Since 1964, Silhouette has long been synonymous with high-quality, comfortable and timeless eyewear. Ahead of the Austrian-made brand’s 60th anniversary, the company launched three new collections in September: Vivid Sky, Illusion Lite and Lite Spirit.
In line with a minimalistic approach to design, Silhouette’s design director Roland Keplinger pulls inspiration from a variety of places including travel, modern furniture, art and lighting. Bold colors, two-tone gradient hues, retro oversize cat-eye and round shapes are just some of the latest trends Keplinger has reinterpreted for the Vivid Sky, Illusion Lite and Lite Spirit collections.
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Beyond staying on-trend, Keplinger notes that consumer comfort and wearability are at the heart of the designing process. “We pride ourselves on creating products that are design-driven without ever sacrificing comfort and quality,” said Keplinger. “For eye care professionals working with Silhouette products, our models offer easy handling with trimmable and adjustable temples, so that the wearer can enjoy a perfect fit.”
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Fairchild Studio sat down with Keplinger to discuss upcoming company milestones, the company’s three new collections, the latest eyewear trends, optical innovations and more.
Fairchild Studio: As the company approaches the big milestones of its 60th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of Titan Minimal Art, how has Silhouette continued to stay ahead of the curve?
Roland Keplinger: For nearly 60 years, we’ve prided ourselves on staying true to our vision of providing innovative and minimalistic eyewear, made in Austria, that not only pushes design boundaries, but transcends short-lived trends, making Silhouette eyewear truly timeless.
Titan Minimal Art has been a world-renowned success story for nearly 25 years as a result of the collection’s signature details: high-quality, high-tech titanium, combined with screwless and hingeless technology to deliver the perfect, flexible fit and unparalleled lightness at just 0.06 ounces (or the weight of two paperclips). With Titan Minimal Art, the wearer is empowered by the freeing feeling of weightlessness.
Since the inception of Titan Minimal Art nearly 25 years ago, Silhouette has been able to offer a unique consumer experience with endless possibilities for eyewear customization. Consumers have the unique ability to mix and match the many rimless shapes, sizes, temple colors and additional lens tints to create their own custom-made eyewear that fits their style and personality. This revolutionary offering has helped to secure Silhouette’s position as the benchmark in premium eyewear.
How would you credit high-quality products/materials, unparalleled comfort and modern styling?
Our team of designers is constantly looking for new ways to elevate our core products, reintroducing bestselling collections with innovative new production techniques and color applications that set our products apart. High-quality materials, all-day wearing comfort and supreme lightness are at the core of what we do and have become synonymous with Silhouette over the past six decades. When developing new collections, we pull inspiration from traveling through the world’s most stylish cities and cultural hubs, as well as modern classic furniture, art and lighting, ensuring our products can be passed down from generation to generation as a timeless work of art.
How would you describe the Silhouette consumer?
The Silhouette consumer can be described as a modern performer—someone who is inspired by art, travel and technology. Our consumers appreciate one-of-a-kind products that they can customize to suit their unique preferences. They also gravitate toward high-quality, innovative technical details and unique, minimalistic designs that allow them to see the world around them clearly and with a light state of mind.
What is the inspiration behind Silhouette’s new styles: Vivid Sky, Illusion Lite and Lite Spirit? Can you walk us through each one?
Our newest full-rim collection, Vivid Sky, combines contemporary shapes with extraordinary visual effects. The collection was designed with modern consumers in mind, offering four oversize and everyday shapes in six bold colors that are sure to impress. Pronounced contours and a wide temple design combine with eye-catching color-blocking to offer a unique finish.
With the fall ’23 collection update to one of our best-selling designs, Illusion Lite, signature details are reimagined for an innovative look that exudes understated elegance. The collection offers a wide range of face-flattering shapes and on-trend, two-tone gradient color effects that are perfect for everyday wear.
The Lite Spirit Rimless collection delivers a fresh take on a timeless Silhouette design. The collection is uniquely suited to appeal to a range of wearers, with a mix of classic and angular lens shapes and subtle injections of both elegant and fashionably fresh colors to the titanium temples. With a weight of just 0.08 ounces, wearers are sure to love the unrivaled lightness of Lite Spirit.
What are some of the upcoming eyewear trends and how are they incorporated into Silhouette’s new collections?
We’re seeing a lot of retro influences in today’s modern eyewear, which as a heritage brand that has been creating eyewear for nearly 60 years, is so fun to reinterpret. Our Lite Spirit Rimless collection has a hint of ’90s nostalgia with its exaggerated cat-eye and round shapes and metallic color palette, while Vivid Sky and Illusion Lite offer oversize oval and square shapes in bold colors that are reminiscent of the ’70s.
Paving the Way in Sustainable Eyewear
Not only does the Silhouette Group focus on modern-classic designs, but the company also has a strong ethos in furthering its eco-friendly and sustainability efforts. Thomas Windischbauer chief operating officer of Silhouette Group (above) told Fairchild Studio that the eyewear brand is focused on a minimalistic approach to both its design and consumption.
“We offer quality that goes far beyond material, workmanship, design and wearing comfort,” said Windischbauer. “Instead of merely consuming resources, we preserve their value in the best possible way and recycle some of them several times. We like to follow the principle of minimum material for maximum quality.”
The company’s Austrian production facilities are powered exclusively by CO2-free green electricity. In the process of total carbon neutrality, the manufacturing plant has its own on-site solar energy production with 1.5 acres of solar panels. Windischbauer estimates that by the beginning of 2024, the Silhouette Group will self-generate 15 percent of the energy required for its annual production (1,142,000 kWh).
Through the implementation of new projects, the eyewear brand is aiming to reduce its CO2 emissions to zero without offsetting by 2027. The Silhouette Group has already been carbon neutral with offsetting since September 2022.
Furthermore, the Silhouette Group has a strong commitment to the preservation and improvement of water consumption. Every day 27,000 gallons of water are recycled at the factory and used several times throughout the production process.
“As a family-owned business, we take a long-term view, putting people and the planet first,” said Windischbauer. “Being the only European eyewear brand to be certified under the EU’s Eco Management and Audits Scheme (EMAS), we are leading the way in sustainable innovation and environmental protection within the eyewear industry.”