Ever since human beings have existed they have used jewellery – as a status symbol, an expression of their personality and taste or simply as a personal adornment. Whereas 100,000 years ago it was mainly shells from which ornaments were shaped and created, modern materials are more varied and open up a wide range of design options. The selection of jewellery available has also changed and expanded over the years and centuries. For a long time jewellery was thought of mainly as necklaces and bracelets, earrings or rings but now there is also jewellery for the feet, hair – and the face.

No jewel is capable of sparkling like the eyes, which are the first thing an observer sees and whose brilliance is emphasised by what is probably the most beautiful piece of jewellery for the face – a pair of glasses. Thanks to three new Silhouette collections, eyeglass wearers can now turn their everyday accessory into a piece of jewellery: Light Attraction and Magic Wings are the two versions for women and Powerlight is the name of the men’s version. What all three have in common are the luxurious crystals that are fashioned in feather light frames made of high tech titanium. There are three colour options in each collection – classic silver and gold as well as a fashion alternative.

Each model has a brilliantly eye-catching effect with a sober business suit or as an elegant complement to eveningwear. Thanks to Silhouette, glasses are no longer just a functional accessory but also a visual embellishment and a real gem on the first thing everyone sees – your face.

Modern Shades

Loud and pastel colours dominate the display windows from Los Angeles to Moscow, they fill the fashion columns of magazines and have inspired the designers of Austrian eyeglass manufacturer Silhouette to produce a new, very colourful collection. “With the 12 colour combinations of the Modern Shades collection we offer a wide range of flamboyant shades in combination with the wear comfort so characteristic of Silhouette”, says Arnold Schmied, the board member and company co-owner responsible for marketing, design and sales.

“Contrasts create excitement – anything goes” has won over not only the fashion gurus at Vogue. Teal is being used as an accent, yellow and red provide freshness, deep purple represents elegance, while black and white offer much appreciated combination options. All these fashion colours can be found in the 12 Modern Shades models, including combinations such as Silver-Gold Silk, Yellow-Back Brightness, Green-Yellow Spirit, Purple-Pink Touch, Teal-Brown Look and Grey-Orange Energy.

What all 12 models have in common is their effectively positioned line, which breaks up the large surface area of the frame with brilliantly vibrant colours. “This particular method of creating section in the frame geometry produces an extraordinary intensity of shades”, is how Arnold Schmied explains the Modern Shades design concept. With this new collection the Silhouette team helps people wearing glasses to express themselves very effectively, because colours work, as Axel Buether, chairman of the German Colour Centre insists. “Colour is one of our most important means of communication. Between 70 and 90 per cent of non-verbal information is conveyed via colour. We live in a world of colour!”

Titan Minimal Art

In the last few years the Austrian eyewear brand has managed not only to win but to expand its position as market leader in top class rimless eyewear. “We just did what we do well – rimless eyewear of the highest level,” say the two managing directors and co-owners, Arnold and Klaus Schmied. The experience, the technical knowledge, the unmistakeable design, the greatest comfort and the standards of quality of the past few years now allow Silhouette to prove itself with an even larger assortment and range, thus offering an even greater selection to spectacle wearers. The Silhouette range will soon include – in addition to rimless eyewear – Nylor eyewear from spring 2012 and full-frame eyewear from summer 2012. This will make Silhouette the “most complete” provider in the segment of high quality, light eyewear with the greatest comfort, and it also represents a further logical step in the assortment policy.

“You should only do something new if you can do it better,” said the Austrian architect Adolf Loos. Silhouette subscribes to this motto and is launching the Nylor and full-frame eyewear now that it can be guaranteed that they fulfil all of the criteria that apply to the Silhouette brand and the rimless models. “It is our objective to offer eyewear that people like to wear,” says Klaus Schmied. And he continues: “That is why we have done everything to keep the weight of the Nylor and full-frame eyewear as low as possibly by using our know-how and the best materials such as high-tech titanium and SPX. The result is comfort, flexibility and adaptability.” Nylor and full-frame eyewear by Silhouette are therefore almost as light as rimless models, providing the best possible comfort for their category and high resilience.

With its Nylor and full-frame eyewear Silhouette is also remaining true to the design that is typical for its brand, because design families have been created. “We have established a collections logistic by offering a selection of models in different versions – rimless, Nylor and full-frame – and can thus fulfil nearly all the wishes of spectacles wearers,” says Arnold Schmied, who is responsible for the areas of marketing, sales and design in the company.
Nor will anything change in the quality of service as a result of the expansion of the range, as the Austrian family company will of course continue to guarantee the prompt delivery of eyewear and spare parts – up to five years after the discontinuation of a collection – as well as ongoing competent advice.

The Silhouette brand
What began as a vision – eyewear as accessory – in 1964, is now the world’s leading brand for light eyewear: Silhouette. Under this brand the lightest eyewear in the world is manufactured in Austria with much love for detail, a large proportion of handicraft, and individual design signature and the use of the best materials and the latest technology, and exported around the whole world. Over ten years ago the Austrian family company revolutionised the eyewear market with its rimless, screwless, hingeless and almost weightless Titan Minimal Art. Silhouette eyewear has been on board over 30 NASA space missions, and it has travelled around the world not only with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, but also with a series of great names from the worlds of entertainment, business and politics.

SPX Art Kids

According to the findings of an Allensbach study, about 15% of 2 to 15-year olds in Germany are already wearing eyewear and, in some countries, experts are already talk of 20 to 30% of children needing eyewear. Defective vision, positional defects (“squints”) or congenital eye diseases among children are being detected and better treated earlier and earlier, thanks to sight tests now possible when children are babies or toddlers – and, now as before, the most common “treatment” is to prescribe eyewear for children.

While slight long sightedness, which can be widespread when children are babies or toddlers, has often regulated itself when the eye has grown by the time they each school age, there is a series of defective vision problems and defects that have to be treated – often with eyewear.

“Defective vision problems, like long sightedness, short sightedness, astigmatism or anisometropia, can impair the normal development of stereo vision in both eyes in very early childhood and have to be treated immediately with appropriate eyewear. Undetected or inadequately corrected defective vision or strabismus often rapidly leads to irreversible amblyopia, which simply cannot be healed later with perfectly adjusted eyewear, contact lens correction or with an operation,” according to opthalmologist Dr. Markus Grasl.

Children’s eyewear: durable, comfortable and stylish
Kinder – as well as their parents – have specific requirements when it comes to their eyewear, both in terms of its material, size and weight, as well as manufacturing and comfort in wear.  “Children don’t like wearing poorly fitting or pressing eyewear,” states Dr. Grasl.
Experts list four crucial points as key criteria for “good children’s eyewear”: excellent fit, durability, exciting and sophisticated design and light weight. Children’s eyewear should be monitored around once a year and adjusted to the child’s growth: between 8 and 10 prescriptions for eyewear are usual between the ages of 5 and 13. If children opt for eyewear that grows with them and where the lenses can be replaced, these new prescriptions still mean new lenses, but not necessarily a new design every time.

The complete PR-Text is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

SPX Art Kids

Children should not only be able to see well through their eyewear but they should also feel good wearing it and enjoy looking at the world around them. Here are a few hints from experts – directed particularly at parents – to ensure that this is the case.

• Your child’s eyewear should not weigh him or her down – aim for the lightest eyewear possible
• Your child’s eyewear should be durable and hardwearing and move with them; this is even more important than with adult eyewear – so test the eyewear “in motion” and discuss together with your child what the eyewear is going to have to withstand.
• Ideally, your child’s eyewear will grow with your child, i.e. the lenses should be replaceable to ensure that your child simply continues to wear the eyewear if their eyesight changes and when they grow.
• What are your child’s favourite colours? He will most likely prefer wearing eyewear in his favourite colour
• You can give your child advice but leave the final decision about the choice of eyewear down to him – after all, your child has to feel happy about the eyewear and (generally) wear it every day
• Explain to your children why he is wearing eyewear so that he can also explain to his friends, should they ask
• Ensure that the eyewear fits well. Alongside the choice of material, the correct length of the temples and also the choice of nose bridges are crucial for a correct fit
• Take your time – you can’t buy your children’s eyewear in ten minutes. Ultimately your child should be happy wearing the eyewear and see well through it for some time. Allow around an hour for this
• As your child’s eyes are still growing, the fit and lens thickness of his eyewear should be checked regularly.
• Optimum storage and handling – a hard case – will extend the service life of all eyewear and children’s eyewear. Make your child aware of this
• Show your child how to clean his eyewear using dry, soft eyewear cleaning cloths and – if seriously dirty – lukewarm water with a little soap and special eyewear cleaning sprays
• Ask your optician for advice on the choice of lenses. Plastic or polycarbonate (break-proof!) lenses are generally recommended for children

The complete PR-Text is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

SPX Art Kids

“The glasses I wear every day really have to be very comfortable.” This is not just the opinion of 10-year old Salvatore but also the opinion of the majority of spectacle-wearing children, who are naturally also concerned with their look. According to Fiona, aged 7, “So that I like my glasses, they shouldn’t stand out but still be pretty.”

Children know perfectly well what they like, both in terms of their leisure activities and outfits – but their eyewear too. The market for children continues to develop and major brands are discovering and actively targeting the world of little people.

Silhouette, the leading manufacturer of lightweight and high-quality eyewear, has therefore decided to develop the best eyewear for children to cope with every adventure children are involved in and be their best partner to children for their school, sports and leisure. “The inspiration for SPX Art Kinds essentially came from children themselves – both from our own children as well as from all the children with whom we have spoken and worked. And, of course, we have also listened to the needs of parents as well,” explains Silhouette designer Gerhard Fuchs.

SPX Art Kids enjoys all the benefits of “grown up” Silhouettes and yet is specifically designed to meet the needs and wishes of children. The colours – Candy Pink, Rainbow Purple, Cherry Red, Cool Black, Action Green, Ocean Blue, Coconut Brown – and the design of the eyewear are so cool that children enjoy wearing the lightweight and robust glasses in every situation. Comfortable SPX Art Kids remain on children’s noses, irrespective of the adventures that the children embark upon. The SPX plastic, specially developed by Silhouette, not only ensure lightweight eyewear and comfort in wear, but is also extremely flexible.

And a further factor that parents particularly like is that SPX Art Kids grows with the children, as the rimless eyewear lenses can be adapted to the child’s personality and the shape of their face and can very simply be replaced by larger lenses as soon as they become too small..

The complete PR-Text is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

Design For Asia Award

Since 2003, the Design for Asia Award is a prize for the most influential designs in Asia. For the first time, the Austrian eyewear brand Silhouette is among the winners of this internationally renowned award, which was celebrated and presented in Hong Kong at the beginning of December.
The award for the category of Fashion Accessories went to Silhouette SPX Art, which was already honoured in Europe with the if Design Award. It impressed the jury with its reduced form, high level of expressiveness and the masterful interpretation of a casual lifestyle.

All product submissions – there were around 720 this year – are evaluated by an international jury in a multi-stage process governed by a strict catalogue of criteria. The most influential factors were overall appearance, “Asian Style” and commercial success. SPX Art met those criteria to win the Design for Asia Bronze Award.

“The Design for Asia Award is a very special honour, for it is our first in Asia, a market that is becoming more and more relevant for us. That’s why it’s even more important to produce designs that also reflect the Asian lifestyle,” says Arnold Schmied, co-owner and Chair of Silhouette International, where he leads the departments of Design, Brand and Sales.

Gerhard Fuchs, whose eyewear designs have already received numerous awards, is thrilled about the news: “When creating eyewear, we first think about those who are going to don it and their satisfaction with the models. Winning a prize like the Design for Asia Award is a wonderful confirmation for our efforts.”

Titan Glam

One trend that will continue to grow in 2012 is accessory eyewear. These are glasses donned for special occasions that, like jewellery, adorn the wearer’s face. They underline personality while distinguishing themselves with strong individuality. The vintage look is a thing of the past. Elegance is now embodied in a new look with the highest quality materials. The yearn for individuality, which is growing stronger and stronger every year, is promoted by the opportunity to design each pair of rimless eyewear to match one’s own ideas and needs.

Silhouette’s Titan Glam is the perfect accessory for ladies who have style and a sense for purist luxury not worn on the outside, but rather expressed through the selection of materials and colours. “Titan Glam is the perfect accessory for ladies with an unmistakable sense for purist luxury and simple elegance”, claims Angela Strecker, a designer at Silhouette specialised in eyewear from the Luxury Lifestyle World. The idea for a design is often found in simple muses. Strecker, for example, was inspired by the interplay between two water drops reflecting each other, fondly interpreting them as the central design element for Titan Glam.

This design’s elegance is underlined in the selection of colours and materials. The interplay of precious metals with surfaces elaborated in a plethora of individual work steps – many of which are realised by hand – along with Silhouette’s soft, pleasant to touch SPX plastic turns Titan Glam into a statement. The elegance and excitement in Titan Glam can particularly be seen in the clever contrasts in effects; in colours – like the two-colour Black-Red Flamenco model – as well as in materials, found in both gloss and matt, imparting high quality elegance to Titan Glam.

The four models in Silhouette’s Titan Glam Collection will be available in four colour variations from selected stores around the globe as of January 2012 – Brown-Green Marble, Black-Red Flamenco, Gold-Silver Sunrays and Silver-Gold Moonlight. Like all Silhouette Collections, Titan Glam is also crafted in Austria in over 200 work steps using the highest quality materials.

Titan Impressions

Clear forms and reduction to what is essential brought together with unmistakable feel and warm appeal – that could be a description of the minimalism of our century, which has also brought with it a renaissance of values. While the reduced style of the 90s had a cold feel to it, craftsmanship by hand, materials with a natural appearance, individuality, warm colours and soft surfaces are now receiving a new level of emphasis.

Those who don Silhouette Titan Impressions know what they are wearing: Design from Austria, circa 80% crafted by hand and specifically oriented toward the needs of individuals. This combination of universality and individuality means that Titan Impressions eyewear can be worn all day long – ladies and gentlemen alike. “My idea was to create eyewear that could be put on early in the morning and is not removed again until shortly before going to bed. A perfect companion for the whole day, without being a burden” says Gerhard Fuchs, Titan Impressions designer.

Colour and material accents are used quite deliberately. Titan Impressions’ hinges nourish tension via matt-gloss effects, the contrast between the materials high-tech titanium and SPX, interplays of colours such as Black-Red, Violet-Green and Gold-White. One finds pleasant surprises in the small prints and structures along the interior of the hinges. These seamless, strictly geometrical design elements are oriented on impressionist pointillism and are what give Titan Impressions its name.

The twelve models in twelve colour variations from the Silhouette Titan Impressions collections will be available from select stores worldwide starting in January 2012. Like all Silhouette collections, Silhouette Titan Impressions are crafted in Austria using the highest quality materials in more than 200 work steps, circa 80% of which are realised by hand.

Silhouette Centre Court

Designing sunglasses requires a complex, holistic approach. For it’s not only design that determines the quality and attractiveness of sunglasses, there are a whole series of additional factors. The designers at Silhouette, with their many years of experience, are also conscious of this fact.
Even though there is a design team at Silhouette working on eyewear, great emphasis is placed on individuality – and everyone has his or her own ideas on design.

Gerhard Fuchs has been working at Silhouette for nearly three decades now. His journey has been interesting, for he learned technology first, and then design. He unites these two arenas like no other in eyewear design.
He gets to the heart of his views on eyewear design, and more, using but few words…

What makes good design?
Reducing to what is essential – very simple and concise.

What requirements should sunglasses fulfil?
They should be light, comfortable and stable. Of course, they have to deliver the highest level of protection from the sun as well as a good fit – and they should look cool on the face.

What would you like to design if you weren’t creating sunglasses?
Airships, ships, power plants and cities that work on renewable energies independently and sustainably.

Your design role models?
Nature and evolution spawn incredible designs – time isn’t a factor there.
Approaches to design moulded by nature – like that of Jean Marie Maussard, for example – fascinate me, as do clear and sleek, flowing forms.

How does a design become a classic?
In order to become a classic, design definitely has to be timelessly good and capable of exciting a great number of people. However, one does not sit down and say: “I’m going to create a classic now” – they do happen, but depend upon so many components that you can neither calculate nor influence them. However, it is, of course, every designer’s aim to one day create a classic – like Titan Minimal Art.

Your favourite design piece?
I find the Wally Hermes yacht to be really impressive. If that yacht could also be operated without fuel and use only wind, solar and wave energy, then it would be the perfect place to live for me.

The complete press release is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

Silhouette Premium Sunglasses

To be able to see in strong sunlight in a relaxed manner and comfortably, clearly and sharply, without any restrictions or clouding – that’s what sunglasses should allow. They should protect the eyes from the hazards of the sun. To ensure this you need not only the best sun protection lenses but also and above all constant scientific involvement with the subject.

“There are a few but all the more important criteria and factors that distinguish between good and excellent sun protection lenses,” says Rupert Spindelbalker, the Head of Research and Development at Silhouette International. “Sunglasses must permit clear, sharp vision and protect the eye from those rays that might damage it. 100% of UVA, UVB and UVC radiation and 93% of blue light should be filtered out.”

The spectrum of radiation
The human eye perceives light only in the range of wavelengths from about 380 to 780 nm but it is the invisible UV and infrared rays in particular that are dangerous to the eye and can damage it.

The sun’s spectrum is like a rainbow:
Wavelength from 100 to 380 nm:    Ultraviolet light (UVA, UVB, UVC)
Wavelength from 380 to 780 nm:    Visible light: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange
Wavelength from 380 to 500 nm:    Blue light
Wavelength from 780 to 1 mm:      Infrared light

UV radiation
The effect of UV radiation is already familiar from sun protection for the skin. UV A rays tan the skin and are responsible for skin aging, whilst UV B rays cause sunburn and may lead to skin cancer. In the eye, UV B radiation can lead to irritation of the cornea and conjunctiva. UV C light is even more aggressive and dangerous but is mainly filtered out by the ozone layer before it reaches the earth’s surface.

Infrared radiation
Infrared radiation, like UV rays, is invisible and does not generally give people any problems. It is only if one is exposed to very intense heat sources that it may cause damage to the eye. One familiar example is cataracts.

The complete press release is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

Celebrate the Sun - The new collection

Visionary design with optimum function, the best vision with joy and wellbeing – Premium sunglasses by Silhouette combine these features and so make individual statements.
“The demands of the wearers of sunglasses are becoming more and more individual. Our challenge is to anticipate and recognise this. With the new 2012 sunglasses collection we are not following a trend but making statements,” says Silhouette’s co-owner and Chairman Arnold Schmied, who was himself closely involved in the development of the new line.

The combination of pioneering, mainly rimless eyewear design and optimum protection from the hazards of the sun is made possible by Silhouette’s decades-long involvement with the sunglasses phenomenon  and its development. The result of this process, that involves research, design, product development and production, is an extraordinary 2012 sunglasses collection – a celebration in the sun.

16 models meet individual requirements. Not only do they all offer perfect sun protection but they also make an impact, in particular thanks to their very high design standards and great comfort in wear because of their incomparable lightness and state of the art processing – up to 80% by hand. And they all help you enjoy seeing in the sun!

The two collection lines, Lifestyle by Design – for that chic look and good vision in the sun – and Action by Design – for sporting moments in the sun – give expression to the basic philosophy as a core message and structure the collections in two lifestyles.

“Sunglasses are now one of the most important accessories all year round. Not only are they decorative, though, but more and more people are becoming aware of the real function of sunglasses. We want to meet these ever higher expectations – paired with lifestyle and design – so we offer many additional features such as polarised sun protection lenses, a sophisticated lens system, the option of prescription lenses and much more,” is how Klaus Schmied, co-owner and the Director responsible for Technology, Research and Production, describes Silhouette’s philosophy.

The complete press release is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

Crystal Glamour

Accessories should be worn precisely where they can cause a furore and a stir: on the face. That is what the Silhouette designers thought, and it is why, in the first year of the Crystal Collection by Silhouette, they have created a special edition, available for a short time only – and only by request.

The rimless accessory eyewear “Crystal Glamour” attracts all the attention: not only are temples decorated by finely cut crystals, but the lightly tinted glasses of this creation are also strewn with 38 perfectly faceted crystals each. All of the crystals are set individually by hand; around 80% of the decorative piece is processed in Austria – making each piece a unique specimen.

The different sizes of the Xilion Rose crystals convey the impression of a carpet of crystals, radiating a splendour that is very special and glamorous. When the light falls upon the 76 crystals and breaks within them, there emerges the fascinating impression of a sea of illuminations.

The “Crystal Glamour” – the basis was provided by the successful Sparkling Icon model – is intended to be the first in a series of collector items, each of which shall be produced in time for Christmas. The decorative pieces will be made to order.

Silhouette Crystal Rings

With the new Silhouette collections Starways and Crystal Rings, pure elegance begins with the face. The perfectly shaped, sparkling accessory eyewear gives the term “glamour” quite a new and fresh meaning. Following the trend of “occasional eyewear”, Silhouette provides the stylish lady-about-town with rimless masterpieces for very special moments. Crystals play just as important a role in the Starways and Crystal Rings collections as harmony and precision.

The starry sky was the inspiration and name giver for the models in the rimless collection “Starways”. The gentle waves of the pattern, in the same colour as that used for the temples, underline the harmonised colouring of the Chinese lacquer applications. Studded with the glittering effect of the randomly distributed crystals, this combination, which is varied and rich in detail, recalls the stars in the night sky. The highest possible quality materials are applied with great skill by hand and with a love of detail to the temples in order to achieve the greatest possible elegance. No two spectacles are alike, because the wearer makes each so individual – and can choose from a wide range of lens variations as well as from a wide range of colours. Whether elegant silver-ivory Glow, fiery red-gold Sparkle or exclusive blue-grey Starlight – reaching for the stars proves to be an excellent choice, and not only for romantics.

“For me, all the eyewear that I design must be wearable. It must be subordinate to its wearer – just like good fashion – while at the same time emphasising the advantages”, says Silhouette designer Angela Strecker, who is specialised at Silhouette in precious and elegant eyewear design, in particular with crystal effects.

The circle is considered to be a symbol of maximum symmetry and harmony. When circles and rings are decorated with crystals, they appear as gentle dewdrops that glitter enticingly and mystically. But the glamour of the eyewear in the “Crystal Rings” collection comes not only from the crystals themselves, but also from the clever combination of the finest materials, with which both matt and gloss optics are given centre stage. The collection “Crystal Rings” gives the definition of the most beautiful piece of jewellery for the face a whole new meaning. The crystals have been chosen in delicate colours, which surround a titanium ring and are then threaded like pearls along a ribbon-shaped form – by hand, naturally. Wonderful pieces of jewellery in finely polished brilliance: that is what the “Crystal Rings” represent.

The sophisticated spectacles wearer can choose between the cool-royal, black-grey Club, a striking purple-gold, or classic understatement with vanilla-silver Uptown. Both Starways and Crystal Rings – like all Silhouette collections – are manufactured in Austria using the highest quality materials in more than 200 stages of production. Both rimless collections, “Starways” and “Crystal Rings” are available from xy in specialist retail outlets worldwide.

Silhouette iMirror is an app revolution

Eyewear styling made easy: Just download the app and point the camera at yourself – all you need is an iPhone4 or iPad2 with a forward-facing camera – try on rimless glasses and sunglasses in 3 dimensions. This easy-to-use and momentous development for glasses-wearers is made possible through a technological revolution that makes it possible to show a live video image with correctly positioned 3D data to virtually wear eyewear in real-time.

This is facilitated by Silhouette iMirror, a world premiere in augmented reality. Silhouette is the first eyewear producer in the world to implement augmented reality into a mobile application. The Silhouette iMirror can be downloaded from the iTunes Store for free, effective immediately – delivering surprising and impressive eyewear styling moments.

While trying on a pair of glasses, the wearer can move, turn and rotate to see in the mirror exactly how he or she would look to an observer. The webcam acts as a mirror that follows the wearer’s movements.

The user can choose as many new models as he or she likes from the large selection of rimless glasses and sunglasses by Silhouette. Simply clicking on a pair allows the user to see how well the selected model would fit his or her face in all of its expressions and angles.  Once you’ve found the model you like best, it’s easy to take a screenshot and send it to your friends using an iPhone or iPad, who can then express their opinions on the new rimless eyewear model without complications.

“With Silhouette iMirror, Silhouette has once again shown the brand’s high level of innovation. We have been working in the field of augmented reality for a few years in our Research & Development department – and doing so as the first eyewear brand in the world,” says executive board member and co-proprietor Klaus Schmied, in charge of the company’s Technology, Production and Finance / Administration departments. This technological innovation is made possible via dynamically loaded 3-D eyewear models, which are saved in the app and adapted to movements in the image using face-tracking technology.

Cutting-edge technology is used with the Silhouette iMirror in order to reach the highest level of service expertise. Thanks to the Silhouette iMirror, users can have a look at the rimless eyewear collection by Silhouette, test models and play with how they look before holding a “real” pair in their hands, regardless of where they are in the world.

“The Silhouette iMirror is primarily meant to be used for making a pre-selection before visiting an optician. And, of course, it’s meant to be fun as well”, says Silhouette Marketing & Design Executive Arnold Schmied.

Silhouette, the award-winning eyewear brand, was both seen and adored during New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012. Silhouette’s new 2012 SUN models complemented designer Pamella Roland’s latest modern art-inspired collection and stepped into the spotlight at The Daily’s Style Sessions Fashion Week VIP retreat.

“Silhouette was a perfect fit for our collection!,” exclaimed Pamella Roland backstage at her show. Pamella’s spring collection has been described as “classic silhouettes with dramatic details” and has received praises including “stunning“, “elegant“ and more.

Silhouette’s 2012 SUN Collection, which launches in the US in January 2012, provides sophisticated fashion wearers with functional design and flawless prestige to create a unique, extravagant statement. The lifestyle-infused range of styles, shapes, textures and colors bring a sleek, aesthetic feel to luxury and unite design with the lightness and comfort of wearing rimless frames. The 2012 SUN Collection models featured in Pamella Roland’s Spring/Summer 2012 presentation included:

- Silhouette Icon – The most authentic sunwear in Silhouette’s repertoire that combine comfort and durability while providing individual edge

- Silhouette New Horizon – A luxurious rimless shield meant to create a glamorous minimally chic look with ease

- Silhouette Centre Court – A modern style that embraces any situation regardless of movement

Silhouette’s 2012 SUN Collection also turned seeing into a visual experience at Fashion Week periodical The Daily’s Style Sessions Lounge as celebrities and fashion insiders were encouraged to accessorize their look with the artful and bold color combinations that embody the new collection and cater to individual needs. With 11 styles to choose from, in mood enhancing colors, guests like Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford and Matt Settle added a touch of glam to their everyday look and were photographed in a Silhouette photobooth for the opportunity to see themselves donning the futuristic styles.

Dr. Helmut Leder

For the first time, the impact of eyewear on the perception of faces has been researched in a scientific and soundly-based manner. The study by the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna has recently been released. It has been published in a special edition on face perception in the “Swiss Journal of Psychology” magazine.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Helmut Leder, one of the most renowned experts in the field of face and aesthetics research in the psychology of perception, conducted the study entitled “The impact of eyewear characteristics on the impression made by faces and perception of faces” with his team at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna.

How do we perceive faces?
We recognise a face by analysing eyes, nose and mouth and their individual spacing. We identify details that make a face special. Beauty seems to be the exact opposite of this: The fewer special features a face has, the more beautiful it appears.

Are there studies on how eyewear impacts the perception of faces?
There is surprisingly little research on the impact of eyewear on the face. As far as we know, our study is the first systematic investigation that compares full-rim eyewear with rimless eyewear.

How is your study designed?
As a first step we wanted to find out whether eyewear conveys the familiar stereotypes. The preconception that eyewear makes a person less attractive seems less prevalent today. On the other hand, rimless eyewear in particular does make faces look more trustworthy and successful.

What is the situation with the identification of faces?
Eyewear adds something to a face. That could make it harder to identify a person. In various trials we discovered that full-rim eyewear has a bigger impact on the recognition of faces than rimless eyewear.

How does eyewear affect the beauty of a face or a person?
It turned out that rimless eyewear makes faces less distinctive. Less distinctive often just means more attractive. This effect was even stronger than with faces without eyewear. That is especially interesting.

What does one look at first in a face?
If you look at a face, you first look at the eyes, then the mouth and nose. So one question was: Does eyewear draw the attention even more to the eyes? And is there a difference between full-rim eyewear and rimless eyewear? We discovered that all eyewear drew the attention to the important eye zone, which is so important for the first impression of a person, even in the case of rimless eyewear with its much subtler effect.

You yourself wear rimless eyewear. For what reason?
Seeing seems so easy. Nevertheless it is one of the most complex processes that occur in our brains. What I appreciate about my rimless eyewear is that it leaves this process unrestricted and makes it an easy, unimpeded experience.

The complete press release is in the Silhouette Mediabox and available for download.

Study on the perception of faces with eyewear

It often takes only a brief moment for a person to gain a perception and impression of another. The first glance falls on the face, which can reveal so much, and is almost always directed at the eyes. But what actually happens in this first moment? How is the person or his or her face perceived with or without (rimless) eyewear? How can beauty be explained?

Whereas rimless eyewear and its impact on the perception of faces have not previously been the subject of any studies, science has now for the first time tackled this subject and found answers to questions that had previously been unanswered. In a series of scientific studies by the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna, the effect of rimless and full-rim eyewear and their impact in the first moment and on the initial impression have been studied.

The studies have been published in the Swiss Journal of Psychology and thereby presented to the specialist world of psychology. But the findings catch the attention of all spectacle wearers who, thanks to the series of studies, now have an idea of the impact on the person opposite.

The complete PR-Text is in the  Mediabox and available for download.

Silhouette Lacquer Artwork

Grand moments and unique occasions deserve the classiest accessories and eyewear. In the end, you’ll want to enjoy these special times with radiant, individual style. In the eyewear world – like with other accessories – there is a growing trend toward “occasion eyewear”. Silhouette is one of the first eyewear manufacturers to anticipate and address this development, creating luxury collections for the really big moments in life.

Eyewear is the most beautiful adornment placed on a face and is receiving new impetus with the luxury collections “Lacquer Artwork” – for the discerning gentlemen – and “Golden Circle” – for the elegant lady. These new rimless eyewear collections from Silhouette distinguish themselves with the highest level of fine craftsmanship, attainable only when largely made by hand using materials of the highest quality.

A great deal of time and know-how has been invested not only in the refined design of the “Lacquer Artwork” gentlemen’s line, but also in its elaboration. Hundreds of hours and around 200 work steps – largely performed by hand – turn these models into eyewear artwork. The recesses in the temples are placed with meticulousness; the urushi lacquer is applied in various, matched colours, ornate needling work and colourless resin. They are even polished by hand, giving Lacquer Artwork – available in four different, distinguished colour combinations – that final touch. The models from the Lacquer Artwork Collection are the product of the highest level of eyewear manufacturing. Stylistically confident gentlemen who wear them will enjoy wonderful, special moments.

“Eyewear for special occasions or that make a moment particularly special is my passion. I like placing accents, which allows me to support the natural beauty of a face” says Silhouette designer Angela Strecker, specialized at Silhouette in elegant eyewear design.

Finesse is what is expressed by the ladies who adorn themselves with rimless eyewear from the “Golden Circle” Collection. These gems captivate above all else with their contrasts, with the selection of high quality materials and with the harmonically distinct colour combinations. Interwoven titanium circles – giving the Golden Circle its name – along the temples are the central decoration elements.

They are reminiscent of classy, puristic necklaces and bracelets that compliment the Golden Circle wonderfully when used in reserved amounts. The colours on this precious eyewear express elegant splendour and glamour. Discerning ladies can chose between cool, royal Silver-Purple Dreams, striking Ivory-Gold Glamour, reserved-fine Brown Elegance or classic Grey-Gold Shadows. The Golden Circle Collection is – like all Silhouette collections – made in Austria using the highest quality of materials in more than 200 work steps.

The two collections of luxury rimless eyewear “Lacquer Artwork” and “Golden Circle” are available from specialists worldwide starting in September.

Rimless eyewear is like sport: The right technology makes everything considerably easier and lighter. Combine it with unique, dynamic design and you’ll have the advantage – or in the parlance of sport: victory – in the truest sense of the word, right before your eyes. And victory has a name: Titan Elements. Highly active individuals who use eyewear want to keep their heads clear – and, of course, enjoy perfection in how they see and look. Rimless eyewear should follow every movement without moving around themselves.

Titan Elements from Silhouette – available in twelve extraordinary and dynamic colour combinations – are the story of the skilful combination of numerous elements coming together to form a unique composition and visual experience: The combination of high-tech titanium and patented SPX material was the first step. The next was the screwless cylinder hinge, which, in addition to perfect function, also promises durability. The final step was to combine ideal wear comfort with athletic hold, perfect form and a comfortable fit.

The generously open design of this technologically elaborate rimless eyewear makes it – and especially its wearer – unmistakable. Its form is underlined by the masterful mix of materials, the flowing, soft lines and a colour palette that is as equally surprising as it diverse at the ultra slim, co-moulded temple ends.

With Titan Elements, we hope to create an expression of a reduced, essential lifestyle in motion that permits copious room for individuality. Titan Elements are the perfect eyewear for athletic individualists, combining airy design with fresh dynamics. There are eclectic possibilities for a multi-facetted play on colours, imaginatively composed in four classic, four confident and four athletic variations.

Just like every individual is distinctive, this eyewear is also designed to be distinctive: That’s why every pair of rimless Silhouette eyewear is one of a kind, “made in Austria”.

The new Titan elements will be available from opticians worldwide starting in September.

The list of prominent Silhouette fans is long. And that list even became a bit longer at Cannes Film Festival in May.
Stars were spotted proudly presenting their favourite shades, used to protect their eyes from more than just the storms of camera flashes.

One star who has been familiar with Silhouette for several years now and allows herself to be seen wearing various models is Jane Fonda. The two-time-Oscar-winning Hollywood actress owns both prescription eyewear from Silhouette tinted in various colours as well as sunglasses – as she demonstrated during a relaxed moment at Cannes. Jane Fonda wears a Titan Minimal Art Model 8609 from Silhouette.

A whole series of stars (such as Angelina Jolie, Uma Thurman and Milla Jovovich) were spotted at Cannes wearing Silhouette sunglasses, and several even allowed themselves to be photographed – such as Kiera Chaplin, model/actress and granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, who chose the Dreamwings Model 8113.
Julie Judd, French actress of English roots, and the Belgian actress Déborah Francois, who performed in the production L’Enfant, which won the 2005 Golden Palm, grabbed a pair of Silhouette sunglasses. Julie Judd and Deborah Francois chose Dreamwings Model 8113.
The French actress Bérénice Bejo, born in Buenos Aires, has an eye for classics and chose – like many starts before her – a pair of pilot sunglasses, Model 8625.

Silhouette Zenlight

Concentrating on the ultimate in naturalness does not only guarantee the harmony of the moment. Man and nature have inspired designers in creating and recreating Zenlight models by Silhouette; they have also flirted with a new range of contemporary colours, which are characterised especially by their energy.

In addition to the 12 effective colours of the award-winning Zenlight there are now six new ones, which enable even more scope for creativity and harmony.

Zenlight – loosely based on the Zen philosophy – provides the essentials: maximum wearer comfort on the one hand, as they always feel right, with intense emotional appeal but no screws and nothing that would weigh you down or limit your field of vision on the other.

This combination has turned Zenlight into one of the most successful and popular models of frameless glasses in the last two years, and it has even received an iF Design Award.

“It’s an achievement for us if spectacle wearers love a particular model. We’re delighted on the one hand and it keeps us committed to further development on the other”, says Silhouette brand director Andreas Aschauer Martinelli.

Four dynamic and fresh colour varieties make the Zenlight a fashion and accessory highlight. Totally in keeping with the colour-blocking trend, yellow spirit, purple dream, green strength or red action are applied to translucent framed backgrounds.

More subdued but still exciting are the two new colour combinations brown breath and black infinity, which extend the Zenlight family to a total of 18 different colour combinations. The combination of different colours and varied lens designs allow for unlimited variety and customisation of spectacles to the needs, personalities and faces of their wearers.

From July 2011 the six new Silhouette Zenlight colours – approx. 80% of which are handmade in Austria – are available at opticians worldwide.

Silhouette Colour Waves

One thing unites all trend experts for the year 2011: Long live colour! The more colours the better, the livelier, the hipper. Whoever then combines colour with graphics has captured the spirit of the times. That is the case with Silhouette and its new eyeglass collection “Colour Waves”. After all, spectacles also mean displaying your colours, confidence and zest for life – especially when they enable extravagant and limitless visual experiences.

The strong colours of the asymmetrically shaped SPX temple arms – Sweet Honey, Fresh Green, Power Red, Cool Blue – demonstrate refreshing clarity and stylish confidence. Moreover, they have given the new collection its name: Colour Waves.

The reserved colour combinations Trendy Grey and Young Pink emphasise the seductive graphics and wave optics of the temple arms, which always look different, depending on the perspective.

The six frameless eyeglass models allow space for the personality of the wearer to unfold and enable individual accentuation thanks to the almost limitless possibilities with regard to the shapes and sizes of the lens. Silhouette suggests six different kinds of lens, but the decision – as with all Silhouette frameless spectacles – lies with the wearer.

Particularly when the light shines from a certain angle on the ultra light SPX temple arms and illuminates the strong colours, Colour Waves then unleashes its true fire and transforms from an eyeglass into a fashion statement. Seeing and being seen attain a whole new dimension with the new Colour Waves.

The frameless eyeglass collection “Colour Waves” by Silhouette, available internationally from May 2011 from optical retailers, is up to 80% handmade and a product that is “Made in Austria”.

Whoever chooses one of the six models in the Silhouette collection “Action Style” can look ahead, free of care. Here, straightforwardness and clarity are more than just slogans, they are statements that say a lot about their wearer and underline his or her personality.
Independence as a determining element of lifestyle is manifested here in the freedom of limitless vision, which the ultra light, straight frameless spectacles allow.

Action Style reveals much about the wearer, for it tells the story of independence, determination and that dash of adventure and surprise which makes life interesting. But they also demonstrate strength and individuality.

The two-tone prints on the straight and wide temple arms of high-tech titanium are full of excitement. Their appearance changes depending on the perspective of the observer; their structure is sometimes reminiscent of textiles, at other times of an electronic high-tech object or the wing of an airplane. The elastic temple arms adapt individually to the wearer’s head, nothing is too tight, everything is flexible and yet stable.

The wearer chooses the colour according to their personality, but also dependent on the mood and the occasion. There is a wide range:
The combinations Black-Red Rally and Purple Race are sporty, while the White-Gold Contrast and Black Mood convey subtle elegance every day. Wearers of the colour combinations Brown-Gold Harmony and Grey-Black Shadow love uncomplicated independence.

“In designing Action Style I thought primarily about people who know what they want – and who appreciate the freedom of limitless vision”, says Silhouette designer Gerhard Fuchs.

Created for the most part by hand and with much love for detail, the six models in the “Action Style” collection are manufactured in Linz, Austria. The spectacles, made from the highest quality materials without screws or hinges, are available worldwide from May 2011 at optical retailers.

Masterpieces of Europe’s unconventional, contemporary and socio-political author’s cinema have been presented at the Crossing Europe festival since 2004. The festival has achieved success that eludes most in this genre, and based in Linz, it has captured Europe.

However, the basis for the success story of unlimited vision had already begun in Linz forty years earlier. The future of design, highest expertise, unequalled wellbeing, distinctive wearing comfort, vision, highest quality and an appropriate portion of tradition have defined and continue to define the vision masterpieces from Silhouette.

When two international success stories meet, both of whom had their beginnings in Linz, a wonderful partnership with vision follows.

“Crossing Europe” and “Silhouette” entered into such partnership and Silhouette has not only taken over patronage and the role of the main sponsor but has also fathered its own award.

Crossing Europe and Silhouette demonstrate the power of innovation for which both institutions are well known. The New Vision Award powered by Silhouette is valued at EUR 5,000.00. The internationally represented NEW VISION AWARD jury chooses one of the ten feature movies in the program category PANORAMA EUROPA FICTION, all of which excel through extraordinary performance in the visual area. The prize is awarded to the winning movie’s director.

“It was and continues to be important to us to play an active role and to create and take part in the Crossing Europe festival with innovative power and conviction,” explained the two executives and co-owners Arnold and Klaus Schmied, who chair the Austrian family-run enterprise in the second generation.

’Seeing without Boundaries’ is our slogan and credo because farsightedness, vision and the constant search for the best solutions guide us and make Silhouette what it is,” continued the executives. Always being a step ahead and supporting people with the best possible vision is part of the brand’s basic principle, just like the conviction that only the best quality counts.

“Those who look through a Silhouette have uniqueness in front of their eyes, just like everybody who watches the ambitious movies presented at the Crossing Europe festival. We want to continue to advance this visual uniqueness,” stated the entrepreneurs in explaining their decision to cooperate with Crossing Europe.

With foresight Silhouette started the Crossing Europe Twitterer-in-Residence programme to find a European film and Twitter aficionado and invite this person to Linz. For one week this person will report from the festival and tweet Crossing Europe to the world. Follow the Silhouette Twitterer at www.twitter.com/silhouette_swb or at www.facebook.com/silhouette.

The vision masterpieces by Silhouette are exclusive and available at eye-care professionals worldwide.