Henry Jullien: "Les Urbaines" to celebrate ninetieth anniversary

A quick look at the market: there are good signs of a recovery. What can you tell us about your company? What strategies are you employing, or have you employed, to start again after the global crisis that affected more or less all sectors?
First: to remain faithful to our roots. In such difficult times in terms of business, opticians are a bit scared to sell high-end products, including products positioned in the high-price segment. But they shouldn’t be. In fact, and as experience has proved in other industry sectors, in such periods, the consumer comes back to the roots, to look for what we call in French “Valeurs sûres”. Gold filled frames, in which we are specialized and which are very qualitative products with a long life span, represent this “security value”.
The strategy of the brand has been also driven by the willing to entice a new clientele, that’s why this year, for the 90th anniversary of the brand, Henry Jullien introduces a new product line, to complete the 2 other ones. Those products target a new type of customers for Henry Jullien, more urban, younger and looking for trendier eyewear.

In general terms, what future do you see for the eyewear industry and, in your opinion, what are the best opportunities that should be exploited for development?
The market is really saturated with lots of brands and we constantly see new ones appearing. But for some of them, the lifespan is very short giving the competitiveness of this market. Making eyewear produced in Asia and introducing them on the market is not enough, as today the consumer is more and more paying attention to what he buys. “Story telling”, Brand history, products manufactured in France, innovation, quality, all these aspects have to be considered and will contribute to give a better image and a real credibility to the eyewear industry.

As always, Mido is an unmissable appointment: what do you expect from the 2011 edition of the exhibition?
We are waiting for our customers and we hope they will be present at the 2011 Fair, given the difficult political content in some regions of the world.

As to products: what main new additions will you be presenting at Mido?

The French eyewear manufacturer HENRY JULLIEN celebrates its 90th year with the introduction of a completely new frame series ‘‘Les URBAINES’’. The first model ‘Equinoxe’ will be launched at Mido 2011 and marks the arrival of acetate with Henry Jullien, whilst incorporating design elements in metal sufficiently critical to stay true to the values and image of the brand. This model is designed and manufactured entirely in the Jura, in the pure tradition of Henry Jullien. This new third collection complements the range and allows Henry Jullien to expand its target clientele. "Les Signatures" reflects the history and know-how of the brand, with frames produced in Gold Filled material with classic style. "Les Contemporaines" play on creativity, comfort and the lightness of their materials with exceptional properties, such as Sandvik Nanoflex.  "Les Urbaines" aims at a younger audience, more urban, whilst fully retaining the style and quality of Henry Jullien.  .
Equinoxe combines metal and acetate in chic neutral tones. Very stylish, these frames are distinguished by the design and alternation of the materials employed.

What will be next season’s color?
An increasing desire for authenticity and simple products sees a return to honest, clean color. Strong pigments and pure color is matt and saturated. We are inspired by the idea of mono color; think one color in a variety of tones.
In a time of chaos and disorder, we gather our thoughts and reacquaint ourselves with what is positive and achievable. We redefine value, find inspiration and comfort from old and found treasures, and celebrate aged, decayed and time-worn imperfect color. In contrast, we see an increasing desire for an honest, clean palette, as our quest for authenticity and simple product increases.
After a time of introspection and reflection, a new optimism is emerging. Color is substantial, real and natural, with a move away from the tinted stories of previous seasons.

Off-the-cuff: which is your favorite eyewear model, or which one do you think will be the top model?

The Equinoxe collection is our favorite one and we hope a very important success with it for the 90’s anniversary of the brand.