Made in Italy eyewear conquers the Big Apple
Anfao has always been attentive to promoting the excellence of Italian products on major world markets. And this year more than ever before it wants to focus attention on the strength and strategic importance of Made in Italy. «Precisely because you should never stop, from March 18 through 24, immediately after Mido, New York City will be the location of an exhibition organized by ANFAO in collaboration with ICE, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, as part of the sector agreement with the Ministry of Economic Development», stated Anfao president Vittorio Tabacchi. «The exhibition covers the history of eyewear from its invention in Italy in the 13th century to the models for the upcoming summer season».
A truly prestigious location has been chosen for the occasion: Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal, one of the busiest areas in the Big Apple, which represents the primary reference market in America. It was chosen specifically for its maximum visibility given that about 500,000 people pass through it every day and that the general public is the intended audience. «We want to share our country’s important cultural heritage and stimulate interest in the production of Italian eyewear, which needs to be supported now more than ever before», Tabacchi added.
The exhibition-event includes almost two-hundred items: a section with historical eyeglasses selected from the collections of Museo dell’Occhiale in Pieve di Cadore, Galleria Guglielmo Tabacchi in Padua and Museo Luxottica in Agordo, as well as from some private collections. Additionally, there is a section with the very latest Made in Italy proposals for spring/summer 2010. The exhibition reconstructs a historical map of eyeglasses and the role they have played, and continue to play, in contemporary situations.
The display is mainly chronological to emphasize the Italian origins of eyeglasses and their development, to highlight the modernity of certain antique items and the continuity of Made in Italy creativity that over the years has always referred to the past and to tradition, elements that have become the symbol and guarantee of unparalleled quality and know-how throughout the world.
«The exhibition is the special story of evocative works of art in a journey through time», Tabacchi concluded. «The merit of this initiative is that it broadens the American public’s knowledge about the excellence of made in Italy eyewear and all its various historical, cultural and aesthetic components. It also focuses attention on the indisputable strength of a revolutionary invention that has captivated and continues to captivate the entire world».
The appointment is at Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, New York City, March 18 through 24.
