The New Year opens with opti 2023, taking place this weekend in Munich. The fair will be a chance to view a wide range of new eyewear products and reunite with friends and colleagues in the industry
As the industry looks forward to meeting up at opti 2023, creative eyewear company are preparing to reveal new collections and innovative products in Munich, at an event incorporating premium brands, newcomers, start-ups and some of eyewear’s favourite designers and ‘visionaries’.
The fair programme will focus on the themes of myopia management and sustainability for visitors, in recognition of the value of these topics for the year 2023. The key trends for the new season will also be underlined, among them colour and material directions – the organisers are highlighting, among other trends, Transparency, Athleisure Eyewear, Metal Frames, and Colour Gradients.
The event will also host the opti BOX award 2023, for young innovative labels on Saturday 14th January 2023. The award’s criteria include “Innovation”, “Design & Function” and “Sustainability”.
Above: The French eyewear brand Lunettes Alf will show at the Wolf Continental stand, Hall C2 / Stand 561 – Alf has made a name for itself in Germany and Austria – the brand offers timeless classics in elegant, beautifully finished, acetate colours
FACE A FACE promises an array of refreshing, desirable colour proposals, with kaleidoscopic colour effects (model Kaledo), and elegantly sculpted two-tone and three-tone designs. The new models extend the concepts informed by the Memphis movement which were first released in Paris in 2022. For opti, find FACE A FACE with Design Eyewear Group at Hall C2 / Stand 661.
Article One exhibit with their sister company l.a.Eyeworks at Hall C1 / Stand 347 this week. They have introduced a series of fine everyday metal designs into the main line collection; they will also show their Active Sunglasses Range, a tasteful and timeless athleisure-oriented, sports-inspired range that leads the way in quality-driven, technically atuned eyewear suited to sporty, design-oriented individuals who love outdoor pursuits.
Götti Switzerland is introducing BIONIC at opti, a new sustainable collection inspired by nature. The glasses are 3D printed from a single sustainable material created from castor beans.
A new hinge, inspired by human ball-and-socket joints, is featured. The eyewear has been systematically pared down to the front piece and a pair of temples, with no additional screws or other aids used for the hinge. By streamlining to a single material, the company claims to have optimized their eyewear manufacturing with short transport distances, less energy consumption, and straightforward recycling. Visit the stand at Hall C2 / Stand 681 to see the new styles.
BAARS has announced a new collection called Manifeste, which mirrors the architectural concept of the Pompidou centre by Renzo Piano and Richard Rodgers. The new products based on this unique inspiration will be shown for the first time at opti at Hall C1 Stand 650.
opti takes place from 13th to 15th January 2023 at the Fairground Munich. For further details visit http://www.opti.de
6. Kirk & Kirk pop-up opens in Shoreditch “Connecting with the customer, raising visibility…”Kirk & Kirk have opened a pop-up store in Redchurch Street, in Shoreditch, one of London’s most prestigious fashion, food and lifestyle destinations. The gallery-like space, which presents the Kirk & Kirk frames in bright neon boxes against a stark white backdrop, offers a complete introduction to the eyewear collection and its history, with video presentation and virtual try-on as well as the actual frames on display. 
