By Deirdre Carroll: Senior Editor


Few things evoke the glamour or excitement of a premiere heavy, celebrity-saturated film festival. Cinema, movie stars and fashion are so inexorably entwined that a festival is the perfect setting for an eyewear company to display its wares to the maximum concentration of influential, high-profile personalities. It’s a concept that has caught on as some of the eyewear industry’s biggest names make their presence felt at some of Hollywood’s most spectacular celebrations.

Luxottica’s Persol was a sponsor of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival which ran from April 20 to May 11 in New York City. Given Persol’s rich heritage steeped in cinema and the arts, the Tribeca Film Festival was a natural extension of the brand and the sponsorship gave Persol the opportunity to become more integrated into the festival. Persol branding was included in an informative setup in the exclusive green room for A-list attendees, a visual presence at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and a pre-show loop which ran prior to screenings.

 
Additionally, Persol was the official sponsor of the after party for the film “L’amour Fou,” which depicted the life of fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent, at NYC hotspot Le Bain. Lastly, Persol Awards were presented for the Best Documentary Short and Best Narrative Short at the festival’s conclusion.

Meanwhile, the French Riviera served as the backdrop for Solstice Sunglass Boutique and Safilo USA when it hit the festival circuit. Solstice and Safilo USA participated in The Variety Studio @ Stella Artois Lounge at Carlton Beach from May 13 to 17 to provide beach-side sunglass fittings. Festival VIPs were able to experience exclusive onsite gifting from Solstice and Safilo, as well as HP communications technology, Jaeger-LeCoultre Watches and Stella Artois premium lager. Celebrities like Jon Hamm, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Rob Lowe, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Djimon Hounsou and Ryan Gosling, among others, all made their way through the lounge over the course of its five-day run.

Marchon hit up Cannes as well when they went behind the scenes with Calvin Klein Collection at the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and Calvin Klein’s Tribute to “Woman of Cannes” event. Held at the Hotel Martinez Beach Club on May 12, the event honored Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, Emily Browning, and Clemence Poesy and was attended by the likes of Vanessa Hudgens, Natalia Vodianova, Lara Stone and Francisco Costa, women’s creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. Marchon was on hand and had the honor of gifting 40 VIP guests with
Calvin Klein Eyewear. ■

dcarroll@jobson.com