OAKLEY 2021 Sunglasses Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Sunglasses 2021 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Oakley
Interviewee: Peter Walberer, Field Marketing Specialist DACH

How is the actual situation of the Sunglasses market?
Fortunately, the sunglasses market has not been affected as hard as expected by the pandemic and we are looking at stable numbers so far for 2021. According to market research consumers still tend to buy accessories like sunglasses – not only due to the increase of outdoor activities in general.

SUTRO ODYSSEY COLLECTION

What are the key trends with boardsport sunglasses retailers need for 2021?
We see potential in fresh, new and bold colorways as well as in innovative, new designs in terms of shapes. Speaking of shapes: the trend towards big shields is certainly not over in 2021.

Oakley launches some exciting collections in 2021 with both sport and lifestyle frames in a variety of playfully and handcrafted colorways. An absolute must-have is the Odyssey collection, which features COLORSHIFT SPLATTER, HOLOGRAPHIC and POSEIDON. All frames include PRIZM lens technology, designed to enhance color and contrast so you can see more detail, across colors including PRIZM road jade, PRIZM grey and PRIZM road black.

Furthermore, Oakley’s Black and Gold Collection features a variety of eyewear that includes PRIZM 24k polarized lenses and the Oakley logo on the temple in shimmering gold. The eyewear is a nod to 2021, the year of the summer Olympics, with gold metallic accents across a selection of the brand’s best-selling sport and lifestyle frames, including Radarlock Path, Flak 2.0, EVZero Path, Frogskins, Holbrook and Sutro.

Specially designed for the needs of women, Oakely’s Leadline is a must-have for all boardsport retailers. Leadline is inspired by women in motion and the wide range of activities practiced in an active lifestyle, it features a timeless silhouette combined with optimized coverage so you can see anything and everything. The frame’s functional design increases field of view and impact protection while earsocks molded to the temples help provide all day comfort and excellent retention. Leadline is also available with Oakley Authentic Prescription lenses that come laser etched with the ellipse logo on left wearing lens for proof of Oakley authenticity and quality.

What are your main price points for this season?
We will continue to offer a collection of new models that caters to price points from 110€ – 270€ MSRP.

What is your collection theme and which stories are you telling to get customers stoked in 2021?
Bold colors and progressive design. The Olympics will be a key story to leverage the Oakley sunglass collections as well as stories with and about our big team of athletes from all kinds of sports.

LEADLINE

What frame shapes are most popular for 2021?
On the one hand, shield glasses will be a big topic. The successful Sutro model combines sport and lifestyle in its progressive shield design and knows no boundaries.

On the other hand, classic shapes such as Holbrook or Frogskins still contribute their part to our new collections. For women, Oakley also offers models that are designed to deliver the ultimate in fit and performance in round, on-trend silhouettes.

What are the main materials used in your sunglasses right now and why?
Our proprietary O-Matter frame material stands for durability paired with minimum weight and provides all-day comfort to keep up with life on-the-go. No-slip Unobtainium nosepads and earsocks help keep the frame stay in place without compromising on style.

Please explain what kind of lens technologies you are working with. Are we going to see any innovations?
PRIZM LENS TECHNOLOGY: Prizm is our proprietary Lens Technology designed to enhance color perception and improve contrast so you can see more details in changing conditions. Our R&D team is constantly working on increasing our offer of PRIZM lenses and also never stops to look for ways to make existing lenses even better.

FROGSKINS BLACK AND GOLD

Which tints and lens colors are trending?
In terms of lens tints we focus a lot on PRIZM lenses which have to carry certain colors in order to perform the way we expect them to. In regards to colors (of mirror coatings) we’re also working on increasing our offer.

Which frame colours and graphics are on trend right now?
Playful, bold colorways, patterns.

If you do prescription glasses: What are the main trends here?
First of all: yes, we do offer prescription glasses. There is a dedicated collection of frames and we are also producing prescription lenses through our OAP (Oakley authentic prescription) program. This also includes our PRIZM lens technology so consumers can also enjoy the benefits of PRIZM in their prescription eyewear. Furthermore, it is also possible to get prescription lenses in your favorite Oakley sunglasses styles like Frogskins or Holbrooks.

Best Sellers
Sutro Odyssey Collection: The Oakley® Odyssey Collection features seven sport and lifestyle frames in a variety of hand-crafted colorways for 2021, including Colorshift Splatter, Holographic and Poseidon. All frames include Prizm™ Lens Technology, designed to enhance color and contrast so you can see more detail across colors including Prizm Road Jade, Prizm Grey and Prizm Road Black. Select styles in the collection – Sutro, Sutro Lite and Sylas – are available Asia fit as well as standard fit.

Frogskins Black And Gold Collection: Oakley®’s Black and Gold Collection features a variety of eyewear that includes Prizm 24K Polarized lenses and the Oakley logo on the temple in shimmering gold. The eyewear is a nod to 2021, the year of the Olympics, with gold metallic accents across a selection of the brand’s best-selling sport and lifestyle styles, including Radarlock Path, Flak 2.0, EVZero Path, Frogskins®, Holbrook™ and Sutro.

Leadline: Inspired by women in motion and the wide range of activities practiced in an active lifestyle, Leadline features an iconic silhouette combined with optimized coverage so you can see anything and everything. The frame’s functional design increases field of view and impact protection while earsocks molded to the temples help provide all-day comfort and excellent retention. Each frame in the collection is available with Oakley Authentic Prescription lenses that come laser etched with the ellipse logo on the left wearing lens for proof of Oakley authenticity and quality.