The Color Purple

Purple has long evoked feelings of glamour, wealth and opulence. A mysterious color, it has been associated with both nobility and spirituality and was the favorite color of the passionate Cleopatra. Violet, plum, lavender, lilac, amethyst or eggplant, in deep rich shades or bright jewel tones, purple has always had an inherently feminine appeal. It is only natural that purple’s popularity now makes its appearance on an accessory long known for its glamour and mystery… the sunglass.

Christian Roth 14265 in purple from Charmant.	Gucci GG2927 STS in violet from Safilo.	Vogue Eyewear 2459SB in deep violet from Luxottica.

WILMINGTON, Del.—Delaware is a very small state. Its total population is approximately 800,000 people, one tenth the population of New York City. But those 800,000 people still need comprehensive eyecare and sun protection. That’s where Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants (D.O.C.) comes in.

D.O.C., with two locations in New Castle County, home to half the state’s population, is the largest multi-specialty ophthalmic group in the state and has been providing eyecare there for over 50 years. In 1996, they opened an optical business to provide eyewear to their patients and in May 2006, they expanded their sunwear business with the help of Silhouette’s “blue light” education initiative. Today, 20 percent of their product mix in both locations is sunwear.

R. Mike Abel, D.O.C. practice administrator.

R. Mike Abel, a 37-year-veteran of the optical industry and the practice administrator of D.O.C, has been integral in instituting the practices’ updated sun protection program, which now begins with the very first phone call.   

“In the first phone call with the patient we ask them to bring in their current eyewear and sunwear when they come in for their appointment,” said Abel. “It opens the lines of communication and helps us evaluate their current sunwear.”

The next step of D.O.C.’s comprehensive customer service is the creation of a patient concierge. “ The "patient concierge" is our connector between when the patient checks in and when they get in to see the doctor,” explained Abel. “She acknowledges the patients who are waiting, shows them through the dispensary, helps them fill out the Lifestyle Questionnaire, another tool in helping us determine our patients sunwear needs; makes sure the technicians receive the questionnaires after the exam and evaluates the feedback from our patients at the end of the day to determine our successes and our weaknesses. She is the PR representative for our patients,” concluded Abel.

A customer being greeted by Sylvia Phillips, patient concierge, and Heather Polchito, ophthalmic technician, of Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants.

D.O.C. conducts approximately 1,350 routine eye examinations a month and over the last six months they have determined that only 38.3 percent of those exams are captured in optical sales, which means even less is captured in sunwear sales.

“I think our capture rate is currently so low because a large percentage of our patients just didn’t realize we had an optical business. They would come in for their eye exams and then take their prescription down the road for their eyewear,” said Abel. But she is confident that with the growing success of their sun protection program, and with the continued emphasis on customer service, that they can increase their capture rate to at least 50 percent or 60 percent in 2007.  

While many optical retailers are modeling the look of their business after a high end boutique, D.O.C. is keeping with the everyman approach. “Almost 50 percent of our business is Medicare so we can’t look very boutique-y or fancy,” explained Abel. “A few years ago, we were headed in that direction and the sales just weren’t there, we realized we couldn’t look too expensive, so now we have selections for every pocketbook and we can cater to every demographic.”

Ninety-nine percent of the sunwear D.O.C. carries is Rx-able. In addition to Silhouette they carry Armani, Nine West, Fossil, Stetson, Lulu Guinness, Gucci, Kate Spade, Ted Baker, Fossil and Tura.

The practices choose not to use a majority of available POP materials, instead opting for eye-level placement of sunwear in their stores, trunk shows, internal promotions, a regular newsletter and advertisements in a regional magazine. But ultimately they rely on the strength of their customer service and the satisfaction of their patients for the most return on their investment. According to Abel, “A satisfied patient is your best marketing tool. What a patient is wearing on their face is a representation of quality care and how they judge their doctor over the next two years.”

Winter Sun Protection

UV Blocking Contact Lenses Help Provide Complete Winter Sun Protection

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—In winter months it is important to protect the eyes from the sun’s powerful ultraviolet (UV) rays through use of UV blocking sunglasses and contact lenses.

Ultraviolet radiation reaches the eye not only from the sky above but also by reflection from ground surfaces. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), although UV radiation is generally lower during winter months, snow reflection may double an individual’s overall exposure. The WHO estimates that fresh snow may reflect as much as 80 percent of UV rays, compared to other surfaces such as, grass, soil and water, which reflect less than 10 percent of UV radiation. In contrast, visits to the beach mean about a 15 percent reflection off of dry sand and about 25 percent off of sea foam.

But sunglasses aren’t always enough. “While sunglasses with UV blocking lenses can help shield eyes from UV rays in sunlight, they only block about 50 percent of UV radiation, because sunlight also enters the eye from above, below, and around the sunglasses,” explained Brian Linde, OD, a Montana-based optometrist and past president of the Montana Optometric Association. “It is just as important to block these peripheral UV rays. UV-blocking contact lenses provide added protection by effectively blocking sunlight that may enter the cornea from the top, bottom, or sides of the glasses.”

Not all contact lenses offer UV protection, and, of those that do, not all provide similar absorption levels. Contact lens brands that carry the seal of acceptance for ultraviolet absorbing contact lenses from the American Optometric Association’s Commission on Ophthalmic Standards are best. Acuvue Advance, Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism and Acuvue Oasys contact lens from Johnson & Johnson are just a few brands that carry this seal and according to a statement from the company, they block more than 90 percent of UVA rays and 99 percent of UVB rays that reach the lens. On average, contact lenses without UV blocking block only about 10 percent of UVA radiation and 30 percent of UVB radiation.

“Although UV-blocking contact lenses provide important added protection for patients, they should not be viewed as a stand-alone solution,” warned Linde. “Contact lenses should always be worn in conjunction with high-quality UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat for maximum UV protection for the eyes.”

For winter sports participants, Dr. Linde recommends the use of ski goggles because they can also help prevent debris and snow from blowing into the eyes.

New Lines and Launches...

Burberry Targeted towards affluent women and men ages 25 and up with a metropolitan and designer savvy bent, the new Burberry eyewear collection from Luxottica embodies fashionable, contemporary eyewear designs and brings out the understated style and elegance of the Burberry brand. Premiering with 22 sunwear models the collection takes its cues from Burberry design icons, like the D-ring buckle, the quilted check effect and the Equestrian knight device. Oversized shapes, as well as modern twists on the aviator style, are key to the collection. Included in the line are classic shapes and temple designs featured in fashion colors like white, purple, blue-grey, classic tortoise, brown and olive.
Marc by Marc Jacobs The Marc by Marc Jacobs eyewear collection from Safilo combines vintage design with an urban sensibility and contains 24 feminine sunwear styles. Shapes include metal and plastic aviators, shields, oversized plastic and rimless styles in a variety of eye shapes. The collection borrows closely from other Marc by Marc Jacobs product lines with distinctive design details such as conic and star-shaped studs and buttons on temples, frames fronts and temple tips. The identifiable Marc by Marc Jacobs logo and logo treatments, such as the jumbled logo and the laser engraved logo, can be found on various styles. On select styles, logo detailing is laser-engraved on the corner of the lens as well as temples.
Paul Smith The Spring/Summer 2007 collection from Paul Smith Spectacles draws influence from the designer’s philosophy of “classic with a twist.” With dramatic shapes and unexpected detailing, the new designs are consistent with the designer’s signature whimsical style. The sunwear collection offers retro inspired styles with modern detailing. Design details include asymmetrical metal detailing on the frame fronts, late 70s and early 80s inspired modified aviators and 80s inspired frames with heavy straight edged tops and solid colored lenses.
República Kenmark Group launches the República Eyewear collection for the Latino and multi-cultural way of life. The República Eyewear collection is an extension of the República Trading Co. clothing line founded by Rafael Jimenez. It is designed for the young, trendsetting multi-ethnic male consumer ages 16 to 35 who appreciates fine details and an exceptional fit. The collection offers a distinctive look with oversized designs in both metals and zyls. Each design features polarized or fashion gradient lenses for sunwear protection.
Tommy Bahama Tommy Bahama from Altair Eyewear releases four new models of sunglasses for the 35 to 60 year old man. Made of titanium memory metal Titan Twist, the models come in bronze and dark gun and feature Italian acetate temple tips, adjustable nose pads, laser engraved logos and polycarbonate polarized lenses with backside anti-reflective coating, dual-side hydrophobic coating and flash mirror coating.
Salvatore Ferragamo Salvatore Ferragamo from Luxottica releases Lodge, a sunglass with wicker temples. This style experiments with the unusual material applications that have long characterized the Florentine fashion house. It is dominated by the handcrafted weave of natural fibers on the wide temples which are hand-coated with a water-repellent lacquer which insulates the fibers from the elements. The temples are combined with a large, curved wrap-around enclosed in a narrow metal frame with contrasting screws. The metal of the frame is available in gold, steel or ruthenium tone finishes and black, smoky black, brown or smoky brown lenses.
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