Forced to cancel the 2020 edition the day before its opening, Copenhagen Specs re-opened its doors on March 5 to rekindle the independent eyewear business in Northern Europe.

Its usual setting “Lokomotivværkstedet” – the centennial train repair building – hosted 53 exhibitors showcasing more than 85 innovative brands. 608 unique visitors from 16 different countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Faroe Island, Iceland, Greenland, Finland, Poland, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland), enjoyed the return of real interactions and have fully achieved their purchases goals, confirming Copenhagen Specs as the Scandinavian business hub.

CEO/Founder of Copenhagen Specs, Morten Gammelmark says: “It was such a joy finally being able to welcome the independent eyewear business to a Copenhagen Specs again after the period with cancelled tradeshows due to covid. But we could not succeed without the great support from the exhibitors and visitors, who stepped up and supported us. We are very grateful for that!”

Announced two years ago, the new Specs event is now on track. Independent eyewear will blossom in May in Spain. Barcelona Specs, May 7-8, 2022, will welcome eyewear lovers in a very cozy atmosphere at Fira Barcelona Montjuic in Barcelona city center.

Click HERE for the press release.

Certain designs never go out of style. Silhouette’s Illusion Lite model is the embodiment of this type of timeless style that is created from combining fresh ideas with classic looks. The temples of these glasses exude modern chic, while the fronts are more classic in style.

Featured model: Illusion Lite 1598

Distributed by COS: canadianoptical.com

EssilorLuxottica and CooperCompanies announce the finalization of their joint venture agreement for SightGlass Vision. This collaboration of two global vision care leaders accelerates the commercialization of novel spectacle lens technologies to expand the myopia management category.

SightGlass Vision’s Diffusion Optics Technology™ incorporates thousands of micro-dots into the lens that softly scatter light to reduce contrast on the retina, which is intended to reduce myopia progression in children.

“We are thrilled to see our joint venture with CooperCompanies come to life as SightGlass Vision begins to operate and the first products start to reach the market. Together with eye care professionals, we will be able to grow awareness about existing solutions and improve access to technologies that can help children today and in their future lives,” said Norbert Gorny, co-Chief Operating Officer at EssilorLuxottica.

“We are excited to begin this joint venture with EssilorLuxottica to grow the overall myopia management category. Adding spectacle lenses with SightGlass Vision technology to our portfolio of myopia management products translates into better eyesight and brighter lives for countless children. SightGlass Vision’s commitment to clinically based performance fits well with CooperVision, which has conducted the world’s longest-running myopia management clinical study and is committed to establishing myopia management as a standard of care for affected children,” said Dan McBride, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at CooperCompanies.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Marcolin announces the appointment of Emanuele Cappellano as new Chairman & President of Marcolin USA.

Cappellano will work closely with the company’s top management to continue building the corporate strategy in the key market, with the aim of leading the USA business into a new phase of development.

He will report directly to the CEO & General Manager Fabrizio Curci.

Cappellano is a highly experienced manager, having previously held leadership positions at several multinational corporations. Most recently Cappellano was Chief Financial Officer and Head of Financial Services at Stellantis Latin America.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Warby Parker announced a new partnership with Eastman to pioneer a first-of-its-kind demo lens molecular recycling program.

One of the greatest environmental impacts within the eyewear industry is the lack of a recycling solution for demo lenses. With the 600 million frames produced annually industry-wide, this practice accounts for over 5,000 tonnes of waste per year globally. For years, Warby Parker has researched alternative materials for discarding the plastic alongside downstream solutions, all of which have fallen short due to quality and this type of plastic being incredibly difficult to break down.

Since the summer of 2021, discarded demo lenses from Warby Parker’s optical labs, located in Sloatsburg, NY, and Las Vegas, NV, have been sent to Eastman’s facility in Kingsport, TN, where Carbon Renewal Technology is used to break the lenses down to their molecular level. Once broken down, the molecules are reused as the building blocks to create Eastman Acetate Renew—an acetate exclusively supplied by Eastman that is 60% bio-based and 40% certified recycled content. The brand plans to begin incorporating Acetate Renew into some of its frames later this year.

As the only eyewear brand to recycle its demo lenses with Eastman while sourcing Acetate Renew for new eyewear, Warby Parker is making progress toward a circular solution and lowering the environmental impact of producing its frames.

“From day one, Warby Parker has set out to find innovative solutions to everyday problems—and along the way, we’ve taken a stakeholder-centric approach. We’re committed to evaluating how our operations impact our employees, customers, and the environment, and our partnership with Eastman exemplifies this commitment,” said Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker. “We hope that others in the eyewear industry will join us as we work towards solutions to lessen our impact on the planet and its people.”

“Warby Parker’s commitment to reduce the impact of their products on the environment has been evident throughout this project. Eastman appreciates their commitment to take action and change the status quo,” said Scott Ballard, Eastman’s vice president and general manager of specialty plastics. “The demo lens to Acetate Renew breakthrough is the first of what we expect to be many examples of Eastman customers leveraging our molecular recycling technologies to divert material from landfill and lower carbon emissions.”

Click HERE for the full press release.