How Huge Can Luxottica Get

[RetinaBurn]

I think JJ left Oakley after the buy-out and started Red Digital Cinema; a company making lenses for cameras. From what I hear, he is doing the same thing to the camera lens industry with Red that he did to the sunglass industry with Oakley.

What concerns me about Luxottica owning Oakley (among many things) is that they may stop their creative ridiculousness. What is so awesome about Oakley (besides the quality) is that they would allow themselves to push the creative limits of the industry. Zero 0.3, OTT, medusa, to name a few.
One example of this is how x-metals left the scene after lux came in.
Being in the sunglass industry, I know what sells: Black and tortoise shell, wayfarers, wraps, and aviators. I'm scared Lux will make Oakley into a brand geared solely for sales and will stop creating. Hopefully not...

The buyout was back in 2007 I believe, X-Metals were discontinued last year. That's 5 years, not right after Lux took over. X-Metals have had a great run, time for a update hopefully.

 

[dave m]

The buyout was back in 2007 I believe, X-Metals were discontinued last year. That's 5 years, not right after Lux took over. X-Metals have had a great run, time for a update hopefully.

Has anyone heard anything about an update or do they actually cost that much more to make ? Or is the fear that a larger company won't think there is any mileage in them with the economy as it is?

 

[Obombed]

Has anyone heard anything about an update or do they actually cost that much more to make ? Or is the fear that a larger company won't think there is any mileage in them with the economy as it is?

I don't know for certain but what I've heard from employees of Oakley (reps and hq) is that the xmetals were all made by hand in Nevada. When lux took over they looked into making them with computers and machines to make them cheaper to produce and to allow them to mass-produce. They have since closed this factory. Perhaps they will come back when lux gets the machines to produce them. If someone has more credible info please chime in. I've noticed their is a lot of here-say in the Oakley employee community and a lot of stuff can't be discussed outside of one-icon anyway so stories are told.