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REEDITION Jockey from Lafont • Circle No. 235 |
| Preppies, rounds and rectangles, big and small. Aviators. Cat eyes. Lots of tortoise. Yes, the latest eyewear styles have a retro feel. And that’s intentional. In uncertain times, consumers want what’s familiar and friendly. So retailers need what’s safe and saleable. But although these designs take their inspiration from the past, there is nothing old-fashioned here. They are “of the moment,” reflecting the newest technology… the most innovative materials… the hottest colorations. This is “NOW” Retro. |
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M+ 2009 from Modo Eyewear • Circle No. 247 |
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EDWARD BEINER 003D from EBX Optik
• Circle No. 225 |
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POLICE 2805 from Eastern States Eyewear
• Circle No. 232 |
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From top:
STEVE MADDEN SP69 from Colors in Optics • Circle No. 228;
RODENSTOCK 4310 from Rodenstock North America • Circle No. 252; LACOSTE Activ 7433 from L’Amy Group • Circle No. 236; BUGLE BOY 1001 from McGee Group • Circle No. 244 |
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BRENDEL 5618 from Brendel Lunettes
• Circle No. 226 |
Size Matters
Men are thinking both BIG and small these days. The big certainly has a bit to do with the military buildup on everyone’s minds lately. And that ties right into the rising aviator avatar. But don’t discount small. Men love the intellectual look of a small shape with a simple saddle bridge. Minimal fuss — no muss—and — case included — the whole package usually fits into any pocket. The smaller shapes are also perfect for those first-time speced Baby boomers looking for a true Rx reader that’s portable and face friendly… It’s almost invisible. |
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LE MAN 1526CT from Cottet Morel USA
• Circle No. 229 |
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CELINE VC1516G from Seiko Optical Products
• Circle No. 254 |
Jackie O
Jackie O, the exemplary icon of the 20th century, added her own individual sense of style to her favorite sunglass design… to such an extent that the look is now known as the Jackie O. And remember, these plastic ovals, ranging from slightly oversize to enormous, add glamour and a sense of mystery to women of all ages. Any color, goes, but black with dark lenses enhances the intrigue. And don’t just think of them as sun. Any quality frame can be Rxed. |
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JESSICA MCCLINTOCK 514 from ClearVision Optical • Circle No. 227 |
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From top:
COVERGIRL 101 from Marcolin USA • Circle No. 242; JOAN COLLINS 9612 from New York Eye/Division
of Hart Specialties • Circle No. 249; JONES NEW YORK 245 from Lantis Eyewear • Circle No. 237; NICOLE MILLER Capri from Signature Eyewear • Circle No. 255; JILL STUART 119 from Eyewear Designs • Circle No. 234 |
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OLEG CASSINI 1183
from Avalon Eyewear
• Circle No. 223 |
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STETSON 198 from Zyloware • Circle No. 260 |
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From top:
PAUL FRANK Broadcaster from Baum Vision • Circle No. 224; MARYAM ZAIM PN7 from Maryam Zaim • Circle No. 243;
CAZAL 395 from Eastern States Eyewear & Ultra Palm Optical • Circle No. 233; ANNA SUI 03501 from Allison Eyewear • Circle No. 222; BOSS BY HUGO BOSS 11027 from CXD/Charmant Exclusive Division • Circle No. 231 |
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LAUREN HUTTON LO96 from Rem Eyewear • Circle No. 250 |
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GANT Sun Wave from
Viva International Group
• Circle No. 259 |
High Style
The aviator sunglass first took flight with Lindbergh. New generations of this shape worn by men and women of all ages have never stopped soaring high in form and function. Keep in mind that aviators are now available in designer, branded and house collections. With a hard-to-fit and difficult-to-please male customer, the aviator always works. |
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From top:
Milan N038 from Tura • Circle No. 257; SILHOUETTE 8577 from Silhouette Optical • Circle No. 256; INNOVATIVE M/F TECHNOLOGY 378 from Revolution Eyewear • Circle No. 251; TAKEO KIKUCHI 835 from Mitani USA • Circle No. 246 |
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KATA Bardo from Legacie Eyewear/
Luxury House of B. Robinson Optical
• Circle No. 239 |
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CHANEL VISION 2046-T
from Luxottica Group • Circle No. 240 |
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YVES SAINT LAURENT 2060/S
from SÃ filo USA • Circle No. 253 |
Round We Go
Roundish glasses have a history. Way back in the 18th century, Ben Franklin wore them. John Lennon made them a hot statement for the 20th century.
And Harry Potter has magically brought them into the 21st century. Whether metal or plastic, these styles are great for any age — from that adorable
toddler to the career person hoping to look smart to the mature adult wanting to make a bold personal statement. And any size works — from tiny
to gigantic (not on toddlers, though). |
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VERA WANG LUXE Fusion from
Couteur Designs/Division
of Kenmark Group • Circle No. 230 |
Board Games
Paint the boredom right out of your frame board with plastic. Nothing livens up an optical wall like a splash of zyls… especially in every shade of blue and red. Multi-laminations are toning down and that’s a good thing in terms of cost and wearability. You save and the consumer saves face. Feel free to use the fashion pages of 20/20 to categorize your styles — be it by gender, by style or by color. |
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JEFF BANKS 450 from Metzler International USA • Circle No. 245 |
Insider Tip
Don’t discount rimless just because you don’t see many such styles in our photo shoot. Rimless and semi-rimless styles remain hot and grow hotter every day. The reason we don’t photograph them often is because they usually come to us with demo lenses that have logos and brand names on the surface. That would look dumb in a shoot. We feature rimless as the main shoot in our May issue so stay tuned. That’s when we beg vendors to send styles without demo markings —and even resort to fitting real lenses in some instances. |
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DONNA KARAN 8806 from
Marchon Eyewear • Circle No. 241 |
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MAURICE MALONE 2EZ
from Moja Design • Circle No. 248 |
Sun In Your Eyes
The 20/20 photo shoot concentrated on ophthalmic styles for this Expo show go round, but don’t think we’ve given up on one of our main messages —Selling sun is paramount to successful optical retailing. Take note from vendors and key manufacturers who now devote almost a third of their eye-energy to sunwear.To survive in this industry you must make shades (both Rx and plano) a priority. |