Whats New

Jul
2003

What's New

Photographed by Nedjeljko Matura

Grant/Estroff: Caillou Eyewear

Targeting kids ages 2 to 5
Grant USA/Estroff Optical launches Caillou Eyewear, a branded children’s line. The new collection takes its name from the loveable little boy star of the CINAR Corporation award-winning TV program for preschoolers. Featured are six metals in almond, oval, rectangular and round designs. Colors include combinations of blue and yellow, yellow and red, black and red, and blue and red with such accents as stars, flowers and musical notes. Each style has a Caillou figure on the temple and is named for Caillou’s friends and toys: Gilbert, Caillou’s cat; Rexy, a talking dinosaur; Clementine, a bold friend with a heart of gold. Frames are hypoallergenic and equipped with spring hinges. Cable temples are available. Eye sizes range from 34mm to 41mm.
PHILOSOPHY: “Color has always been a motivating factor behind Grant. We want to give people a chance to express themselves with the full force of the rainbow. We feel it’s especially important to give children a wide range of colorful frames, which we do in our Grant Junior line and continue in the new Caillou collection. Designing expressive, technically advanced eyewear for children is our special way of looking to the future,” says Gunther Kinigadner, president and founder of the Italian-based Grant.
MARKETING: Merchandising materials include one- and 12-place frame displays, a cube with illustrations of Caillou and friends and pictures of Caillou in an eight-inch by 11-inch frame. Each style comes with a hard case and cleaning cloth.
PRICE POINT: $$$.
AVAILABILITY: Now. For additional information, contact Grant USA/Estroff Optical, (800) 828-0060.


Lafont: Reedition

“Now” retro styling
Lafont presents its Reedition eyewear line.  With the new line, Lafont has revisited and recreated eyewear that brought the company success in the 1970s and 1980s. Targeted to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers seeking neo-retro designs, the collection consists of nine metals and five plastics. Styles are reinterpretations of classic shapes, including preppie, round, oval, cat-eye and octagonal designs. Colors range from shades of tortoise to gunmetal, black, indigo blue and matte burgundy.
PHILOSOPHY: “Haute couture designers often return to their former drawings for inspiration; some car designers revive 20-year-old sketches; Lafont redraws the Genie, a very successful style from our earliest collections,” says eyewear designer Laurence Lafont. “Because vintage is such a major trend in fashion this year, we decided to return to our roots, creating Reedition. For us vintage means round tortoise-shell and classic frame designs—
symbols of Parisian elegance.”
MARKETING: Merchandising materials include two gray flannel cushions and a panel with stand. Each frame comes with a hard case, which fits into a gray flannel pouch with red drawstrings.
PRICE POINT: $$$$ to $$$$$.
AVAILABILITY: Now. For additional information, contact Lafont, (800) 832-8233; web site: www. lafont-paris.com.

Premiere Vision:
Cacharel Eyewear

A collection of colors and textures
Under a licensing agreement with Cacharel, the French fashion house known for its colorful feminine clothing and accessories, Premiere Vision, A Luxury Division of Logo Group, launches the Cacharel Eyewear brand worldwide. Targeted to women 25 to 45, the eyewear line consists of 20 styles. Ophthalmic frames come in three sub groups: Bubbles, combination frames with slender temples curving into transparent tips infused with colorful bubbles; Dragonfly, metal styles with water-drop temple tips, reminiscent of dragonfly wings; and Graphic, plastic frames featuring bold color combinations and curving temples. Sunglasses are offered in the Dragonfly group and include three-piece mount styles with iridescent lenses and gradient, mirror and flash coatings. An additional sunglass, Prom Rock, an eight-base shield offered in 10 colors with hearts and stars set into the lenses and a removable dangling jewel, is available.
PHILOSOPHY: “We chose the Cacharel brand based on its re-energized spirit created by the new designers. It’s a dynamic name that’s decidedly creative, romantic and expressive—perfect for the style-conscious women we want to reach,” says Premiere marketing manager Jennifer Lamont.
MARKETING: Merchandising materials include a set of three garlands, three risers, countercard and banner. Each frame comes with a hard case and cleaning cloth.
PRICE POINT: $$ to $$$.
AVAILABILITY: Spring 2003. For additional information, contact Premiere Vision, (800) 322-5646.

 

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