Purple's Reign
Capitalize on the power of this engaging color palette
By Anne Whitman

Whether you call it eggplant, plum, violet, raspberry, or just plain purple, this vibrant color, known for being strong and engaging, is popping up in optical dispensaries all over the country.

"Purple is selling like wild fire in sunwear and ophthalmic styles," says Richard Morgenthal, owner of Morgenthal-Frederics, a small chain of high-end optical stores in Manhattan. "It's got great eye appeal." He notes, however, that purple is not a new color for eyewear. "It's resurfacing in a more refined, rich palette."

Most eyewear and color experts agree that the prevalence of purple eyewear is in reaction to purple's recent reign in apparel, particularly the trend toward plum and grey combinations. "A pair of plum frames are very complementary to the greys being seen all over fashion today," says Jean Scott, vice president of product development for Luxottica.

Kayte VanDeMark, a designer, colorist, and eyewear stylist and member of the Alexandria, Va.-based color forecasting service Color Marketing Group (CMG), agrees. "Grey is the new black in fashion today," she says, "and many of the greys have purple undertones."

THE COLOR PURPLE

CMG predicts 1999 to be a big year for purple. It reports that the baton will have passed from green to blue as the dominant influence of color. And as blue becomes the dominant influence on color, there also remains an interest in red. This, they say, will create a lot of blues and purples for consumer products this year because purple is the natural transition for colors moving toward blue with a red influence.

In fact, CMG projects that 12 colors will dominate in consumer products this year, four of which are in the purple family. They include: mystical purple, pure purple, regal purple, and freesia purple.

TO EACH HIS OWN

"Purple by definition is very complex," says VanDeMark. "Psychologically, it's engaging, interesting, unique, and charismatic. For a person to wear purple, especially on his or her face, takes courage and flamboyance. It's for an individual who wants to make a personal statement and wants to be noticed."

On the flip side, however, VanDeMark explains there is a purple for many different personalities. A bold raspberry frame or violet fashion tint, for instance, may suit a consumer who wants to make a statement. A deep, rich plum style, on the other hand, might be a better choice for more conservative shoppers.

Others state that because of the range of tones in the purple palette, there is a purple to complement many different complexions. "Individuals who have skin with pink undertones, for example," says Scott, "want to stay away from pink frames. In this case, plum is a perfect solution."

WHAT'S SELLING

While most agree that purple is being seen in all types of frames--metals, plastics, and combination styles--some report additional frame trends incorporating the color purple. For instance, tone-on-tone looks, such as an eggplant frame with violet lenses, are strong sellers. Plastic laminates are also being seen, combining deep plum and violet, eggplant and grey, or plum backed with yellow. And many combination styles are copying the purple/grey connection seen in fashion by combining gunmetal temples with purple zyl eyewires.

Purple may not be for all of your customers, but the color's flamboyance and eye appeal also make it a great merchandising tool. "Doing a window display of frames in a range of purple tones, for instance, will really grab people's attention," says Morgenthal. "Even if they don't opt to buy a purple frame, it will get them in the dispensary." EB