SCENE + HEARD: Parties Safilo and Solstice Celebrate New Fifth Avenue Flagship By Deirdre Carroll Friday, December 27, 2013 12:00 AM NEW YORK—On Nov. 21, Solstice Sunglasses, owned by Safilo Group, kicked off the holiday season with a new two-story NYC flagship store located at 500 Fifth Avenue. The new store measures over 1,000 square feet on two levels, making it the retailer’s first two-story location in the country, and features golden teakwood fixtures, corian displays and mirrored walls on the ground level. The second level houses a curated selection of designer eyeglass collections and will serve as a VIP area for clients. The store will house a permanent photo booth, another first for the chain, which will allow customers to road test frames and share the images with friends on their social network of choice. Additionally, the new flagship will serve as the store’s first pilot location for a new iPad application called “Solstice Sunglasses To Go” which will roll out storewide in 2014. The app allows sales associates to shop directly via the iPad from a virtual web inventory on behalf of customers—making it easier to purchase an out-of-stock color or style—it also enables sales associates to view the newest styles with customers, as well as their past purchases. ■ 1/4 Solstice’s Rick Talmage with actress Rosario Dawson. Other celebrities in attendance included style expert Robert Verdi and actress Kelly Rutherford. Safilo’s Roberto Risi and Robin Ettinger came out to celebrate the opening. Guests enjoy Solstice’s new flagship on NYC’s Fifth Avenue, the retailer’s first two-story store.