Eyeglasses.com Blog

Articles for July, 2010

It was a star-studded outing that culminated in a nice pair of shades. Esprit recently opened its largest U.S. flagship store on West 34th Street in Manhattan. The 18,000-square-foot, three-level store features a new interior design and carries the casual and collection lines for men and women.  The environment is different from other Esprit stores in that it aims to convey an air of authenticity.  Replacing the red portals and shiny white surfaces, the new store features paneling made from recycled wood as well as images and props borrowed from the spring ad campaign that has a theme of a road trip through the desert.� (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Jackie Micucci) To celebrate the grand opening of the new store, more than 400 guests including celebrities, press and fashion influencers were invited to a private party held at the store. Singer Macy Gray did a special appearance performance of her new single “Beauty in the World.” Also at the event were actresses Jennifer Love Hewitt, Erin Lucas and Emmy Rossum, and stylist Robert Verdi. To cap off the evening, an Esprit sunglass by Charmant was included in the goodie bag that guests received at the end of the event.

The Think About Your Eyes Coalition has launched its first television and radio advertisements to kick off a two-year public awareness campaign designed to educate Americans about the importance of annual eye exams and the benefits they can provide to overall health. The television and radio ads are currently running in nine cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Sacramento, Cincinnati and Portland, Ore. 

The ads focus on a variety of eye health issues, educating consumers on topics ranging from eye disease to children’s vision and school performance to visual fatigue. They also urge consumers to visit www.thinkaboutyoureyes.com to learn more about healthy vision and to schedule an eye exam by locating a local eyecare professional through a tool available on the web site.

Consumers can also connect with Think About Your Eyes through its new social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, all of which are accessible from the campaign’s web site. Social media activities will expand in the coming months as the Coalition prepares to execute major public awareness events, the first of which took place in New York City last month.
Essilor, Luxottica and VSP Global make up the Think About Your Eyes Coalition and are seeking partners to join in its consumer education initiative. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.) 

Hoya Lab Division Awards Grant to NSUOCO
Hoya Laboratories of America awarded a $10,000 unrestricted grant to Northeastern State University College of Optometry (NSUOCO). The grant, which is the first of five grants to be awarded by Hoya, is made possible through the Hoya Laboratories of America grant program.

NSUOCO dean Douglas Penisten, center, accepted the grant from, left to right, Iggy Fernandez, regional vice president, Hoya Dallas, Mike Elton, director of professional services, NSUOCO dean Douglas Penisten, OD, Doug Rogers, Hoya sales representative and Brent Foxworth, central regional sales manager.

Pro Fit Optix Launches Amex Gift Card Promo
In conjunction with the opening of its new Dallas distribution center and the launch of the Rodenstock PureLife and PureLife XS progressive lenses, Pro Fit Optix is offering an American Express Gift Card Rewards promotion. For every 10 pair of plastic 1.50 and Polycarbonate Progressiv PureLife lenses purchased, you will receive a $100 American Express Gift Card. For every five pairs of 1.54 ColorMatic, 1.60 and 1.67 clear Progressiv PureLife lenses purchased, Pro Fit customers will receive a $75 American Express Gift Card.

Orders must be received by October 31; entries must be received by December 2. Additional details are available through Pro Fit Optix or authorized wholesale laboratories.

Essilor Names 2010 Varilux Student Grant Winner
Essilor of America announced that Kevin Mathes from New England College of Optometry in Boston is the winner of the annual Varilux Student Grant Awards, a nationwide competition among optometry students. Seventeen students were awarded $1,000 each in grant money from Varilux, and from those winners, one national award was given.

Mathes wrote the winning case study using a creative fit for Essilor Anti-Fatigue single vision lenses, an aspheric lens designed for patients between the ages of 18 and 45 who suffer from symptoms of visual fatigue. Mathes and his staff advisor, Jim Pelham, will each receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to the joint meeting of the American Optometric Association and the American Optometric Student Association in Orlando, June 16 to 20. Mathes will be a guest at the 18th Annual Varilux Optometry Student Bowl, an annual event sponsored by Essilor, and will receive $1,000 in prize money.

Mathes’ report is available to view at www.essilorusa.com under the “Services” section. 

  (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Jackie Micucci)  In the Red» Actress Isla Fisher (1) recently sported Jee Vice. The “Confessions of a Shopaholic” star wore the Red Hot frames while out with her daughter in Los Angeles… 
Enduring» Pop diva Christina Aguilera (2) sports a pair of Carrera Endurance sunglasses from Sàfilo in her latest music video, “Not Myself Tonight”…

Hey, it’s Aunt Becky» Lori Loughlin (3), late of “Full House” and now playing a fashionable mom on “90210,” wears Coach S824 Dominique, from Marchon…

Gleeful» Funny lady Jane Lynch (4), who plays Sue Sylvester in the Fox mega-hit series “Glee,” in Diane von Furstenberg DVF8005 from Marchon…

Green Eyed» Musician Sheryl Crow (5) in ECO style 109 in tort. ECO (Earth Conscious Optics) uses recycled metal and plastic in its frames...

Hold That ‘Gator» Wearing styles by Lacoste from Charmant are Jesse Metcalfe (6) of “Desperate Housewives” fame in style 12447 BK and Lake Bell (7) of the HBO comedy “How to Make it in America” in style 12657 BL…

Eye-dol» Last year’s runner-up on “American Idol,” Adam Lambert (8) in Sean John SJ536S-615, from Marchon...

Wilde Eyes» Actress Olivia Wilde (9) of the hit TV series “House” wears Emilio Pucci EP114S sunglasses from Marchon…

This Just In» CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien (10) in DVF503S from Diane von Furstenberg,
from Marchon.   

 

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, ECO by Modo sponsored a special edition of Green Drinks in New York, which drew hundreds of green-minded professionals. ECO, Earth Conscious Optics, is the first eyewear collection made entirely of recycled acetate and stainless steel. Attendees who brought a pair of used designer eyeglasses or sunglasses for recycling received free admission. ECO collected the eyewear and distributed them to charities in need.     (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.) 

The 2010 edition of Voltage: Fashion Amplified (Minnesota’s Fashion Week) showcased a wide array of talented Minnesota designers and musicians. The emergence of eyewear has been a recurring trend spotted on the runways this year. Eyewear keeps evolving from a medical necessity to a bold, fashionable lust-worthy accessory. The increasing demand for frames led to an invitation for Minneapolis-based Ogi Eyewear to complement looks on the catwalk from designers Kevin Kramp, Danielle Everine and Frances Zerr. Ogi totally amped up the runway.    
(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Patrisha Zabrycki)

The fiercely fashionable women of Sex and the City have adopted a new vice… Jee Vice. The sunglasses are featured in the newest installment of the incredibly popular TV and film franchise “Sex and the City 2,” which opened last month. 

Along with a starring role in the movie, Jee Vice partnered with Mercedes-Benz in a “Sex and the City” themed sweepstake on Facebook reaching the U.S. and European markets. Jee Vice’s Heated frame, along with other items featured in the film, were offered as exclusive prizes for the sweepstakes.    (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Jackie Micucci.)
 

(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.) I don’t think about it often, but I realize my whole career has been centered on art and technology,” says Ira Lerner, optical designer and inventor. “I started with art as the focus, then evolved into technology. Now I have come full circle, using technology to create beautiful pieces of eyewear for the face.” For more than 20 years, eyewear has been the main thread holding his two worlds together.

Although Lerner entered college as a science major to study animal behavior, he soon switched his major to fine art after taking up photography to document wild life. This interest in both art and science helped him, at age 19, become the youngest photographer hired by National Geographic magazine. After working for National Geographic, Lerner went on to become a successful fashion photographer in New York, opening a small ad agency dedicated to the fashion industry in the late 1980s. Among his clients were such major fashion and cosmetic brands as Calvin Klein and Revlon, and several leading eyewear companies, including Viva International for whom he created the “Beau Monde” advertising campaign. “Until then, eyeglass ads were either close-up shots of someone wearing glasses or a still life of the eyewear,” Lerner notes. “The Beau Monde ad campaign was radically different. The camera was far away from the glasses, showing people enjoying life. It wasn’t about the glasses; it was about the lifestyle you would have if you wore those glasses.” 

In the years that followed, Lerner worked as marketing director/art director for Viva and helped Marchon Eyewear launch its Flexon and CFG ad campaigns. In the process, he became immersed in eyeglass technology, eventually forming his own company, ISL (Ira Stephen Lerner) Technologies, LLC. The company focuses on representing inventors in the eyewear industry, including creators of frame and lens technologies, software technologies and all eyewear-related technologies.

In 1994, Lerner revolutionized the clip-on segment of the industry with Takumi, ophthalmic frames with sun lenses attached by magnets. “Several inventors were working on magnetic eyewear worldwide,” Lerner explains. “I brought them together and perfected the technology, making it one of the most successful eyewear categories in the U.S. Magnetic technology virtually replaced clips. Only about 5 percent of clips sold today have actual clips and not magnets of some sort.”

Since the launching of magnetic eyewear, Lerner’s company, ISL Technologies, has been awarded more than 22 patents in the U.S. and abroad for eyewear technology it has invented. Some of the company’s inventions include a clip-on reader that attaches magnetically behind a pair of sunglasses and a system of interchangeable frames, using the same prescription lenses so the wearer has several fashion options.

ISL Technologies’ most recent invention is Pure Eyewear, which was launched at Vision Expo East this past March. “Pure Eyewear is not just a new design for rimless eyewear; it’s a totally new approach to making eyewear. We call it threading,” Lerner says. A single strand of wire is threaded through the holes in the lenses. There are no screws, no hinges and no compression mounting plugs to come loose or break off. And approximately a third of the styles don’t even have nosepads.

“Of all the inventions we’ve worked on, including magnetic eyewear, Pure Eyewear has been the most thrilling,” Lerner notes. “We believe it will have an enormous impact on how eyewear is made going forward. In fact, we’re describing it with a word used in the technology industry, ‘transformative,’ because Pure has the ability to change how we see eyewear.”

 The concept for Pure Eyewear came from an honest approach to design, Lerner says. “We questioned everything.” But developing the collection wasn’t without challenges. “It’s one thing to come up with an idea and put it to paper. It’s a great deal more difficult to make it actually work. In fact, Pure Eyewear was in the development stage for at least four years after we first put the idea to paper,” Lerner explains. “People have thought for a long time it would be nice to have a flying car and there is one in the works now, but if it had been easier, we would have had one a long time ago. If you’re thinking of inventing a technology, be prepared to fly [in a plane] around the world a few times to find the right people to make it all come together.”

Working with eyewear has its own set of challenges: It has to look good on the face and it has to accommodate various lenses. “We know how to work with full metal and plastic frames, but once you push the envelope and give a different twist to frame technology, there is a whole new set of considerations,” Lerner explains. “Our objective was to thread one piece of wire through the lenses, but finding the perfect alloy was very challenging. We tried bending all types of wire around -7.00 and -8.00 lens thicknesses until we found something that works, is user friendly for opticians and is compatible with the lenses [doesn’t scratch or damage them]. We also had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to have special tools made to work with the material.” The material chosen is a proprietary, high-performance alloy, Xanadium, which has a friendly memory, is easier to adjust than titanium and is corrosion and acid resistant.

Fortunately, the effort put into developing Pure is beginning to reap rewards. “People have been test wearing Pure styles for over a year and they love them. One of the first comments we have heard from various opticians is that the Pure design is so effective high-minus lenses don’t come loose from the mounting,” Lerner says. “This, of course, requires that we customize the wire for each lens. But that can be turned into an advantage. Consumers appreciate getting a true custom fit, bent to accomodate their Rx. It’s very cool for them.”

Another idea Lerner and his team had with this collection was to make eyewear without nosepads. “We thought why do you need nosepads on metal frames? The answer is you don’t. The lenses can rest directly on the nose. It turned out to be a lot more comfortable than we expected and is a great look,” he says.

But there was a lot of trial and error involved. “We fitted them on hundreds of people to see what shapes looked best without interfering with the lenses’ main purpose—improving vision,” Lerner notes. “We do expect to sell more styles with nosepads, but we believe many people will love the ‘no nosepad’ look, especially those who like to be on the cutting edge of new technology and high styling. Pure Eyewear delivers both.”

If Lerner were to leave eyewear, he says he would like to consult with other companies on consumer products such as household appliances. He has already done some consulting for a large camera company, a fluorescent light business and athletic shoes. But his true passion is the optical market. “I love eyewear. I’m personally involved in it.” 

(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James J. Spina.) Bear Hug: We keep running (sunning?) back to Big Bear to catch the rays AND the ray bans. There’s sport-wrap action aplenty but also some dramatic logo worshiping (we prefer it slightly quieter of late), aviator-as-ever and the gradual but powerful influx of the P3 prep look especially on the GenEYE representative. As for Santa: That elongated rec needs to retire come the holidays. Stick a “round” on him.  

Marcolin Group launches John Galliano Sunwear, consisting of 16 iconic styles that capture Galliano’s spirit of innovation and romance. Ranging from the classic to the extraordinary, the new collection consists of men’s and women’s styles in acetate, metal and metal/acetate combinations with such accents as gazette and animal prints, chunky logos and intricate filigree work.  Frame colors consist of black, brown and metal tones as well as white and shades of red, orange, green and purple. Lenses run the gamut from pink, orange and lilac to green, smoky gray, brown and black. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology) PHILOSOPHY: “My objective with the sunglasses was to blend old-school glamour with high-tech romance, so we looked at innovations in plastics and pushed new lens techniques to inspire this story. I wanted a Galliano decadence and depth of character in the personality of each of these glasses,” says John Galliano. “I wanted to create pure Galliano glamour, to fuse function and high-fashion and to morph faces and frames to create the ultimate sunglasses collection.” MARKETING: Merchandising materials include a 12-place window display with morphing video, two three-place displays, one with morphing video, logo block, authorized dealer plaque and countercards in three sizes. PRICE POINT: $$$$$. For additional information, contact Marcolin USA at (888) MARCOLIN; web site: www.marcolinusa.com INSIGHT Born in Gibraltar in 1960, John Galliano launched his own label in 1984. He was named British Designer of the Year in 1987 and 1994, and in 1997 shared the title with Alexander McQueen. In 1996, Galliano was appointed creative director of Christian Dior. He currently creates 13 collections each year for Dior and Galliano, including ready-to-wear, pre-collection and haute couture. His trademarks are superb tailoring and delicate details.