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March 17, 2017April 24, 2018

Safilo Unveils the SAFILO Eyewear Collection Launching Autumn 2017

Redesigned with a new concept and positioning, the new SAFILO collection renews its long standing heritage of technical and aesthetic content, with a new optical frames full range celebrating the superior design, functional innovation and “Made-in-Italy” know-how.

Celebrating the Italian DNA of the brand, the new SAFILO eyewear collection showcases premium technical and design features, reflecting the excellence in craftsmanship and the continuous research on innovation Safilo Group is recognized for since 1878.

The new Safilo optical collection presents 16 styles for men, all to be released in Autumn 2017.

Named after the traditional tools and techniques involved in the production of the frames, as endorsement of the authentic Made in Italy quality, the new optical frames are a celebration of Italian manufacturing starting from their names, such as Calibro, Canalino, Buratto, Bussola, Lastra and more.

The colour palette includes a range of classic colours such as the vintage Havana celebrating the brand’s Italian taste, or the subtle tones of black, brown, grey.

For full press release, click HERE.

March 17, 2017April 24, 2018

Safilo Group 2016 Financial Results

The Board of Directors of Safilo Group S.p.A. approved the financial statement for the year ended 31 December 2016. Safilo’s one year total net sales reached €1252.9 million, slightly down (-1.2% at constant exchange rates) from 2015, mainly as a result of the decline of Gucci as a Safilo brand.

Other Key Highlights

Sales performance of Going Forward Brands, +3.6% at constant exchange rates (+5.2% excl. Retail)
Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization at €88.8 million, down 13.3% vs 2015, at 7.1% of net sales
Adjusted net profit at €15.4 million, more than double 2015. Due to non-recurring items, Safilo Group reported a net loss of €142.1 million
Group Net Debt at €48.4 million, compared to €89.9 million at the end of 2015, with the adjusted financial leverage at 0.5x

Luisa Delgado, Safilo CEO, commented, “We continued to build our License Brand portfolio, launching Givenchy, the collaboration with Swatch, and the ‘havaianas’ brand first in Brazil. We renewed early Jimmy Choo, Max Mara and Dior, while Celine will exit end 2017. We signed new licenses in the fashion luxury segment with Moschino, and Love Moschino, and in the upper contemporary segment with the American brand ‘Rag & Bone’.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

March 16, 2017April 24, 2018

Organic Retinal Prosthesis Restores Vision in Rats

Scientists at the Italian Institute of Technology have developed a prosthesis that can be implanted into the eye to serve as a substitute for the damaged retina.

In degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, the photoreceptive cells in the retina die off but the retinal nerve cells are left intact. An implant of organic photoreceptors, such as the one developed by Fabio Benfenati et al. and reported in the March 2017 issue of Nature Materials, can interface with the undamaged retinal nerves and function as a replacement retina to restore an amount of vision.

A layer of semiconductive polymer on a silk-like substrate acts as a photovoltaic device, converting incoming photons into an electrical signal to stimulate the rat’s retinal neurons. The Royal College of Surgeon (RCS) rat, a rat bred to inherit retinal degeneration and widely used for research into hereditary retinal dystrophies, was used as the model to test the implants.

30 days after surgery to implant the artificial retinas, the pupillary reflexes responded to a light source of 4-5 lux (equivalent to a twilight sky) similarly to healthy rats, though a light source of 1 lux (slightly brighter than full moon) did not generate a response.

The rats were retested at six months and then again at ten months after surgery and the implants were still effective, with a measurable increase in the activity of the rats’ primary visual cortex when exposed to light sources.

The researchers are hopeful that these results will successfully translate to humans, and the first human trials are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2017.

Full paper available at: http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nmat4874.html

March 15, 2017May 20, 2026

Dream a Little Dream, Wear Your Dream

Nine West proudly presents THE DREAMWEAVER COLLECTION. NW5112, a perfectly handcrafted frame with elegant nature inspired details making it a strong and timeless statement piece. The stunning crystal hue adds gorgeous illumination to every woman’s face and eyes. This stunner of a frame is finished with a stylish weave pattern along its temples and is currently available in a chic ophthalmic and dazzling sunglass.

Nine West is distributed by Marchon: www.marchon.com

March 15, 2017April 24, 2018

Westgroupe to Unveil Redesigned Booth at VEE

Montreal, QC – WestGroupe will be unveiling their completely redesigned booth at Vision Expo East, from March 31 to April 2 in New York, NY. The new booth features a bright open concept and reflects WestGroupe’s fashion-forward, contemporary take on eyewear.

The new lounge-inspired seating areas at the front of the booth add a welcoming atmosphere to the new, sophisticated design. With private meeting rooms located at either end of the booth and bright, uncluttered order desks, customers will be able to see the new collections in their best light. Another feature is the glass display cases located around the perimeter where the hottest new styles will be showcased.

Click HERE to read the full press release.