NEWS

The Bolon Eyewear Spring Summer Collection is a hymn to elegance and modernity. Italian design, refinement and attention to detail make each piece of eyewear unique and original. The brand’s glamorous DNA is interpreted by Italian top model Vittoria Ceretti who, with her delicate beauty and charm, perfectly embodies BOLON Eyewear’s ideals of style and elegance. As of 2013, Bolon Eyewear is part of the Essilor Group’s brand portfolio.

Vittoria Ceretti - Bolon Eyewear

Change of management and new creative direction at CAZAL. Katharina Schlager, CEO and creative director, left the management of op Couture Brillen GmbH on 30 November 2020 and will continue to work for the company as a consultant until the end of March. Allan Rasmussen took over creative responsibility for CAZAL product development in February 2021. Over the past 25 years, Rasmussen has worked as head of design for renowned industry giants, for whom he was successfully responsible for the development of cutting-edge products.

De Rigo and FILA Luxembourg S.àr.l, the global parent company of the FILA brand, announced the renewal of the licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of FILAbranded prescription frames and sunglasses in EMEA, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand. The new agreement between the two companies confirms the solidity of the partnership that began in 1996 and continues today with mutual satisfaction. In a complex year such as 2020, FILA Eyewear has in fact recorded 9% growth in global sales, driven in particular by sales results in Europe and the Americas.

De Rigo and FILA

EssilorLuxottica and CooperCompanies have entered into an agreement to create a 50/50 joint venture for the acquisition of SightGlass Vision, a U.S. based life sciences company focused on developing innovative spectacle lenses to reduce the progression of myopia in children. SightGlass Vision’s technology will complement both companies’ existing solutions, including Essilor’s Stellest lens and CooperVision’s MiSight and Orthokeratology contact lenses.

Italia Independent has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with Enea Bastianini, the young and talented Moto2 World Champion rider, who will move up to the premier MOTO GP class this year, riding a Ducati in the colours of the Esponsorama Racing Team. The sponsorship agreement will also include the launch of a line of Italia Independent eyewear, whose design is being developed directly by Lapo Elkann and Enea Bastianini.

Enea Bastianini - Italia Independent

Johnson & Johnson Vision a division of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, has released the results of its survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on contact lens wearer behaviour in Western Europe. The survey, conducted in October 2020 among more than 2,000 contact lens users in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands, found that 71% of consumers who had stopped wearing contact lenses during the lockdown returned to wearing them as frequently as before the pandemic. Interestingly, 20 per cent of participants said they buy more contact lenses now than before the pandemic struck. 22% of respondents had changed their place of purchase, which is reflected in an increase in online buying, although the proportion of users acquired from genuine e-commerce retailers is relatively low (+2%). E-commerce retailers with physical shops acquired slightly more, although again the change is moderate (+4%). Regarding making appointments with their optician, 48% of respondents said they had already done it since the start of the pandemic and 64% said they had no problem going back. 26% expressed some concern, but said they still intended to go to the optician once they had made an appointment.

Johnson & Johnson

Founded in 1971 in Domegge di Cadore, Italy, Trevi Coliseum celebrates 50 years of activity, an important milestone made possible thanks to the great commitment and extraordinary skills of all those who are and have been part of the company. A history of experience and expertise in the production and marketing of eyewear and sunglasses under the company’s historic brands: Clark, Coliseum, Cotton Club and Trevi 1971. A family-run Italian company, Trevi Coliseum has adapted to changing market conditions, anticipating trends and bringing excellent products to the market at the best price. Trevi Coliseum has been able to grow and carry on the challenging task of respecting and preserving tradition while matching the needs of new trends.

Apax Funds has acquired Rodenstock Group from Compass Partners. Founded in 1877, Rodenstock has been a world leader in prescription lenses for over 140 years. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Rodenstock employs approximately 4,900 people worldwide and is represented by sales subsidiaries and distribution partners in more than 85 countries. The transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approvals and is expected to close in mid-2021. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Marcolin and Max Mara announced the official launch of their first eyewear collection, the result of the five-year partnership announced last September. A preview of the sunglasses was presented at the Max Mara fashion show in Milan last September. The worldwide launch of the Max Mara eyewear collection will be supported by a digital campaign on the brand’s social channels starting in April 2021 and created in collaboration with international talents, each of whom will interpret the concept in their own way, creating a narrative video, the true soul of the communication.

Marcolin and Max Mara

La Martina - a well-known brand deeply rooted in the passion and values of polo and now also present in the lifestyle segment - has signed at the end of 2020 a three-year collaboration with the Italian company Jet Set Group for the production and distribution of its new lifestyle line of eyewear, both sun and prescription. The La Martina eyewear collection debuted at the beginning of the new year, and the premium positioning is aimed at concept shops and specialised retail outlets.

La Martina and Jet Set Group

Bernard Maitenaz has passed away in Paris at the age of 94. He was the inventor of Varilux progressive lenses, which have helped improve the lives of millions of presbyopes around the world and changed an entire industry. Since 1959, more than 700 million Varilux® lenses have been sold. His passion for optics, his invaluable contribution and his unwavering faith in the future of the optical industry have made him one of the industry’s most emblematic figures. Bernard Maitenaz was one of the founders of the Essilor Group in 1972. At the head of the company from 1981 to 1991, he experienced a period of great international growth, which saw Essilor become the world leader in corrective lenses. After his retirement, he continued his commitment to Essilor as Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors and founding member of the employee shareholder association, Valoptec.

Bernard Maitenaz

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Prada presents the second chapter of the Prada Linea Rossa Eyewear advertising campaign in collaboration with the ‘new generation’ sailors of the Prada Cup-winning Luna Rossa team. In the campaign images, the intensity of human determination is translated into a visual projection of the challenge, the subjective point of view of the sailors leading the viewer towards the most awaited goal, the conquest of the America’s Cup.