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Smith Thinks Outside the ‘Box’
KETCHUM, Idaho—Smith Optics and Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), an outdoor retail co-op founded in 1938, have joined forces to bring Smith’s Rx sunglass services to REI customers. The new offering, dubbed “Rx in a Box,” provides a convenient, in-store alternative for both near- and far-sighted customers shopping for corrective sunglasses designed for use in outdoor pursuits.
Rx in a Box provides REI customers with a simple two-step process for shopping for Smith Optics’ prescription products. First, customers purchase the custom-packaged
Rx in a Box, where inside they will find a unique one-time use ATM-like card containing a purchase code, along with details for submitting their prescription information. Second, the purchaser visits the secured
Smith Optics Prescription Portal and enters the card’s information to order their prescription shades, thus eliminating the need to visit an optometrist or other licensed optical dispenser.
“By rolling out this exciting program with REI we are taking a great step towards simplifying the process of selecting and purchasing prescription sunglasses,” said Eric Carlson, Smith Optics vice president of product and design. “Rx in a Box allows customers to see it before they buy it, and easily customize their lens and frame selection online.”
After customers enter their prescription details, Smith Optics handles the rest. They use Carl Zeiss Vision prescription lens technology to build the customized prescription sunglasses and drop ship the order directly to the customer’s door within seven to 10 business days.
For a surcharge at online checkout, premium eyewear upgrades are also available, including Smith Optics’ complete interchangeable Rx program, Polarchromic and polarized lenses, as well as mirrored lens coatings.
REI will introduce Rx in a Box to 25 stores initially, and then bring it to all REI stores by spring 2008. Rx in a Box can also to be found online at:
www.rei.com. |
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Daniel Swarovski Goes Couture
GREEN ISLAND, N.Y.—
Silhouette furthers the
Daniel Swarovski brand’s love of detail and quality paired with one of a kind design in a new product offering called the Couture rimless collection. Streaming from a cut out temple on shimmering, smooth-layered acetate, 56 tiny chaton-cut crystals become a crystal cascade adornment. The entire frame refracts light, giving it the look and feel of lavishness. Wear the cascade on the frame for a look of distinction or purchase an additional cluster to wear as a stylish set of earrings or button ornaments | |
Coming Full Circle |
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Making the Rounds
NEW YORK—Rectangle eye shapes have reigned supreme over the last few years in the eyewear industry, but like all good fashion trends what was once in vogue will eventually make its way back out of vogue. Rectangles will never completely go the way of the dinosaur but the hippest and trendiest are now gravitating towards round eye shapes in heavier acetates. Whether they are perfectly oversized circles or slightly modified rounds this sunwear trend is hitting all the hot spots.
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The Ralph Lauren Purple Label PL09756 sunglasses from Luxottica. |
The Bottega Veneta BV63S sunglasses from Sàfilo. |
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The Hackett Bespoke Mayfair-inspired collection’s BES046 from Mondottica. |
The Tom Ford TF0094 Alessandra sunglass from Marcolin. | |
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Re-Visiting Luxottica’s ‘Special Treasure’
The Ilori Flagship Store—After the Opening
NEW YORK—It has been two months since Luxottica Retail (NYSE: LUX) opened the flagship store of their newest retail concept,
Ilori, in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood. With two new locations opened in San Francisco, Calif. and Honolulu, Hawaii and three more by the end of the year in Beverly Hills and El Carmel Calif. and Short Hills N.J., Sun Advisor thought it was time to take a visit and see how things have been shaping up at the original.
The thinking behind the inception of Ilori was as luxury becomes more commonplace, accessories, including sunwear, have become the new barometer of status. Affluent consumers have developed increasingly sophisticated tastes and modern luxury is as much about the journey as the destination. As such Luxottica conceived of a retail environment where the new luxury consumer would feel special and inspired while being able to treat themselves to the luxuries they love–namely the perfect pair of sunglasses. From a curated collection, to individual fitting, to reverent displays, Ilori puts sunglasses on a pedestal and offers them as a treasure, to be revered, respected and discovered.
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The Ilori flagship store, designed by architect Craig Nealy, creates an environment of privacy, intimacy and curiosity inspired by artists Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt and Alexander Calder. Ilori is a unique environment created to display eyewear in a completely new and unique way by inviting clients to interact with the product in an unhurried manner. Piers suspended from the ceiling create a series of intimate spaces where clients are invited to try on sunglasses and view themselves in one of a number of small mirrors interspersed with product. The sunglasses themselves are displayed carefully to allow full view of every style and every color. Sculptural wall systems inspired by twentieth century minimalist art frame the eyewear displayed in the walls at the perimeter of the store. The randomness of the housing isolates each style, as do the piers, so the sunglasses can be appreciated for their quality, style and innovation.
In the rear of the store, the most precious of the fashion eyewear is housed in horizontal niches set in an undulating, burnished gold wall. Inspired by the northern lights, a unique, random lighting system creates a dramatic series of highlights which feature each item displayed in its turn.
Lounge furniture invites the client to sit and try sunglasses on at their own pace. Expert style consultants provide as much assistance, or as little, as the client requests. Small mirrors set into display walls are complimented by fully mirrored, floor to ceiling niches.
Different areas inside the store allow the customer to try different shopping experiences. Customers can try on sunglasses in intimate areas designed and lit to feel like a personal catwalk. Customers that prefer to relax and be served will enjoy the sitting area, where they will be assisted by the Ilori style consultants, who share an expertise and an appreciation for the treasure of sunglasses. Ilori style consultants are trained not only on product, but also on brand heritage and trends. |
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| If you know of a retailer who is doing interesting things with their sunwear business or merchandising who should be featured as a Sun Star in Vision Monday’s Sun Advisor E-Newsletter, or if you are one, please email
Deirdre Carroll. |
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All the Colors of the Rainbow |
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Panoptx Re-brands Under New Logo
PLEASANTON, Calif.—
Panoptx has announced that, effective January 2008, it will launch a new logo, a stylized numeral 7 tied to a new brand “7EYE,” with renewed emphasis on Dysfunctional Tear Syndrome (DTS) treatment.
“We wanted a name with instant recognition, a logo that would stand out, and a domain name that people could spell, a name with youthful energy and attitude,” said Bob Hall, Panoptx president and CEO. “We found that in the combination of the 7 logo and brand. We want to be recognized as an eye health brand that helps consumers see all seven colors in the spectrum of visible light. By helping people see the world in all its colors, we help them do whatever they want better and in greater comfort. We loved the 7EYE logo the moment we saw it.”
The first Panoptx frames bearing the 7EYE logo are already being introduced as Seven Eye by Panoptx Limited Edition III series to the motorcycle market, where Panoptx first was first introduced among Harley-Davidson riders. A complete line of 7EYE by Panoptx products for all categories will be ready by mid-January, 2008. Most models will bear familiar names and fits to help retailers through the transition, including the Bora, Churada and Whirlwind in the Seal Protection Factor (SPF) 100 collection, and the Taku, Zephyr, Vortex and Gale in the SPF75 series. “The introduction of 7EYE is also the beginning of a new platform for product development,” continued Hall. “We have new eyecup technology and new frame designs due to roll out in 2008. We are creating a solid foundation for brand expansion and sales growth, and with new styles and new technology in the pipeline, 7EYE will fuel that growth.” | |
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Consumer Facts and Figures
Survey Shows Americans Have a 'Blind Spot' Regarding Eye Health and UV Damage
PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—A recent survey from the New England Eye Institute and Transitions Optical, Inc. conducted on July 12 & 13, 2007 by Opinion Research Corporation showed that individuals remain largely unaware of the dangers that extended exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can have on their eyes.
The survey found that while nearly 80 percent of consumers were aware that UV exposure can cause skin cancer, only five percent knew it can harm the eyes. In fact, ninety-five percent of respondents said they were unaware that UV exposure can cause eye damage.
Though eyecare professionals know that every single day, regardless of weather or time of year, eyes are exposed to damaging UV radiation from the sun, the survey found that more than half (57 percent) of respondents said they do not wear protective eyewear when in the sun for extended periods of time. With Americans spending an average of 3.5 hours per day outdoors, this is a significant amount of time for UV damage to occur each day - amounting to a potential of more than 1,000 hours of UV damage to their eyes each year. It is information like this that makes the strongest impact when trying to make that second pair sale.
"The risk that we place on our precious sight by not protecting our eyes is alarming," said Barry Barresi, O.D, Ph.D., president of the New England Eye Institute. "Unless Americans recognize the threat that UV poses and take action to protect the eyes, eye health issues, including cataracts, macular degeneration and cases of preventable blindness will continue to skyrocket." In fact, according to the World Health Organization’s August 2002 Global Solar UV Index, some 3.2 million people worldwide are blind as a result of cataracts, which have been linked to UV exposure.
Nearly half of the young adult respondents, age 18-24, said they do not agree that UV protection is important at all, even though younger people in that age range are at an even greater risk for UV damage that will impact their vision later in life as they are more active and tend to spend more time outdoors.
An effective way of helping patients combat harmful UV rays, in addition to outfitting them with appropriate UV blocking sunglasses as a second pair sale, is to educate them on the benefits of photochromic lenses for their prescription eyeglasses that automatically darken when exposed to UV light.
The New England Eye Institute, a teaching affiliate of the New England College of Optometry, is a network of eyecare centers and programs whose mission is to improve the visual health through collaborative and community-oriented patient care, education and research. |
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Byblos
Allison S.p.a has debuted its collection for Byblos, the Italian prêt-à-porter and accessories brand designed by Manuel Facchini. Allison has imprinted the Byblos collection with a contemporary spirit of refinement and sophisticated culture to create an exclusive, all-Italian image. The Byblos collection is inspired by, and incorporates, art trends for an urban-chic sophistication with the chromatic dissonances of Andy Warhol, the sinuosity of artist Anish Kapoor's steel sculptures and the “blob” architecture that designers Peter Cook and Colin Fournier designed for the Kunsthaus Graz art museum in Graz, Austria. Comprised of 20 sun models, the overall theme of the collection is glasses that protect and shield the eyes from light but where the light itself constructs unexpected dimensions in solids and voids. Design elements like inserts, futuristic hinge constructions, hollow logos and lenses that screw on from the back and cut a bas-relief logo in the front’s center round out the Japanese inspired but purely Italian collection.
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Cynthia Rowley
Couteur Designs, a division of the
Kenmark Group, has introduced new frames into its
Cynthia Rowley Sunwear collection. Each design is created through inspiration from Cynthia Rowley’s runway designs and these new styles continue to portray the designer’s creativity, wit and originality. Her unique patterns and beautiful color palette have been translated into three new sun styles. The oversized sunwear are fashion-forward with decorative temples and crystal accents. The color palate for the new styles includes eggplant, orchid, olive and navy, with black, brown and tortoise also available. Each Cynthia Rowley frame includes a signature mini handbag sunwear case and features a three-year warranty.
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Gucci
Gucci has introduced their new Sports Glam style sunglasses from
Sàfilo, designed with “sport-glam” appeal. The exclusive style of the new grille is emphasized by the oversized wrap-around shape. The thin and smooth metal frame plays with the lenses and disappears at the side to leave room for the logo. The forked temples with their lightweight and essential design are completed by rubber end-pieces. The polycarbonate lenses are curved and provide a distortion-free view for a perfect fit and futuristic look. The logo plays a key role with the “double-G” in large rubber characters, which can also be seen from the front. The color range is made up of tone-on-tone options, such as semi-matte black with a blue logo and black lenses, ruthenium with a black logo and silver mirrored tinted lenses, black with a blue logo and aviation lenses and brown with the logo and lenses in a matching color. |
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Oakley
Oakley, Inc. and
Motorola, Inc. have released the O ROKR Pro Bluetooth Stereo series of eyewear. The semi-rimless design and Oakley's XYZ Optics maximizes clarity at all angles while the interchangeable lenses allow the wearer to adapt to their environment. Performance is optimized with the Oakley Hydrophobic lens coating that repels water, skin oils and dust. Pure Plutonite lenses filter out 100 percent of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm, and the lens/frame combination meets all ANSI Z87.1 protection standards for impact resistance. Oakley Rx technology can match the frame with prescription lenses. The Motorola Bluetooth 2.0 technology is compatible to the user’s mobile phone and/or music storage device up to 33 feet away while multiple phone and music player functions can be accessed with buttons built into the frame. An integrated rechargeable battery offers up to 100 hours of standby time. |
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Ray-Ban
Luxottica celebrates
Ray-Ban’s 70th birthday with the introduction of Ray-Ban Ultra Gold, two new limited edition versions of the most legendary sun styles that made the brand famous, the Ray-Ban Aviator and the Ray-Ban Outdoorsman. The frames are made of titanium on the front and beta-titanium on the temples and then the entire frame is plated with 22K gold. Only 12,500 numbered single eyeglass pieces each will be produced, for a total of 25,000 pairs, each engraved with their own serial number on the inner side. The new P³ (P-Cubed) lenses further reflect the quality and technological core of Ray-Ban Ultra’s design. A new polarizing filter, sandwiched between two glass layers, improves vision and guarantees higher protection against polarized light. Anti-glare coating reduces the percentage of light that reaches the eye, ensuring sharper vision. Finally, the new waterproof quality of P³ lenses adds protection to the surface. |
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Valentino
Valentino’s latest sunwear collection from
Sàfilo features stylish models that are rich in detail with carefully designed shapes and prestigious materials. These authentic objects of desire fascinate with their luxurious ultra-feminine style. The large metal wrap-around glasses have a daring outer space-like allure thanks to their futuristic style and form. The ultra-close fitting lens gently hugs the face and is illuminated by tiny dots of light originating from tiny crystals around the profile and along the temples giving a star dust effect for a precious magnetic gaze. |
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As an added value to our readers, we will be including the hyperlinks to the companies featured in the Sun Spots product department of the Sun Advisor E-Newsletter. In addition, we will include, were appropriate, other links that will further convey the philosophy and aesthetic of a brand to help our readers better understand the products and lines we feature. |
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New Lines and Launches...
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Legendary
Playing the last surviving human on the planet in his latest blockbuster I Am Legend looks like it has taken its toll on Will Smith. That or he is just preparing for his next role, as a down-and-out superhero wearing the Dior Mist 1S sunglasses from Sàfilo, in Hancock filming now. |
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Oh Canada!
Apparently Avril Lavigne is ranked the seventh most powerful Canadian in Hollywood; it is easy to see why when the girl has the good sense and impeccable fashion sense to sport these Calvin Klein Collection CK973s sunglasses from Marchon. |
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What Happens in Vegas
Doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas if that means Las Vegas star Molly Sims is required to leave her Robert Marc style 509 sunglasses behind when she is done filming. But I am sure the lovely lady doesn’t worry, that is what multiple pairs are for. |
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American Gangster
He may be a performer, designer, CEO and America’s sweetheart, Beyonce’s, one-and-only but Jay-Z still likes to take it back to the street. His latest album, American Gangster is inspired by the movie out now by the same name and depicts his experiences as a street-hustler. Here he wears the Oliver Peoples S/S06 Virtuoso sunglass. |
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Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay
Lindsay Lohan has been keeping her nose nice and clean since she left rehab in October and it is a good thing too otherwise her Badgley Mischka Couteur Eyewear’s Otto sunglasses from Sama wouldn’t look nearly as striking. |
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