Back to the Future of Fashion

Of course what you choose to stock in store will, to a great degree, be determined by the economic and environmental aspects of your location and the social demographic of your market. That said, there are many high-end fashion pieces, at different price points, to suit most of your customers.

However, which of the latest and greatest styles featured in the blockbusters and on the runways, do you choose for your customers?

Leading eyewear designers and suppliers have been uniform in their response - they believe the future of eyewear is looking to the past... with a splash of green!

Elegant Vintage

While it's no secret that vintage inspired design and colour has been the driving force for both men and women this year, rest assured it will evolve in 2011.

To appeal to your fashion conscious male customers, look to stock the thicker early 1960s designs and feminine cat-eye styling as seen in the HBO series Mad Men.

Women's glasses will be inspired by the bigger rounder styles from the 1970s and 80s as well as a return to 90s vintage styling, inspired by metal panto shapes covered with acetate and Windsor rims so popular with Giorgio Armani and Polo Ralph Lauren. The cat-eye frames worn by French actresses in the late 1960s will also make a comeback.

While overt bling! and designer logos will slowly slip into the past, metals and jewels are not gone forever. This is where vintage classic is really making its mark as we will start to see fancy temples and embedded jewels that exude subtle elegance! 

Going Green

In our new green world, it's hardly surprising that the eco look (which mivision has been writing about for the last six months) is now about to hit the market in a big way. As the name suggests, the eco look looks green - and in many cases it is.

Sensational frames are on their way, made from environmentally sustainable timbers or bamboo derived from dedicated plantations. These stunning glasses will have your environmentally responsible customers in seventh heaven!

But beware the impersonators - some eco looks are actually made from laser cut acetate designed with authentic wood grain features. The positive about the impersonators is that they are stronger - much stronger - so they'll be available with a one-year warranty. The negative - well, they're just not green. But hey, if you've got customers who want to look green but don't want to bother with delicate frames, this is the perfect alternative. And you can always suggest they offset their purchase with a few carbon credits!

Fading Colours

Just as eyewear styles have changed, so too have colours. Go back a year and bold, distinctive colour was a feature of many leading brands. Eyewear was designed to stand out from the wearer's face and clothing.

Now, in our post GFC world, people are shying away from standing out. Instead, we're seeing subtle, more earthy colours designed to blend with the wearer's face and complement their choice of clothing. Tortoiseshell and horn is important, as is matt and of course wood frames or finishes. Gold frames or frames with gold details and coloured metal frames will also be big.

Denim clothing will be strong in stores this season and to match, frames in many different hues of blue. While highlight colours will be purple and red, in the main, women's frames will feature faded colours that gently graduate - plum to honey, blue to teal, raisin to fuchsia... you get the idea.

As always, there are a lot of exciting new styles coming in an array of colour - there's something for everyone. So, it's a great time to take a good look at your customers to determine which of these exciting new trends will ignite their passion - and build your sales! 

Melanie Kell is an experienced senior journalist and copy writer who has worked for the ABC, SMH and the .... Her areas of expertise are optics and lifestyle.