Pierre-Yves Chouvet calls Orewa Optics “the ladies of the sea”, here, sporting the new JF Rey sun collection: (from left) Christine Rae, Angela Mitchell and Petra Hewitt

Straight from Silmo Paris, French eyewear brand JF Rey repacked its bags and headed to Singapore and New Zealand to present its partners with a taste of its new optical and sun collections.

With JF Rey, people expect to be surprised, said Pierre-Yves Chouvet, JF Rey international sales director. “It’s a bit like Liquorice Allsorts, with eye-catching designs, geometric shapes and vibrant colours. There’s always a bit of excitement for everybody, even for us, to see what the reaction to a new collection is going to be from the field.”

At Orewa Optics, Chouvet said he was delighted to chat with some end users who spontaneously joined the launch. “An elderly couple bought a pair of frames each straight away; in fact they were the first in New Zealand to buy the new collection. The gentleman went for something totally new in blue with some orange detailing. I don't think he was expecting to buy a frame, but he did.”

Even though JF Rey was sold two years ago, the spirit and the brand DNA is still there, said Chouvet. “JF Rey has maintained its identity with colours, shapes and modern, clean aesthetics and is investing in research and development to have access to new materials and technologies. At the moment we're pushing 3D printing.”

Every year, it's the job of JF Rey’s four designers to present something new and exciting, a point of difference that people want to try, which highlights their identity and potentially becomes a signature piece for them, said Chouvet. “You want to treat yourself and look and feel good and it’s the small details that make the difference.”

‘Uncover’, designed for women, offers vibrant coloured-metal optical frames, while ‘Square’ brings unexpected contrasts, transparencies and unique shapes, revealing the iconic square of JF Rey, he said. “The Uncover models offer comfort, lightness, durability and strength. They brilliantly embody the distinctive signature of metal frame design at JF Rey.” The acetate Square collection, on the other hand, is a “creative fusion” between modern art and architecture and stands out with eye-catching designs.

Building on last year’s success, the latest collection also includes an extended range of sunglasses, he said. “Our first collection was really well received so this year we went deeper, because if you love a brand of course you're going to want to have a pair of sunglasses as well as optical.”

Summing up a successful trip, Chouvet said it was very important to have met the loyal partners who’ve been carrying the brand for a long time. “The relationships with the wholesaler and the opticians are key to us and we are very grateful for the strong connections we have here in New Zealand. This is what JF Rey is about – the personal relationships. We’re a family business and we build the brand together with our partners: that’s how we build a bright future.”