Blog

October 23, 2015May 20, 2026

Rebel Rubens: a Return to the 50s

With Rubens, Rebel takes on the spirit of an urban radical and draws its inspiration from the neo-retro world of the 50s and 60s. This light, comfortable model with wide stainless steel temples is available in three types of front and urban colours.

A style that works for these frames fitted with a stainless steel dual-material flex temple and a long injected striped coloured endtip.

The urban colours of the fronts in anthracite grey, navy blue, copper or black are combined with vibrant colours on the endtip such as apple green, red and orange, giving the product a dynamic feel.

This new Rebel concept will appeal to men who are young in spirit and want to develop their own style… because isn’t being yourself the essence of rebellion?

Distributed by Lanctôt: www.rlanctot.com

October 23, 2015May 20, 2026

Naoned’s Innovative Frames Made from Seaweed

Brittany France Eyewear manufacturer Naoned, which is the name for the city of Nantes in its regional language, has launched a collection of four eco-friendly sunglasses, manufactured from brown seaweed.

The first of its kind, the collection was developed in collaboration with Algopak, a French company which specializes in the “blue chemistry” of converting renewable algae into biodegradable plastics made from brown seaweed harvested around Brittany.

Naoned, founded in 2012 by Jean-Philippe Douis, christened the four sunglass models Molenez, Enez Sun, Litiri and Banneg after four islands off the coast of Brittany. The collection is named Dôn, after the Celtic sea goddess, and characterized by rounded shapes and golden metals.

For more examples of nature inspired eye wear, visit our feature article in October Optik.

http://www.naonedeyewear.bzh/index.php?lang=en

October 23, 2015April 24, 2018

Apple Pie, Baseball and Macular Pigments

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that dietary supplements of the macular pigments lutein and zeaxanthin can improve a ball player’s performance through reduced glare discomfort, shortened photostress recovery times, enhanced chromatic contrast and increased visual range.

In baseball, a small edge can make all the difference. Baseball players tend to have better visual acuity than the general population, but visual performance varies among individual athletes.

The study found that the blue haze and scattered sunlight that reduces a ball player’s visual range peaks at around 460 nm, within the absorbance band of yellow-blue macular pigment. The visual carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which concentrate within the fovea, can act as a tinted filter allowing for sharper contrast between the ball and the blue sky.

If a baseball player’s diet is deficient in macular pigments, increasing the dietary intake could result in a significant performance boost, as well as protecting their eyes from damaging blue light.

Thanks for a great season to the Toronto Blue Jays! #ComeTogether

Further information: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/5/1207S.full

October 22, 2015April 24, 2018

Lenses of the Future May Use Liquid Crystals to Combat Presbyopia

Liquid crystals, the same material in your television and smartphone screens, may soon be found within intraocular lens implants, according to University of Leeds research student Devesh Mistry, currently working on a prototype adjustable artificial lens to combat presbyopia.

Liquid crystals are ordered like crystals yet flow like a liquid, and are capable of responding to stimuli. Researchers have previously built liquid crystal lens prototypes which adjust their focus based on electrical signals, and Mistry is eager to take it a step further: “Using liquid crystals, […] lenses would adjust and focus automatically, depending on the eye muscles’ movement.”

The project, a collaboration between Eurolens Research and specialty CL manufacturer UltraVision CLPL, aims to have a commercially available lens for sale within six to ten years.

Further information: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3775/is_the_end_in_sight_for_reading_glasses

October 21, 2015May 20, 2026

Blackfin – Technology Meets Artisanship

Minimalist design, exclusive detail, high-tech materials and futuristic manufacturing techniques, all these factors come together in Blackfin, the brand of titanium eyewear entirely designed and manufactured in Italy whose new Fall/Winter 2015/16 collection is launched.

Two models, BF739 Frazier and BF740 Shag, the first a frame for women, the second for men, share the same styling, featuring the innovative three-dimensional effect, combining hand-crafted techniques with modern design and excellent quality. A special milling technique used on the top rim creates a play of volumes and a contrasting perspective between the front and the rest of the frame, making it possible to use new colour combinations that enhance the unique design of the frame with its three-dimensional effect.

Model BF743 Waterhouse is a frame for men whose classic panto shape reinterprets the mid-20^th-Century look. This model, with its rounded lines and keyhole bridge combines a traditional shape with modern materials and design, the perfect expression of timeless style.

The 1970s are the inspiration for the Blackfin Zero EDGE BF746 Funders with its double bridge, the perfect mix of vintage style with high-tech manufacture, a classic form revisited in new materials and new detail. The ultra-thin beta titanium, only 0.5mm thick, used for this frame presents a major manufacturing challenge that only the expert artisan skills of the Blackfin production team can overcome.

Distributed by Mood Eyewear : www.moodeyewear.com