Author: Newsroom

Zermatt, Cortina and Gstaad: these are the three iconic winter tourist destinations nestled in the heart of the Alps, between Italy and Switzerland, chosen by GUESS for its 2024 GUESS Winter Project, the event that, for the second year in a row, takes the brand to the most scenic alpine locations. The Project includes pop-up stores, Instagrammable places (such as GUESS’ giant swing) and the Winter Ski Capsule collection featuring the brand’s apparel and irresistible eyewear by Marcolin.

After the exclusive beach clubs this summer, now GUESS reaches higher altitudes, taking its unmistakable glamorous touch to the ski slopes and lifts. The brand accomplished an impressive feat, organizing a ground-breaking fashion show at an altitude of 3000 meters, at Glacier 3000, the most renowned alpine destination in Switzerland, with 20 models strutting down the legendary Peak Walk, a suspension bridge linking two peaks and offering a 360° view of snow-capped summits above 4000 meters: Eiger, Jungfrau, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.

But the list of events organized by GUESS for the season doesn’t end here. It includes a collaboration with the Iglu-Dorf Village, a romantic hotel made of snow that every year is reinvented by artists and designers with the new “In the Heart of Ice” igloo. A magic place where visitors can enjoy a hyper-immersive exhibition enriched by nostalgic elements on the mountain theme as well as GUESS Fashion and Home items. But that’s not all: after the great success enjoyed last year in Cortina, the brand opened two winter pop-up stores in the heart of Gstaad; one of them is located inside the five-star Le Grand Bellevue hotel, a go-to location for the habitués of this sought-after destination at 1050 meters above sea level.

2024 opened with 1 big recognition: Marcolin received the Certification for Gender Equality, issued by the accredited bodies at Accredia, as an acknowledgement of the path undertaken a few years ago with the introduction of new inclusive and corporate welfare policies. 2 new showrooms opened their doors. The first in New York, on the 19th floor of an elegant building located at 270 Madison Avenue; the second in London, along the iconic Old Street, inside a network of historic warehouse-style buildings. 2 2024 editions of Marcolin Talks were held, offering engaging opportunities to meet with opinion leaders from a wide range of sectors: from economics to food, from Luxury to green. The first was organized in Shanghai, in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, the second in New York, with journalist Arthur Zaczkiewicz, editor-in-chief of WWD, leading the meeting.

A total of 3 editions of Marcolin’s Leadership Academy took place this year, the last of which ended in February; this special training course was launched in 2001 and is dedicated to the company’s talents and future leaders. This year, a special space was devoted to Women’s Leadership. On the other hand, Marcolin contributed to a total of 4 projects, starting with the first edition of Made in Italy Day, promoted by Altagamma – of which Marcolin is a partner – and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. The company then joined (together with 20,000 companies from 167 countries around the world) the Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate social responsibility initiative aimed at addressing exploitation and corruption; it supported cancer research and participated in the 24th “Women, Economy & Power” seminar organized by the Bellisario Foundation.

Finally, 6 Luxury fashion brands entered into an agreement with Marcolin this year, including 4 reconfirmations (Zegna, MAX&Co., GCDS and Skechers) and 2 new entries (Christian Louboutin and K-Way). This means that now Marcolin designs and produces eyewear for more than 20 brands. Lastly, the number 6 again: 6 Summer Buying Days events were held this year in Bologna, Santa Barbara (CA), Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Phuket, providing an opportunity to meet, discuss but also relax with customers and partners from different business areas across the world. These are just a few of the numbers that tell the story of Marcolin’s last 12 months. Numbers to remember and take with you into the coming year.

There is a type of violence that is little talked about, perhaps because it is less visible and difficult to decipher: economic violence. Yet, it is a real abuse, where controlling the partner’s financial resources is a means of exercising power within a relationship. And it often results in physical violence: men may become violent if they feel threatened by their female partners’ increased economic independence. This type of violence can be detected only by “following the money,” that is, reconstructing how family finances are managed: who earns a salary? Who controls the bank account? Who makes decisions about purchases or investments?

Among the tools used for assessing it, four American researchers have developed SEA-12 (Scale of Economic Abuse, 2008), a scale consisting of a series of questions whose answers allow them to measure the level of economic violence in a relationship with regard to: economic control, economic exploitation, and employment sabotage (preventing a partner from working is also a form of economic violence). Is it a more common issue in developing countries? Not really, if we think (Global Thinking Foundation data , 2023) that in Italy more than 31 percent of women are financially dependent on their partner or another family member; only 58 percent have a personal bank account; 13 percent have only one jointly held with their partner or another family member, while 4.8 percent do not even have one.

To combat the cultural, social and psychological reasons behind this phenomenon, there is no shortage of solutions: from the introduction of financial education in schools to equal opportunity policies in the world of work (according to the JobPricing Observatory report, there is a gender pay gap on gross annual pay of around 9.6%). And on this ground Marcolin has been at the forefront for a long time: in fact, this year it obtained the Certification on Gender Equality issued by the Accredia-accredited certification bodies operating on the basis of the UNI/PdR 125 guidelines. An award that demonstrates Marcolin’s commitment to promoting an inclusive and equitable corporate culture. And the right path to continue down.

Every face is unique, and finding the ideal pair of glasses means being able to make precise adjustments. This is especially true for those with smaller faces, who often struggle to find frames that fit properly. The ic! berlin design team is constantly innovating to offer more comfort and a secure fit—and the Custom Fit Collection is the result. Specifically engineered for smaller face shapes, this collection features innovations like wider nosepads, versatile adjustable nosepad arms, and a flatter frame front angle, all designed to offer maximum customization for an unparalleled fit.

The Custom Fit Fall ’24 Collection brings together elegance and durability with ic! berlin’s signature cold-rolled stainless steel from Germany. Thanks to years of expertise with this material, ic! berlin has been able to refine its designs even further, reimagining classic shapes like the cat-eye and panto. The result is a collection of sleek, delicate frames that may look familiar at first glance, but reveal subtle, unexpected details upon closer inspection. For ic! berlin, timeless design means crafting eyewear that captivates with a fascinating aesthetic—one that continues to inspire, season after season.

The campaign for the new Custom Fit Fall ’24 Collection is set in the iconic Potsdamer Platz – a place that mirrors Berlin’s dynamic transformation like no other. Once a vibrant nightlife hub, it fell into disrepair during the era of the Berlin Wall. After reunification, skyscrapers rose from the dust, transforming Potsdamer Platz into a hotspot for international visitors. An unimaginable change. But that’s Berlin. The model for the campaign is Steffi, a Vietnamese medical student at Aachen University who regularly visits Berlin to spend time with her relatives. She shares her unique perspective on the city: “For me, Berlin is simply the creative center of Germany. I live here temporarily, but the city offers so many contrasts… It’s kind of crazy: I can be in nature, enjoy my favorite sport, sailing, and also meet my model and influencer friends from all over the world.”

It is not a bad idea for this fall to immerse yourself in the carefree, holiday atmosphere of a fast-living cosmopolitan group of young, gorgeous and glamorous expatriates. All this set against the backdrops of Parisian cafés and the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona (the celebrated bull-running festival through the city streets) during the summer of 1926. Popular cafés, expensive hotels, funny jokes, love, jealousy, beautiful clothes and… a colossal amount of drinking. These are the ingredients of The Sun Also Rises, the first novel written by Ernest Hemingway at 27 years of age after marrying his second wife.

Insignificant gestures, apparently trivial everyday details that, instead, conceal a precious graceful core, the only thing that can wipe out fear and evil. With its 17 short stories, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, published in 1981, has turned Raymond Carver into a cult author and a timeless icon of an understated style who can unveil the underlying nuances based on which relationships are often built without using unnecessary words. A book that continues to shine bright with its minimalist, essential and clean style.

“The story of a family is more like a map than a novel, and an autobiography is the summation of all the geologic ages you’ve passed through”. Claudia Durastanti tells the story of her life, split between Basilicata and Brooklyn, Rome and London, from her childhood to her future, in a book that is as hard to define (it’s not an autobiography, but it’s not a novel) as the lives of those who are destined to always feel like foreigners. And nomads.

Also in eyewear, MCM successfully combines its creative spirit – reflected in the widespread appreciation of its iconic bags, leather accessories and backpacks among consumers worldwide – with great attention on craftsmanship and detail. The result is glamorous, casual and versatile eyewear that speaks a universal and genderless language, characterized by a contemporary and functional design. The collection features ultra-lightweight, king-size frames with futuristic lines, along with intricate details, such as metal pins and angular inserts inspired by the brand’s heritage of luggage.

The new MCM collection reflects the deep connection to its German origins while also highlighting its commitment to research and innovation. Today it makes its debut with the From Munich to Mars campaign. “Munich” symbolizes the brand’s roots – MCM standing for Modern Creation München – and its rich DNA of precision and skillful craftsmanship. “Mars,” on the other hand, represents the other pole: the youthful, experimental, innovative and rapidly evolving spirit of its new Korean second home.

According to Creative Director Katie Chung, the success of MCM Eyewear stems from perfect harmony between Marcolin, the Longarone-based company renowned for its expertise in eyewear manufacturing and MCM’s passion for innovation, quality and details. A winning collaboration blending creativity with cutting-edge technology has already resulted in two exclusive and glamorous eyewear collections where contemporary design meets the timeless purity of Bauhaus minimalism.