Italy has long been at the heartbeat of creative design for optical
fashion frames. Optik Magazine contributor Jean-François Venne reports on the
devastating impact of the COVID pandemic on the Italian frame industry. He
spoke to four Italian companies, and discovered how the industry is only now beginning
to show signs of emerging.
For the first time since its inception 30 years ago, Mad in Italy halted
production mid-March. “We did it a week before the government gave the order,
because it became clear that the situation was getting worse,” says CEO Yachal
Mom. Some employees in Belluno, Veneto, continued to fill customer orders from
home. Sales, however, have fallen off a cliff. Yachal Mom doesn’t expect them
to pick up again anytime soon, even after the mid-May relaxation of stay-home orders.
“The pandemic struck at the worst possible time,” notes Giovanni
Vitaloni, president of MIDO and ANFAO (National Association of Optical Goods Manufacturers).
“The industry was getting ready to showcase its new collections and meet with
customers at MIDO. Both promotion and sales suffered.” Mr. Vitaloni pointed out
that 90% of Italian frames are exported and worldwide demand has collapsed.
This is an unprecedented and totally unpredictable situation. Mr. Vitaloni
estimates that the 800 or so Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Italian
optical industry will report a 30-50% drop in revenue.
At Blackfin, customer service and administration have continued to
operate during the pandemic, but manufacturing has been at a standstill for
more than a month since late March. Sales have dried up. “Orders from our key
markets in Europe and North America suddenly stopped,” says Nicola Del Din,
President and CEO. Blackfin’s production resumed on April 21, but at a slower
pace. The eyewear manufacturer in the Veneto region of Italy accelerated the
launch of its new collection by a month. “We want to show that we’re dynamic,
quick and optimistic about the future,” says Del Din.
Mario Locatelli, editor of eyewear designer magazine, Blink,
expects a slow recovery in frame sales. He points out that companies are
dealing with the shock of the postponement of MIDO and Vision Expo East,
without knowing if the next SILMO and Vision Expo West will go ahead as
scheduled. “Without these major gatherings, eyewear manufacturers will have to
find new sales channels,” he says.
Read the full article by Jean-François Venne, which is available in the
June-July issue of Optik Magazine.
Click HERE to read the article.
