NEW YORK, NY, December 09, 2011
/24-7PressRelease/ -- For the holiday season, Activist Eyewear and Alfred Julius Bowties have joined forces to design a limited edition Bowtie and Handkerchief Set, culminating in a holiday launch party at Tina Catherine Eyewear & Opticians on Wednesday December 14th, 2011 at 7 pm. There will be an open bar & music, plus hors d'oeuvres provided by Brio Restaurant.
The Activist Eyewear brand stands for creative change and a life spent exploring the world. Co-founded by creative director Mark Craig and business director Anthony Codispoti, the collection debuted in 2010 with the goal of redefining high-performance sunglasses. They invented new technologies, such as their signature Split-FitTM temple design and ActiVIZmTM Polarized Lenses, and melded them with elements of classic style for a totally new crossover product. The entire line is designed in Brooklyn & Crafted in Japan from ultra-premium materials such as Beta-titanium, surgical stainless steel, high-density rubber and other co-molded resins. Plus, every frame is produced in a single edition of 718 pieces per colorway, with the unique serial number laser etched on the inside of the temple & hand stamped on the outer packaging.
Alfred Julius, led by creative director Chike' Atu, was launched in the winter of 2010. Made for a man of pride and honor, the men's accessories line specializes in Luxury Bowties, created with fabrics ranging from Lambs Wool, Flannel Cotton, Classic Woven Silk, leather, knitted Silks, Linen, Madras Cotton, and Perforated Leathers. Recently, Alfred Julius has been seen on such stars as D'brickashaw Ferguson of the New York Jets, Tariq Trotter of the Roots, street photographer Guerre (guerrisms.com), Black Thought of the Roots, and international R&B singer Aloe Blacc.
When the designers met in August of 2011, the two made an instant connection. With similar design aesthetics, it was almost an immediate decision that the two would collaborate on something. "When I imagine new product ideas, I envision outfitting a sort of dapper outdoorsman," says Mark Craig of Activist. "Our execution is a bit unorthodox, but the unique combo of style & performance, old & new, it really fits this character to a T. So when I met Chike and saw him bringing new materials & details to a medium as classic as bowties, I knew we had a deep creative synergy."
"I was an immediate fan of the Activist Eyewear brand. Activist is very unique with a high quality level, so it was obvious to me that I would love to do a collaboration with Mark. Once I saw the product up close, and particularly the Microfiber Handkerchiefs that come with every frame, it was clearly the perfect partner for a bow tie. We zeroed in on a theme of combining classis style, with high performance materials to produce the collaboration set," adds Alfred Julius' Chike Atu.
The result of the collaboration is a matching Bowtie & Handkerchief Set, made in a very limited edition of 50 pieces worldwide. It will be sold in custom designed Activist Eyewear x Alfred Julius packaging which includes a brief description of the collaboration, as well as an ink stamp with the number the customer has received out of the 50.
Starting December 15th, the set will be available exclusively in New York City at Tina Catherine Eyewear & Opticians Boutique, as well as on ActivistEyewear.com.
ABOUT CHIKE ATU: Alfred Julius Creative Director & Founder Chike Atu was born in Little Rock, Arkansas raised in the presence of strong men, that showed him that chivalry and hard work can lead to success. Chike was later nurtured in the great city of Memphis, TN as he pursued a career in the fine arts while attending, private art college, Memphis college of Art. While attending the local school, his appreciation for Menswear was strengthen through guidance from professors and local businessmen. All of which encouraged him to continue to pursue his dream of menswear design in NYC. As a vessel to the city, Chike attended the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology, concentrating in Menswear. While attending school, his knowledge and network continued to grow.
ABOUT MARK CRAIG: Activist Eyewear Creative Director & Co-founder Mark Craig spent his childhood living in upstate New York, Kansas City and Saudi Arabia at various points. This, plus countless other trips abroad, instilled a love of travel and exploration from a very early age. He finally reached Brooklyn in 1999 to get his Masters in Industrial Design from the prestigious Pratt Institute, and after quickly falling in love with the local creative community, made Brooklyn his permanent home. He began designing eyewear in 2002 by accident and was surprised to find that something 'clicked'. Over the years he has honed his skill for storytelling through design for a wide array of brands including Oliver Peoples, Paul Smith, Nike, Michael Kors, Kata and David Yurman, to name a few.
ABOUT ANTHONY CODISPOTI: Activist Eyewear Business Director, and Co-founder Anthony Codispoti, was heavily influenced by his experience as a first generation American. Most of his personal and business values were passed down from his father's humble beginnings as a poor, Italian immigrant. Hard work, frugality, and love for your brother were principles that shaped his personality early on and planted the seeds for his future entrepreneurialism. Studying business as an undergraduate at both Ohio State University and Lancaster University in northwestern England, he started his first company before receiving his diploma. A serial entrepreneur ever since, Anthony has found success in markets as wide ranging as eyewear, jewelry, cloud computing and food products, applying lessons learned and new strategies to each successive venture.
To request an invitation to the launch party, please contact: rsvp@evelynbrownpr.com
For interviews with Alfred Julius, please contact Ashante Evelyn at: Ashante@Evelynbrownpr.com
For interviews with Activist Eyewear, please contact Anthony Codispoti at: Anthony@ActivistEyewear.com
---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com# # #
Read more Press Releases from Ashante Evelyn:
