Alpine F1 team finds optical performance partner in Shamir

It sounds obvious, and yet it is a unique collaboration in the Formula 1 world: the Alpine F1 team is partnering with Shamir Optical Industry in a Vision Performance Lab to ensure their drivers and all other team members have the best vision possible...

When you go as fast as a Formula 1 race car driver does, you want, or better said: you need perfect vision. It takes a millisecond for conditions to change and in that millisecond drivers need to make a decision that will have enormous consequences for their safety, based mostly on what they see. Or don't see. Strangely enough, there hasn't been that much attention to the way vision influences race car driving performances. Until now. Alpine F1 team has found a partner in Shamir, a producer of high-quality lenses. Shamir has been developing and producing lenses since the 1970s and has taken a leading position worldwide in incorporating scientific discoveries into their lenses.

But what is a vision performance lab exactly? Engineers of both Alpine and Shamir will be researching new technologies to improve both racing performances and safety conditions. No more foggy goggles for the pit crew, glare from low sunlight or distorted colors for the drivers. Expertise from both fields will be combined in the search for the highest quality lenses that perform perfectly under all conditions. New developments can be easily tested and if necessary adjusted to the personal needs of the Alpine F1 team members.

It is no coincidence that Alpine and Shamir found each other. Both share the same values: high performance, innovation, precision, safety and teamwork. Antoine Magnan, CEO of strategic partnerships at Alpine, says: 'At Alpine we always look for collaborations with only the best brands. Together, we aim to develop new technologies and materials that will enhance Formula 1 performances, but that will also be useful and interesting for consumers outside of this laboratory that is Formula 1.'

Fantastic contributions from Bobo's/Serengeti and Max voor Ogen to the Orange Babies project

During the NanaWoody&John Night at the Club last November in Amsterdam, Fiona Hering and Baba Sylla spoke passionately about the work of Orange Babies in Africa.

For 25 years, this organization has been committed to preventing children of HIV-infected mothers from also being born with the disease. They do great work and saved many lifes already. I have known Baba and Fiona and the work of Orange Babies for a long time, so the connection was quickly made. This year, NanaWoody&John and its partner stores and suppliers are committed to raising money to purchase a new mobile clinic for Orange Babies in South Africa.

All kinds of initiatives are now being developed and the first results are already known. Max voor Ogen in Schagen set aside a nice amount from every pair of glasses sold in January and recently donated the first 1,250 euros.

Bobo’s Sports Eyewear did the same for every Serengeti sunglasses sold in February and earlier this week presented a check for no less than 5,460 euros to Fiona and Baba.

Thanks to these two generous and committed donors, the counter already stands at 6,710 euros at the beginning of March and, as mentioned, there are many more great plans on their way, such as the special Scotch & Soda sunglasses, the proceeds of which will also go to Orange Babies.

We and Orange Babies are extremely grateful for all the support and we will keep you posted about new results in the months to come. I think with this collaboration the independent opticians and their suppliers show how they make the difference in every shopping street and everyone can contribute by shopping local at independent stores!

Vogue tips Victoria Beckham as the most popular brand of 2024

It's still early in the year and they don't have a crystal ball at Vogue either, but the fashion magazine still dares to make a prediction.

It bases this largely on the Lyst Index, which keeps track of how often a brand or item from a brand is googled. Victoria Beckham has been doing remarkably well in this regard lately. This is partly due to the extremely popular Netflix documentary about the Beckhams and the humorous way in which she responded with the popular 'My Dad had a Rolls Royce' t-shirt. More serious is her Frame Buckle belt with the beautifully styled logo, which ended up at number 2 of the most searched for products after the Margaux bag from The Row. In short, Victoria Beckham is not the largest fashion brand in the world, but it is very popular at the moment. And the designers cleverly include that beautiful 'buckle' of the belt in the sunglasses collection that is now in stores. Click here for a store near you!

Be inspired by the Men's Winter 24 shows

This month all leading fashion houses showed their new men's collections for the winter of 2024/25. Always beautiful to see, inspiring and above all an interesting image of the times that you, as a fashion lover, do not want to miss.

From the stylish outfits of Zegna and the suits of Gucci to the much-discussed Louis Vuitton show, where Pharrell Williams has been in charge for some time now. His contemporary translation of a genuine American cowboy/western style was one of the highlights of these fashion weeks. But of course there was much more to see. From the robots on the runway at Dsquared2 to the impressive black creations of Dolce & Gabbana and Dior's tribute to dancer Rudolf Nureyev. From the prints, tribal influences and color explosions at Balmain to the luxury of Valentino and Hermes and the incredibly beautiful compositions of the old master Yohji Yamamoto (also watch the impressive documentary about this Japanese designer). See how the difference between the genders is increasingly blurred with jewelry, rhinestones, ruffles, heels and skirts in these men's shows and be inspired by all the creative talent behind all those beautiful fashion brands.

TITAN MINIMAL ART from Silhouette celebrates 25th anniversary

Silhouette's Titan Minimal Art is one of those rare and valuable ideas that are still relevant many years after they were conceived. To this day, there is no other frame in the world that is so consistently and skillfully minimalist.

This timeless, rimless frame has no hinges, no screws and, at 0.06 grams, virtually no weight. It still inspires with unparalleled comfort and unsurpassed (design) quality. Its introduction, in which I was directly and intensively involved at the time, felt like a real revolution.

Never before has glasses design been so embraced by both opticians and consumers. There was a point where we felt like just about every glasses wearer was wearing a Titan Minimal Art.

“I just wanted to leave out everything that was unnecessary, but also refused to compromise on design and comfort,” says designer Gerhard Fuchs, looking back on his design. “Suddenly we were receiving letters and emails from all over the world, people thanking us,” recalls Michael Schmied, a member of the family that owns Silhouette.

“That was extraordinary and very moving.” More than 12.4 million pair of this iconic design have been sold to date – and there is no end in sight to this success.

Limited editions by Porsche Design, Cazal and Brett Eyewear

On another page on this website we give you 7 reasons to always buy your new glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses from an independent optician. One of these is the collection with a lot of beautiful distinctive fashion and design brands.

And it becomes even more fun if you can get your hands on a limited edition from such a brand. At the end of last year and if you are quick, even now, it is possible.

The Iconic Machined by Porsche Design, the three remakes of just as many iconic designs by Cazal to celebrate 50 years of hip hop and Peter Auto's collaboration with Brett Eyewear that resulted in a beautiful gift box on the occasion of the Estoril Classics 2023 are all unique sunglasses of which very few are for sale worldwide. Of course we know where in the Benelux, so click on the photos below, read all about these very special sunglasses and easily find a selling point.