The high-end black designer color market will be worth more than $4.7 billion in 2023, with 62% being sold as matte black frame shapes, a 39% increase from 2021, according to Mintel’s global fashion market report. This is directly related to consumers’ need for “understated luxury” trend, according to the British Fashion Council survey, where 78% of the participants would confirm that black designer sunglasses can make a person appear more professional and authoritative.
The Dior Spring/Summer 2024 Aphrodite black sunglasses, for example, use aero-grade titanium frames (only 1.8g/pair) and anti-reflection Kronos coating technology to control lens transmittance from 18% to 22%. The limited edition collection of 52,000 copies worldwide sold $2.3 million on the first day of its release on its website and was viewed more than 120 million times on social media hashtag # Blackdesignershades. Notably, the Asian region contributed 47% of the sales, where the price for professional women between 30-45 years ranged up to $420, a 28% premium over the younger segment.
In material innovation, the new Serpenti black designer shades frames by Gucci utilizes 3D woven carbon fiber technology, the shock resistance of the mirror leg up to 1200 joules, and reduced weight to a third of that of the traditional metal frame. The technology is toasting certification by the Italian National Institute of Materials, and the single piece frame price tag of $2,950 still set a sales record of 170,000 pairs in one season. Consumer research is that 83% of customers enjoy the “balance of technological sense and classic design,” which keeps their repeat purchase rate at a high of 34% in the industry.
According to consumer behavior analysis, Luxury Institute data shows that business professionals wearing black designer frames in the meeting scene trust rating has 21 percentage points higher than normal style. American Express Black Card member exclusive shopping data suggests 89% of high net worth customers will open with designer co-branded sunglasses when purchasing sunglasses, 65% of which are black. Timeless examples include Hermes x Apple’s smart shades, which pre-ordered in three weeks for $15,000, with a 40% premium on the second-hand market.
Social media monitoring tool Brandwatch captures major trends: Content interaction with the hashtag # blackdesignershades increased 83% in Q4 2023, and video content was viewed for an average of 27 seconds longer than graphic content. The research of hot posts on the Small Red Book website shows that terms such as “commuting essential” and “gas field plus” are used more frequently than “sun protection function”, and individuals pay more attention to the corresponding index of styles and business attire. One technology blogger commented on the Chanel Coco Crush collection depicted in the video, and on one video alone there were more than 19 million views, leading to the search volume of products linked to the product on the company website increasing by 270%.