MILAN, ITALY Max Mara is pleased to announce a collaboration with visual artist, Shantell Martin, on a unique project in celebration of the brand’s Spring/Summer 2017 eyewear collection. “Prism in Motion”, translates Shantell Martin’s signature style of stream-of-conscious lines and words into a playful and curious Max Mara sunglasses that are wearable pieces of art.
The Prism is symbolic of the many faceted sides of the contemporary Max Mara woman. Inspired by the perfectly proportioned union of round and square shapes, it reflects the harmonic balance between femininity and strength, aesthetic and functionality, instinct and rationality.
Thinking of the idea of prism and what prism meant to her, the first thought that came to Shantell’s mind was emotion. The emotional connection between the concept of circles, lines, squares sparked Shantell to create an expansive artwork with her black pen on canvas where the initial lines are reminiscent of the idea of a circle going round.
Shantell Martin wearing MM SM glasses
Shantell’s original artwork was digitally reproduced and decomposed into 1000 different pieces which were integrated into a feminine sunglass style, with bold volumes and cat-eye shape. The sunglasses are constructed in Optyl®, a Safilo registered trademark for an exclusive material with unparalleled properties. The extraordinary physical and chemical properties of Optyl® ensure unparalleled sparkle and transparency. For these Max Mara Shantell Martin sunglasses (MM/SM), the Optyl®, technology made it possible to insert small paper fragments reproducing the artwork into each eyewear model, thus creating an exclusive limited edition capsule collection of 1000 numbered pieces, each one representing a different and unique section of the artwork.
As Shantell so beautifully explained, people will be able to “wear the [art]work, walk away with it and experience it in a completely new way”.
The new Max Mara eyewear collection will be available at Max Mara boutiques, e-commerce and high-end opticians worldwide beginning in Spring 2017. The Max Mara collection of sunglasses and optical frames is produced and distributed by Safilo Group.
The Max Mara collection of sunglasses and optical frames is produced and distributed by Safilo Group, the fully integrated Italian eyewear creator and worldwide distributor, whose heritage in eyewear product creation and manufacturing dates back to 1878: a story of innovation and cutting-edge capabilities, the result of time, effort, skill, and dedication.
To pass on the company’s precious heritage to future generations, while modernising it for future sustainability, Safilo has established the “Eyewear Product School”, assuming its important responsibility in the industry. Product design, development, and manufacturing capabilities are at the heart of the “Safilo Eyewear Product School”, coupled with passion, craftsmanship and innovation. The “Safilo Eyewear Product School” consists of a three-year apprenticeship combining theory and practice, for up to ten apprentices every year. It aspires to form a new generation of Eyewear Product Directors who will carry forward the passion and savoir-faire of the more than centenary tradition of highest quality Eyewear.