4 Eyewear Trends We Learned About At The International Vision Expo & Conference
This year we attended the International Vision Expo & Conference and got to see what's gonna be hot for 2017. We asked WGSN Trend Advisor, Ali Lind, to give us the top trends to come in 2017.
According to Lind there are four key macro trends for spring/summer 2017:
- digital wave (analogue and digital),
- edgelands (creative migration),
- encounter culture (global discovery) and
- pause (time is ultimate luxury).
And for Fall 2017:
- design matters (creativity with a conscience),
- earthed (connecting to nature),
- nocturne (new sensory experience) and
- infusion (convergence of tech and human).
What does that mean? We got a closer look at the new cutting-edge eyewear showcased by large international optical frame and sunglass manufacturers and brands including Burberry, Prada, Ray-Ban, Ralph Lauren and Versace. The runway to real way was exhibited by designer brands including Dior, Givenchy, Jimmy Choo, Fendi and Gucci.
We also saw brands new eyewear from: Lacoste, Karl Lagerfeld, Chloé, Diane von Furstenburg, Salvatore Ferragamo and Nike Vision. And independent luxury brands such as Lafont. We also spied more value-based brands such as Gargoyles Inc, Reebok and Sofia Vergara Eyewear.
There was something for everyone. Among the big news there were major celeb appearances. Victoria Beckham Limited will attended for the first time to launch its new eyewear for the U.S. market - designed and developed in-house in London and produced independently by hand in Italy. Retired NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal, launched his eyewear collection in partnership with Zylowear.
Inspecsdebuted its new sunglasses and ophthalmic frames created in collaboration with the legendary musician Carlos Santana, showcasing its “Carlos by Carlos Santana” and “Santana by Carlos Santana” collections.
Safilo Group previewed an exclusive eyewear collection designed by Marcel Wanders, as well as the new Polaroid Twist collection from Polaroid, a unisex polarized sunglasses collection for adults and kids.
Acuity Pro showcased its latest version of VisionScience Software, a professional computerized acuity testing software suite that was used by NASAto gather data on crew members' visual health during and after long-duration space station mission. Crew members' bodies change in a variety of ways during space flight, and some experience impaired vision.
Liberty Sport unveiled Helmet Spex, designed to be the best fitting frame for sports that require a helmet, and Switch Vision, the world's first magnetic interchange sun lens system which uses high-energy magnets embedded in the lens and frame to let users quickly swap in the lens required for changing activities and light.
Aspex showcased BMW Eyewear Collection’s new “M Series” line, embodying the spirit of the luxury car brand.
iGreen Eyewear launched its new custom collection, requiring less water and less electrical energy to produce compared to other frames. It’s incredibly lighter-weight and available in 350 new colours.
Signet Armorlite launched KODAK Total Blue Lenses, a hybrid solution to harmful high-energy light. The anti-reflective/lens combination protects against direct UV rays and HEV blue light from natural and artificial sources, while allowing essential low-energy blue light to reach the eye for good color vision and to regulate the sleep cycle.
Carl Zeiss will highlight its new DriveSafe lenses, designed to meet the vision needs of people who want to feel safer driving with their everyday lenses, by featuring a Formula One car and game simulator and DriveSafe Experience room on its booth.