opti 2025: Trends and trade show novelties on the opening day

opti presents latest trends and innovations: From the most recent frame and material trends to the up-to-date developments of biometric lenses and lenses for presbyopia to the presentation of premium screening concepts.

Design trends 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, New York eyewear trend researcher Selin Olmsted identifies five design and material trends for frames:

1.     SCULPTURAL – Eyewear as Wearable Art
Thick profiles, bold bevels, intricate millings, and rich textures such as tortoise, horn, and marble dominate. These frames celebrate craftsmanship and the artistry of design.

2.     SENTIMENTAL – Personal Touches Fused into Design
Nostalgic elements, handcrafted details, and playful designs create frames with emotional resonance and individuality. Imperfections celebrated.

3.     PUNK QUOTIDIEN – The New Fringe Wave of Self-Expression
Inspired by the raw energy of fringe subcultures, these designs embody new norms of beauty and authenticity.

4.     SURREALISM – A New Reality, Unexpected and Playful
Unconventional shapes, dreamy details, and a touch of whimsy bring eyewear into a world of imaginative expression.

5.     ULTRALIGHT – The Future of Comfort and Innovation
A quest for ultimate lightness with materials like titanium, 3D-printed elements, and High-Density acetate. These frames offer ultra-thin profiles, transparency layers, and precision engineering for a barely-there feel.

Up and coming material and colour innovations

According to the New York trend researcher, the materials used and the type of lenses, such as their tint, also contribute to these five trends:

Acetates. Olmsted sees this material in 2026 with retro-inspired tortoises, marble and horn textures, and layered gradients in neutral, tonal, or vibrant palettes. Explore innovative contrasts with multi-layer colors and exposed core wires in temples.

Lenses. Here she defines a bandwidth from super-dark smoke or purple to saturated solids and double/triple gradient lenses in vivid sunset and spice tones.

Metals. This frame material classic, Olmsted sees newly re-defined with dual-color finishes like inner gold and outer black, adding a fresh perspective to bestsellers like gold, rose gold, and black.

These trends and materials already can be seen at opti at the booths of some exhibitors, for example

Raen Optics LLC in Hall C2.239

Topic: Eyewear Trends 2026

Raen's models are a perfect example of three of Selin Olmsted's five trends: SENTIMENTAL, ULTRALIGHT and SCULPTURAL. The latter emphasises highlights fluid lines and three-dimensional forms that combine artistry and functionality for example in the Breven, Ronzy, Rhyme and Rifka models. It celebrates material and surfacing experimentation, refined shapes, and striking volumes/contours that push the boundaries of traditional design creating eyewear that feels more elevated and exciting.

Einstoffen Europe GmbH in Hall C2.539

Topic: Eyewear Trends 2026

Selin Olmsted sees the SCULPTURAL trend perfectly realised, especially in Einstoffen‘s ‘Sopraterra Collection’: The collection - especially the Sherpa, Voyante, La Royale, Floristin, Ringer and the Couturier models, limited to 200 pieces – is inspired by the intricate lines, translating their sensory, three-dimensional structures into striking eyewear designs. Through a precise multi-stage milling process, including micro-milling and laser engraving, the collection reinterprets natural forms with exceptional craftsmanship, celebrating nature in a new and innovative way.

Andy Wolf Fashion GmbH in Hall C2.251

Topic: Eyewear Trends 2026

The SENTIMENTAL eyewear trend celebrates individuality and emotive nostalgia through retro elements, which Andy Wolf puts into a new, fresh and energising context - for example through handcrafted personal details and playful imperfections, as Selin Olmsted observes. This trend blends symbolism/icons, cultural influences and crafted, custom acetate, lens or hardware materials to create designs that feel personal, meaningful and full of character - exemplified by the Frame 4830 Col. and Frame 5142 Col. ranges.

Kaleos Eyehunters SLU in Hall C2.651

Topic: Eyewear Trends 2026

At the heart of the Kaleos Man collection is the ground-breaking new screwless hinge, a three-part design that is highly flexible and resilient. The New Hinge emphasises technical craftsmanship and engineering. One of the two eyewear trends that Selin Olmsted discovered in the frames from Kaleos also contributes to this development: ULTRALIGHT. It embraces minimalism with sheer, weightless materials and finely crafted details enhancing comfort without excess. Using next-generation materials such as HD acetate and beta titanium, wearers of models such as Conway, Eatenton, Lassen, Milan, Meyer and Perry will get a barely-wear feel. The second trend at Kaleos, SURREALISM, features unexpected lens or frame shapes, such as the Carlson, Col. 3 & Carlson, Col. 4 models.

Silhouette Deutschland in Halle C3.341

Topic: Eyewear Trends 2026

The highlight of Silhouette's trade show presentation is the Clear Sky collection, which combines iconic style with revolutionary sustainability. It is the world's first eyewear collection on the market to use a new type of biocircular material made from organic waste from agriculture, forestry and aquaculture. The result is a frame that is extremely comfortable to wear - durable and elegant. In the Vibrant Horizon collection, eyewear trend researcher Selin Olmsted sees her SENTIMENTAL trend with individuality and emotive nostalgia in a new, fresh context.

Rodenstock in Hall C4.381

Topic: Biometric ophtalmic lenses

Rodenstock presents the next evolutionary stage of B.I.G. VISION®: With B.I.G. EXACT® Sensitive, the renowned ophthalmic lens manufacturer now offers the latest generation of a biometric ophthalmic lens that takes into account both the biometry of the eye and individual visual sensitivity. As a result, wearers benefit from smoother, more dynamic vision, improved reading flow and better orientation.

HOYA in Hall C4.251

Topic: Supporting ophtalmic lenses against presbyopia

HOYA has developed VisuPro lenses especially for wearers in their late 30s to mid-40s with the first signs of presbyopia, thus creating additional consultation options for opticians. VisuPro All Day and VisuPro Flex are part of the new Advanced Focus product category. Both lenses offer optimal solutions for customers with the first signs of presbyopia such as blurred vision or headaches, especially when frequently working at close range with digital devices. Lens manufacturer HOYA, one of the sponsors of the opti MYOPIA HUB at opti 2025, will also be showcasing latest developments in myopia management at opti with MiYSOMART. Children with a high risk of severe short-sightedness in particular benefit from HOYA MiYOSMART lenses

OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH in Hall C4.441

Topic: Premium screening for visionary opticians

Regular screenings are a central component of preventive healthcare and are becoming increasingly important in the optical industry. OCULUS offers innovative products for efficient and customer-orientated eye screening. The product range includes slit lamps, the Keratograph 5M and the Pentacam® for the anterior segment as well as the NIDEK fundus camera and OCT for the posterior segment - all precise, reliable and easy to use. The technologies can also be seamlessly integrated into existing examination and consultation processes. Automated data acquisition and analysis tools ensure a smooth process so that the optician can work efficiently and at the same time concentrate fully on their customers.

TOMORROW VISION in Hall C4.321

Topic: The contact lens is the future of vision

The nine renowned contact lens manufacturers Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, HECHT, Hetych, Menicon, MPG&E, SwissLens, Wöhlk and opti are presenting a new concept that puts the lens in the spotlight. On the almost 170 square metre TOMORROW VISION joint area, visitors can expect a varied programme that will showcase the many opportunities and facets of contact lenses in an exciting and entertaining way. High-quality technical presentations and interactive exchange formats with trend keynote speakers, marketing experts and discussion rounds with opticians make the TOMORROW VISION joint area a must-see experience. At their stands directly adjacent to TOMORROW VISION, the participating exhibiting manufacturers will then provide more detailed information on their individual brand products.

Zentralverband der Augenoptiker und Optometristen (ZVA) in Hall C4.243

Topic: Ophthalmic optics industry sector 2024

‘Solid development in a difficult environment’ is how Christian Müller, President Zentralverband der Augenoptiker und Optimetristen (Association of Ophthalmic Opticians and Optimetrists), summed up the optical industry for 2024 at the start of the trade fair. An increase in turnover of 1.8 per cent compared to the previous year testifies to the solid performance of medium-sized, owner-managed ophthalmic opticians. ‘Ophthalmic optics remains an industry with a future, but we must not rest on our previous successes. Together, we must continue to work on solutions to ensure a nationwide supply of visual aids and increase the attractiveness of the profession,’ explained the ZVA President.