Eyewear: the new luxury

Crowded, lively and full of guests and news. This was the photograph of the 52nd edition of MIDO, one of the leading international exhibitions dedicated to eyewear, which has just come to an end at Rho Fiera, Milan. A prestigious event which, every year, attracts thousands of visitors: the ideal opportunity to present new products and focus on upcoming trends, like those of Marcolin in the luxury segment.

The novelties

It’s a must to start with Marcolin’s new house brand ic! berlin, young and highly innovative brand with German DNA which, since 1996, has been producing high quality frames in stainless steel and following a design that is screwless, and without glue or welding.  At MIDO, ic! berlin was present with the newest “Silk PURE”, an ultra-light and thin collection, designed with fine color options like aqua or mauve and a meticulous attention to details. Within Marcolin’s booth, TOM FORD Eyewear introduced a new and sophisticated oval frame with faceted rims, while ZEGNA presented its last novelty: “Orizzonte II”. In acetate and metal, the heir of “Orizzonte I” expresses the innovative elegance and distinctive sophistication of the brand through the 232 Road Brand Mark as well as the ZEGNA logo.

Trendy shapes

Marcolin also presented the new eyewear line from PUCCI, the iconic Maison known for its textures and colours, with its latest collection with a geometric design and elegant details such as the fishtail in the acetate front. Then, with the latest Max Mara collection oversized frames such as one with in acetate with a rounded butterfly front and bold rims were the protagonist. The new Maxim signifier is inserted on the bridge, embellishing the style with a gleaming, glamorous touch.

How to combine lenses and acetates?

Choosing Colors

Acetate frames and colored lenses: a duo that offers countless opportunities but that, surprisingly, also follows very specific rules. We asked to Silvia De Col, who works at Marcolin’s Style & Design Department, to reveal some of them. «First, there are styling rules which are associated with the history, image and personality of every single brand in Marcolin’s portfolio: every brand has its own iconic and representative colour palette. These are the must-have that any collection just can’t do without. There’s room to play with all the possible variations, but our job is to keep an eye on the latest fashion trends, both those linked to the world of accessories and eyewear and the general ones linked to the season and the historical moment we face.The project itself is also important, what we want to tell with the eyewear we are creating. Full lenses, cosmetics with neutral tones combined with Havana frames for a project, for example, linked to the world of natural colours. Mirrored lenses and brighter colored frames for a sportive mood. At this point, starting from our archive, we start to select to arrive at pairing proposals to be shared with the licenses».

Every frame has its challenge

Flat or spherical? Single- or two-lens? Also, the geometries of lenses or masks affect the final colour choice. «Together with the designer and based on the requests and DNA of the brand, a study taking into account the most suitable geometries for the creation of the new eyewear is carried out. For example, if you want to create a sportier look we will work with more enveloping lenses and masks. If you are working on a more fashionable project, you can also indulge in flatter lenses and masks.

«The geometries of lenses or masks affect the final colour choice»

Trends for the next season

If it’s true that color combinations do not only depend on a brand’s DNA but also on fashion trends, let’s look at the eyewear trends for the next spring-summer collection. «I can only give you a little hint and anticipate that there will be “no in-between”: monotonal colors will prevail among the lenses even in cosmetic nuances with natural references, darker shades will also coexist to create dark or total black looks. For those who love mirrors, they will also be present this season, especially for the active and casual world. What about jewel-like inserts? They will be bolder and more eye-catching than before, the fruit of many different techniques and processes».

Eyewear? More than an accessory

Uniformity or differentiation? It’s the eternal fashion dilemma. That, of course, also regards accessories: they stress the message conveyed by the clothes we wear, becoming (just like perfume) our unique, personal “identifying signature”. And eyewear plays a key role here. «Because it allows us to see – or protect the eyes – but also to be spotted by others right away» remarks Paola Pizza, a fashion psychologist, blogger (psicologiadellamoda.com) and author of several essays, the most recent being “Il colore indossato” (Franco Angeli), co-written with Valeria Viero. «Fierce or sober? Breezy or creative?  Frame shapes and colors help highlight the unique features of our personality and, due to their strategic positioning, become a very powerful identifying tool».

But you have to know what you want. «Some people want to stand out from the crowd with a unique design, a neon color or a precious detail, others want to feel part of a group. But the ensemble must be harmonious: if it’s inconsistent, we send the wrong message and lose our confidence. A classic black sheath dress worn with small, “good girl” style black sunglasses sends a totally different message than the same outfit paired with an eye-catching, colorful frame. It’s more or less like shoes: there’s a huge difference between flats and a pair of gold sandals. Eyewear, just like our hair and make-up (to stay focused on the face) should strike a balance with our whole look.  This is true for shoes, bags or hats, but all the more so for an accessory that is destined to last well beyond a season».

«What tribe do you belong to?»

«In psychology we make a distinction between “high self-monitors”, i.e. individuals who are more aware of how others could judge them and are more likely to follow trends or be inspired by the look of their “role models”, and “low self-monitors”. The latter are more introspective, self-centered and less likely to be influenced by fashion. While the first type will tend to change glasses more often, based on their mood or outfit, the second will stick to a frame of higher quality that is made to last». What tribe do you belong to?

Innovative Style Refined: TOM FORD Eyewear Collection

Introducing the TOM FORD Eyewear Archive Collection which pays homage to the iconic styles that have defined the brand’s illustrious 20-year history.  TOM FORD Eyewear, renowned for its iconic status, stands tall for its unmatched elegance, top-notch quality, and meticulous attention to detail. In the 2023-2024 collection, one of the most legendary eyewear models in history has been masterfully reimagined: the iconic Whitney model.

Worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Charlize Theron, Gwen Stefani, Kate Moss, Keira Knightley. The Whitney eyewear stands out for the unmistakable line of its « Infinity cross », the crossing of the front which gives the look a butterfly effect that winks at the Seventies. In re-visiting The Whitney frame, the TOM FORD Archive Collection, debuts in four models with new shapes and identities, each easily recognizable, without giving up the magnetic element of a design with great visual impact: from the Nicoletta model, in titanium and limited edition, up to the Bettina, Fernanda and Jada models, with semi-transparent lenses and contrasting colored frames.

 

Innovate without betraying your roots. Here to lies the secret of the success of a luxury brand like TOM FORD. Which, not limiting itself to city glasses, on the eve of the ski season proposes Après Ski 2023, a collection of four different ski goggles with photochromic and interchangeable mirror lenses with different designs: from the Rellen model, which revisits the Seventies, up to the most high-tech masks, with magnetic lenses and a practical elastic band. To not give up style even in the snow.

Isabelle Moes

Isabelle, you were covering a management role for Marcolin Benelux subsidiary when the top management of companies was all male: can you tell us how it went?

So, I’ve never felt any discrimination for being a young woman, since I had just become a young mother, and I worked in a company that was mostly men. Everything was very normal. I didn’t feel any difference between me and my male colleagues. I think that Marcolin has always been a big family, and I felt right at home in the team.

Now that you also find yourself managing a very important and strategic market segment such as that of the central EMEA area (France and Benelux), can you tell us what the next challenges are for eyewear in these markets?

It’s rather unsettling to know what challenges the experts predicted we would face over the next few years, which is that there will increasingly be a certain structure in the market. The market will become more structured. Lots of independent companies are being bought or are merging, which means that as suppliers of frames for independent opticians, we will also need to become more and more professional. We will need to negotiate with them differently than before. Previously, I found the market very easy because our clients were opticians who only had two or three stores. Now, we are looking at a different scale, with opticians who have 100, 150 stores. So, it’s a different structure, a different approach.

« I think that is what is most important for the future: continuing to truly listen to our clients »

After many years in this Company, what are your thoughts on Marcolin’s strengths? And what are the new objectives instead, in a world that evolves so rapidly?

The company’s strength is our close relationship with our clients. This closeness means that people really appreciate the fact that we are by their side, we work closely with them, and they really think of us as a company that is international in scale, but still a small enterprise because we work closely with them. That is important to them because they feel like we really listen. I think that is what is most important for the future: continuing to truly listen to our clients. By being at their side, responding to their needs and doing so quickly, working with them rather than imposing things on them. And that is how we will succeed.

Eyewear for the festive season

In Cortina

With its 66 ski runs and 34 lifts, the pearl of the Dolomites confirms itself as one of the most prestigious ski resorts, immersed as it is in the magical setting of these unique mountains. But Cortina is also all about glamour. Between lunch at the famous Chalet Tofane restaurant and dinner at a mountain refuge (choose from Dibona, Federa and Mietres), heading back to the hotel with a romantic night sleigh ride; shopping in the boutiques of Corso Italia, at the centre of which stands the symbol of Cortina, the Dolomite stone bell tower built in the mid-19th century; a gourmet snack in one of the two famous patisseries, or a pre-dinner drink at the Enoteca Baita Fraina (in the centre) or at the picturesque Masi Wine Bar, right in front of the famous Col Druscié ski run. So many unforgettable moments to admire from behind a pair of glasses from the GUESS Holiday ’23 Collection, the geometrically shaped cat-eye glasses created especially for this festive season, illuminated by a crystal set in the temples that reproduces the iconic triangular shape of the GUESS logo. Feminine, festive and full of character.

In Berlin

A classic tour ‘Unter den Linden’ in the borough of Mitte, in the rationalist city of Mies van der Rohe, or the hunt for alternative boutiques in young, vibrant areas such as Friedrichshanin, Landwehrkanal or up-and-coming Neukölln. Even at this time of year, Berlin offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in a variety of styles, from the past to the future, from historic buildings to new neighborhoods with alternative bookstores and the workshops of young designers. A city to be explored with the right outfit, warm and casual, perhaps accentuated by a special accessory such as a pair of Max Mara glasses, dedicated to the quintessential ‘It’ coat, the cosy Teddy bear coat, which is ten years old this year. A frame with character, created for the occasion, that embraces and protects the gaze, telling a story of precious details and modernity. And, after dinner in one of the little restaurants in the festively decorated Bergmannstrasse covered market, a stop at the Kreuzberg border is a must, to celebrate the New Year in a techno club like the iconic Berghain.

The perfect setting to shield yourself from the Florida sun with the fiery red-rimmed glasses from Pucci’s new eyewear collection.

In Miami

Relax at the tables of a small bar on South Beach or stroll through the hip Wynwood district, once the city’s industrial centre and now home to the much-anticipated Art Basel Miami Beach, which takes place every year at the beginning of December. It’s great to ring in the New Year among the colours, museums, murals and clubs of Miami. The perfect setting to shield yourself from the Florida sun with the fiery red-rimmed glasses from Pucci’s new eyewear collection. Elegant, sophisticated and embellished by the fishtail logo in which, inspired by the 1953 ‘Capri Sport’ label, two fish intertwine their silhouettes to form the letter ‘P’. A model that fully represents Pucci’s unique identity and personality. A style must-have for sunbathing on the rooftop of Astra, one of the most glamorous cocktail bars on the scene, exploring the Miami Design District, shopping in the Little Haiti markets or enjoying a pre-dinner drink on the rooftop terrace of the famous Area 31.

In the snow of the Dolomites

A unique region

Magical all year round, the Dolomites, a Unesco World Heritage Site, are at their most beautiful in winter, when it’s cold and snowy. For anyone wanting to indulge in the pleasure of skiing on some of the most beautiful and famous slopes in the world, and for those who simply want to immerse themselves in the special atmosphere of the end-of-year festivities in San Candido, Brunico, Corvara, San Cassiano, San Martino di Castrozza, Madonna di Campiglio, Selva di Cadore… Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, small villages, Christmas markets, exhibitions and, of course, all the flavors of local food and wine.

Stop off in Cortina

When it comes to skiing, Cortina remains the most prestigious resort in the Dolomites. Already an official venue for World Cup races and a future venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics, it offers skiers magnificent slopes in at least three districts: Tofane, Faloria-Cristallo and Lagazuoi-5 Torri. But also the chance to try out new Fat Bike routes, surf the snow with a snow kite or learn how to drive a husky sled. But people also go to Cortina just for the glamour. It is no coincidence that GUESS, a global brand of clothing and accessories, kicked off this year’s Winter Experience project in Cortina, where the brand has opened a new boutique at Via Cesare Battisti 11 for the occasion. The project was created to combine shopping and winter activities in one of the coolest ski resorts in the world.

What to see

Getting off the beaten track is easy. For those travelling to the Dolomites at this time of year, there is also Andraz Castle on the Falzarego Pass or the famous wooden nativity scene in Tesero, in the heart of the Fiemme Valley. And then it’s nice to get lost among the small woodcarving shops in Ortisei, to go for a walk to Lake Braies, to Alpe di Fanes or to take a break in the warm waters of the Pejo thermal baths. There are various itineraries that will allow you to admire the ever-present trees decorated with the traditional star made of straw or bread dough, the frightening masks of the Krampus figures, the candles of Santa Lucia and the rituals of the little star singers who go from house to house singing Christmas carols in exchange for delicious Lebkuchen, the traditional freshly baked Tyrolean biscuits.

Marcolin: a history of over 60 years

From the gold auctions

It was in 1961 that Marcolin was founded in Cadore (Belluno), in the heart of the Dolomiti area, which at that time was rapidly becoming the Italian eyewear district (one region, one vocation: celluloid frames were already being made there back in 1910). It was founded under the simple name of ‘Fabbrica artigiana’ and was inaugurated by entrepreneur Giovanni Coffen Marcolin, who started manufacturing gold laminated temples. This was just the beginning: three years later the company became ‘Marcolin occhiali doublé’, and in 1967 it expanded and moved premises. First to Vallesella di Cadore, then to Longarone, where its headquarters are still located.

To the fashion world

From the outset, Marcolin’s international vocation was clear: in 1968, it made its debut on the US market through a network of eight distributors, followed by France a few years later. But it is precisely from its origins, from this particular cultural and geographical context, the cradle of the best Italian manufacturing tradition, that we can truly understand Marcolin’s success. A company that, in just a few years, grasped the importance of combining the craftsmanship that is the envy of the world with advanced technologies and research into materials and design.

Through to the new numbers

This is the philosophy that allows Marcolin to continue to grow, transforming eyewear from a medical device into a must-have fashion accessory that changes the features of one’s face and defines one’s style. The first French subsidiary was followed by a branch in Switzerland and one in Germany: Marcolin grew from 80 to 200 employees and reached the milestone of one million frames produced in a year. That was the 1980s, and forty years later, with almost 2,000 employees worldwide and a prestigious and diversified brand portfolio, Marcolin still remains true to its roots. And to its history.

Akrame Benallal

One of the most popular Parisian restaurants of the last year is yours, two Michelin star establishment between the Arc de Triomphe and Trocadero, where you can taste dishes with Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean and Arabic influences. And not only that, given your numerous experiences: how has your idea of cooking transformed today?

So, my cooking really hasn’t changed, but it has evolved. Using less sugar, less salt, and less fat means it is much lighter. But that doesn’t mean it’s tasteless. I believe in bold blends of flavors.In other words, when I cook, I like to find combinations of flavours that work well together. For example, right now we are preparing celeriac with coconut. I never would have guessed that coconut could pair well with celeriac. But these two worlds really come together if we try. Let’s say if we focus on depth of flavor, which is to say, trying to find the perfect balance and the perfect equation between celery and coconut.

 

The choice of a place with very sober furnishings and dominated by a non-colour like black is intriguing. Where does this choice come from?

The colour black came into my life thanks to an artist I really admire named Pierre Soulages. It’s now been nine years that we’ve been working with black, and for me, black is a colour that has never been as central in my cooking as it is now. That’s what I’ve been trying to do: emphasizing this colour as well my own black and white style.

You put your signature on Marcolin’s menu for the inauguration of the new showroom in Paris: can you tell us the inspiration behind the dishes prepared for this special occasion? What does inspire you about the Marcolin world?

For the opening of the new showroom in Paris, I created the dishes that reflect my interpretation of black and white and of Marcolin’s sublime craftsmanship linked to innovation. It was very interesting to create these combinations for such an important event.

Marcolin in Paris

Where

Located in the heart of Paris, on the second floor of a historical building in Rue De Richelieu (a prestigious street that runs between the 1st and the 2nd arrondissement, where the National Library of France is also located), the new Marcolin showroom opened its doors on November 21. The showroom – designed by a Milan-based design studio and comprising a large exhibition space and offices – features an innovative concept yet stays true to Marcolin’s distinctive rigorously black-and-white essential elegance.

 

Who

The new showroom’s opening ceremony attracted a multitude of esteemed guests, including the French press, Celebrities, Customers, Partners and Institutions. At the event, Isabelle Moes, Head of Middle Europe at Marcolin, remarked that the new Marcolin space is the perfect place to stay connected to customers and distributors operating in France, but also in Benelux and on the German markets. So, it’s a strategic hub designed to promote growth in these markets and keep in line with the latest trends, since Paris is a true hotbed of change. It’s also a great source of inspiration for creatives and designers worldwide.

What

The new showroom’s opening ceremony attracted a multitude of esteemed guests, including the French press, Celebrities, Customers, Partners and Institutions. At the event, Isabelle Moes, Head of Middle Europe at Marcolin, remarked that the new Marcolin space is the perfect place to stay connected to customers and distributors operating in France, but also in Benelux and on the German markets. So, it’s a strategic hub designed to promote growth in these markets and keep in line with the latest trends, since Paris is a true hotbed of change. It’s also a great source of inspiration for creatives and designers worldwide.