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New temple logo: Paris women’s sunglasses model from the Fabris Lane brand for Spring/Summer 2009 |
UK. Fabris Lane, one of the UK’s biggest sunglasses businesses, has appointed strategic advisors to help with the company’s plans to grow its global sales.
A key focus of the international growth strategy will be the repositioning of the Fabris Lane brand for 2009, undertaken after significant market research and consultation, combined with the launch of an optical collection, the company said.
Fabris Lane has already established a dominant share in the mid-priced sector of the UK market with its portfolio of sunglasses brands and private label contracts.
The success of the core sunglasses business has been based on a twin approach to the market. The company’s own brands include Fabris Lane, M:UK, Freerange and Monkey Monkey and are sold through leading UK retail chains, department stores and tax free stores.
Licensed brands include Fat Face, Jigsaw, Ben Sherman, French Connection and Nicole Farhi. Retail prices range from £16 to £140. The private label business boasts customers such as Top Shop, Marks & Spencer and Boots.
The development of Fabris Lane into a specialist eyewear brand will be supported by an extensive advertising campaign for 2009 and beyond. The company plans the biggest ever UK marketing programme for
eyewear in 2009 to the tune of £1 million.
In addition, the company recently launched Ben Sherman, Jigsaw, Nicole Farhi and Fat Face optical frames to UK and overseas opticians.
Fabris Lane Optical will be launched in Spring 2009. The company aims to build a strong distribution base in the UK by exclusively supplying independent opticians.
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Bold branding: Clark sunglasses for men from the Fabris Lane Homme Collection for Spring/Summer 2009 |
Fabris Lane export business
Fabris Lane began exporting its collections three years ago. Today the company supplies over 30 countries and sales are reported to be climbing fast. Today, it has ambitions to grow export sales substantially with the help of the new optical collections.
Fabris Lane founder Rod Lane said: “This is a really exciting time for Fabris Lane. Two bad summers in a row and credit crunch blues simply won’t stop us growing this business and exploiting the very considerable talent within it. We shall increase our EBITDA by over £1 million this year and get it to north of £2.5 million, which, on sales of £20 million, is pretty good in these difficult economic times.
“We are delighted to be working with PricewaterhouseCoopers to develop our growth plans. We have worked with them for four years now and believe that their experience, expertise and insight will certainly help us achieve our ambitious plans, whether through organic growth or through raising money to fund synergistic acquisitions. Our mission is to deliver great eyewear with passion. Our ambition is to be the largest eyewear business in the UK with a serious global business.”
Fabris Lane women’s sunglasses collection Spring/Summer 2009
The new 2009 Fabris Lane sunglasses collection for women is said to represent a new era in luxurious eyewear. Signature styling takes inspiration from the brand’s heritage, but moves into fresh fashion directions.
Inspiration is drawn from iconic sunglasses shapes, classic styling through the decades, an admiration of quintessential modern English style and an appreciation of international influence. Each piece is identified with a signature diamante stud inside the temple.
The women’s range is introduced by a handmade collection, and each style is named. Paris is available in pink layered over brown or brown over horn, on a chamfered frame with the new Fabris Lane script logo encapsulated into the temple. A Fabris Lane bow logo is etched onto each lens in the range to enhance the new brand identity. The handmade collection is completed by Jaqueline, a 1960s-inspired glamour oval in graduated brown with purple temples, and Grace, a butterfly glamour frame also in purple.
One of the highlights of the collection is Maui, an oversized butterfly frame with luxurious metal temple detailing. A graduated blue to clear frame has vintage overtones, while a second colour option in black combined with purple crystal temples is a more contemporary interpretation. San Remo and Vegas are inspired by the 1960s. These flat oversized frames are crafted from heavy plastic with angular temples and shaped edges, and premium metal detailing again featuring the new script logo. Colours are blue, brown and black.
Metal frames are oversized and vintage inspired, reminiscent of 1970s glamour. Mia is a glamour square with nose bridge detailing and enamel key line colouring, pink contrasted with black or light gold. Farrah is a softer butterfly-shaped frame with luxurious enamel colouring, again contrasting pink with gold, or silver with navy. This is complemented by Sabrina, an overlaid frameless style with matching temples to Farrah.
Fabris Lane Homme men’s collection Spring/Summer 09
Spring/Summer 2009 sees the launch of the new Fabris Lane Homme sunglasses collection for men, which is described as bolder in styling and more fashionable than before.
A retro-inspired handmade range sets the tone. Clark is a 1950s-shaped plastic in heavyweight acetate with metal plate temple detailing featuring bold branding. Jasper is a 1980s-inspired flat-fronted frame, while Felix again features temple metal branding plates.
Rome is a rectangle plastic wrap frame in black layered on grey with pewter temple detailing or in tortoiseshell with green polarised lenses. The Doyle model is a smaller rectangle wrap in matching colours and with more discreet metal detailing on the temples.
Aviator styles include a flat metal aviator called Maverick, while Fonda is a more classic version, in two colour versions. Metal frame models comprise NY, described as a shaped rectangle, and NY NY, which offers the same shape in a smaller overlaid frameless construction.
On all models a bespoke anchor emblem is engraved on the inside side arm as a point of distinction, and the new Homme logo is etched onto the lenses.
For details, contact Andy Lipscombe +44 20 8974 1642 or e-mail andy.lipscombe@fabrislane.co.uk
MORE STORIES ON FABRIS LANE
Fabris Lane strikes Fat Face deal – 25/07/07
Fabris Lane spies success at MIDO with Jigsaw and Karen Millen sunglasses – 22/06/06
