Blog

BLOGGED: Rimless and happy

Allsion Kewley from Albany, New York, talks about her new attitude torwards life following her style consultation by Silhouette.

Allison, you graduated from the Albany College of Pharmacy in  May 2010 and are now working as a full-time pharmacist. In what way has this career progress changed your life?
My life has changed on many different levels. I have recently bought my own house, which is a stroke of luck at the age of 23. As I signed the contract, the self-confidence that I got from my new Silhouette made me look so competent that nobody suspected that I was so young.

Why did you decide on a Silhouette at this very point in time?
I looked so childish with my old glasses, which isn’t good for a professional career. I wanted to change my look, appearing credible and self-confident. And I was greatly impressed as soon as I tried them on – they are so light!

…and why Silhouette Zenlight in particular?
My Silhouette Zenlight is very light and so feminine. I like its subtle, white notes that give it a special, unique character, adding emphasis to my facial traits.

BLOGGED: Silhouette in Detail | Part 2

A peek backstage reveals how much handcraftsmanship, precision and high-tech goes into a Silhouette

5000 Kilos of ultra-light patented synthetic material, SPX, is incorporated into rimless eyewear by Silhouette every year. That’s enough to fill 45 bathtubs. The colorless SPX granules are the raw material for manufacturing the synthetic temples. Mixing equipment is used to carefully combine these with exclusive color pigments. Depending on the style of eyewear, the temples are produced by either fully automated or manual spray casting. The innovative sandwich injection molding technology allows synthetic materials of differing hardness to bond together: in this way, the hard SPX of the core that gives the temple its required strength can be coated with softer synthetic SPX material, which, on the other hand, renders the temple soft to the touch and supple. Nose pads are also made from this first-class synthetic compound, guaranteeing maximum wearing comfort.

80 hours – the time needed to polish the eyewear components with sanding granulate and make the surface flawless. Vibrating, rotary polishing machines use sanding particles, such as nutshell granules or special polishing additives,
to remove sharp edges and ensure an even, shiny surface. However, a Silhouette would not be an outstanding designer accessory without a hand polish and a simultaneous inspection of all parts by a trained pair of eyes. Last but not least, various refining processes and decorative touches provide each temple with its own, individual look.

1500 employees the world over are committed to the unique quality of the Silhouettes that they produce, each and every day. When all components of a Silhouette are ready, they are intricately assembled by hand into a perfectly formed design accessory. The tiniest pieces of metal, such as an eyewear’s nose piece, are welded together or soldered by induction. Employees require extreme precision and manual dexterity for this task. When it comes to assembling the synthetic temples, employees need utmost precision to apply the glue, which has been specially developed for Silhouette’s requirements. This is the key to turning the passionately produced components into a masterpiece.

BLOGGED: The new Silhouette.com:Simplified frame selection

The new look Silhouette.com website is here. The focus is on what is most important to the customer: the product selection and retailer search. An intelligent filter function and Silhouette iMirror enable customers to make a reliable choice in advance. The aim: buyers can try out the entire Silhouette product range around the clock and from the comfort of their own home. Before visiting an eye-care professional for the first time, they already have an idea of which eyewear model meet with their expectations.

Arnold Schmied, Executive Board Member Silhouette, says: “We know that it is much easier to assess the design over the internet than the material and processing. This is why we attach great importance to the entire process and an interplay of the real and virtual world: ideal information on the web in advance and then the customer’s enthusiasm when they have the eyewear in their hands for the first time”.

Finding an eye-care professional should be as easy as possible. As such, the retailer search feature on Silhouette.com has been fundamentally revised and now offers an innovative map view and all of the contact details for the identified eye-care professional, based on the user’s location.The expert answers about health and look have also been given a brand new appearance. The ‘Look’ section includes suggestions from Silhouette customers about how to care for the eyes and about individual styling.

In the trailer about the website, Arnold Schmied explains the philosophy behind the new Silhouette.com. There is also an overview of all features and options on the website. Take a look, it’s worth it. Watch Trailer