NEW YORK — Eyewear makers have a bright outlook for the summer season as sunglass designs get edgier, more designers jump into the game and more consumers buy multiple frames.
Those factors led many exhibitors at this month’s 20th annual Vision Expo East show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center here to report high-double-digit growth in their sunglass lines.
“There is no cap to the luxury sunglass boom,” said Michael Copping, vice president of sales and marketing for Optical Shops of Aspen, which produces Chrome Hearts, Blinde and Kieselstein-Cord eyewear.
Copping said OSA’s sales increased 35 percent in 2005 and he projected high-double-digit gains this year. Last month, Oakley Inc. acquired OSA’s unrelated retail division, which includes 14 U.S. stores.
Cliff Robinson, president of Legacie and B. Robinson Optical, which produces the Judith Leiber, Kata and Betsey Johnson brands, noted that trade shows generally have less traffic, but more serious buyers.
“Sunglasses are such a hot category right now,” he said. “It’s due in part to some larger competing brands like Luxottica, which have been putting a lot of money into advertising, raising consumer awareness. It’s changed. The person who once bought cheaper frames now wants designer.”
Robinson, who said his Judith Leiber business was up 30 percent and that Kata’s sales were ahead 40 percent, is in talks to launch sunglass lines for the lower-priced Betseyville line in addition to Betsey Johnson, which launched this spring.
Marchon’s big launch was a 22-style women’s and men’s Calvin Klein line. The collection will be sold in 600 Federated doors this spring at retail prices of $65 to $75, markedly lower than the Calvin Klein Collection and Ck lines, which sell in stores for $80 to $350 and $90 to $120, respectively.
“Department stores are looking to upgrade their retail assortment [for sunglasses],” said Lloyd Gittler, vice president of retail sales for Marchon. “This line is where consumers get the opportunity to try a big frame at a relatively low price.”
Overall, large plastic frames with gradient lenses reigned supreme, and some companies made an effort to make plastics lighter. Logos went from last year’s emblazonments to subtler references. Yves Saint Laurent’s large plastic frames have metal temples depicting an elusive “YSL” logo that resembles the Eiffel Tower.
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Although logos generally weren’t as loud this year, Mark Ugenti, vice president of sales at Safilo Group, which licenses Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs, said they will never go away in this category.
“The customer wants a logo and wants the branded item,” Ugenti said, adding that Safilo Group has experienced significant increases this year. “Sunglasses are the entry price point into the designer world. Someone may not be able to afford a designer bag, but they can likely afford a pair of sunglasses for around $150.”
Joyce Packman, vice president and divisional merchandise manager of fashion accessories at Bloomingdale’s, said her sunglass business has increased by double digits over the past two years. The logo will always be a part of the eyewear business.
“It’s not every woman that can spend thousands of dollars on designer apparel, but when sunglasses are $300, it’s an approachable price point,” she said.
Logos weren’t the way to go for Badgley Mischka Luxury Eyewear by Sama, which bowed at the trade show.
“Our frames don’t really have logos. That’s not what our customers respond to,” said Mark Badgley, co-designer of Badgley Mischka, at a panel discussion before the show.
Instead of logos, the frames were given such intricate touches as feathers set within the plastic temples.
Robert Marc channeled luxury when he put shagreen in petrol, pink and gray on the temples of his oversize plastic frames, while Christian Dior opted to take influence from its fashion jewelry with fobs on its temples.
The show had a fair share of new designers; Carolina Herrera and John Varvatos launched collections with Base Curve. Chloé and Lanvin — L’Amy acquired the eyewear licenses late last year — will bow later this year.
Silmo, the Paris eyewear trade show, put on a fashion show at Vision Expo to showcase some of its exhibitors, including Dior, Face A Face and Maxmara.
Some trends, such as metal and plastic aviators, continue to be popular. Frames with geometric lenses, as opposed to round or rectangular, made an entry at Herrera, Paul Smith and D&G.
Wayfarers, which Ray Ban originated in the Fifties, have made a comeback, most notably at Oliver Peoples, which did them in tortoiseshell with tawny brown lenses, and at Marc Jacobs, which showed a chunky black style with a logo in cursive script at the temples.
Many manufacturers said because of the increased demand for designer eyewear, specialty stores that hadn’t carried sunglasses before are now making floor space for them, and department stores are increasing their buys in the category.
“Specialty stores are now a viable arena [for sunglasses], with the consolidation of department stores,” Robinson said.
Bergdorf Goodman is increasing the department space this spring and plans additional promotions through trunk shows and public appearances.
“Our customer has responded incredibly well to the sunglass category over the past several seasons,” said Ed Burstell, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of beauty, jewelry and accessories for the store. “Sunglasses are very heavily editorialized and are a very big piece of what is happening in fashion right now.”