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June 10, 2021June 10, 2021

Essilor, New Official Partner of 24 Hours of Le Mans and MissionH24

With the next 24 Hours of Le Mans fast approaching (21-22 August), race organizer the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) announces a three-year partnership with Essilor, the ophthalmic lenses world leader, to promote the importance of optimal vision on the road, 24 hours a day.

Up to 90% of the information needed to make good decisions on the road is related to our eyesight. Optimal vision at every moment is key to enjoy the road safely in all conditions, whatever the means of transportation. Safe mobility therefore calls for the best corrective and protective lenses, 24/7.

As official partner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and MissionH24, Essilor will offer its expertise to correct and protect the vision of racing drivers and everyday motorists, improve precision and field of vision, adjust to levels of brightness and weather conditions, reduce fatigue, and adapt to night driving – all factors that significantly influence reaction times on the road.

Associating vision with the future of mobility, the partnership agreement includes the MissionH24 program, which aims to create a class for prototypes with an electric- hydrogen powertrain at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024.

Discover the reveal video:

Over the next three years, the partnership will involve numerous joint initiatives on the topic of “24-hour vision” through both trackside events and public awareness campaigns, in line with the engagement of both partners for safe mobility.

Click HERE for the full press release.

June 9, 2021June 2, 2021

Cholesterol Lowering Statin Drug May Promote Retinal Neuron Regeneration

FBC funded researcher Dr. Philippe Monnier has published a study in the journal Neurobiology of Disease that shows that cholesterol inhibition increases neuron regeneration and survival. The team used two approaches: the drug lovastatin and a genetic editing approach to lower cholesterol levels in an animal model of optic nerve damage. The optic nerve is made up of many cells that send signals from the light sensing photoreceptors to the brain.

In these experiments, cholesterol lowering treatments increased optic nerve regrowth after injury. Researchers also saw that lowering cholesterol in the eye increased survival of both optic nerve cells and photoreceptor cells. Interestingly, previous studies have not shown such strong effects of cholesterol inhibition on neuron regeneration.

More experiments will be important to understand what conditions promoted this effect in this study. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that individuals with retinal
degeneration should start taking statins! One important thing to note is that the drug treatment was given by intravitreal injections to the eye, meaning that a very concentrated dose of lovastatin was being given to a small region of the eye. There is no data to suggest that individuals who take cholesterol-lowering drugs have better
vision or less retinal degeneration. However, this does suggest that there might be a new use for a currently existing and tested drug, and future work from Dr. Monnier’s team will explore this possibility.

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021

Eyes on Sheppard Honoured with MIDO Award

The first ever MIDO | Digital Edition, June 5-7, 2021, capped off with the announcement of the BeStore awards for outstanding eyewear retailers.

BeStore Awards
MIDO recongizes the best optical stores in the world in three categories: Innovation, Design and Your BeStore – a kind of viewers’ choice for the favourite optical among the MIDO online fandom.

The first ever Your BeStore Contest winner was announced as “Eyes on Sheppard” from Toronto, owned by Kerry Salsberg. This is also the first MIDO BeStore awarded to a Canadian entry in any category.

Practice Owner, Dr. Kerry Salsberg commented to Optik, “Our project has been a labour of love and has taken many many many years to come to fruition. We are super proud of our entire Eyes On Sheppard team, Anna Brogan, and especially Frank Carpino, from Urban Spaces, for making our dream a reality. Our practice is now 50 years old and much of our success has been a result of my father (Dr. Stan Salsberg) being such a visionary and teaching me the importance of dreaming big, treating people with kindness, creating lifelong relationships, and continually investing in your practice and people.”

The full story of how Eyes on Sheppard transformed from its prior crowded practice to the current award-winning location was chronicled in a recent edition of Optik Magazine.

View the the full story here: The Magic Show – The Transformation of Eyes on Sheppard.

The Design Category award went to Kempkes Optiek by Carlo van Kleij (Holland) and the BeStore Innovation award went to Romica Romascu (Romania) .

Click HER E for a view of the the other winning entries

Click HERE for the full press release.

June 8, 2021May 20, 2026

EUFLUORIA: Euphoria Capsule Collection

Etnia Barcelona presents their new capsule collection bursting with contrast and inspired by a range of fluorescent colours. The Khalo is created from 7 mm natural 3D Mazzuchelli acetate with grooved steps. The temples are built in layers of acetate, superimposed to create a “see thru” effect. HD colour mineral lenses add to the vibrance of the collection.

Distributed by: www.etniabarcelona.com

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021

Men’s Eyewear for the Discerning Gent!

May-June issue of Optik Magazine features IMAGINEM, which highlights advice from Eye Styling Expert Wendy Buchanan, R.O. on everything MEN!

The most important part of any man’s outfit isn’t the clothing or accessories he is wearing – it is his FACE!

The face is the most expressive body part, and the eyes are the most important. Eyewear occupies this all-important real estate and as optical professionals, we have the crucial and detailed task of styling this area of the face. Then, it is just as important to ensure that the specs are in sync with the clothing style and colours and ultimately
the total image men wish to project.

The visual impression of a man’s wardrobe style will give you clues as to his individual style, helping you in eyewear selections that are just right. While it is important to know the eyewear trends, it is even more important to get the style right. Style is permanent
and is based on an individual’s colouring, physical attributes and particular tastes.

A man who has command of his personal style will get compliments not just in the moment, but for many years. Selecting eyewear on the basis of fashion trends for the wrong personality will be a fleeting purchase. While it may be a quick and easy sale, it likely will not be a great investment for the client.

Check out Wendy’s full article to find out what wardrobe looks go with eyewear and sunwear trends in the May-June Issue of Optik Magazine.

You can learn more about Wendy’s image and eyestyling program for optical fashionistas at www.specstyling.com