Hong Kong thinks positively. A tribute to King Giorgio

Transcription

1 Issue # 7 March 25 h 2015 Debut of SEE with Mido Eyewear will star at Fuorisalone, the fringe event from April 14 through 19 in Milan. A tribute to King Giorgio pg. 3 pg. 5 Hong Kong thinks positively How is the Hong Kong market coping with the recession that has affected Europe and the USA for some years now? We asked David Chow, President of the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association (HKOMA). pg. 2 Ifc at twilight by Baycrest - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

2 Hong Kong thinks positively For WMIDO, David Chow, President of the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association (HKOMA), outlined a picture of the current eyewear market in the region. When was your association born and which is your mission? Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association (HKOMA) was incorporated in As a non-profit registered association, HKOMA aims to promote the industry development by bringing members together. The association has worked closely with local and foreign merchant professional groups, and set up platforms to members for developing new products and techniques as to meet customers increasing needs in eyewear business. Which are your priorities nowadays? Hong Kong eyewear manufacturers specialize in medium to high-end products with an emphasis on OEM and ODM work, including top brand lines. Indeed, Hong Kong eyewear exporters are facing the challenges of economic down-turn in USA and Europe over the past years. Thus, we have moved to high value-added production to enhance our competitiveness, such as putting emphasis on new design ideas, technological innovation, quality improvement. How is the Hong Kong market going? The eyewear market in Hong Kong is good as we have substantial support by Mainland China's domestic sales, regardless the weak export market. We have a high number of "tourists" from Mainland China everyday, who do spend money on the luxurious goods mostly which booms the retail market in Hong Kong too. Hong Kong's capacity to receive visitors is at bursting point as the number of visitor arrivals to Hong Kong exceeded 60 million last year. Among them, mainland visitor arrivals were as many as some 47 million, accounting for about 78 per cent of the total visitor arrivals. Economy grew moderately by 2.3% for 2014 as a whole. We have confidence that Hong Kong's eyewear business will be growing up both in export and local sales. Which are your latest export data? According to the information sourced from Hong Kong SAR Government Trade Statistics, Census & Statistics Department, the total exports of Hong Kong spectacles industry in 2013 amounted to US$1.88 billion, while in 2014 the first three quarter, Hong Kong s total domestic exports of spectacles, sunglasses, lenses, and frames close to US$1.4 billion. We estimate in the fourth quarter, it will continue this good export performance. Currently, our export markets continue to be led by the US, mainland China and Italy, and this year exports to Australia, the UK and the Netherlands were recorded satisfactory growth. Which are the topics themes in your market? Hong Kong is a strong & valuable platform for overseas optical companies reaching out to the emerging markets in Asia, especially for China market. The business opportunities are promising on the Chinese mainland, considering a repurchase cycle of three years with an average annual demand of 300 million pairs. Which are your next activities and programs to promote your industry? We are working on the Pioneering Glasses Domestic Navigation Plan" which is funded by the Government of the HKSAR on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales [BUD fund], (Organization Support Program). The objective of this project is to build up another Hong Kong optical industry B2B business platform for Hong Kong eyewear industry to extend the distribution network in mainland China domestic market. world weekly wonders WMIDO 2

3 Debut of SEE with Mido For the third year running, eyewear will star at Fuorisalone, the fringe event scheduled from April 14 through 19 during Design Week in Milan. Making its debut for the occasion is the new format, SEE with Mido - See Extraordinary Eyewear - at Showroom 31 in Cortile dell Opificio 31, Via Tortona, the throbbing heart of Tortona Design Week. Thanks to the farsightedness of the sector s leading fair, SEE with Mido takes eyewear out of its natural habitat to introduce it to the general public. A selection of brands will provide a hands-on experience of masterpieces made unique by quality, creative flair and noteworthy experimentation: small but essential accessories that encompass the best of Made in Italy craftsmanship. Made in Italy fashion and design: 2014 upturn in turnover According to Istat data processed by survey and research management at Intesa Sanpaolo and published by Il Sole 24 Ore, 2014 turnover in the fashion and design segment (which includes furniture, textiles, apparel, lamps, jewellery, leather, eyewear and household appliances) grew by 2.9% compared to the previous year. The figure is positive especially for apparel (+2.2%), eyewear (+4.3%) and furniture (+1.4%), but there was a slight downturn in turnover for jewellery and leather. For 2015 factors like the mini-euro, the drop in the price of oil, Quantitative Easing (printing new money) launched by the CEB, and economic recovery in the USA, point to further growth. Fedon grows and adds eyewear The Board of Directors of Giorgio Fedon & Figli SpA approved the consolidated financial statements at December 31, Turnover totalled 62,621,000 euros, up by +3.62%. The year that has just ended was important for the Group as it closed with listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), a sub-market of the Italian Stock Exchange, on December 18. In March, Fedon also presented its first collection of eyewear for men and women. Classic shapes in acetate and metal have details in leather, the symbol of the Group s know-how. The collection is sold exclusively in Fedon stores. Mido Lab Academy 3 question to... Dom Vetro Agena textiles Ashley Bezamat, Dom Vetro Ceo Where does the inspiration for your brand come from? My inspiration for the brand comes from within. I see or feel something that calls me and I follow that emotion and see where it leads me. What's the target of your collection? To share my collection with high-end opticians and luxury boutiques, people who are interested in learning more about what it means to be handmade in the Italian Alps and what Dom Vetro's core values are: quality, commitment and integrity. A comment on your presence at the Mido Lab Academy? I am pleased with the participation at the fair. The Mido staff did a wonderful job with the Lab Academy and we had the opportunity to meet very interested buyers from around the world, including Europe, Asia and the Americas. world weekly wonders WMIDO 3

4 Eyewear trends 2015: glitter mania A trend that exploded in the 1920s and which was consecrated on the catwalks of New York, Paris, Milan and London in the 1980s, the passion for glitter becomes a fullyfledged mania that also conquers the world of accessories. Jimmy Crystal Shoes, bags, watches, belts and even tablet and smartphone holders. But above all, eyewear. Over the top, flash and showy, square with sharp angles, embellished with gold and silver details, colorful or in more wearable and less visible versions, with a touch of retro romanticism, in which the luminous element becomes the detail, the quality that defines a unique and unrepeatable style. Rolf wins the if Design Award 2015 The "Foursome 102" out of Rolf Spectacles evolved collection has been awarded with the German if Design Award in the category Product. The award is an internationally acknowledged trade mark for excellent design. This year the international panel had to choose from nearly entries from 53 countries. The noble and sleek frame in smoked figured eucalyptus wows with its elegant, almost shimmering surface and wavy texture and is a fine example of the uniqueness of the new "evolved collection", which combines design excellence, finest natural materials and high-quality processing with highest levels of craftsmanship. The collection consists of a total of 28 designs in 9 types of wood and 4 types of stone. Safilo focuses on house brands Safilo s Board of Directors approved the 2020 strategic plan for the Group, which closed 2014 with turnover of just under 1.2 billion euros. The main economic and financial targets for 2020 include an increase in net sales to billion euros at an annual growth rate of 6%, an increase in EBITDA to double that of sales, a doubling of 2014 EBITDA, and strong cash flow generation during the period. The objectives of the plan include balancing the five market segments (Atelier, Fashion Luxury, Contemporary Fashion & Lifestyle, Mass/Cool, Sport & Outdoor) and increasing the share of house brands compared to licensed brands to about 40% of the total business against the current 25%. Turn over design by Mario Milana Thierry Andretta CEO Mulberry Group Peter Dundas Creative Director Roberto Cavalli Roberto Eggs COO Moncler Massimo Giorgetti Creative Director Emilio Pucci Raanan Naftalovich President Shamir North America Jean Carlos Perez Creative Director Gherardini Joseph Tallier CEO Ogi Eyewear world weekly wonders WMIDO 4

5 Design, fashion & lifestyle Expo 2015: France chooses wood Just as it has carved out an important role for itself in the eyewear world, wood also makes a significant contribution to architecture. In fact, France has chosen to use glulam for its pavilion at the Expo. The inspiration for its 3,592 m2 area stems from one of the most symbolic places of French food culture: the covered market. The project was developed by the X-TU studio with the support of the ALN Atelien Architecture studio and Studio Adeline Rispal, which was responsible for the scenic design of the pavilion. The structure can be dismantled and reused at the end of the Expo. The office of the future The 54 th Salone del Mobile in Milan from April 14th through 19th will present at Workplace3.0/Office Show, La Passeggiata, the new office concept by architect Michele de Lucchi. According to the architect, his vision is a changing landscape without conventions that is always different and continually creates new ideas. The setting at the Show will be divided into four theme areas: Club for meeting and greeting people, Free Men a space for cultivating individual creativity and developing the potential of group work, Agorà conceived for different types of meetings, Laboratory - for the physical representation of the creative process that leads to documents, presentations, visuals. La Passeggiata by Michele De Lucchi Flower Power There can be no doubt what fashion will be dictating for spring/summer 2015: a homage to flowers in their infinite multicolor varieties. From haute couture to prêt-à-porter, extra-large printed petals will blossom on fabrics and stylists will pay homage to nature with floral appliques in tulle or silk. If maxi flowers can t captivate the soul, then the ateliers will transform them into decorations for bags, gloves or hats. Voluminous and three-dimensional on day and evening dresses or whispered on apparel and accessories, Flower Power is sure to light up the season. Ermanno Scervino Cmc Xtu The office A. Rispal 40 years of activity for king Giorgio To celebrate its 40 th anniversary, on March 16th the Giorgio Armani atelier launched the website armani.com/atribute and hashtag #Atribute on all its social networks. For 40 weeks the site will have special contents linked to the story behind the label and king Giorgio s vision of style. In parallel with the website, the atelier s social networks will also be part of this celebration with the frequent publication of specific contents focusing on particular themes. Via hashtag #Atribute it will be possible to write a personal tribute to the stylist and interact with armani.com/atribute from anywhere in the world. Editorial Director: Francesco Gili MIDO Srl Unipersonale Via Petitti, Milano (Italy) Phone P. Iva IT Cod. Fiscale e n. Iscr. Ufficio Imprese di Milano Cap. soc ,00 i.v. R.e.a Company subject to the direction and the coordination of Anfao - Associazione Nazionale Fabbricanti Articoli Ottici WMido is published in cooperation with Publicomm srl Via Mecenate 84/ Milano (Italy) P. Iva redazione@wmido.com world weekly wonders WMIDO 5