As the doors closed at the Leopolda in Firenze (Florence) on the 11th edition of DaTE, the contemporary eyewear show and high-profile showcase for the many manufacturers and optical centers that want to stand out with different, unique, exclusive, and innovative eyewear they saw will set the future standard. This year the product lineup was quite varied, with designs for all types of customers, not to mention high quality and attention to detail.
In terms of innovations displayed at DaTE, many fascinating trends were on view among the stands. Gender-free styles, sustainable products in bio-based acetate or recycled carbon fiber, exclusive materials, like Indian buffalo horn, or combinations of luxurious wood and gold with acetate, alongside recycled objects, vintage shapes drawn from the great classics of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, entirely hand-made and tailor-made products as well as those printed in 3D.
And, of course, lots and lots of colors: green, violet, fuchsia, orange, yellow, red and neon. But also grey, brown, tortoiseshell, black, and white, for those who love timeless style.
This year DaTE hosted some fascinating debut participants from very different countries, like South Korea and Tunisia, as well as return players, proving that the show is a not-to-be-missed event for innovative eyewear.
Also new was the dramatic staging of the exhibit area, embellished with images from the communication campaign, developed exclusively for DaTE by LYF, focused on faces and eyes, and by scenic elements, in contrast to the austere elegance of the venue, that transported visitors to a colorful, carefree, avant-garde world, with the goal, mission accomplished, to amaze.
DaTE welcomed approximately 1,000 high-profile industry professionals and buyers, predominantly Italian but some from quite distant countries, like Chile, India, the United States, Taiwan, and Israel.
“The formula of two days rather than three was well-received. It allowed exhibitors to focus their efforts and optimize the time available and their investment,” remarked Giovanni Vitaloni, President of DaTE. “This confirms that, regardless of its format and duration, DaTE is a highly anticipated event and a valuable tool for trade professionals to launch their new collections in the month of September, in other words, at the beginning of the new season.”
The organizers are already planning the next DaTE. Innovation and new products are inherent to an event that is an incubator of new ideas and that consistently makes the avant-garde its rule, listening very carefully to the updated needs of production and distribution.
