There is a relaxed feel about Safilo’s approach to the UK optical market.
The Italian company has enough options at both luxury and affordable price-points to have a broad appeal.
At a biannual press day its showroom on Savoy Hill displays not only some impressive stacks of cinnamon buns and macaroons, but a colourful flow of optical and sunglass frame designs.
At the darker end of the scale are its mask designs – best represented by the Moschino Mask 004, described as ‘bling, bling but not too much’. But it has also experimented with some ‘playful pinks and blue’ sunglasses that still maintain 100% UV protection, incorporating models including the Dior So Real Rise.
Meanwhile, Safilo brings a new Rag & Bone optical range to the UK market, with pointed shapes and a classic look thought to be well tailored to British patients. The ‘very New York cool’ fashion brand has grown its popularity in the US and expects similar success this side of the Atlantic.
Havaianas Lollipop trancoso
Another standout optical frame is the Safilo brand itself, happily described as ‘brandless’ but made to last a long time with a higher end feel.
Optical collections have been bolstered in numbers to represent half of the Safilo’s UK portfolio heading into the spring, to better reflect the dominance of optical frame sales in this country.
Department stores remain a large revenue stream for Safilo, as do online outlets including those operated by independent practices. Online now represents more than 10% of its sales.
Frederic Laffort, Safilo’s head of Northern Europe, says: ‘Independents are doing very well and have been a focus for us in the past two or three years.
Rag Bone, model and Olympian, Miles Chamley-Watson
‘Many of those are now working across bricks and clicks, targeting and engaging the community at a local level.’
Safilo is exhibiting its brands at a local level before the spring summer period arrives, and Laffort encourages buyers to ‘look into the sun’.
Moschino Mask
‘They need to bet on sun,’ he says. ‘Some opticians have given up on sun, but if you choose the right collection you can do really well on sun. They can also bet on the new brands that are getting hot, such as Rag & Bone. It is important to do well across all the different tiers.’
Polaroid-Pld
Indeed, this stretches from Safilo’s new luxury Atelier division to more affordable but ever popular eyewear brands such as Havaianas and Polaroid.
It means that beneath the mask the Italian firm has something for everyone this spring/summer.