Optometry
Giving Sight (OGS) announces that CooperVision has renewed their partnership
agreement for three years through 2022. CooperVision is Optometry Giving
Sight’s largest corporate donor and has been supporting our work in Giving
Sight and Hope since 2008, and as such OGS recognizes them as their Global
Platinum Partner in both the U.S. and Canada.
In addition
to CooperVision’s partnership support, the company provides funding in a
variety of ways that includes its patient rebate program, World Sight Day
Challenge participation worldwide and its global charitable giving program,
Cooper Giving.
“CooperVision
is delighted to continue to support Optometry Giving Sight as we are committed
to their efforts to bring accessible and sustainable eye care to communities
throughout the developing world,” says Jerry Warner, CooperVision’s President
of North America.
Eric
Anderson, Interim Executive Director for OGS adds, “We couldn’t do what we do
without CooperVision’s outstanding commitment. We are so very grateful to their
leadership and their employees in advancing the cause of bringing eye care to
those who are in need. Thank you CooperVision!”
The Etnia Barcelona SS20 collection is a genuine explosion of life and colour, an ode to the beauty of the natural world. This season’s designs are inspired by the colour palette of California’s national parks, European forests and the depths of the Amazon Rainforest.
Etnia’s design team has also incorporated natural materials of the highest quality into the collection, such as cotton and wood.
He
has been described as a mad man, a creative genius, a brilliant organizer and
even the founder of independent eyewear. He’s right up there at the top of the
pantheon of “eyewear gods” with very few others. His eccentric life and his
nefarious ending however, have relegated his creative genius to the background.
Udo Proksch became, through marriage to a famous actress and singer, a major player in the artistic, social and political life of Austria. In 1972, Proksch bought Vienna’s prestigious Demel café, and one year later opened Club 45 on top of the cafe. The private club quickly became one of the most popular haunts of the city. On any given night, you could come across cold-war spies, heads of state, artists and movie stars.
A
Pioneer of Independent Eyewear
Proksch – creative genius and evil mad man
Proksch
revolutionized the whole approach to eyewear. In the 1950s and early 1960s, before
the rise of licensed brands frames were still mostly seen as medical devices. While
some artists, including Pierre Maryl and Oliver Goldsmith, made beautiful and
original frames, Udo Proksch brought industrial scale to the effort. He was
recruited by Wilhelm Anger, Optyl’s founder, when he won an arts competition
and subsequently became creative director for Carrera.
He also worked on Viennaline and made it immensely popular at the time, selling more than 15 million pieces of the Gigi frame – an unheard success with a creator frame at the time.
Subsequently he launched his own collection: Serge Kirchhofer. He became so involved with the brand it became his alter ego, even adding the name to his passport as his legal alias. He brought a new vision that went further than just the frame creation bringing new approaches to packaging, branding and marketing.
Genius
Gone Evil
Unfortunately,
Proksch’s life ended very badly. In
1977, the freight ship Lucona sank in the Indian Ocean, causing the death of
six passengers. Years later, it was proven that the vessel was intentionally destroyed
by explosives orchestrated by Proksch to extort insurance money from the
disaster.
Proksch brought creator frames to scale through industrial innovation.
In
the scandal that followed, several Austrian ministers were forced to resign for
obstructing the investigation and forgery. Proksch fled Austria finding refuge
in the palace of notorious Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Proksch finally
came back to Austria, was sentenced to prison and died there in 2001 during
heart surgery.
Proksch is remembered in a fascinating book, Udotopia, by Luisa Jean Cooper, commissioned by Michael Jardine, founder of Mondottica and Brando Eyewear. The full interview of Jardine , by Optik journalist Jean francois Venne is available in the April – May Issue of Optik Magazine.
The
Shareholders’ Meeting of Safilo Group, held by phone, has approved the Company’s
2019 financial statements and the Board of Directors’ report.
Safilo
closed 2019 with the net sales at Euro 939.0 million, up 3.1% at current
exchange rates and 0.9% at constant exchange rates compared to Euro 910.7
million in 2018.
2019 Gross
profit grew by 5.3% to Euro 477.2 million compared to Euro 453.2 million in 2018,
with the margin on sales increasing to 50.8% from 49.8% in the previous year.
Fourth
quarter adjusted EBITDA equalled Euro 7.9 million, with the margin on sales at
3.4%. This result compared to Euro 13.3 million reported in the fourth quarter
of 2018, which however included the income of Euro 9.8 million for the early
termination of the Gucci license.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. and Sandoz Canada Inc. announced that $500,000 will be given to community and patient groups as part of the companies’ newly created Community Strong COVID-19 response program. Bringing support to communities in need and collaborating with patient organizations to address the needs of patients is very much a priority for the organization at this critical time.
The Community Strong program was initiated by
Novartis in Canada, which includes the Innovative Medicines Division (Oncology
and Pharma business units) and Sandoz Canada, and is an immediate response to
support Canadians who are most in need. A portion of the response fund has been
allocated to donations to support patient organizations with COVID-19-related
objectives. As part of the program and to support the generosity of associates
from across the Novartis divisions, an employee donation program has been
established whereby up to $50,000 in contributions will be matched by the
company.
“I
am proud to say that since the beginning of this crisis, we have not wavered on
our delivery of medicines to patients who count on them or on our commitment to
healthcare professionals. We recognize that the needs of communities across the
country are much greater at this time and created the Community Strong program to show we care,”
said Christian Macher, Country President, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.
“We are inspired by all individuals who are going above and beyond, including
our associates who themselves will be making personal donations. Our
communities need us and so do the patients we serve.”
United
Way Centraide Canada and Food Banks Canada have been identified as the first
organizations to receive donations through the Novartis Community Strong COVID-19 Response
program.
CAO launches a national awareness campaign highlighting the importance of regular eye exams for children and the rising prevalence of early onset myopia.
Discover how prioritizing pediatric eye care drives generational practice growth and builds lasting patient loyalty. Expert practice-building insights by Dr. Diana M. Monea.
Dr. Brianna Rhue joins Eye on the Industry for a lively discussion about AI, practice technology, patient experience, leadership and the business of optometry.
CAO launches a national awareness campaign highlighting the importance of regular eye exams for children and the rising prevalence of early onset myopia.
Discover how prioritizing pediatric eye care drives generational practice growth and builds lasting patient loyalty. Expert practice-building insights by Dr. Diana M. Monea.
Dr. Brianna Rhue joins Eye on the Industry for a lively discussion about AI, practice technology, patient experience, leadership and the business of optometry.
CAO launches a national awareness campaign highlighting the importance of regular eye exams for children and the rising prevalence of early onset myopia.
Discover how prioritizing pediatric eye care drives generational practice growth and builds lasting patient loyalty. Expert practice-building insights by Dr. Diana M. Monea.
Dr. Brianna Rhue joins Eye on the Industry for a lively discussion about AI, practice technology, patient experience, leadership and the business of optometry.
CAO launches a national awareness campaign highlighting the importance of regular eye exams for children and the rising prevalence of early onset myopia.
Discover how prioritizing pediatric eye care drives generational practice growth and builds lasting patient loyalty. Expert practice-building insights by Dr. Diana M. Monea.
Dr. Brianna Rhue joins Eye on the Industry for a lively discussion about AI, practice technology, patient experience, leadership and the business of optometry.
