serengeti Nylon Rubber Collection, which embodies the brand’s driving heritage with elegant and colored double injected rubber – a stylish twist
to this subtle sport design with a modern and timeless shape.
Anteo enriches the brand’s emblematic Classic Nylon Series with a new trendy and elegant model. The ultra-thin frame has the typical assets of the brand’s slim models making it light, chemically resistant and comfortable.
Andrea remains a best-selling frame and will be featured in new colours in 2018,
mixing exquisite colours for a trendy look. Made of hand-crafted acetate, they
are designed as a combination of style and quality.
All Serengeti sunglasses are available in prescription through Centennial Optical.
Neubau’s new Sigmund & Carl unisex sunglasses line are precision-made from titanium and stainless steel, and use the special neubau hinge for the first time.
Named after the great psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung and styled after their fondness for striking, round spectacle designs, the extravagant model both protects the eyes and catches looks from all around.
“There are elements of surprise in the well thought-out detail such as the super-imposed neubau imprint which is only visible when temples are folded. NEU on the left, BAU on the right.”
With its harmoniously adapted shape it becomes both a design element and a bearer of the brand’s message, shimmering through on the inside of the temple and picking up the metal colour finish of the frame.
The frames provide form and function for the wearer that boasts the qualities consumers expect from Silhouette products by being light, flexible and hard-wearing.
