OGI Eyewear celebrates 25 years in business. Born in Minnesota in 1997, the indie eyewear house has from its inception been dedicated to self-expression, innovation and excellence in service. Today, its silver anniversary honours a storied legacy and sees the company poised and ready to take on what’s ahead.

OGI blends high-fashion compositions with vivid palettes, dynamic designs and a uniquely Minnesotan perspective. The company’s innovative approach extends towards its technology suite, most notably evidenced by its ground-breaking Virtual Try-On technology, designed to create a seamless customer experience for providers and patients. OGI’s fiercely independent spirit is perfectly suited to one of the founding members of the Optical Foundry committed to serving independent practices within the eyewear industry. Through its Eye See You giving program, OGI Eyewear supports various optical and health non-profit programs, such as the E.Y.E Community Initiative provided by Phillips Eye Institute, as well as other local and global humanitarian and social causes.

Rob Rich, CEO of OGI Eyewear, reflected on the rewarding journey to this milestone anniversary. “As we celebrate our 25^th year in business, it’s gratifying and satisfying to look back on the path we’ve taken. OGI Eyewear was started to fill a void in the eyewear landscape—specifically when it came to frames. We started specializing in smaller frames with colour and personality. We quickly grew to cover a broad range of frame sizes while still staying true to our primary reason for existence: crafting trendsetting, intelligent designs and colour creations that fill unanswered demand in the market. This remains our passion and our daily goal. This consistent commitment will propel us for another 25 years!”

OGI’s rallying cry for 2023 is a confident declaration: “The Future is Now!” And with its new “Piece of Pie” customer service program designed to exceed service expectations, an upcoming mobile app release, exciting new product designs and a suite of beautiful partnerships, the future is bright.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Longchamp Eyewear presents LO716S, a new sunglass style that captures the
free spirit and distinctive charm of Parisian women, exquisitely embodying the
glamour and timelessness of Longchamp’s aesthetics. The modified rectangular front
and chunky proportions of these plant-based resin sunglasses are offered in a varied
palette of colours. The wide temples feature the gold metal Longchamp horse medallion.

Distributed by Marchon: www.marchon.com

Bausch + Lomb announced its first-of-its-kind ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs have been named a gold winner in the Most Environmentally Friendly Service of the Year category by the 2022 Best in Biz Awards.

“For the past two years, our ONE by ONE contact lens recycling program has received gold for ‘Most Environmentally Friendly Service of the Year’ from the Best in Biz Awards. It brings us great pride to be recognized once again with this honor, but now with the addition of our Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, which launched late last year,” said Joe Gordon, president, Global Consumer, Surgical and Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb.

“Together these programs continue to make incredible progress in helping to remove the ‘forgotten waste stream’ of used lens, eye care and lens care materials – nearly 60 million units to date – from our environment.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

De Rigo Vision announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the full ownership of Rodenstock’s Eyewear division. The transaction will be completed towards the end of second quarter of 2023.

The acquisition of Rodenstock Eyewear is part of De Rigo’s strategic plan for further international expansion and growth in the premium eyewear segment.

It aims to reinforce the Group’s distribution platform in Central Europe and in particular in the German market, which offers strong growth opportunities for De Rigo. The integration of the Rodenstock Eyewear division into the De Rigo business will strengthen the sales network through additional resources, expertise and an extensive network in Germany as well as in international markets. Furthermore, the acquisition includes the two high-quality brands Rodenstock Eyewear and Porsche Design Eyewear, which will complement the existing De Rigo product portfolio.

Both companies will closely work together to ensure a smooth transition and business continuity for employees, customers, and business partners.

Maurizio Dessolis, Executive Vice Chairman of De Rigo Vision, said: “I am proud to announce this agreement with Rodenstock, with whom we share the values of operational excellence and a client and people centric business. We are confident that building on our global platform and network we will be able to support the continued growth of the business and its brands.”

Anders Hedegaard, CEO of Rodenstock, commented: “With De Rigo, we have found a buyer that will ensure business continuity for our eyewear business, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

The CSE (Certified Sustainable Eyewear) Award is a prize established by MIDO, in partnership with ANFAO and Certottica, to honor sustainability in the global eyewear industry.

All exhibitors at MIDO 2023 are eligible to participate in this first edition of the award by nominating a pair of sunglasses, eyewear frames or an eyewear case. An international panel of expert judges will evaluate the competing products which, to qualify for a win, must have been produced in compliance with the principles of sustainability.

Recycled materials, reduced consumption in the production and distribution processes, maximization of the supply chain, elimination of waste, degree of recyclability, use of renewable resources and any certifications already achieved, are just some of the criteria the jury will use to determine the first winners in the following 6 categories:

CSE Award Sunglasses Europe

CSE Award Sunglasses Rest of the World

CSE Award Frames Europe

CSE Award Frames Rest of the World

CSE Award Cases Europe

CSE Award Cases Rest of the World

To participate, exhibitors at MIDO 2023 must complete the online form, available from 15 December 2022 to 15 January 2023 in the “Take Part” section of the official website: https://www.mido.com/en/.

“This is a necessary step in the eyewear industry,” comments MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. In our sector we have companies that have been truly committed and active in the field of sustainability (environmental, social, economic) for a long time: I am thinking of the big players but also independent brands that produce with the lowest possible impact on the ecosystem. This award is a fundamental milestone for us, which does not, however, decree the end of this journey, but the stage of a path that began in 2019 and which obtained, for MIDO 2022, the ISO 20121:2012 certification, which proves the sustainable management of major events.”

Click HERE for the full press release.