Blog

June 7, 2019June 10, 2019

Independent Eyewear Show Successfully Debuts in Vancouver June 4th

Eyewear enthusiasts gathered in Vancouver June 4^th to celebrate independent eyewear collections along with the area’s independent eye care professionals. Over 40 different independent eyewear collections from 15 frame suppliers active in the Canadian market were on display.

The event, hosted by Optik Magazine Fashion/Optical Editor Sheena Taff, was the first of three #OptikEyeStyle Showcase events unfolding across the country this year. The tour’s next stops are in Toronto on Thursday, August 22^nd and Montreal on Thursday, September 5^th.

Attendees were treated to refreshments and a delicious buffet to compliment the visual feast of designer eyewear available exclusively to independent eye care professionals. The shows provide an opportunity for independent ECPs and designer specific eyewear brands to start a conversation on how differentiated collections can distinguish their eyewear galleries in today’s competitive milieu.

The event was supported by “Friends of Independent Eye Care”, including The Optical Group, HOYA Vision Care and Digital ECP. A full list of the participating frame collections can be found on the OptikNOW.ca website.

The #OptikEyeStyle tour concept arose from annual research of Canadian ECP’s usage and attitudes toward Canadian frame suppliers showing market footprint gains of independent eyewear suppliers relative to those supplying iconic licensed brands from the fashion and accessories space. The Toronto and Montreal shows will also include a short presentation by Optik’s parent company, VuePoint IDS President, David Pietrobon, on “Trends in the Canadian Frame Market”, based upon two successive years of research results conducted by VuePoint in collaboration with Jobson Optical research.

The events are a unique mix of “mini-trade show” and a networking opportunity where eyewear enthusiasts can peruse the newest collections, meet with friends and learn from interactions with peers and industry experts.

Limited attendee tickets are available on a first-come first serve basis. $150 valued gift-certificate door prizes were awarded. Vancouver event winners will be announced in Optik Magazine in July.

Ready. Set. Amy
Vendors and Prspects
Starting the conversation.

Links to related information:

Attendee Registration information for the Toronto Event:
#OptikEyeStyle Toronto will be held at the novel Artscape Sandbox in the Toronto Theatre district.

Attendee Registration information for the Montreal Event:
The contemporary art gallery, Galerie GORA, near Place des Arts area in downtown Montreal.

Information on Sponsorship Opportunities

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019

OKIA Goes Greener with Dedicated Website, New Sustainable Materials

OKIA keeps up its effort to build a more sustainable future of the eyewear industry.

In order to increase customers’ sensitivity to nature and collect attention towards eco-friendly products, OKIA recently launched www.sustainability.okia.com, dedicated entirely to its green solutions. Properties and advantages of each sustainable product by OKIA are illustrated in detail, using all-new graphics in combination with facts and figures about worldwide pollution and interesting tips about how to try to make the world better and to save the environment.

Besides the green products Reshape and Bio Lens that were launched at MIDO, this fresh, eye-catching website showcases two new sustainable materials developed by OKIA: “BD8 – Bio Plastics” and “Bio Polybag”.

“BD8 – Bio Plastics” is a 100% bio-degradable plastic which can be naturally broken into carbon, water and biomass. In a world where approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into the oceans every day, “BD8 – Bio Plastics” offers an eco-friendly solution: millions or even billions of eyewear and other products can be made of bio-degradable plastics which can be absorbed by the organisms and enrich the soil on decomposition. “BD8 – Bio Plastics” is lightweight, durable, crystal clear, hypoallergenic and good for any colour, design or pattern.

One of the BD8 products is “Bio Polybag”, a bio-degradable plastic eyewear bag which can be naturally broken down in 5 years. With a high tensile and impact strength, this crystal-clear product comes as the best alternative to oxo-degradable plastic eyewear bags, as it can completely biodegrade into carbon, water and biomass without leaving any plastic fragments behind.

Click HERE for the full press release.

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019

Varilux® Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

This year, Varilux^® is celebrating its 60^th anniversary: it was in May 1959 that Bernard Maitenaz had created this revolutionary solution. To mark this milestone, the Essilor Group has organized a tribute exhibition for its employees.

With 680 million Varilux^® lenses sold worldwide since 1959 and a long list of successes, including the recent launch of Varilux^® X, the Varilux^® brand is an industry reference for progressive lenses in the current optical market. This success can be credited to six decades of customer-focused innovation, research and development, collaboration, production and strategic deployment by the men and women of the Essilor Group.

Varilux^® has transformed the lives of presbyopes around the world, becoming one of Essilor’s leading brands.

Since the first pair of Varilux^® progressive lenses was manufactured in 1959, the lens has been a cutting-edge innovation in its own right and continues to evolve, further improving the lives of presbyopes.

Click HERE for the full press release.

June 5, 2019May 20, 2026

Artistically Inspired Etnia Barcelona Sunglasses

Etnia Barcelona is a brand well known for eye catching advertising inspired by great works of art. The Navona Sunglass is proof that the inspiration goes beyond their marketing campaign and into the design of their frames. With a two-tone coloured mosaic accent, the simple round frame shape of the Navona is transformed into a work of art. Each of the four frame colours are matched perfectly with gradient, natural mineral glass lenses.

Distributed by : www.etniabarcelona.com

June 4, 2019June 4, 2019

CooperVision, CORE Share Insights from Myopia Clinical Trial at GCOMM 2019 Conference

Eye care professionals and researchers from Canada and around the world will gather at the Global Council on Myopia Management’s 2019 Conference June 7 and 8, 2019. CooperVision, as well as Paragon Vision Sciences, a member of CooperVision’s Specialty Eye Care Division, will be on site championing the best way to manage myopia progression and improve treatment of the condition.

Dr. Jill Woods, Research Manager and Senior Clinical Scientist at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE), will be sharing four-year results from CooperVision’s landmark MiSight^® 1 day myopia management clinical trial during her breakout session on Saturday, June 8 at 1:00 p.m.

“Myopia is affecting children at a much younger age, causing them to have a much higher prescription in their teen and adult years. This can lead to serious eye conditions down the road,” said Woods. “The MiSight^® 1 day clinical trial illustrates the benefits of beginning myopia management early and shows how a contact lens management solution can maximize the benefit to the child.”

The clinical trial has shown the significant impact of a contact lens management approach to slowing the progression of myopia in children. After year three, myopia progression slowed in children wearing the MiSight^® 1 day contact lens: 59% as measured by mean cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) and 52% as measured by mean axial elongation of the eye when compared to the children in the control group wearing a single vision 1-day contact lens.

Blanchard Contact Lenses, another member of CooperVision’s Specialty Eye Care Division, will also be at GCOMM promoting its scleral contact lenses designed to treat a variety of eye conditions.

Click HERE for the full press release.