Italia Independent opens first American store during NY Fashion Week

By

Monica Karski

Published
Feb 19, 2015

The Italian eyewear brand opened its first American store this Monday during New York Fashion Week, with Lapo Elkann, the Fiat heir turned sunglasses mogul, in town to toast the opening of his first Italia Independent boutique, located at 85 Mercer Street in Soho.

Editors, trendsetters and VIPs came to check out the new store on Monday and enjoyed the series of personalised glasses created on the spot by New York artist Bradley Theodore, known for his graffiti work (featuring ’Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and Diana Vreeland) in downtown New York. 
 

Created in 2007 by Lapo Elkann, Andrea Tessitore and Giovanni Acconciagioco, Italia Independent has become the new leader in eyewear. New York welcomes the brand's first American store, with two more to follow in Los Angeles and Miami this year. Italia Independent has managed to set itself apart from its competitors thanks to innovative technologies such as glasses that change colour according to body temperature, unbreakable rubber glasses, and stylish avant-garde glasses featuring elements like velvet, python and crocodile skin, and Swarovski crystals.

Since its beginning, Italia Independent has collaborated with international brands like adidas Originals, Karl Lagerfeld and Hublot, and has been adopted by celebrities like Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Heidi Klum, Lady Gaga, Olivia Palermo and Halle Berry.

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In 2015, Italia Independent launched EYEYE, a new family of innovative and highly technical yet simple products universally accessible thanks to its price and hardware. A family that embodies characteristics that until now had not been seen in one single product.