Today Swarovski has chosen a whole new world in which to express its creativity, completing its range of accessories with a collection of sunglasses that exemplify the company’s brand and style. For Nathalie Colin, Creative Director at Swarovski, light itself is distilled in this collection, reflected, diffracted and diffused by the cut crystals. “Before putting down the first design ideas, I wanted to pay attention to the specific message that this new area has for Swarovski. Rather than going the easy route with an abundance of stones and sparkle, I was inspired by the way in which faceted crystal conveys light. This collection celebrates the beauty of changing light, capturing it in designs that evoke, with total clarity, the architectural language of crystal.”
Because high precision is essential to Swarovski, the company decided to team up with Marcolin. Sharing a drive for design and perfection, Swarovski and Marcolin have created forms that are both fashionable and timeless. “Swarovski stands for the highest quality cut crystal all over the world and is an incredible inspiration for designers in fashion, jewelry, accessories and even interior design. The Swarovski Eyewear collection is a unique expression of innovation in a contemporary luxury product,” says Maurizio Marcolin, Style&Licensing Officer of the Marcolin Group.
In January 2011, the sunglasses collection launches with 12 styles. As some styles are available in several colors, the collection features a total of 45 pairs of glamorous, elegant and refined sunglasses. Crystal has worked its magic on each and every pair, with effects ranging from subtle hints to strong sparkling statements. Some styles are elegant and subtle, while others show their colors with pride and audacity. The latter is especially true of “Amazing”, a style that brings together Swarovski’s emblematic facets to create a truly original and instantly recognizable piece. Sensual, stylish and offering great protection against UV rays, the collection will soon be expanded with a range of optical glasses.
Inspiration
For the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of sunglasses, Swarovski has chosen to revisit the essential forms and materials of the product, incorporating the company’s identity into each piece by including the iconic Swanflower® motif. This delicate design, composed of a swan shape repeated to form a flower, is integrated into the faceted crystal workmanship which captures and reflects light. “More than just a decoration, crystal is at the heart of the design in this collection. Celebrating the beauty of crystal and its play of light has been an exciting technical challenge, making each pair of glasses an extraordinary and stylish accessory”, says Maurizio Marcolin.
For Nathalie Colin, “A pair of glasses is a fashion statement in its own right. As Creative Director, the esthetic vision that I have developed for our jewelry lines has naturally been revisited in this collection of glasses, which are brought to life by details inspired by the iconography of the Swarovski brand. We have taken particular care with the colors, making much use of gradation and subtle tones such as nudes and pastels, which appear on the frames, lenses and arms of the glasses to create a sophisticated harmony of shades.”
The collection offers three different themes, to accompany a woman through her every mood. The first concentrates the quintessence of Swarovski style, taking creativity to its audacious and ultraglamorous limits. Here we find “Amazing”, a piece whose stunning frame and temples – made entirely of prisms – recreate the finely chiseled facets of crystal, and is adorned with the Swanflower® motif. No matter what color you pick, it will be hard to go unnoticed in these glasses; “Amazing” is a piece with real personality for bold fashionistas and women who are confident in their power to attract. The “Alanis” style is in the same league, with its XXL size, eye-catching motif and colors from way outside the box.
Sensual, elegant and timeless: these three words sum up the second group in this collection. Recognizable by their rounded forms and wide arms, these glasses have a sophisticated allure. “Ava” is a perfect example, with a large frame and arms adorned with baguette cut crystals that light up your face with their sparkle. “Ava” evokes an afternoon on the Riviera – pure chic. “Audrey” is yet another piece that demonstrates Swarovski’s skill, featuring a frame with pavé crystals that form a poetic constellation around the Swanflower®. The latter motif is imprinted as a subtle adornment on the arms of the “April” model, while the iconic swan also makes an appearance on the lenses of “Anouck”, a piece that blends rounded forms with more angular extremities. Featuring a pure design and providing a large frame, “Asia” is a delicious and fanciful piece with a Swanflower® motif at the top of the left lens.
The final group comprises of aviator sunglasses, a modern classic. On-trend, they are easy to wear for any occasion. Using pure lines, slender frames and subtle styling, Swarovski has taken these typically unisex sunglasses and infused them with feminine delicacy. The “Alex” model features intricately worked arms with characteristic faceting. “Atomic” is softened by the Swanflower® that decorates the arms, while the irregular geometry of “Acqua” evokes the wings of a butterfly. Swarovski offers another romantic vision with “Acquarelle”, whose lenses seem to brim over with the Swanflower® design.
Incredible sophistication and detail emerge as the common denominators of this Spring/Summer 2011 collection. By combining their skills, Swarovski and Marcolin have created a unique collection that offers color, sparkle and elegance.
