Quick Take: State Optical Co. has announced the STATE X Maxwell Collaboration, a limited edition sunglass style designed in partnership with recording artist, three-time Grammy winner, and modern soul star, Maxwell.
Specifics: The limited edition sun style is named Reunion, a reference to the song from Maxwell’s debut album, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite. The design of REUNION takes inspiration from Maxwell’s trademark trailblazing modern soul sound. Maxwell explained, “I called the first pair REUNION because the world has been divided in so many ways... digital, geopolitical, gender discrimination, you name it, it’s happening, and it has to stop. REUNION is a promise, if not a guarantee, that we can come back together as the closing of the song clearly says ‘we’re back together’.” Blending soft and sharp lines, the design comes together much like a music composition. Maxwell said, “We wanted to make something classic and timeless connected to songs I have written.” Maxwell designed the sunglasses in collaboration with State designer Nico Roseillier. Reunion will be available in two colorways: a sultry blue smoke with brown gradient lenses and a sandblasted matte black with blue gradient lenses. Each pair of sunglasses will be packaged with a card sharing a personal message from Maxwell, as well as a custom cleaning cloth.
Selling Point: STATE will contribute a portion of sales from the collaboration to The Vision Council’s Open Your Eyes Scholarship. The Vision Council, through the Better Vision Institute, launched the Open Your Eyes Scholarship Program, a 501(c)(3) charity designed to support high school students in marginalized communities throughout the United States who have an interest in pursuing a career in the optical industry. The program will support selected students through monetary scholarships to opticianry school, paid internships and mentorships.
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