WRITER Melanie Kell

Safilo has been designing and manufacturing sunglasses and optical frames, helmets, goggles, and sports glasses since 1878.

With production facilities, showrooms, offices, and design studios in Padua, Milan, New York, Hong Kong, and Portland, direct subsidiaries in 40 countries, and a network of more than 40 qualified partners in 70 other countries, the company has a global presence.

Technology drives success and the company’s Global Innovation Centre, is where this starts. It’s here that Safilo analysts study macro-trends, search for new materials, and develop innovative eyewear technologies in collaboration with universities, research centres, qualified suppliers, customers, industry experts, and associations. These solutions comprise the manufacture of cuttingedge lenses, frame solutions, and treatments that help people improve their vision.

Every eyewear piece takes shape by blending classic and modern, past and present, Italian tradition, and technological innovation.

INTRODUCING STUART WEITZMAN

Best known for his stylish and comfortable footwear, Stuart Weitzman was born in 1941 on Long Island, New York, and grew up apprenticing under his father, Seymour Weitzman, at the Mr Seymour shoe factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

He launched his namesake brand in 1986 and began producing most of his shoes in Elda, Spain, a tiny city in the Alicante province known for its artisanal shoemaking.

After five decades in business, Mr Weitzman retired in 2017 and his brand became part of Tapestry, a New York City-based house of brands.

In 2023, Safilo Group was licensed to become the exclusive designer, manufacturer, and distributor of Stuart Weitzman branded sunglasses and optical eyewear collections.

The launch of Stuart Weitzman’s first eyewear collection with Safilo in mid-2024 marked a significant milestone for the company. In an interview, Hayley Friel, the Safilo North America Product Director, said she drew on Stuart Weitzman’s “iconic 5050 boots, which inspired the hardware, mix of materials, and colours” of the inaugural collection.2 Hence, bespoke snake print acetates, glitter papers, and Swarovski materials, including crystals and pearls, express the brand’s DNA.

The collection features more than 50% global fitting and offers a range of lens sizes and shapes. To appeal to various face shapes and personal styles, Ms Friel said, “We offer both fine and chunky acetate looks along with lightweight metal styling in an array of shapes”.

“The Stuart Weitzman woman is confident, sophisticated, appreciates high-quality craftsmanship, and prioritises comfort and style equally,” Ms Friel said. She explained that the competitively priced Italian crafted collection is designed to resonate with such discerning customers.

CARRERA SPORT

In other news from Safilo, there is a new addition to Carrera’s portfolio: the Carrera Sport Collection.

Carrera has been around since 1956 when Austrian eyewear maker and pioneer Wilhelm Anger decided to rename his company from ‘Wilhelm Anger Werker’ to ‘Carrera’, drawing inspiration from the Mexican open road racing event Carrera Panamericana.

While Carrera eyewear has always been synonymous with sport, its new Sport Collection spreads Carrera’s iconicity to a broader set of people: those who want to be ‘fashionable in sports’, without entering a world of extreme performance or tough challenges.

CSport balances technical elements with a fashion-forward look alongside function and comfort.

Iconic styles – including the Sport Visor, an iconic masterpiece made in the 80s – are presented in vibrant colours, inspired from the archives of a brand that made the history of sport, together with unique technical characteristics to ensure maximum comfort. The gum nose pad and adaptable temples with an anatomic design and holes on the end tips allow the wearer to personalise their look with exclusive dedicated accessories like customised bands, ideal to fix the eyewear even during training.

Visit: safilo.com

References available at mivision.com.au.