The Timeless Allure of Acetate Glasses
In the ever-evolving world of eyewear fashion, one material has stood the test of time, transcending trends and maintaining its popularity—acetate....
Read more
Our Story
Icare Group is a Group of companies established in 1998, designing, engineering and producing middle to high end optical frames and sunglasses, cases for the optical industry as well as all elements of packaging and display materials, out of our own factories located in China and Cambodia.
We design, engineer and produce all the products, accessories and display materials necessary to launch, maintain and grow a collection of frames onto the optical market. We take pride in designing creative and/or commercial products, producing usually branded products, at a high or very high level of quality and finishing. This “one stop shop” strategy allows our customers to minimize their logistic costs, maximize the coordination when launching a line of products or a brand and simplify their work with their suppliers while getting great service and quality.
THE JOURNEY
1998: Creation of Icare in Hong Kong by Mak Po Tai and Cedric BIMAR.
1999: Icare Europe is established in France as a representative office for Europe.
2003: 350,000 frames are produced per year.
2005: Creation of Icare Italy based in Venezia.
2006: 700,000 frames are produced per year.
2007: Icare acquires Standard Optical, a 45-year-old company in China, producing acetate and metal frames.
2013: 1,200,000 frames produced per year.
2015: 1,400,000 frames are being produced.
2016: Icare opens a frame factory in Cambodia with the first frames successfully delivered in December.
2017: Icare integrates a subcontractor to double its production capacities in China and delivered a total of 1.5 million frames in Europe, United States, and Asia.
2019: Icare delivers 3 million pieces, grows its business in the United States and Europe.
2023: Expansion accelerates through COVID-19. Turnover reaches 50 million USD.
OUR MISSION
More than a company, Icare is a solid group of experienced eyewear professionals, assembled through 25 years of the same love for the product and a passion for working as a team.
Each and all of us aim at creatively designing and reliably producing great eyewear, making our customers, their brands, and their companies proud and strong. We see our clients and partners as the natural extension of our Group, developing a truly transparent and trusting long-term relationship, led by a deep sense of care, urgency, and service, while keeping sustainability, team spirit, and conviviality at the center of our core values.
Optical Frames
Our production of optical frames: We produce about 3,000,000 pieces of optical frames per year, most of the time branded but always with impeccable finish. Our frames respect all international optical standards like CE, Reach, Proposition 65, Ansi…but more than these minimum requirements, aim at creating a design and finish difference for our clients. Frame manufacturing and design is a business of details and we believe that perfection in detailing is the key to differentiate collections from the rest of competition in a very crowded market, the only way for our clients but also for us as manufacturer, to last and grow in the long run.
Sunglasses
With 400,000 pieces produced a year and focusing mainly on acetate and combination sunglasses, we believe that we have achieved a level of finish and detailing that really ensures the collections make a difference onto the market. Sophisticated design, monobloc parts, impeccable connections, combination of different materials, intricate or pure decorations have through the years become a differentiating point of our sunglass production. Far from main stream, we take pride to make products not only high end but different!
Our technical innovations and strengths
Acetate UTX technology
A major innovation by Icare HK Co. Ltd, which has helped making acetate frames 40 to 50% lighter and thinner than regular frames. The manufacturing technique as well as the way we treat the acetate sheets, allow us to make the frames so thin that they totally refresh the design of all acetate frames, even the most classic ones.
Comfortable, light and very contemporary, our UTX can use any acetate available on the market and will stay stable and safe through time.
Customized pin hinges
Icare factory in China has been 50 years in production. We believe that we have an edge when it comes to vintage frames or more modern ones but fit with pin hinges, technique that we have mastered for years. We customize our pin hinges to your design, the mechanism always stay “fat” ensuring a smooth opening and closing of the temples for months/years, without using costly coated screws. The overall finish of our pins and hinges is high end and impeccable, using cold plating to colour the hinges to your requirement when necessary.
High end combination frames
Icare, taking advantage of its 50 years of experience in acetate frame manufacturing, has developed skills that allow us to manufacture high end sophisticated frames, combining acetate and metal parts in a superb high end finish.
Grooved metal
Icare has grown into thin and possibly stamped out grooved metal. We master thin volumes, sharp bevels and rounded edges so that every brand can give to metal the high end finish it deserves.
Specific hinge
Specific metal bridge and endtip
Specific metal corewire
Specific metal endpiece
MIDO Eyewear Show
A Proven Tradition: For years, ICARE has been an integral part of MIDO, using it as a platform to showcase our commitment to innovation and excellence in eyewear. Join us as we continue our tradition and connect with industry leaders and enthusiasts.
Why MIDO? With over 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries and attendees from 130 nations, MIDO is where innovation and excellence in eyewear shine. It encompasses seven pavilions and eight exhibition areas, covering every aspect of the industry.
SILMO Paris
A Proven Tradition: For years, ICARE has been an integral part of SILMO, using it as a platform to showcase our commitment to innovation and excellence in eyewear. Join us as we continue our tradition and connect with industry leaders and enthusiasts.
Established in 1967 and ran entirely by the French optical industry and profession, SILMO is one of the leading and renowned optical exhibitions around the globe.
Hong Kong International Optical Fair
A Proven Tradition: For years, ICARE has been an integral part of Hong Kong fair, using it as a platform to showcase our commitment to innovation and excellence in eyewear. Join us as we continue our tradition and connect with industry leaders and enthusiasts.
At ICARE, we believe in the power of global connections and the exchange of innovative ideas. Each year, we proudly participate in some of the most prestigious international trade shows, spanning cities from Paris to Milan and Hong Kong. These events serve as invaluable platforms for us to showcase our latest eyewear collections, cutting-edge designs, and technological advancements to a diverse and discerning audience.
Our presence at these esteemed gatherings reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of the eyewear industry. It allows us to engage with industry leaders, fellow eyewear enthusiasts, and potential partners from around the world. Through these interactions, we gain fresh insights, expand our network, and contribute to the global conversation on eyewear fashion and craftsmanship.
By consistently participating in these international trade shows, we demonstrate our dedication to quality, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence, all while connecting with those who share our passion for remarkable eyewear.
In the ever-evolving world of eyewear fashion, one material has stood the test of time, transcending trends and maintaining its popularity—acetate....
Read moreWhen it comes to eyewear, most of us focus on frame styles, lens materials, and overall design. However, there's a crucial element that often goes ...
Read more