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Marchon’s Paul Smith and other high-end specialty brands convey luxury and exclusivity to certain consumers.



NEW YORK—Thomas Burkhardt, president of Marchon Eyewear, shares the point of view that luxury is being redefined by specialty high-end brands. He said, “With luxury eyewear, there is, of course, continued appeal of aspirational brand names. However, the biggest increase in interest in luxury eyewear is currently being seen in high-end specialty brands, like Cutler and Gross or Linda Farrow, and we are partnering with these brands for distribution in the U.S.

“Here, extreme focus is put on fit, comfort, premium materials and durability. The most recent trend of ‘quiet luxury’ has only further strengthened this development. This is a trend that’s very similar to what happened in the ultra-prestige fragrance industry over the past few years, with specialty luxury brands being able to reach previously unattainable price points.”

Burkhardt added, “With regard to design, we find that particularly more mature buyers of luxury eyewear are open to a bolder, fashion-forward look than ever before. Of course, classic styles will always be in their eyewear wardrobe, but given this consumer often has multiple frames, they are willing to experiment with newer shapes. Younger consumers continue to be more trend driven, looking toward celebrities and other style influencers for inspiration.

“For luxury eyewear retailers, it is very important to offer brands to their customers that are not as broadly distributed and paired with outstanding customer service,” he said. “With frequently updated product assortments, they can ensure their customers return season after season.”

Burkhardt talks about different customer priorities toward what’s defined as “luxury.”

“For some, it’s an aspirational heritage fashion brand like Ferragamo, Paul Smith or Lanvin, known for high-end luxury leather goods and apparel. For others it’s the more understated ‘in-the-know’ specialty brand with a heritage of craftsmanship and design that has been solely focused on eyewear, like Cutler and Gross or Linda Farrow.

“A carefully curated mix of these types of brands and styles can be a key differentiator for an optical boutique location and will set it apart from the myriad online offers available. Price becomes less of a purchase driver for these brands but continues in most cases to be a very clear indicator of quality, materials and craftsmanship.

“As the U.S. distributor of Cutler & Gross and Linda Farrow, we provide our sales team and accounts with innovative stories to accompany each release,” Burkhardt noted. “These storytelling moments can help the ECPs better connect the consumers to the brands creating brand loyalty.”