Italian eyewear on the Paris catwalk
Italian eyewear returns to Paris this year for its traditional and absolute preview of the new collections for spring-summer 2005. The event, now being held for the third year, celebrates the production of Italian industry which, thanks to its liaison with the world's leading stylists, is the No. 1 producer of designer eyewear and dictates fashion trends in the international marketplace.
The catwalk, organized by Anfao (Italian Association of Optical Goods Manufacturers) in team with the Ice office in Paris, was held this morning at the Hotel D'Evreux in Paris and is one of Made in Italy's promotional activities overseas.
'I am very pleased to personally note that the industry agreement between the ministry and the trade associations is working very well', said Deputy Minister for manufacturing activities (foreign trade delegate) Adolfo Urso, who attended the catwalk, together with Italian Ambassador in France Giovanni Dominedò, Anfao President Cirillo Marcolin and the Director of Ice office in Paris Fabio Casciotti. 'This agreement provides for the co-funding of promotional events (where Ice is the main organizer) by the public and private sectors, which satisfy the specific needs of a given sector of production. This allows Made in Italy products to present themselves in a new, entertaining and innovative way in leading markets worldwide'.
This great event has seen the international press, buyers and trade people viewing 140 exclusive models on the catwalk (all shown in our Special), from prescription eyewear frames to sunglasses, produced by 43 Italian companies. All the leading international fashion names have been represented, Armani, Bulgari, Yves Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferrè, Roberto Cavalli. Original and trendy models, one-of-a-kind design pieces accompanied by a host of eyewear cases, in the form of precious boxes to show off, have also been included.
There will be six trends for the coming seasons. In 2005, eyewear/jewellery will make a comeback, logos will return as decorations, and rhinestones or small leather inserts will be used to make eyewear unique. The focus is on purple and red, in a revisited version of light and transparency. Shapes will become even wider and more wraparound, lenses will have the same colour as the frame. A unique preview of the latest collections for men, women and children with proposals that are becoming increasingly more customized but always made in Italy.
'Today', stated Cirillo Marcolin, 'we export about 90 million pieces of eyewear across the world. This eyewear is chosen by people of different nationalities and cultures, but who agree in their desire to wear a safe, quality, but most importantly fashion product. Of the 284 marks produced under license in the world, 143, that is half, are Italian production. This important record allows us to set the trends in styles and designs for the coming seasons'.
'Eyewear is one of the highlights of Made in Italy production', added Urso. 'It is a sector where Italy is the undisputed leader, with a deep-rooted, centuries-old manufacturing tradition and optical research. It is because of Italian industry and its continuing technological progress, research and style, that eyewear, which originated as a medical device, first slowly and then increasingly faster, transformed itself into a fashion object. Once we were ashamed to wear glasses, now we like to show them off. Once frames were more or less the same shape and the same materials, now there are amazing frames, made of innovative materials and shapes that seem to defy the laws of physics'.
This has been a great opportunity to have a first-hand view of the most popular accessories, cult objects that the creative flair and craftsmanship of Italian producers succeed in transforming into reality. An event that promises to be a success for Italian eyewear, which is an absolute leader in the medium-high and luxury market brackets across the world and which is experiencing another recovery after a 2003 marked by an international recession and downturn in consumption that slowed down its performance just like all the I-Style fashion/accessory sectors.
