This year, Silhouette celebrates the iconic design of the Titan Minimal Art (TMA) with a special 25th-Anniversary project: designed for the next generation of visionaries, the famous model will be reinterpreted by students from Polimoda fashion school in Florence with a more visionary perspective, in harmony with the Austrian brand’s DNA.
Revolutionary from the moment it was launched, the TMA remains to this day a rare and precious creative idea that is extremely minimalist and successful. This kind of collaborative project brings both protagonists to the level of international excellence and to the new generation of aspirational creatives. Reinterpreting the distinctive heritage of Silhouette and its innovation is the objective that the two partners have set themselves as if to express the gravitational pull that has linked the Silhouette and Polimoda experience.
“With this collaboration, we are merging Silhouette’s iconic minimalism with cutting-edge creativity. Together, we are inspiring the next generation of designers to push boundaries, paving the way for a visionary revolution in eyewear”, explains Michael Schmied, a member of the founding family and current CMO.
The lightness of the iconic Titan Minimal Art, weighing just 0.07 ounces, and thus almost weightless, is the starting point for Silhouette and the landing place for the students’ exploration. The objective given to the students was to make them work on the intrinsic energy of a timeless, rimless model, without hinges or screws, contributing to the natural evolution of a cult object. After an in-depth journey into the art of creating eyewear, students in the 4th year of the Undergraduate Course in Fashion Design will conclude their course by learning how to transform a visual concept into a tangible product, which will find its ultimate expression in the final project and Polimoda Graduation Show in June during Pitti Uomo in Florence. The Silhouette eyewear that challenged the world of optics 25 years ago will now be faced with new stimuli, brought by the new generation of visionaries, who are preparing to revolutionize the future of eyewear design as well.
The Undergraduate in Fashion Business course will then offer a second focus for the collaboration between Silhouette and Polimoda. This is where students will have the opportunity to apply the theoretical lessons learned through the school to a potentially more concrete project. Students were tasked with imagining a series of activities through which they could live a real brand experience: eye-catching pop-up stores leading to a possible flagship store and window installations that would increase store traffic.
This cooperation is a first step for the future of the Made in Austria eyewear brand, whose expertise is increasingly linked to that of one of the most important Made in Italy production areas, represented here by Polimoda, the incubator of future generations of designers.
About Silhouette
Founded in 1964, Silhouette is the global leader in premium rimless eyewear. In 1999, the family-operated company revolutionized the glasses industry with an innovative screwless, hingeless, and rimless model called Titan Minimal Art. This innovative design – made from start to finish in Austria and weighing only 1.8 grams – was unlike anything the world had ever seen. All Silhouette glasses are made from the highest quality materials using cutting-edge technology and the finest handcraftsmanship. In fact, around 80% of the build is carried out by hand. This ensures the glasses deliver best-in-class comfort to a global market of more than 100 countries on five continents and in space. With 50 patents and over 100 design awards under its belt, Silhouette has a relentless commitment to quality: Over 100 quality control checks must be carried out before a single pair of glasses leaves its headquarters in Linz, Austria.
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.
Polimoda
Polimoda is known worldwide for its independent approach and innovative vision of fashion education, based on the combination of design and business. Recognized among the best fashion schools globally, it integrates the know-how of Italian design and production with a cosmopolitan perspective. Polimoda’s offerings include a wide range of courses and master’s programs to train key professionals in the industry, from creative to managerial and strategic roles. The courses feature prestigious partnerships with major fashion companies, and mentors and lecturers from the industry ensure experiential and up-to-date teaching. With 70% of students coming from around the world, Polimoda is an international cultural force in the heart of Florence.
