Norville Eyewear launched its new Barbour Eyewear collection, for which it has global distribution rights, with an event last week at London's Sloane Club.
This is the first time the British lifestyle brand Barbour, established in 1894, has had a licence partner, explained Norville sales director Mark Truss. He described the two companies as having similar backgrounds. 'Both are independent, privately owned family businesses. It doesn't happen in many industries.'
He said Norville had gone live with the product, which was ready to deliver, first with the entry-level Lifestyle line, to be followed by the next level of design, Heritage and then the top-end Beacon collection.
Truss added that Norville would also be supplying a Barbour Top Coat hydrophobic ophthalmic lens.
Following the Barbour launch, Norville is introducing Duck and Cover branded frames in January at the Munich show, with sunglasses due for launch at Mido.
Frank Norville described Norville Optical as a British company representing British brands. 'It's important for the UK economy and our company's future growth.'
The company was upbeat, he said, and also bringing out exciting new lens products, with a 46-page brochure on digital surfacing. 'In the 40 years of my working life we have had an evolution of lens products but in the last few years there has been a revolution with freeform. It is now time for practitioners to tell patients they have something different to those lenses that should have been used by 1975. They can now move forward with wonderful new product that I'm delighted to manufacture in Gloucester.'
Norville presented Neil Handley, curator of the British Optical Association Museum and author of Cult Eyewear, with a collection of 75th anniversary Polaroid designs, described as 'real examples of current craft' for the museum. Optometrist David Baker was presented with a prize in recognition of his writing, including the Optical Connections series in Optician.
? Barbour Eyewear will be featured in Optician's December 16 frame issue.