Basicnet expands Sebago lifestyle, celebrates century of the Superga 2750
Basicnet is turbocharging Sebago 's lifestyle expansion and is celebrating a century of the Superga 2750 with an unprecedented model homage to the brand's roots.
The centennial shoe celebrates a return to the essence of Superga, as the Piedmont-based group's CEO Lorenzo Boglione explained from the Pitti booth. The result is a "restricted version compared to previous ones, in terms of volume and quantity of product. We tried to elevate it, make it more refined and perhaps closer to the Superga that survives in the memory of our most loyal customers," said Boglione.
The newly appointed CEO of Basicnet, a position he has held with his brother Alessandro since last May, confirmed investments in Sebago apparel.
"Shoes have been the driver of the brand's success over the past 6-7 years since we took it over. The idea is to continue to grow by telling the Sebago world in its entirety. That's how apparel was born, which today is a very fast-growing business at a time when the market is not easy," Boglione continued.
During the press conference at Fortezza da Basso, Boglione Jr. reiterated the importance of the trade fair system for doing business today.
"It is often said that trade shows are a legacy of the past. I believe there is no better place than a fair like Pitti to see and exchange opinions and ideas. We hope it will remain relevant for a long time because comparing is certainly the best way to start the season," noted Basicnet's CEO.
Behind the development of both Basicnet brands is the painstaking work of their global brand manager, Marco Tamponi.
"Sebago has experienced the moccasin phenomenon, which is growing along with the boat shoe phenomenon. With the clothing, we want to compact the preppy Ivy League culture in which the brand has its roots and push it into the contemporary. And we do this while respecting the cultural context to which Sebago belongs, which has created one of the canons of menswear, but without coming across as vintage," said Tamponi, since last February appointed to the creative, strategic, and international development direction of the American brand born in 1946, in Maine.
An ever-expanding range that from this June will be enriched by a bar of soap resulting from a new collaboration between Sebago and a U.S. company.
"The soap bar will have a rope to recall the soap used in boats that hung on the hook, then used in American universities by students who hung it in their lockers after showering between classes," the manager explained
For the near future, Sebago already has other still top-secret collaborations on track that demonstrate the brand's ability to expand its boundaries beyond the shoe business.
"I often walk into wonderful stores and don't buy the core product. In our flagships and wholesale distribution, Sebago has to show a depth of exploration that goes beyond the hero product. It can be a perfume, but also a blanket, as well as a bottle, a metal, or a cup," Tamponi pointed out.
A work of exploration that is paying off, leading Sebago toward steady growth for several seasons now.
"We are coming out of a period of great results. Women's weight today is at 50 percent of footwear. Clothing is still driving men's and accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of total sales," said the global brand manager.
On the retail front, Sebago has launched new wholesale partnerships in the Middle East, Indonesia, and Thailand and wants to grow in the U.S. and Japanese markets.
"We will close 2025 with about 20 directly controlled flagship stores in Europe, plus three stores in South Africa, two in Greece and four in the Philippines, managed by our local partners," Tamponi noted.
"Culturally, we are returning to the glories of those Ivy League days. The preppy style was born when 20-somethings started using their parents' clothes. Today's 20-somethings are going back to espouse that kind of look and reinterpret it in a more urban way," the brand manager continued.
Since February 2024, Superga has also been at the center of work to explore the brand's cultural heritage.
"We had strayed a bit in recent years from the core and aesthetic of Superga. This collection wants to move away from the supremacy of the 2750, which remains our icon, by offering a range of silhouettes and opportunities for use. So we included macramé, raffia, linen, to return to the purity of the product. We 'cleaned up' the 2750 with a much more compact color palette that starts with ecru," Tamponi stressed.
The centennial celebrations will continue with the publication of a book with Rizzoli.
"We have owned Superga for more than 20 years and have never told its real story. With archivists and marketing teams, we studied historical products and originals to understand what Superga was and what it became," he revealed.
The brand is traveling with double-digit growth rates and has opened 20 stores in two and a half years since 2023 with widespread distribution in Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia, and South Africa.
"The stores are working great and the brand is going like a train. We don't make fashion, we make products. This is the core value of Basicnet. We make the brand and try to build the trend around the brand," Tamponi concluded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
France becomes biggest shareholder in Eutelsat, EU rival to Musk's Starlink
The French state is set to become Eutelsat's biggest shareholder following a 1.35 billion-euro ($1.55 billion) investment that the financial ministry said will help the satellite company compete with Elon Musk 's Starlink. Debt-laden Eutelsat has garnered unprecedented attention this year from European governments seeking alternatives to reliance on US satellite companies. "The race is on. That's why we have to take a position now and invest now. Otherwise, the whole market will be occupied and France and Europe will depend on other powers in future," Macron's office told AFP. The 717 million-euro capital injection by the French state, which was part of an overall deal with other investors worth 1.35 billion euros, will make Paris Eutelsat's largest shareholder, raising its stake from 13 percent to just under 30 percent. The announcement comes as competition heats up in the satellite communications sector, where Elon Musk's Starlink is a dominant player, but some governments would prefer sovereign solutions. Eutelsat boasts more than 600 satellites since merging with British firm OneWeb in 2023, making it the world's second-largest operator of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, behind Starlink, and the obvious candidate as a European champion. The company has in the past called itself "the only LEO alternative to Starlink". "Eutelsat is a strategic asset contributing to European strategic autonomy," French Finance Minister Éric Lombard's office said. But it remains far smaller than the American heavyweight, which has 6,000 satellites lofted into orbit by Musk's comparatively cheap, reusable SpaceX rockets. Set to be completed by the end of this year, the capital increase is "a pivotal step in Eutelsat's strategic and financing roadmap, enabling the execution of its strategic vision", it said. The new investment will fund a renewal of Eutelsat's satellite fleet and improve its financial situation, including through a debt restructuring. Eutelsat is also gearing up to contribute to the Iris² network of European satellites in multiple orbits, supposed to offer communication services from 2030. Rush for connectivity "The war in Ukraine has shown the importance of space infrastructure for resilient communications infrastructure, whether civilian or military," Lombard's office said. "It has also spotlighted Europe's dependence on non-European technology." Musk has called Starlink the "backbone" of the Ukrainian army because of its wide use defending against Russia's invasion since 2022 – and warned that "their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off", sending Europeans scrambling for alternatives. Eutelsat had already this week signed a 10-year, billion-euro deal at the Paris Air Show to provide military communications for the French armed forces. And presenting its latest quarterly results last month, the firm said it was in active sales talks with governments both inside and outside Europe. Major shareholders stumping up money alongside Paris are shipping giant CMA CGM, Indian telecoms operator Bharti Airtel and the FSP investment fund, owned by seven French insurance companies. The two-stage plan includes a "reserved" capital increase open only to the four named investors, with a second round open to others. "Discussions are ongoing" with other investors including the British government, "which could join the capital raise in due course", Eutelsat said.
Fashion Network
5 hours ago
- Fashion Network
LA sunglasses market: Who are the major retail players?
The star city of sunglasses, Los Angeles is home to more than a dozen specialist players. From luxury to budget brands, who are the players who have made their mark? Brands born and raised in Los Angeles Ahlem opens its second boutique in Los Angeles, the 5th in the world Founded in 2014 in the Venice neighborhood on Abbot Kinney, the luxury eyewear brand imagined by Franco-Tunisian Ahlem Manai-Platt, has become one of Los Angeles' benchmark brands in 10 years. After opening her first boutique in Abbot Kinney, the designer successively opened San Francisco, New York and Paris. In five years, the brand has seen its sales double and now boasts 900 retailers worldwide. This spectacular international success encouraged its founder to open up her capital last February to 1686 Partners, the Luxembourg-based private equity firm headed by David Wertheimer. Now led by CEO Enrico Sanavia, the Ahlem brand continues to grow, with the scheduled opening of a fifth boutique in Los Angeles. The city where it all began for Manai-Platt, and where the designer lived for several years. 'Hiroshi Sugimoto's work has profoundly shaped my vision, and deeply influenced the design of our Los Angeles boutique and, even more so, the one we are currently creating on Melrose Place,' said Manai-Platt. 'His is a language of time, silence and the invisible – one I've sought to translate into space'. Manai-Platt also cites Richard Serra's work at LACMA as inspiration for the new space on Melrose Place. "His work imposes a rhythm, a quiet gravity. It acts on the body like a threshold, slowing you down, drawing you inward, inviting you to pass through. Between these two experiences, I understood that a space can hold the infinite, that it can both suspend time and summon the essential. It's this lesson that I've tried to translate into the experience of our boutique". Oliver Peoples, a global brand born in Los Angeles Founded in 1986 in Los Angeles by Kenny Schwartz, Larry Leight and his brother Dennis, the Oliver Peoples brand was revealed to the public a year later with the opening of its first boutique in the West Hollywood district, at 8642 W Sunset Boulevard. Bought out in 2006 by the Oakley group, the brand finally passed into the hands of the Luxottica Group a year later, which bought Oakley. A retro aesthetic blended with the unique culture of Los Angeles - fashion, cinema, art, music and the Southern California lifestyle - that seems to appeal to thousands of consumers around the world. Today, the brand distributes its creations in over 60 countries worldwide and operates 43 stores, with new openings in Amsterdam, Milan, Nashville and even Paris this year. "Oliver People's global appeal lies in our timeless design, enduring quality, and connection to the cultural allure of Los Angeles," said Rocco Basilico, president of Oliver Peoples. "Our frames transcend trends, often work and kept for decades, which gives them lasting appeal across regions and generations. Combined with the global fascination of L.A's creativity and lifestyle, our eyewear resonates universally through both style and story." About the U.S, market, "our retail strategy is highly intentional—focused on locations where there's both an existing clientele and strong potential for growth. Each boutique is the result of careful research and a commitment to opening only where the brand can thrive authentically," added Basilico. For summer, the brand has just unveiled its new campaign 'The eyes of Oliver', directed by photographer and director Guy Aroch, noted for his collaborations with Hugo Boss, Coca-Cola and Montblanc. The campaign film plunges us into the world of Oliver, played by Brandon Sklenar, as he contemplates the grandeur of the Beverly Estate, a place imbued with the mystery and charm of silent cinema. Spectators catch a glimpse of Oliver, but as soon as they lower their mounts, he magically disappears. Through this game, the film explores how glasses not only alter our vision, but also transform our perception. This season celebrates distinctive models in acetate and titanium heritage, including some from the house's archives, such as the iconic 2000s pilot frame, Aero. Garrett Leight, a foothold in California Son of Larry Leight, one of the founders and creative director of Oliver Peoples, Garrett Leight founded Garrett Leight California Optical in 2010 in Venice Beach. At the time, the brand wanted to bring 'a new perspective to classic eyewear by blending the old and the new, the iconic and the innovative." Fifteen years later, the brand has a total of nine flagship stores, including three in Los Angeles at La Brea, Venice and Silver Lake, San Francisco, two in New York, Brooklyn, Austin, Toronto, and is distributed in over 25 countries on six continents. 'Eventually, we'd like to open international stores like Sydney, Tokyo, London and Paris,' said Leight in an interview with "We already have a very large number of wholesalers in Europe, with over 1,600 to 1,800 retailers, with Germany being our top market. We're not yet ready for the Asian market, but it's part of our overall strategy." In addition to the usual collections and its Sun Clips collection, Garrett Leight has been rolling out the Mr Leight eyewear and sunglasses label since 2018. A label born of a collaboration with his father, Larry, which has been inspired since its beginnings by the golden age of Hollywood, the madness of the 70s and the extravagance of the 80s. The brand has also forged numerous collaborations, notably with Canadian leather goods brand Want Les Essentiels, golf apparel brand Malbon, ready-to-wear brand Clare V., Rimowa and most recently with the brand of legendary street artist and founder of Hotel Amour, André Saraiva. Dita, a historic store since 2005 Founded in 1995 by childhood friends Jeff Solorio and John Juniper in Los Angeles, the Dita eyewear brand was created to combine vintage aesthetics inspired by classic frames from the 1950s and 1960s with modern design. The first brand to focus on Japanese manufacturing, Dita chose to relocate its production to Japan in the late 1990s and to upscale its collection made from premium acetate, titanium, and 18K gold. The result is bold collections with a sleek design and multiple prestigious collaborations with Thom Browne, Dita von Teese, and Alexander Wang. Thirty years after its foundation, Dita has now 12 boutiques worldwide, 'all designed to reflect Dita's commitment to craftmanship and design excellence.' In Los Angeles, the brand has a historic boutique opened in 2005 at 7625 Melrose Avenue. Three other stores are located on Rodeo Drive, in San Francisco and Newport Beach. The rest are spread across Tokyo, Sydney, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and New York. For summer, Dita Eyewear is launching two limited-edition with Elvis Presley "Grand Decade" and Marilyn Monroe "M.M. 100" sunglasses. Frames are celebrating 90's Elvis and 100th Marilyn's birthdays with collectible design that fuse Hollywood heritage and Japanese craftsmanship. Jacques Marie Mage, the ultra luxury sunglasses Based in the United States for some twenty years, Jérôme Mage began his career designing accessories and clothing for brands in Southern California. He created his Jacques Marie Mage brand in 2015, focusing on thick, sculpted frames, all made in Japan. Representing luxury eyewear, the Jacques Marie Mage brand will open its first boutique-gallery in November 2021 at 2324 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the Venice district. Designed by Jérôme Mage in collaboration with Hervet Manufacturier, a Parisian furniture and cabinet-making atelier, the space blends artisanal heritage with Mage's luxury vision and showcases custom wood displays handmade in Normandy. A second boutique opens in 2023 in the Hollywood Sycamore District. Courted by celebrities from Daniel Craig to Beyoncé, as well as Jeff Goldblum and Isabelle Adjani, the brand has been multiplying its collaborations in recent years with multi-brand store Union, fashion label Enfants Riches Déprimés, Elvis Presley Estate, designer Umit Benan and actor Jeff Goldblum for Chateau Marmont. The brand now has seven retail galleries worldwide, including 4 in California, one in Paris, one in London and one in Milan. Two further openings in New York and Tokyo are scheduled for the end of the year. Akila, the new challenger Founded in 2018 by Los Angeles-based designer Chris Mart, a former streetwear specialist and former creative director of an eyewear company located in Spain, the Akila brand is quickly making a name for itself with its collections of boldly designed sunglasses, all offered in limited editions and around an accessible price range of $145 to $240. It all began with the opening of a first space in Downtown LA, in the historic LA Flower District Gift Shop, in the Fashion District of DTLA, featuring Akila's sunglasses alongside curated goods from other indie brands. Following this success, the brand opens a new address in New York in 2022, followed by a new boutique in Los Angeles in September 2024 in the Silver Lake district. Occupying a lofty unit on a fully restored Art Deco-style car body shop built in 1932, and now baptised Sunset Row, the first Akila store was imagined by Los Angeles design studio 22RE, noted for having created the new Departamento boutique in the Arts District. The light wood decor is reminiscent of Japanese ryokan style. The brand is also interested in the Mexican market, and last March opened its first pop-up, which is still open, in the creative district of Roma Norte. The New York brands that have conquered Los Angeles Moscot, from New York to LA and Paris In 2019, New York-based brand Moscot chose Los Angeles as the first city for its American expansion. This was followed last year by a second boutique in Santa Monica and another in Miami. Founded by Hyman Moscot, an Eastern European immigrant who arrived on Ellis Island in 1899 and began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street, Lower East Side, over the years the Moscot brand has become a New York City institution 'that infuses its unmistakable refined, downtown aesthetic with over 100 years of eyewear expertise and unparalleled craftsmanship to create its timeless eyewear," according to the brand. Moscot now has 35 boutiques worldwide. Of these, 13 are in the US, the first market for the brand, and eight are in Asia and the rest in Europe. The latter is a continent where the brand is undergoing constant expansion. Launched in 2015 on the European market with its first boutique in London, Moscot has also opened in Munich, Rome and Milan, and last May opend its third boutique in Paris, the first on the Left Bank. 'The Left Bank has long been the heart of Parisian intellectual, artistic, and literary life, where great thinkers, writers, and creatives have gathered for generations,' said Zack Moscot, chief design officer. 'Much like the Lower East Side in New York, the Left Bank is a place where history and creativity intersect, and we're honored to bring Moscot's timeless eyewear and craftsmanship to such a storied neighborhood. We're excited to contribute to its culture of design, artistry, and individuality.' This expansion is set to continue in the coming weeks, with a scheduled opening in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy, and soon in Cannes, one of the star towns of the French Riviera. Illesteva, two stores in LA Illesteva was founded in 2010 by Daniel Silberman and Jus Ske, New Yorkers by birth and descent, with the aim of 'bringing a modern twist to timeless forms, exploring new designs through the integration of contemporary materials." After opening its first boutique in Soho, New York, in 2014, Illesteva opened its first West Coast store in 2015 at 1329 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice. The 650 square-foot store, located in a historic 1950s building, offered a selection of Illesteva's eyewear collections, as well as a 'Build Your Own' section for customized fralmes. After the Venice boutique, Illesteva continued its expansion in Los Angeles by opening a second boutique at The Grove, in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, in 2016. A favorite with celebrities, in recent years the brand has multiplied collaborations of all kinds with, among others, the Met Museum, New York designer Cynthia Rowley, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios and art photographer Gray Malin. Today, the brand has 14 stores worldwide, with a strong predominance on the American market in LA, New York, Miami, Dallas and Washington D.C. Since 2018, the brand has also ventured into the South American continent with the opening of boutiques in Sao Paulo and Rio. Warby Parker, the affordable sunglasses specialist Present in Los Angeles with no fewer than eight physical stores, Warby Parker - named after characters in the novels of Jack Kerouac - has become a benchmark in the Los Angeles optical and sunwear market. Founded in 2010 in Philadelphia by Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa and Jeffrey Raider, Warby Parker has made a name for itself in the accessible eyewear market with prices starting at $95, a price unchanged since its inception and offset by the release of new, more upscale collections at $195 and $295. Now based in New York and led by two CEOs, David Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, the Warby Parker brand currently boasts a market value of $2.5 billion. Originally an online-only retailer, it has 287 physical retail stores worldwide, 283 of which are in the U.S. and five of which are in Canada, and is betting on opening 900 stores in the US. Earlier this month, Warby Parker saw its share price reach a record $22 after announcing its partnership with Google to design glasses powered by artificial intelligence, and designed to be worn all day long. After an initial investment of $75 million, Google plans to invest a further $75 million in Warby Parker, becoming its minority shareholder. Both companies hope to become major players in the connected objects sector. According to the Invezz website, Warby Parker's sales will reach $224 million in 2024. The European sunglasses brands in Los Angeles Mykita, a German brand in Downtown LA The German brand founded in Berlin in 2003 by Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Moritz Krüger opened its first store in Los Angeles in 2016 at 847 South Broadway, Downtown LA, inside an iconic building, the Eastern Columbia Building and its turquoise and blue façade. 'The rare and compelling character of Downtown really drew us in," said Mykita creative director and co-founder Moritz Krüger. "The authenticity of this area connected with so much history and controversy resonates with Mykita. Preserving the original character of the location and becoming part of its buzzing transformation is equally inspiring." Like its other stores, the architecture of this store features the all-white Mykita wall using perforated steel angle beads reinvented from their traditional function as heavy-duty shelving supports. Out of service flight attendant trolleys are also repurposed as a storage facility for additional glasses. In addition to traditional collections, the store also showcases the various collaborations between Mykita and Bernhard Willhelm, Damir Doma and Maison Margiela. The Berlin-based brand now has 17 stores worldwide. Its latest store opened in Fukuoka, Japan, last March. The brand has also been present in the United States since 2013, when it opened its New York store. A second boutique also opened in 2016 in Washington D.C. before opening in Los Angeles in September of the same year. Ray-Ban, three locations in Los Angeles Founded in the United States in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb, and conceived to create aviation sunglasses that would reduce the distraction for pilots caused by the intense blue and white hues of the sky, the Ray-Ban was sold in 1999 to the Italian group Luxottica for $460 million. According to national data, Los Angeles ranks among the cities with the highest number of Ray-Ban locations with three official boutiques. Ray-Ban's first permanent standalone store in Los Angeles opened in April 2018 at The Grove, following a successful pop-up in 2017. Two years later, the brand opened its second permanent boutique in the Venice neighborhood at 1420 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, followed by a final location at Brand at Americana in Glendale. A few months ago, the brand made headlines again by organizing an immersive pop-up on Melrose Avenue in collaboration with Meta (formerly Facebook). Hosted in an 8,000-square-foot space, the pop-up allowed visitors to try on Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, exploring their features with camera, audio, Meta AI, and designing custom laser-engraved cases on-site. Meta described this as an experiential retail lab to shape future brick-and-mortar strategies. According to parent company EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban currently has nearly 265 retail location worldwide. Asian brands in Los Angeles Gentle Monster, the Koreans in Downtown LA The Korean brand of creative optical and sunglasses now boasts 78 flagship stores across 13 countries. Founded in 2011 by Jay Oh and Hankook Kim, the brand from Seoul, South Korea, entered the American market in 2016 with the opening of its first boutique in Soho, New York City, designed by Rafael de Cárdenas and featuring avant-garde installations and a gallery-style layout. The brand chose Los Angeles a year later to open its second boutique in Downtown LA at 816 S. Broadway. The spacious 4,800 square-foot interior features immersive art installations – kinetic sculptures, rotating "harvest" themes, and a museum-like presentation of eyewear. Last March, the Korean brand formalized its entry into the European market with the opening of its first boutique in Milan during Milan Fashion Week at 10 Corso Como. The new space presented cybercore aesthetics and a silver color palette mixing classics with futuristic features. The brand also offered a first look at its new collaboration with Maison Margiela. A collaboration started in 2024 which was celebrated by a temporary abstract human-shaped installation placed in the center of the store. Jins, a new Japanese challenger on affordable glasses Jins Eyewear US Inc., a member of Jins Holdings Inc., has just opened its first store in Los Angeles at 1227 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, offering optical glasses and sunglasses starting at $90. A household name across Japan since 2001 with 765 stores worldwide and more than 500 stores across Japan, Jins is bringing its designed-in-Tokyo range of inclusive frame styles and functional, design-forward eyewear to the Los Angeles community, offering their core collection of prescription eyewear, limited-edition frames, and technologically advanced lenses. Customers can experience a new, digital-first experience that begins with scanning displayed products outfitted with RFID tags and QR codes, followed by an on-site consultation with trained staff to select the preferred lens style and receive personalized fitting and adjusting services. After processing, customers can pick up their custom prescription frames at an in-store locker in 30 minutes or choose to have it shipped to their homes. The Jins' store also offers exclusive customization service and showcases a new collaboration with Killspencer, a luxury handmade leather brand based in Los Angeles, which includes an eyewear case and a multi-frame travel case that can store up to four eyewear frames. Jins' debut Venice store interior concept includes a Japanese-inspired design, 'reflecting the intimate scale of traditional tea houses' explains the brand. 'We made use of the existing architecture to create a space that has the essence and philosophy of Japanese design, such as a tea ceremony room, by paying close attention to the size and height of the fixtures to express a cozy Japanese sense of scale,' said Fumiko Takahama and Tomohiko Komatsu, in a statement. Present in China since 2010, the Jins brand was established in the United States and Taiwan in 2015, before expanding to the Philippines and Hong Kong in 2018. 'The opening of its latest concept store in Los Angeles sees Jins accelerating its global expansion, with plans to open a new store in Vietnam this summer as it aims to become a truly global brand', explained the brand. 'The new Jins Abbot Kinney Store will be used to test new technology-led experiences, which will be implemented in other stores around the world."
Fashion Network
5 hours ago
- Fashion Network
LA sunglasses market: Who are the major retail players?
The star city of sunglasses, Los Angeles is home to more than a dozen specialist players. From luxury to budget brands, who are the players who have made their mark? Brands born and raised in Los Angeles Ahlem opens its second boutique in Los Angeles, the 5th in the world Founded in 2014 in the Venice neighborhood on Abbot Kinney, the luxury eyewear brand imagined by Franco-Tunisian Ahlem Manai-Platt, has become one of Los Angeles' benchmark brands in 10 years. After opening her first boutique in Abbot Kinney, the designer successively opened San Francisco, New York and Paris. In five years, the brand has seen its sales double and now boasts 900 retailers worldwide. This spectacular international success encouraged its founder to open up her capital last February to 1686 Partners, the Luxembourg-based private equity firm headed by David Wertheimer. Now led by CEO Enrico Sanavia, the Ahlem brand continues to grow, with the scheduled opening of a fifth boutique in Los Angeles. The city where it all began for Manai-Platt, and where the designer lived for several years. 'Hiroshi Sugimoto's work has profoundly shaped my vision, and deeply influenced the design of our Los Angeles boutique and, even more so, the one we are currently creating on Melrose Place,' said Manai-Platt. 'His is a language of time, silence and the invisible – one I've sought to translate into space'. Manai-Platt also cites Richard Serra's work at LACMA as inspiration for the new space on Melrose Place. "His work imposes a rhythm, a quiet gravity. It acts on the body like a threshold, slowing you down, drawing you inward, inviting you to pass through. Between these two experiences, I understood that a space can hold the infinite, that it can both suspend time and summon the essential. It's this lesson that I've tried to translate into the experience of our boutique". Oliver Peoples, a global brand born in Los Angeles Founded in 1986 in Los Angeles by Kenny Schwartz, Larry Leight and his brother Dennis, the Oliver Peoples brand was revealed to the public a year later with the opening of its first boutique in the West Hollywood district, at 8642 W Sunset Boulevard. Bought out in 2006 by the Oakley group, the brand finally passed into the hands of the Luxottica Group a year later, which bought Oakley. A retro aesthetic blended with the unique culture of Los Angeles - fashion, cinema, art, music and the Southern California lifestyle - that seems to appeal to thousands of consumers around the world. Today, the brand distributes its creations in over 60 countries worldwide and operates 43 stores, with new openings in Amsterdam, Milan, Nashville and even Paris this year. "Oliver People's global appeal lies in our timeless design, enduring quality, and connection to the cultural allure of Los Angeles," said Rocco Basilico, president of Oliver Peoples. "Our frames transcend trends, often work and kept for decades, which gives them lasting appeal across regions and generations. Combined with the global fascination of L.A's creativity and lifestyle, our eyewear resonates universally through both style and story." About the U.S, market, "our retail strategy is highly intentional—focused on locations where there's both an existing clientele and strong potential for growth. Each boutique is the result of careful research and a commitment to opening only where the brand can thrive authentically," added Basilico. For summer, the brand has just unveiled its new campaign 'The eyes of Oliver', directed by photographer and director Guy Aroch, noted for his collaborations with Hugo Boss, Coca-Cola and Montblanc. The campaign film plunges us into the world of Oliver, played by Brandon Sklenar, as he contemplates the grandeur of the Beverly Estate, a place imbued with the mystery and charm of silent cinema. Spectators catch a glimpse of Oliver, but as soon as they lower their mounts, he magically disappears. Through this game, the film explores how glasses not only alter our vision, but also transform our perception. This season celebrates distinctive models in acetate and titanium heritage, including some from the house's archives, such as the iconic 2000s pilot frame, Aero. Garrett Leight, a foothold in California Son of Larry Leight, one of the founders and creative director of Oliver Peoples, Garrett Leight founded Garrett Leight California Optical in 2010 in Venice Beach. At the time, the brand wanted to bring 'a new perspective to classic eyewear by blending the old and the new, the iconic and the innovative." Fifteen years later, the brand has a total of nine flagship stores, including three in Los Angeles at La Brea, Venice and Silver Lake, San Francisco, two in New York, Brooklyn, Austin, Toronto, and is distributed in over 25 countries on six continents. 'Eventually, we'd like to open international stores like Sydney, Tokyo, London and Paris,' said Leight in an interview with "We already have a very large number of wholesalers in Europe, with over 1,600 to 1,800 retailers, with Germany being our top market. We're not yet ready for the Asian market, but it's part of our overall strategy." In addition to the usual collections and its Sun Clips collection, Garrett Leight has been rolling out the Mr Leight eyewear and sunglasses label since 2018. A label born of a collaboration with his father, Larry, which has been inspired since its beginnings by the golden age of Hollywood, the madness of the 70s and the extravagance of the 80s. The brand has also forged numerous collaborations, notably with Canadian leather goods brand Want Les Essentiels, golf apparel brand Malbon, ready-to-wear brand Clare V., Rimowa and most recently with the brand of legendary street artist and founder of Hotel Amour, André Saraiva. Dita, a historic store since 2005 Founded in 1995 by childhood friends Jeff Solorio and John Juniper in Los Angeles, the Dita eyewear brand was created to combine vintage aesthetics inspired by classic frames from the 1950s and 1960s with modern design. The first brand to focus on Japanese manufacturing, Dita chose to relocate its production to Japan in the late 1990s and to upscale its collection made from premium acetate, titanium, and 18K gold. The result is bold collections with a sleek design and multiple prestigious collaborations with Thom Browne, Dita von Teese, and Alexander Wang. Thirty years after its foundation, Dita has now 12 boutiques worldwide, 'all designed to reflect Dita's commitment to craftmanship and design excellence.' In Los Angeles, the brand has a historic boutique opened in 2005 at 7625 Melrose Avenue. Three other stores are located on Rodeo Drive, in San Francisco and Newport Beach. The rest are spread across Tokyo, Sydney, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and New York. For summer, Dita Eyewear is launching two limited-edition with Elvis Presley "Grand Decade" and Marilyn Monroe "M.M. 100" sunglasses. Frames are celebrating 90's Elvis and 100th Marilyn's birthdays with collectible design that fuse Hollywood heritage and Japanese craftsmanship. Jacques Marie Mage, the ultra luxury sunglasses Based in the United States for some twenty years, Jérôme Mage began his career designing accessories and clothing for brands in Southern California. He created his Jacques Marie Mage brand in 2015, focusing on thick, sculpted frames, all made in Japan. Representing luxury eyewear, the Jacques Marie Mage brand will open its first boutique-gallery in November 2021 at 2324 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the Venice district. Designed by Jérôme Mage in collaboration with Hervet Manufacturier, a Parisian furniture and cabinet-making atelier, the space blends artisanal heritage with Mage's luxury vision and showcases custom wood displays handmade in Normandy. A second boutique opens in 2023 in the Hollywood Sycamore District. Courted by celebrities from Daniel Craig to Beyoncé, as well as Jeff Goldblum and Isabelle Adjani, the brand has been multiplying its collaborations in recent years with multi-brand store Union, fashion label Enfants Riches Déprimés, Elvis Presley Estate, designer Umit Benan and actor Jeff Goldblum for Chateau Marmont. The brand now has seven retail galleries worldwide, including 4 in California, one in Paris, one in London and one in Milan. Two further openings in New York and Tokyo are scheduled for the end of the year. Akila, the new challenger Founded in 2018 by Los Angeles-based designer Chris Mart, a former streetwear specialist and former creative director of an eyewear company located in Spain, the Akila brand is quickly making a name for itself with its collections of boldly designed sunglasses, all offered in limited editions and around an accessible price range of $145 to $240. It all began with the opening of a first space in Downtown LA, in the historic LA Flower District Gift Shop, in the Fashion District of DTLA, featuring Akila's sunglasses alongside curated goods from other indie brands. Following this success, the brand opens a new address in New York in 2022, followed by a new boutique in Los Angeles in September 2024 in the Silver Lake district. Occupying a lofty unit on a fully restored Art Deco-style car body shop built in 1932, and now baptised Sunset Row, the first Akila store was imagined by Los Angeles design studio 22RE, noted for having created the new Departamento boutique in the Arts District. The light wood decor is reminiscent of Japanese ryokan style. The brand is also interested in the Mexican market, and last March opened its first pop-up, which is still open, in the creative district of Roma Norte. The New York brands that have conquered Los Angeles Moscot, from New York to LA and Paris In 2019, New York-based brand Moscot chose Los Angeles as the first city for its American expansion. This was followed last year by a second boutique in Santa Monica and another in Miami. Founded by Hyman Moscot, an Eastern European immigrant who arrived on Ellis Island in 1899 and began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street, Lower East Side, over the years the Moscot brand has become a New York City institution 'that infuses its unmistakable refined, downtown aesthetic with over 100 years of eyewear expertise and unparalleled craftsmanship to create its timeless eyewear," according to the brand. Moscot now has 35 boutiques worldwide. Of these, 13 are in the US, the first market for the brand, and eight are in Asia and the rest in Europe. The latter is a continent where the brand is undergoing constant expansion. Launched in 2015 on the European market with its first boutique in London, Moscot has also opened in Munich, Rome and Milan, and last May opend its third boutique in Paris, the first on the Left Bank. 'The Left Bank has long been the heart of Parisian intellectual, artistic, and literary life, where great thinkers, writers, and creatives have gathered for generations,' said Zack Moscot, chief design officer. 'Much like the Lower East Side in New York, the Left Bank is a place where history and creativity intersect, and we're honored to bring Moscot's timeless eyewear and craftsmanship to such a storied neighborhood. We're excited to contribute to its culture of design, artistry, and individuality.' This expansion is set to continue in the coming weeks, with a scheduled opening in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy, and soon in Cannes, one of the star towns of the French Riviera. Illesteva, two stores in LA Illesteva was founded in 2010 by Daniel Silberman and Jus Ske, New Yorkers by birth and descent, with the aim of 'bringing a modern twist to timeless forms, exploring new designs through the integration of contemporary materials." After opening its first boutique in Soho, New York, in 2014, Illesteva opened its first West Coast store in 2015 at 1329 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice. The 650 square-foot store, located in a historic 1950s building, offered a selection of Illesteva's eyewear collections, as well as a 'Build Your Own' section for customized fralmes. After the Venice boutique, Illesteva continued its expansion in Los Angeles by opening a second boutique at The Grove, in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, in 2016. A favorite with celebrities, in recent years the brand has multiplied collaborations of all kinds with, among others, the Met Museum, New York designer Cynthia Rowley, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios and art photographer Gray Malin. Today, the brand has 14 stores worldwide, with a strong predominance on the American market in LA, New York, Miami, Dallas and Washington D.C. Since 2018, the brand has also ventured into the South American continent with the opening of boutiques in Sao Paulo and Rio. Warby Parker, the affordable sunglasses specialist Present in Los Angeles with no fewer than eight physical stores, Warby Parker - named after characters in the novels of Jack Kerouac - has become a benchmark in the Los Angeles optical and sunwear market. Founded in 2010 in Philadelphia by Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa and Jeffrey Raider, Warby Parker has made a name for itself in the accessible eyewear market with prices starting at $95, a price unchanged since its inception and offset by the release of new, more upscale collections at $195 and $295. Now based in New York and led by two CEOs, David Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, the Warby Parker brand currently boasts a market value of $2.5 billion. Originally an online-only retailer, it has 287 physical retail stores worldwide, 283 of which are in the U.S. and five of which are in Canada, and is betting on opening 900 stores in the US. Earlier this month, Warby Parker saw its share price reach a record $22 after announcing its partnership with Google to design glasses powered by artificial intelligence, and designed to be worn all day long. After an initial investment of $75 million, Google plans to invest a further $75 million in Warby Parker, becoming its minority shareholder. Both companies hope to become major players in the connected objects sector. According to the Invezz website, Warby Parker's sales will reach $224 million in 2024. The European sunglasses brands in Los Angeles Mykita, a German brand in Downtown LA The German brand founded in Berlin in 2003 by Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Moritz Krüger opened its first store in Los Angeles in 2016 at 847 South Broadway, Downtown LA, inside an iconic building, the Eastern Columbia Building and its turquoise and blue façade. 'The rare and compelling character of Downtown really drew us in," said Mykita creative director and co-founder Moritz Krüger. "The authenticity of this area connected with so much history and controversy resonates with Mykita. Preserving the original character of the location and becoming part of its buzzing transformation is equally inspiring." Like its other stores, the architecture of this store features the all-white Mykita wall using perforated steel angle beads reinvented from their traditional function as heavy-duty shelving supports. Out of service flight attendant trolleys are also repurposed as a storage facility for additional glasses. In addition to traditional collections, the store also showcases the various collaborations between Mykita and Bernhard Willhelm, Damir Doma and Maison Margiela. The Berlin-based brand now has 17 stores worldwide. Its latest store opened in Fukuoka, Japan, last March. The brand has also been present in the United States since 2013, when it opened its New York store. A second boutique also opened in 2016 in Washington D.C. before opening in Los Angeles in September of the same year. Ray-Ban, three locations in Los Angeles Founded in the United States in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb, and conceived to create aviation sunglasses that would reduce the distraction for pilots caused by the intense blue and white hues of the sky, the Ray-Ban was sold in 1999 to the Italian group Luxottica for $460 million. According to national data, Los Angeles ranks among the cities with the highest number of Ray-Ban locations with three official boutiques. Ray-Ban's first permanent standalone store in Los Angeles opened in April 2018 at The Grove, following a successful pop-up in 2017. Two years later, the brand opened its second permanent boutique in the Venice neighborhood at 1420 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, followed by a final location at Brand at Americana in Glendale. A few months ago, the brand made headlines again by organizing an immersive pop-up on Melrose Avenue in collaboration with Meta (formerly Facebook). Hosted in an 8,000-square-foot space, the pop-up allowed visitors to try on Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, exploring their features with camera, audio, Meta AI, and designing custom laser-engraved cases on-site. Meta described this as an experiential retail lab to shape future brick-and-mortar strategies. According to parent company EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban currently has nearly 265 retail location worldwide. Asian brands in Los Angeles Gentle Monster, the Koreans in Downtown LA The Korean brand of creative optical and sunglasses now boasts 78 flagship stores across 13 countries. Founded in 2011 by Jay Oh and Hankook Kim, the brand from Seoul, South Korea, entered the American market in 2016 with the opening of its first boutique in Soho, New York City, designed by Rafael de Cárdenas and featuring avant-garde installations and a gallery-style layout. The brand chose Los Angeles a year later to open its second boutique in Downtown LA at 816 S. Broadway. The spacious 4,800 square-foot interior features immersive art installations – kinetic sculptures, rotating "harvest" themes, and a museum-like presentation of eyewear. Last March, the Korean brand formalized its entry into the European market with the opening of its first boutique in Milan during Milan Fashion Week at 10 Corso Como. The new space presented cybercore aesthetics and a silver color palette mixing classics with futuristic features. The brand also offered a first look at its new collaboration with Maison Margiela. A collaboration started in 2024 which was celebrated by a temporary abstract human-shaped installation placed in the center of the store. Jins, a new Japanese challenger on affordable glasses Jins Eyewear US Inc., a member of Jins Holdings Inc., has just opened its first store in Los Angeles at 1227 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, offering optical glasses and sunglasses starting at $90. A household name across Japan since 2001 with 765 stores worldwide and more than 500 stores across Japan, Jins is bringing its designed-in-Tokyo range of inclusive frame styles and functional, design-forward eyewear to the Los Angeles community, offering their core collection of prescription eyewear, limited-edition frames, and technologically advanced lenses. Customers can experience a new, digital-first experience that begins with scanning displayed products outfitted with RFID tags and QR codes, followed by an on-site consultation with trained staff to select the preferred lens style and receive personalized fitting and adjusting services. After processing, customers can pick up their custom prescription frames at an in-store locker in 30 minutes or choose to have it shipped to their homes. The Jins' store also offers exclusive customization service and showcases a new collaboration with Killspencer, a luxury handmade leather brand based in Los Angeles, which includes an eyewear case and a multi-frame travel case that can store up to four eyewear frames. Jins' debut Venice store interior concept includes a Japanese-inspired design, 'reflecting the intimate scale of traditional tea houses' explains the brand. 'We made use of the existing architecture to create a space that has the essence and philosophy of Japanese design, such as a tea ceremony room, by paying close attention to the size and height of the fixtures to express a cozy Japanese sense of scale,' said Fumiko Takahama and Tomohiko Komatsu, in a statement. Present in China since 2010, the Jins brand was established in the United States and Taiwan in 2015, before expanding to the Philippines and Hong Kong in 2018. 'The opening of its latest concept store in Los Angeles sees Jins accelerating its global expansion, with plans to open a new store in Vietnam this summer as it aims to become a truly global brand', explained the brand. 'The new Jins Abbot Kinney Store will be used to test new technology-led experiences, which will be implemented in other stores around the world."
