Sporty-designed Oakley eyewear (sunglasses and optical glasses), sports apparel, flashy but durable watches, goggles and other time pieces, jackets, bags and backpacks have debuted in Manila in a fashion show extravaganza at WhiteSpace in Makati recently.
This amidst a growing competition in the Philippine fashion and sports fashion arenas now dominated by foreign brands and dwarfing local brands that have proved themselves durable in quality and image for decades in the local market.
The fashion show had a backdrop of active and busy streets of Oakley in California, similar to the hustle and bustle of Metropolitan Manila at daytime.
Oakley Inc., based in Lake Forest, California is a subsidiary of Italian company Luxottica, that designs, develops and manufactures sports performance equipment and lifestyle pieces including sunglasses, sports visors, ski/snowboard goggles, watches, apparel, backpacks, shoes, optical frames, and other accessories.
Most items are designed in-house at the head office, but, in some countries, Oakley has exclusive designs relevant to the market. It currently holds more than 600 patents for eyewear, materials, and performance gear.
Chris Tzambazis, sales and business development manager of Oakley for Southeast Asia, India and Korea, said Oakley has been operating as a top brand for the past two decades and by end of 2016 it had a total of 20 franchise stores, making it the top franchise globally of the brand.
In Manila, its reseller, Meera Enterprises, carries over 150 optical doors nationwide and lifestyle retailers of over 32 shops and more than 15 kiosks nationwide.
“Each year we continue to grow the business and it is an amazing ride full of surprises as Oakley continues its supremacy in eyewear and optics technologys,” said Meera Enterprise President, Ramesh Dargani.
Oakley’s first store opened in SM Aura, Bonifacio Global City, where it unveiled the latest eyewear, apparel, shoes, bags and backpacks, goggles and sunglasses, watches and more.