In November, the Silhouette Group, a family-owned business based in Linz, Austria since 1964, is opening a globally unique establishment: the House of Silhouette. The store, located in Vienna’s 1st district with its prominent address of Herrengasse 1, is all about vision. It’s a place where customers can immerse themselves in the fascinating and inspiring world of perfect premium eyewear across two floors. A place where they can touch and experience it for themselves. The Silhouette Group is ushering in this new era just in time for its 60th anniversary. For the first time ever, the family business will have its own store where customers can have the opportunity to directly experience all three of Silhouette’s eyewear brands under one roof: Silhouette, evil eye, and NEUBAU EYEWEAR. With the House of Silhouette, the Silhouette Group is creating an unforgettable, premium customer journey.
This store opening demonstrates that the globally successful, family-owned business from Austria is innovatively looking to the future. For 60 years, Silhouette has successfully relied on opticians and select specialist retailers, and for the past several years, Silhouette sunglasses have been available in select countries on the brand’s online shop. Now, alongside its existing channels, the company is introducing its first store. By offering holistic advice on vision and specific requirements, customers are placed at the center of the House of Silhouette through an unforgettable shopping experience that will make them loyal brand-devotees. The House of Silhouette is the perfect place to show customers the full potential of premium eyewear made in Austria in all its beauty. “In recent years, Herrengasse has become a hub for Austrian, quality brands, and as a family business, we feel particularly at home here,” said Reinhard Mahr, CEO and CFO, explaining the choice of location.
“My grandparents redefined eyewear 60 years ago, moving from visual aids to accessories. Since 2017, we’ve been offering lenses in addition to frames, which are manufactured in our ultra-modern Lens Lab at our headquarters in Linz. Ultimately, we’re now taking a big step towards our customers by offering consultation and sales,” said Michael Schmied, CMO, explaining the strategic development over recent years.
The store designer, Peter Ippolito, has created a shopping destination focusing on the themes of health and style. The experiential architecture has been installed by Umdasch as general contractor. On the ground floor, visitors can expect to see an installation with a wow factor: a 430 sq ft LED wall.
The retail experience is not, however, intended to replace the partnership with specialist retailers—on the contrary: “In the House of Silhouette, the focus is on personal experience. It’s a place where our three brands can be appreciated and felt in person. For the Silhouette Group, it’s also important to be as well positioned as possible for the future and to understand our specialist retail partners and customers even better,” explained Michael Schmied.
About Silhouette Group
Headquartered in Linz, Austria, the Silhouette Group is a world-leading manufacturer of premium eyewear, with over 1,300 employees worldwide. With 13 international subsidiaries, the family-owned company is the market leader in rimless eyewear, which has brought it acclaim and success around the world. Exports account for 95% of their production. Silhouette eyewear is available in over 100 countries. Since 2017, the company has been a full-service provider of frames and lenses – Made in Austria.
