Latest News STATE Optical Co. Launches its Debut Collection to Canada’s Independent Eyewear Market By Staff Friday, October 7, 2016 12:21 AM CHICAGO—STATE Optical Co. has officially launched to optical offices across Canada with a collection of American-made luxury acetate frames. The launch collection consists of 18 styles in a range of palettes, each paying homage to the brand’s Chicago roots. STATE is currently available at nearly 400 optical retailers in cities across the U.S. including New York City, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, Seattle and Los Angeles. With this launch, Canada is now the only country outside of the U.S. where STATE Optical Co. frames are available for purchase. STATE is a collaboration among husband and wife team, Scott and Amanda Shapiro, eyewear executive Jerry Wolowicz, entrepreneurial cousins Marc Franchi and Jason Stanley, and award-winning designer Blake Kuwahara.“It’s important for me that eyewear not only looks good on the face, but feels good in the hand. It’s both visual and tactile,” Kuwahara said. “It’s about the subtleties of the curves and the attention to the milling and polishing that makes a frame special. Because I was able to work directly with Marc and Jason on the execution of the frames, we were able to bring those nuances out in this collection.”Each of the collection’s frames features the STATE logo which consists of a pyramid filled with 21 individually drilled dots that are hand-filled with clear epoxy and polished. The acetate palette was created with colors and structures chosen with the intent of enhancing silhouettes and flattering the face. STATE is one of a few eyewear brands designed and manufactured exclusively in North America, with an office and factory headquartered just outside of Chicago. Every frame undergoes a 75+ step process from start to finish, utilizing a team of over 45 craftsmen and leading, globally-sourced technology. The company employs an elite team of highly skilled artisans who take pride in handcrafting the eyewear—a skill that has been virtually absent in North America for nearly 30 years, the company said in a statement. “Right or wrong, we have an immediate connotation to something that’s Made in Italy. Made in France. Made in China,” said Scott Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of STATE Optical Co. “It’s been so long since products were regularly made here in the U.S., that this generation’s palate has been cleansed. STATE was founded to redefine what it means to be ‘Made in America,’ and do something that’s never been done in our industry.”STATE Optical Co. is available to Canadian customers exclusively through Europa Eyewear Canada.