Nouveau Eyewear to Introduce Riders Eyewear
Dallas, TX. Nouveau Eyewear has signed an agreement with the Vanity Fair Corporation to license the popular Riders by the Makers of Lee jeanswear name for a new eyewear line. VFC is the largest apparel company in the world and parent company to a host of top national brands. According to a recent Cotton Incorporated survey, Riders are rated among the best-fitting jeans on the market for women 25 and up.

The new eyewear collection, in keeping with Riders jeans, will maintain a focus on fit and comfort. “The most radical concept behind the collection is also the simplest,” says Pat Aptaker, Co-President of Nouveau Eyewear. The frames will be clearly sized S, M, and L on the lens labeling. "Riders Eyewear will make it easy for a woman to go right to frames that are properly proportioned for her face,” notes Aptaker. “This will be the first brand to help women take the guesswork out of finding the right fit in eyewear.”

In addition to the new sizing concepts, the frames are picking up on another trend in Riders apparel — beautiful colors in a range of finishes. A number of Riders Eyewear styles incorporate a new anodized coloring process, resulting in a truly durable gloss finish that penetrates the aluminum temple material completely, depositing color evenly and thoroughly. Because the colors are not sprayed on, they are extremely durable.

Marj McGraw, Senior Vice President of Product at Nouveau elaborates: “The pearlized colors are remarkably lustrous — almost luminous — and they stand up to daily wear and tear beautifully."

The target market for the collection is women over 25. The styles are decidedly clean-lined and feminine, for the woman who wants to look great without fussing. Colors range from feminine lavender and delicate blue to neutral brown, grey and black. Laminate temple options include stylish duo-tones as well as high-fashion animal prints on temple interiors.

The initial styles in the collection include the Feeling, a breezy rimless and the Lotus, a feminine oval, both with anodized color treatments on aluminum temples. Also being released in March are the Nirvana, a modified oval with layered laminate temples and the Pacifica, a trim design with safari-inspired leopard and zebra prints on the laminate temple interiors. Scheduled for May release are the Wisdom with two-tone layered laminate temples and the Yoga with anodized colors of burgundy or pink on aluminum temples. Four more styles will release throughout the year, resulting in a collection of ten styles for 2005.

Merchandising elements will include a counter card, logo plaque and frame displayer designed to illustrate the simple new sizing system. Also available will be a Riders Eyewear brochure, detailing individual styles and the collection concept.

For more information about the complete Riders Eyewear collection or the Riders introductory offer, please contact Nouveau Eyewear at 800-292-4342.