Italian eyewear regains ground

After last year's steep decline in consumption, the Italian eyewear sector is at last regaining ground. Since the first few months of 2004, there has in fact been a reversal in the trend.

In the January-April period exports of Italian eyewear grew by 3% compared to the same period in 2003. This positive figure refers to sunglasses (+3%) as well as frames (+4%), with the biggest signs of recovery in the United States, where exports have increased by 14.8% (frames +9%, sunglasses +18.9%). Italian eyewear has also maintained its share in Europe, where there was growth in ophthalmic glasses (+1%) and in sunglasses (+5.7%). And prospects are good for new markets, such as Russia, in eastern Europe.

'I hope the situation is changing at last', Cirillo Marcolin, chairman of Anfao and Mido, told Il Sole 24 Ore. 'We are convinced that it is important to support the sector and that includes promotional initiatives oriented toward making Italian glasses known to emergent markets and in areas that are strategic for our product'.

With this in mind, again this year Anfao will be organizing a Made in Italy eyewear fashion show in Paris (October 21). During 2005, more fashion shows will be held in New York, Moscow and, for the first time, Shanghai. A social class is emerging in the Far East with a strong willingness to buy Made in Italy, which is a status symbol and a distinctive element of style.