Auteur/autrice : Newsroom

The limited Rolling Stones x ic! berlin Collector’s Edition

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You can’t always get what you want … But, if you try sometimes, well, you just might find – you get what you need. Even Mick Jagger had to admit in the song back in 1964 that you can’t always have what you want. But in this case, you absolutely can. The Rolling Stones and the leading eyewear brand ic! berlin have collaborated to make a dream come true for all fans of the rock legends. The limited Collector’s Edition captures the unmistakable rock ‘n’ roll spirit of the icons uniquely combining it with the innovative design approach of the eyewear brand. Four stunning sunglasses models have been designed to reflect the beloved style of the Stones over generations, giving wearers an effortlessly cool look.

I can’t get no… The model “Satisfaction RS.” With the aviator style, an impressive homage to the music era of the 60s has been crafted.

Pleased to meet you … The model “Sympathy RS.” is inspired by the dark temptation and the blatant allure of the song.

She comes in colours everywhere … The model “Rainbow RS.” celebrates the vivid essence of the lyrics with its multi-colored lens. The shield frame captures the psychedelic rock style of the melody.

But it’s alright, I’m Jumpin’ Jack … The model “Flash RS.” symbolizes the dynamic riffs and explosive character of the unforgettable « Jumpin’ Jack Flash. »

Each model features the iconic Rolling Stones logo engraved on the temples. The colors black and gun metal dominate the collection, accentuated by special lenses and the iconic Red Lips on the temples – a nod to the band’s famous red logo. With a Collector’s Box that appropriately celebrates the collaboration, this limited edition is a collection for connoisseurs and lovers of true rock ‘n’ roll. The Rolling Stones x ic! berlin Collector’s Edition is more than just a tribute to one of the world’s most legendary bands. It is a daily wearable statement for those who want to see and experience the world with the same passion as the music icons.

Transforming futures

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A Meeting with Sustainability

The event dedicated to sustainability organized by PAI Partners, a leading private equity firm that once a year brings together the largest companies in which it is a shareholder – including Marcolin – for a two-day event dedicated to sustainability, has just concluded in Aranjuez, the elegant and verdant resort near Madrid. An event that once again this year alternated between talks by industry experts and occasions for debate and intense group sessions. Indeed, Sustainability Club is the cornerstone of PAI’s commitment to these issues and, together with the Sustainability Academy, promotes ad hoc training courses.

The issues on the table

Title of this edition? « Transforming futures » which, alone, goes a long way toward explaining PAI’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and strategic growth as it looks to the future of the companies in its portfolio. All called upon today to improve performance by aiming for decarbonization, fostering biodiversity and, above all, creating value from every point of view: economic, human and environmental. This is a complex and ambitious goal that can no longer be deferred, to be achieved both in established, historical entities and in younger, rapidly growing ones.

Diversity and Inclusion Award

At the conclusion of this two days of work in Spain, the award obtained by Marcolin represents a point of satisfaction and, at the same time, a new opportunity for growth. On one hand, in fact, it is a recognition of Marcolin’s long and serious commitment to gender equality, as evidenced by the third edition of the Leadership Academy dedicated exclusively to future managers and the 40% increase in women in senior leadership roles as well as the 19% increase in women present on Boards of Directors. But, on the other hand, it is also an invitation to stay the course to ensure that diversity and inclusion are never reduced to mere slogans, but rather can create real opportunities for growth and discussion.

Marcolin Talk in Shanghai

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In collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, Marcolin Talk made its debut outside Italy for the first time at the Group’s showroom in Shanghai, in front of an engaged audience of customers, media and industry professionals. Visions was the key theme of the event hosting three illustrious guests: Natsuko Watanabe, General Manager at TOM FORD Beauty, Jerome Bachasson, President of Greater China at ZEGNA; Mauro Maggioni, Board Member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China and CEO Asia Pacific at Golden Goose.

Keywords

The event touched on a variety of topics, ranging from the value of Made in Italy on the global markets – specifically the Asian one – to sustainability up to the relationship between territorial culture and women’s empowerment, innovation and the future. The latest luxury spending trends in Asia after the Covid pandemic were also discussed: according to the 2023 China Luxury Report, by 2030 China will account for 40% of luxury spending globally. In China there is an ever-increasing need for creating new connections between brands and consumers, who today are looking for a more immersive and increasingly digital relationship with the world of values represented by the different brands. New concepts are thus entering the scene, such as experiential retail and cross-projects, new ideas that can boost customer experience and that we will be hearing more and more of soon.

New Challenges

Sustainability is another recurring theme that is perfectly exemplified by the amazing story of Ermenegildo Zegna who, over a century ago, devoted his life to safeguarding the land with a great tree planting project that gave life to Oasi Zegna, the largest private natural park in Europe. This unique legacy, along with quality, is what consumers in China are currently looking for. The Made in Italy sector is traditionally known for product quality even though, to stay competitive in such a dynamic market like the Chinese one, you have to reinvent yourself and take cultural diversity into account. A well-known concept to Natsuko Watanabe who, in the early stages of her consulting career, was the only woman in a male-dominated world. A woman who today, at TOM FORD Beauty, is the only expat to guide an all-Chinese team: and this melting pot of different cultures has once again proven to be a winning value. But what about the future? According to Maggioni we will soon move from today’s reputation economy to a temple economy, where consumption will be guided by consumers’ unexpected search for intimacy and spirituality. After the guests’ speeches, Marcolin CEO Fabrizio Curci concluded by highlighting how important it is to the Company to promote a broader discussion that transcends the logic behind the reference industry, providing its community with the tools needed to see through a new ‘frame’, inspiring transformation and promoting social and cultural debate.

Fuoriconcorso 2024

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Motorsport on Lake Como

The 2024 edition of FuoriConcorso, the prestigious event at the end of May dedicated to the automotive culture, was dedicated to the British Automotive Panorama. Created in 2019 by Guglielmo Miani, president of Larusmiani, this is one of the events most long-awaited by collectors and motorsport enthusiasts from all over Europe, attracted by the exhibitions in the gardens of three historic residences overlooking Lake Como: the age-old Villa Grumello, the neoclassical Villa Olmo and the nineteenth-century Villa Sucota. Now in its sixth edition, it is confirmed as the first and most important of the FuoriConcorso series of events, a format that during the year brings car enthusiasts together in some of the most exclusive locations with rallies and car exhibitions, from the Emerald Coast to Palm Springs.

Ic!berlin at Villa Grumello

One of the main partners of this edition is ic!berlin, the innovative eyewear brand born in Berlin. Starting this year it is in the portfolio of Marcolin, which presented its latest capsule collection at Villa Grumello. Created in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz and AMG, the collection is closely linked to the automotive world and is characterized by a common passion for craftsmanship and technological excellence. To stay on topic, in its dedicated space ic!berlin also offered visitors the opportunity to test a futuristic virtual driving simulator.

See you next year

This year as well FuoriConcorso was an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the history, excellence and creativity of the international automotive industry, starting with the models that have made the history of British luxury cars. Alongside the wonderful vintage models, it also allowed visitors to have a look around prototypes and products that look to the future. For cars, for accessories and also for eyewear.

Marzia Viel

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Marcolin has been present in this part of the world for many years now: what are the winning marketing strategies in such an ever-evolving and varied area from a linguistic and cultural standpoint?

«The variety of our brand portfolio requires specific marketing investments: in addition to this very diversified context, and specifically in the case of APAC, the region’s heterogeneous nature plays a key role and is the reason behind its great linguistic and cultural variety. Nonetheless, communication trends are pretty similar and are influenced by three key trends in luxury buying. China, South Korea, and Japan are the countries with the highest luxury spending in Asia: although their growth rates differ, they set the key trends in terms of culture and style. China, in particular, since 2017 has been the country with the highest online spending as percentage of total GDP globally. Especially regarding our luxury brands, such as TOM FORD, ZEGNA, and Max Mara, thanks to our close collaboration with our HQ, and, therefore, to the great synergy that we have built with Fashion Houses, we can integrate our online and offline communication to drive and enhance our customer experience. We increased our above-the-line investments in the digital sector with magazines but also product seeding. If we shine the spotlight on Marcolin APAC, market performances over the past two years in China show how competitive this part of the world is. We are investing and gaining market share here. In 2024, the premium sector is still considered a potential safe harbor by customers in the Far East. Specifically in Southeast Asia, with Singapore and Malaysia in the forefront. The sport category is undoubtedly the most heterogeneous one in a scenario where global players collaborate with famous athletes and sponsor local events».

Who are your target customers and what channels do you use?

Ours is a B2B business, so Marcolin’s marketing strategy mostly focuses on supporting trade customers in order to implement a kind of distribution that enhances the brand equity of all the brands in our portfolio. When we build brand presence across each brand category in the different regions, we look for partners who can represent it in the most effective or unique way, so as to unlock new opportunities. We visit APAC countries on a regular basis to verify existing trends, develop communication and visibility synergy plans, and create training moments, which at Marcolin basically means sharing skills: new brand and product insights on the one hand, and market perception on the other hand. Trade magazines and conventions are certainly key moments to enrich our customer portfolio in markets where our presence needs to grow organically and constantly through branching. To further strengthen the collaboration with our customers, we are also implementing the Marcolin CX system in APAC, which will help us locally to become the “best and preferred partner”.

Lastly, let me ask you to sum up the first six months of the year and share some insights with us: what are the challenges ahead for the next few months?

2024 started on a positive note in APAC, even though there are a few markets in the region that appear to be slowing down or seeing consumers delaying purchases. On the opportunities side, Japan is an absolute certainty in APAC for Marcolin thanks to a growing trend experienced in 2023 due to tourists flocking in the market to take advantage of the weak yen and, of course, to enjoy the legendary Japanese hospitality. The biggest challenge is China, because Chinese consumers are travelling more and more outside China, thus affecting purchasing power in the domestic market.

We are closely monitoring all the potential opportunities in the market, thanks to collaborations that will kick off soon, such as the first MCM Eyewear collection by Marcolin that will be presented in June in Singapore for SEA and in Hainan, China, for North APAC and China.

Of course, talking about relevant opportunities, the development plan for ic! berlin in APAC is also worth mentioning: an ongoing plan that is already giving its first results in 2024.

The new eyewear for sports enthusiasts

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Movement and Strength

Dunamis is the word that best expresses the Greek concept of strength associated with movement, power and individual ability, perfect values to indicate the new adidas Sport Eyewear model produced by Marcolin. The result of thorough research on materials to meet the needs of those who do outdoor sports, Dunamis is the right adventure companion for athletes who need to protect their eyes with a model having a light and perfectly stable frame, with lenses that can guarantee broad and precise vision in all weather conditions.

« Dunamis is the right adventure companion for athletes »

A unique eyewear model

Created using a Marcolin mold, Dunamis is the product of scrupulous research and production techniques aimed at extreme performance. The result is a unique sports eyewear model boasting incredible lightness and a perfectly aerodynamic line. Two decisive aspects when being outdoors.

Design and attention to detail

The result? A model with an enveloping line, with scratchproof, dustproof, and hydro-oleophobic treated lenses, featuring the inevitable and iconic adidas Performance logo. The temples, the result of a new slim and aerodynamic design, greatly increase the comfort and fit of the eyewear during use. Dunamis is the eyewear model that perfectly meets the three basic needs of those who regularly do outdoor sports: shield the eyes from UVA and UVB rays, protect them from trauma or falls and be able to rely on a good breadth of the field of vision.

Regina Marques

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Since the 1970s, Marcolin has established relations with Brazil and inaugurated its showroom in São Paulo: a meeting that immediately sparked the interest of the Brazilian public in Italian-made eyewear. You, on the contrary, have brought Brazilian cinema to Italy. Is this the confirmation of a mutual interest at all levels?

«It was 2003 and in Italy there was a lot of talk about Brazil. The world’s attention was on the Amazon, Lula had just been elected and the city of São Paulo (twinned with Milan) was celebrating the 450th anniversary of its foundation, so it was the right opportunity to organize an event with São Paulo films and directors. The success motivated us to continue and, little by little, we turned into a real Festival. With one goal: to go beyond clichés and bring to Italy a selection of contemporary films that is as varied and representative as possible of today’s Brazil. An immense, young country in great cultural, economic and artistic ferment».

Speaking of eyewear, the question must be asked: what is the look that distinguishes Brazilian cinema?

«Brazil is a vast and complex country, and its cinema reflects this complexity. They range from favela movies to docufilms on the 60 years of military dictatorship; from family stories that talk about patriarchy to indigenous and environmental issues, which are extremely felt in my country, to films more related to the themes of music and dance, because bodily expressiveness is a fundamental part of the Brazilian way of looking at reality. In general, I would say that ours is a young, curious, physical and sensitive look to environmental issues».

From your artistic point of view, what points are in common with Europe and especially with Italy?

«Considering the European and Italian origins of many Brazilians, there are many points of contact between our views. Starting from the love for art, design and fashion. And then, after all, there is a special bond that unites Italy to Brazilian cinema. It was an Italian, Vittorio di Maio, who made the first « Lumière-style » films on the streets of Rio at the end of the nineteenth century, offering Brazilians the opportunity to look at themselves with an outside eye. Not a game of mirrors, but of different gazes that are really interested in getting to know each other better».

Timberland Experience

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Direction: Southwest

By day, it offers all possible shades ranging from ocher to purple, and by night, the skies are crowded with extremely bright stars. A red-rock oasis, this Canyon Rim Plateau is just minutes away from the Grand Staircase and Lone Rock Beach. Within a few kilometers of Lake Powell stands a unique luxury-outdoor resort, Under Canvas, the perfect starting point for many excursions on the mesas and long canoe trips on Lake Powell. The ideal place to discover the splendor of the American Southwest.

Green Comfort

The Under Canvas Resort is an elegant, comfortable and, above all, green glamping. 100% solar powered, it is the first in the world to have obtained a DarkSky certification, awarded to structures that combat light pollution to restore the natural nocturnal environment. It is no coincidence that on the occasion of Earth Day, Timberland chose to bring together a selection of outdoor and accessories journalists for three days of activities in the desert and on the lake. It was an opportunity to submerge themselves into nature and these unique outdoor activities to really put to the test Timberland Eyewear’s sunglasses from the latest collection.

For sports souls

April is one of the best times to visit the Southwest region in terms of temperatures (the maximum is around 28°C). It is also one month and one day after the spring equinox, which we celebrate Earth Day (April 22nd) in support for environmental protection of our planet. It is a particularly meaningful day for Timberland as an eco-conscious brand which dedicates many of their efforts in protecting the natural environments and planet. To fully immerse in Timberland’s brand ethos, this experience was only fitting in one of nature’s most beautiful, untouched settings – Grand Staircase – Escalante.

Sabrina Paulon

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1

The European Diversity Month is an opportunity to talk about inclusion within companies and workplace. The general panorama, according to data, still has many critical issues, except for some companies, such as Marcolin which this year obtained the Gender Equality Certification. In summary, what were the corporate initiatives that made possible to achieve this result?

This year we obtained the gender equality certification, a very important acknowledgement for Marcolin, because it rewards the efforts made over the past few years, by introducing a number of initiatives aimed at promoting corporate welfare, supporting parenting and work-life balance and introducing the smart working, even before the pandemic, when smart working was only marginal. In terms of education and training, we introduced the Leadership Academy, which is a course for the leaders of tomorrow, and during the last year we focused on a specific session dedicated to women. Still on the issue of parenting, we introduced Focus Groups, as well as additional paternity leave allowances.

2

What are, in your opinion, the useful practical solutions that a company should implement or strengthen to create a truly inclusive working environment today?

For us “Inclusion” means accepting and embracing diversity, because we believe that every person is unique, and this should be a corporate value. So that it wasn’t an extemporaneous initiative linked to the management of today’s managers, three years ago we wrote the Diversity & Inclusion Charter which we followed up with a whole series of policies aimed at the inclusion of all people who work at Marcolin. In addition to the inclusive policies and tools already implemented in the Company, today we want to create an inclusive culture. And to do so, we want to start from the language, which should be a proper, respectful, and welcoming language that celebrates diversity.

 

3

In addition to inclusion, what are the tools carried out by Marcolin to be able to break down the glass ceiling of managerial positions and to bridge the gender gap which, unfortunately, still exists in terms of salaries?

Gender equality and women’s empowerment also mean equal pay. At Marcolin today, in the January-October period, women accounted for 60% of the total workforce, 40% of whom is manager, and 50% covers executive roles. It is a program that we have implemented over time and that today includes a Gender Equality Committee and a Gender Equality Manager who makes sure that, every year, there is no gender gap within compensation packages and benefits. We are very proud of how far we have come, but we know that we still have a long way to pursue.

ic! berlin and Mercedes-AMG

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Success story

Two young engineers, Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, and a little town, Grossaspach, located in the heart of Baden-Württemberg. These are the names that make up the acronym AMG, the performance and sports car brand of the iconic firm Mercedes-Benz. A story of hard work, passion, and success. The new ic! berlin eyewear collection was conceived with the values of AMG in mind – great attention to detail and a passion for high technology: four new frames designed and produced by the German brand, which was able to combine, once again, design and material research with skillful craftsmanship.

Unexpected Affinity

The collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and ic! berlin has brought together, since 2020, two globally recognized but very different German brands: a performance luxury brand like Mercedes-AMG and a brand that dominates the alternative scene in Berlin like ic! berlin. It could have been a bet, but it was a success: the great attention to design, artistic research, and high craftsmanship that the two brands have in common laid the foundations for three successful collections.

« For spring 2024, ic! berlin and Mercedes-AMG Eyewear introduce four unisex designs »

Unisex Collection

For spring 2024, ic! berlin and Mercedes-AMG Eyewear introduce four unisex designs, including both sunglasses and optical frames and featuring a very strong personality. The merit goes to the unique volumes, colorful details, and accurate selection of materials – from graphite to acetate, laminated steel and titanium.