Creative leaders and design innovators from the US and around the world will showcase their latest collections at a much expanded LOFT event, with two locations in New York City from 13th to 15th March 2025 – this year marks the 25th anniversary of LOFT in New York
The global eyewear industry is preparing for a blockbuster edition of the LOFT trade event in New York City, part of a new Eyewear Design Week which will host a variety of events at showrooms and hotels in the city. The much larger LOFT event will take place in two locations – Chelsea Industrial and Chelsea Factory – to house a line-up of international eyewear brands. The two sites are just two NYC blocks apart in the Chelsea/Hudson Yards District.
Founder, Richard Mewha has made a statement this week: “I am amazed at the overwhelming support from our vendors and optical retailers this year. We knew that we would have to grow the event to provide a comprehensive reason for clients to keep coming here. We have added a range of independent, curated frame brands as well as a premium lens company and a lab. We have also encouraged other showrooms in a coordinated effort to boost attendance and embellish the customer experience.”
LOFT NYC will present more than 150 independent eyewear designers and brands in the two larger locations. Brands confirmed for Chelsea Industrial include AKONI Eyewear, Blake Kuwahara, FACE A FACE, Folc, Gamine, GOTTI Switzerland, Jean Philippe Joly, l.a. eyeworks, Nina Mûr, RES/REI and MYKITA among others, and in total over 80 individual brands. The Chelsea Factory will host over 60 brands, including Blackfin, Caroline Abram, Erker’s 1879, FFIN, Morel, VAVA, and Veronika Wildgruber. For the first time, LOFT has arranged CE classes by several top industry speakers and experts as part of the schedule. Visitors can schedule all their eyewear appointments and CE classes online on the LOFT website.
Above: theo’s Liquid Elements – a collection which embodies the fluidity and adaptability of liquid metals; the collection includes six frames named after liquid elements in Mendeleev’s periodic table: Gallium, 31 (Ga), Bromine, 35 (Br), Rubidium, 6 (Rb), Cesium, 55 (Cs), Mercury, 80 (Hg), and Francium, 97 (Fr). theo is a long-standing exhibitor at the LOFT event and always brings colour and sensational design collections to the show – theo will be exhibiting in Chelsea Industrial.
RES/REI from Italy will exhibit at Chelsea Industrial. The brand will show its collection for Spring/Summer 2025, and new models in the Flowers, Diamonds and Sculptures collections where highly skilled Italian craftsmanship and charming design work through colours and details come together in very accomplished, unique frame styles. www.resrei.com
At Nina Mûr, two new collections are unmissable for visitors wishing to see material innovation in creative eyewear design. The Spanish brand by Lorena Serrano will show Galaxy, a line which fuses art, nature and the universe. The frames are sustainable and feature an authentic stone finish – the material has been explored to create designs with uneven edges and surfaces which capture the textures and purity of nature in its raw form. Nina Mûr is a Spanish brand that offers personalised and innovative glasses for opticians; they will also show their brand new must-see Pearl Eyes collection at the show. www.ninamur.com
FFIN Eyewear is one of the emerging labels that will exhibit at the LOFT event (the brand is by Anna Lewis from Wales, UK). Among their new styles launching are the Mod, inspired by the iconic mirrors of the Lambretta scooter. A pioneer of the 60’s British Mod culture, the designer’s mother Rosemary says: “To be a Mod was to be part of a revolution, a shock to the establishment, to be edgy and with-it.” Rosemary was one of the few women to own a Lambretta scooter and she was part of a youth culture that brought attitude to 60’s fashion, music and freedom of expression. The wearer of a Mod frame should feel the echoes of a 60’s youth movement, “who fought for the right to be who you want to be!” Find out more at www.ffineyewear.com
Kuboraum, the Berlin brand founded by Livio Graziottin and Sergio Eusebi in 2011, will feature at Chelsea Industrial. Their latest interpretation of the Mask E21 is the Crossover Limited Edition design created with Sandra Mujinga. The design seamlessly integrates into Mujinga’s work with its imposing style and exciting aesthetic with multiple piercings. www.kuboraum.com
Blackfin will exhibit at Loft in NYC for the first time (Chelsea Factory). The brand looks forward to showcasing its premium futuristic eyewear designs at the event, representing an important new direction for the Italian brand in 2025. Taking its titanium know-how to new heights, with a fresh design perspective, Blackfin will reveal its capabilities in fusing technological know-how and design expertise in models like the Arc-R and Slot-R sunglasses. Nicola Del Din, CEO Blackfin said: “Blackfin’s unparalleled expertise in 100% in-house titanium manufacturing allows us to create avant-garde eyewear with a truly unique identity. Decades of mastering this material have led to a level of technical and design maturity that brings constant innovation. Every frame reflects a fusion of cutting-edge engineering and refined aesthetics, resulting in state-of-the-art eyewear that is both modern and distinctive.” www.blackfin.eu
Much loved in the US, Lafont Paris returns to the LOFT event next week showing at Chelsea Industrial. Among their novelties is the colourful Raffinée optical model, part of a women’s eyewear collection which includes pretty, multi-coloured combination frames with a creative yet timeless design style, inspired by the Lafont woman herself. The frames in this collection are bold and square, with a structured yet subtle retro look. www.lafont.com
SALT. Optics will show its new luxurious eyewear and sunglasses collection, featuring Japanese acetate styles in custom colours. The frame designs pay homage to the art of timeless eyewear while embracing Japanese innovation. The line includes the style above called Smith, a shape which reexplores the classic P3 with a thinner, lighter profile. The finely tuned nature-inspired palette includes tones of matt indigo, smoke grey tea and mesa, pictured above, a lightly striated acetate pattern with natural cream and brown hues, www.saltoptics.com
Valley of Fire is a new design from Gamine New York who will be exhibiting at Chelsea Industrial. This signature model, inspired by Nevada’s oldest state park, captures the fluid beauty of wind-carved sandstone in titanium. The frame’s organic, wavelike shapes mirror the park’s iconic formations, while its signature copper finish echoes the rich, red-tinted sands of the Mojave Desert. Gamine NYC said : “This piece embodies our philosophy of finding beauty in natural forms while maintaining exceptional comfort and wearability.” There are four other striking designs in this collection which all reference architecture or natural landscapes. www.gamine.nyc
Watch our website for more updates and releases ahead of the Loft event next week!
LOFT Eyewear Show takes place at Chelsea Industrial and Chelsea Factory from Thursday 13th March to Saturday 15th March 2025. The show’s popular Independence party will take place on Friday 14th March (Chelsea Industrial) as a celebration of 25 years of LOFT in New York City! LOFT NYC is open from 9.00 am – 6.00 pm, Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th March – www.lofteyewearshow.com