NEW YORK—Cohen’s Fashion Optical, one of the nation’s top 10 optical retailers and one of the longest operating optical franchise companies, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2017 with a series of special promotions, events and initiatives.

Cohen’s has been a fixture of Manhattan neighborhoods for 90 years since its founding by Jack Cohen, whose pushcart frame business on the Lower East Side of New York has grown into a fashion-focused eyewear business that has more than 130 locations today in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The anniversary campaign includes a new Facebook Live series called “Live with Cee,” which debuted late last month with more than 8,000 views, according to Cohen’s chief marketing officer Sheila Haile. The initial “Live with Cee” video was recorded at the company’s Union Square store on Broadway and focused on sunwear styles. “Cee” is Cohen’s new blog.

The company also has launched a “give back mission” under the umbrella of “Empowerment Through Sight” (ETS), a social responsibility platform in which Cohen’s will work with multiple charities to donate eyewear and eye exams, Haile said.

The organizations participating are: RestoringVision for international efforts (Guatemala, one completed mission and two scheduled for September); AmeriCares, for U.S. and NYC-based give-back opportunities (including homeless shelters and crisis centers); Eco-Media, a partner in giving back to NYC schools (scheduled for fall 2017), and Mount Sinai Hospital Adolescent Health Center’s Ophthalmic Suite, which is partnering in an effort to provide eye care and eyewear to children.

Overall, Cohen’s will donate approximately 90,000 pairs of eyeglasses in the U.S. and international locations, Haile noted.

Along with these programs, Haile told VMail, there will be additional social media and special events. These include:

• Style Days at Cohen’s Featuring GlamSquad – With the help of stylists from New York’s GlamSquad network of makeup artists, Cohen’s is welcoming glam stations into select stores for two hours on Saturdays throughout the year. Customers will look and feel their best with makeup tips from experts who know how to make eyes shine. For more information and dates and locations, click here.
• Celebrating New Yorkers — With a new ad campaign that celebrates everyday New Yorkers looking for value, style, and benefits of insurance plans, Cohen’s will introduce an exclusive 90th Anniversary offer—a pair of frames complete with prescription lenses for only $90.

The anniversary offers will be promoted with special “90 Years” signage in the windows of Cohen’s locations, scheduled panel discussions and updates via @cohensfashionoptical on Instagram and Facebook.

“My father envisioned an environment where he would help people see better and look better, too,” president Bob Cohen said in the announcement. “We have never wavered, but we have invested even further in his vision and we are proud to evolve it in a way that matters today.”