Occular world: Mido fashion.

This year, for the first time, Mido Milan was held simultaneously with the Milanese fashion shows, underlining the trend for spectacles and sunglasses to follow clothing fashion as significant accessories.

The show's organisers also consciously aimed to bind together different fashion channels to provide a global, strategic reference for buyers.

That approach didn't work for all: while the number of exhibitors attending this year from 6 to 9 March was in line with 2008, the number of visitors dropped 9%, with far fewer visitors attending from overseas, particularly Asia.

The global economic downturn was reflected in profitability. This, in turn, saw 6.4% fewer Italian products on the market in 2008, with lower sales from the three big exporters Italy, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

The situation is expected to remain critical in the next few months, with innovation, quality products and dependable service seemingly the three-pronged accelerator for successful sales.

Trend-setting colours and technology

Something for all.

So many coloured dark glasses, chromatic mixes and technological materials were displayed in booths this year that there was something for all retailers.

The optical industry decided to dazzle visitors. Black was back in sunglasses, which still feature XL formats. The extra-large, butterfly- or heart-shaped sunglasses were a reminder of the 1950s and 1960s.

New, futuristic geometric shapes looked like works of art. Reading glasses featured small and squared frames. Vintage styles drew on cult designs from classic films.

Sunglass lenses featured a myriad collection of colours and shades of colours.

Aggressive and colourful glasses were proposed for young boys, while glasses decorated with rhinestones, like those of the Inottica brand, were modelled for little girls.

Swarovski detail.

Glasses from CK and Marchon with USB pen.

Production pointed to top quality and exceptional care on detail, along with a precise selection of materials, such as produced by Swarovski.

The concept of luxury seems to have morphed into not just sophisticated and exclusive products, but long lasting too. These included such items as glasses worn by Hollywood celebrities, as presented by Nebb from Moscot Originals, a New York brand stretching back to 1915.

D&G's best selling sunglasses featured a large butterfly shape; Kiton by Sover presented a 18 ct gold model, called Ciro Gold, incorporating gold-plated lenses and priced at Euros6,000 retail.

The sports sunglasses offered by Pirelli PZero weighed just 20 grams while Calvin Klein by Marchon offered glasses complete with a USB pen inserted in a side-piece.

Asian offerings and looks

As a major presentation, Hong Kong's OKIA offered patented, exclusive technology in the form of High Definition Acetate, which creates a 3D effect in lenses.

OKIA's snake textured side rims.

Italia Independent sunglasses.

Italian brand Coco Song, presented by Area, proposed sunglasses and reading glasses modelled drawing inspiration from the Oriental culture and symbology. Silk is inserted inside transparent acetate sheets to create luxury textures, embellished by gold and silver leaf patterns, feathers or crystallised micro-flowers.

Coco Song frames.

Fretworked Asian symbols and ideograms decorated the temples of the Coco Song eyeglasses, with jewellery in silver and gold, along with diamonds and silk. Consumer prices range from Euros200 to Euros300.

Italia Independent presented I-wear 09, a complete range of unisex sunglasses and reading glasses in three collections. There's the Cold War model, featuring a multifunctional design with interchangeable lenses for reading and protection against the sun.

Italy's INTERCAST EUROPE and Serengeti Eyewear jointly launched the photochromatic and polarised lenses Serengeti® Polar PhD™. The polarising filter of the lenses is realised on the inner surface of the lens, thanks to the use of INTERCAST's Advanced Polarized Surface Technology™, which corrects the disadvantages of the conventional polarised lenses, in which the filter is interposed between two layers.

In this new technique, the photochromatic technology integrated into the lens makes it possible to have the lens brighten or darken contextually to varying light conditions.

LKG is a new collection by France-based LinkSkin Ecofriendly, which produced glasses formed from two metal sheets, laser-cut and hand-sewed together by a nylon thread, to create a contrast of colours.

Yang: aiming for biodegradable frames.

LinkSkin's frames and sunglasses are 60% composed of recycled materials and their colours conform to the RoHs regulations; being noxious chemical substances free. Their frames are assembled without using any polluting welding.

Yang Wah Kiang, Chairman and Designer of LKG, said: "we now aim at producing biodegradable frames lasting one to five years, after which they'll finally dissolve." Prices average Euros200.

Emphasising innovation

Giuseppe Fabbro is the owner of LM, an Italian company that manufactures machines for the industrial mass cutting of lenses and for tapographies. "We're doing business with importers in Taiwan, Hong Kong (for southern China) and [South] Korea. LM's product is mostly sold in Italy; however, the market is at present frozen. Innovation is the most important selling lever in this market," said Fabbro.

LG Technologies and CMS Industries both manufacture machines for the eyewear industry and their distributor in Asia is the Mainland's Top Most Technology Co Ltd.

LG technology.

Sunrise Optical sunglasses.

LG produces hinge-mounting machines, specialising in inserting hinges in acetate frame fronts; the hinges are injected by ultrasounds that secure the metal to the plastic by generating microvibrations.

Wang: promoting the Chinese mainland.

From the Mainland's Center Optical Sales Manager Leo Wang said: "even though we are stronger in exports we are now promoting the Chinese mainland domestic market. We manufacture sunglasses and fashionable frames with consumable prices ranging from Euros50 to Euros100."

Linda Tsang, Sales Executive from Hong Kong's Packi Glasses Limited offered this comment: "Mido 2009 was very successful for us, with many new customers and good businesses. Our frames were best sellers, with a trend toward squared frames. We also offer bespoke products." The company's average wholesale prices range from Euros4 to Euros7.

Mainland-based Sunrise Optical has participated at Mido for many years. Forrest Yung, the company's Manager, said: "our best markets are Europe and the US; we sell to wholesalers and big retailers (in the US), but, at present, we are doing good business in China." Wholesale prices range from US$1 to US$3.

Stephanie Zheng, Product Development Manager for Hong Kong's Wing Shing Optical Manufacturers Ltd, commented: "in general, sales of sunglasses were down, whereas frames are always necessary and consequently they are still in demand. We manufacture frames suitable for mature women, who wear multifocal lenses, and we propose both classic and fashion lines."

Zheng: classical and fashion lines.

Shanghai Blue Optics lenses.

Shanghai Blue Optics has taken part at Mido for four years and Patriot Zhang, Managing Director, was philosophical: "our basic market is for plastic lenses, especially tinted ones. Our major markets are Europe and the US; so far, we haven't experienced big problems from the economic crisis, but 2009 does not look as a good year."

Allison Zhang, Marketing Manager of the Chinese mainland firm Topyu Packaging Co Ltd, said the company is active despite the economic downturn: "we were visited by many customers from Italy and from other European countries, including France and Germany, who showed interest to our products. We are active in Europe and in Asia, especially in Japan. Our product is a medium-to-high-end one with wholesaler prices ranging from Euros0.5 to Euros1.5."

Evidently, Hong Kong and Chinese mainland eyewear and accessories are being sought after by international buyers, as many are able to offer improved designs and better quality at competitive prices.

from special correspondents Cristina Bellavista and
Clara Dodino, Milan