LUXEMBOURG. Luxury eyewear manufacturer Wood Optic Diffusion made its travel retail debut at last month’s TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition in Singapore.
Having carved a strong domestic presence in 45 countries, the company is set to introduce its handcrafted designer eyewear collections in international travel retail.
Wood Optic Diffusion International Sales Manager José Noé at his booth at the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore
The company showcased three new collections from its Gold & Wood brand: an optical collection called Kit A and two sunglasses collections.
The best-selling Kit A is described as a masculine contemporary rimless frame. It comes in several models and features wood spatula temples adaptable to the morphologic characteristics of each model. A metallic cap is inlaid on the axles to maximise comfort.
The wood temples come in two shapes and seven colours, including dual-coloured combinations.
Also new is the special-edition Jodhpur sunglasses set, which features four new sunglass models for women.
The front is made of acetate while the precious wood temples feature ornate designs inspired by the ornament tradition of Rajasthan, India.
The fine engravings on the wood temples are adorned with crystals and semi-precious stones such as topaz, amethyst and peridot.
(Left) Gold & Wood’s best-seller Kit A, a masculine contemporary rimless frame; (Right) The special-edition Jodhpur features ornate designs inspired by the ornament tradition of Rajasthan, India
Wood Optic Diffusion also showcased the H14 and H15 sunglasses collection, which combines precious wood and aluminium. The ultra-light front is made of solid aluminium while the bridge and hinges are shaped with sliced wood.
Designed for both men and women, the two models are available in three colours each. H14, a wide model with surrounding lines, comes in black, brown and red. H15, an air pilot rounded model, comes in black, gun metal and brown. They are fitted with high-quality solar lenses.
The H14 and H15 sunglasses collection combines precious wood and aluminium and is designed for men and womenABOUT WOOD OPTIC DIFFUSION
Founded in 1995 by Maurice Léonard, Wood Optic Diffusion aims to create luxury eyewear by combining noble materials and quality craftsmanship.
Rare woods such as bolivar from Canada and bubinga from Cameroon and genuine buffalo horn from Asia or Africa are some of the exotic materials used in the making of Gold & Wood frames.
The company has developed an innovative process called ‘lamella-sticking’ to create a new composite material of wood and horn. The hardy material earned Gold & Wood a nomination in the ‘Optical Frames and Technological Innovation’ category at the 2005 Silmo d’Or awards.
Gold & Wood products are available in three collections: the optical collection, the sunwear collection and the jewellery collection.
The star of the Gold & Wood Winter 2007 sunwear collection is the Moon model, created entirely in wood. Featuring sculpted curves and hollowed out circles on the temples, the model comes in three colours: Tanganika, Macassar Ebony and Cherry.
Wood Optic Diffusion aims to create luxury eyewear by combining noble materials and quality craftsmanship; the star of the Gold & Wood Winter 2007 sunwear collection is the Moon (top right) model, created entirely in wood
Gold & Wood’s jewellery collection comprises more than 20 references of gold frames of 14ct or 18ct. Plaques and the temple plaques may equally be treated in solid gold, said the company. The ultra-luxury frames are also embellished with precious stones such as sapphires, emeralds, rubies or diamonds. The models are available in standard bases and flatter bases adapted to Asian faces.
Besides Gold & Wood, the company is also licensed to create eyewear for Korloff Paris, one of the world’s leading designers of jewellery and precious items.
Gold & Wood’s regular sunglass collections retail in duty free for €350-700, while the solid gold and diamond-encrusted frames cost €3,000-10,000. The Korloff range retails at €130-220.
Gold & Wood is represented in more than 40 countries across Europe, Asia and America. To reinforce its development in North and South America, Wood Optic Diffusion opened its first subsidiary in 2006 in Miami, US – Wood Optic USA Corp.
For details, contact José Noé, International Sales Manager, Wood Optic Diffusion SA, Mobile: +32 497 53 4985, or e-mail: jose.noe@gold-and-wood.com. Visit www.gold-and-wood.com.
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