OLIVER PEOPLES' NY SUMMER 2008 COLLECTION DEBUT'S AT
VISION EXPO EAST

The Oliver Peoples Summer 2008 Collection debuted at Vision Expo East this past week and received a tremendous response from key US retailers. Keeping with their habit of doing things contrarily to the traditional optical industry, the Oliver Peoples’ collection was shown at Studio 450, a luxurious penthouse loft space in Chelsea, as opposed to  the Jacob Javits Convention Center. A lifestyle image environment was created in order to highlight the designs from each of the Oliver Peoples’ branded collections.

The Sofiane – this summer must-have style of the Oliver Peoples collection – met huge success. It is the debut style of the new and exclusive trademarked category of eyewear: Suspended Metal. It is one of Oliver Peoples greatest accomplishments in sunglass design. A hand-laid metal wire is encased in two layers of hand-sculpted plastic. This technology has been an extensive labor of love for designer Larry Leight, who developed it over several years. The Sofiane aesthetic reads as a feminine, thin plastic frame with a floating metal wire, creating a modern, elegant sunglass.  Sales of the style were incredible and it is predicted the Sofiane will be the brand’s “Harlot” style of 2008.

On the optical side, the Massine was exceptionally well received. The eccentric frame is clearly retro in styling, yet modern in design. Its unique construction mixes metal and plastic, creating an ultra lightweight, elegant, and sophisticated style.

In celebration of the collection and in coordination with VEE, on Friday night Oliver Peoples closed the long celebration of their 20 Year Anniversary with the hard to get in party of the week at the exclusive Milk Gallery.  It was a memorable night of drinks, dancing, a chocolate fountain, and fabulous fun! The guest list included the perfect mix of Oliver Peoples customers and chic New Yorkers from the fashion, entertainment, and PR industries. Some of the many long time Oliver Peoples customers, who have supported and helped build the brand for the past twenty years, came to celebrate the company’s milestone. The party was a huge success and will  be remembered for years to come.

While in New York, Larry Leight, Founder and Creative Director of Oliver Peoples, made a personal appearance at the recently opened in-store Oliver Peoples shop at Bergdorf Goodman. The event showcased the Sofiane style, and allowed customers to pre-order the new Diamond Ilsa which was just added to the Riche Collection. Fellow CFDA designer Betsy Johnson stopped by to show her support for Larry and check out the new collection.  Customers enjoyed personal fittings and advice from Larry who will be making appearances at Neiman Marcus stores throughout the country this month.

Media Contact: Jamie Katz, Oliver Peoples, Inc 323-951-0010

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