Centro Style is an Italian eyewear company that takes a comprehensive approach to designing eyewear and accessories for kids and adults. The company has been led by one family for 40 years, ensuring continuity in design, quality and optical values.
There’s nothing light and fluffy about Centro Style. This proud Italian brand is all about making eyewear to meet the individual wearer’s needs in the real world of rough and tumble, work, play and study.
Centro Style’s quality eyewear is complemented by the manufacture and supply of quality accessories and spare parts, as well as tools for use in laboratories and for frame repairs.
All products and eyewear are designed in Italy with manufacturing taking place in Italy, Europe and South East Asia. A “highly specialised” quality control department monitors for quality both in the prototype preparation phase and also during the production stages.
Pietro Conti, Centro Style’s Business Development Manager, is upfront about the company’s target market.
“Our ideal consumer is a person that is looking for a product that can combine fashion with durability as well as practical and safety features,” he said.
Pietro is a member of the Centro Style family. His father and uncle – Francesco and Cesare Conti – founded the company in 1976 and today continue their involvement in its growth as President and Vice President respectively. Pietro’s cousin Claudia Conti, is a member of the human resources and organisation department.
Pietro says what differentiates Centro Style eyewear from the competition is the extremely targeted approach to design and manufacture.
“Our philosophy is ‘around people’ – so we have developed eyewear to suit various groups according to age and lifestyle.
“To do this, even before we create a frame or an accessory, our first step is to analyse the needs of the end user we are targeting and the trends of the seasons.
“We do this as a team – this pushes us to improve our performance and helps us to offer products that are both eye-catching and competitive in the market.
“For example, unique analysis of the children’s market has enabled us to become important players in this optical niche,” explained Pietro.
“Our complete range reflects the mantra: “we grow up with you” – so we have kids’ sunglasses and frames that are ideal for kids from zero years to teenagers.
“For each age group within the kids’ collection, we have developed features to meet the specific needs, including the facial fittings, the ideal shape to glaze suitable corrective lenses, and the use of double injection technology.
“Other examples of the different offerings to meet the needs of specific markets include our sports frames, our wide selection of reading glasses which have been developed to meet different viewing needs for reading print vs digital media, our specially designed magnetic clip-on sun lenses, and our Lab Modular System for laboratories.”
AWARD WINNING INNOVATIONS
The innovative colour co-ordinated Lab Modular System is engineered to save time and create efficiencies by enabling dispensers to quickly identify required tools and frame parts when working on jobs. Additionally, the colour coded divisions within the system make it quick and easy to identify and re-order any new frame parts and tools as required. Importantly, the modular system is designed to meet the requirements of optical labs.
In 2011 the company won a prestigious IF Product Design Award and a Japan Eyewear Award at the International Optical Fair Tokyo for its original and unique silicone spec-holder called ‘Friend’.
With its recognised eye for innovation, Centro Style will launch a new biobased collection called Neyeture in 2020.
The range of products under this new brand will be developed in collaboration with students undertaking a Master in Design Accessories at the Politecnico Milano.
“This collection will include a wide collection of frames with magnetic clip-ons that address the needs of young consumers focused on ‘low eco-friendly impact’, said Pietro.
At a time when interest in environmentally friendly products continues to sky rocket, Neyeture is set to be another Centro Style success.
Centrostyle is distributed by Aviva & Mann Optical (AUS) 08 9353 0400.
