Varilux Physio 360 and Varilux Physio in Airwear Polarized
Solaire from Essilor introduces Varilux Physio 360 and Varilux Physio in Airwear Polarized this month for sharp and comfortable progressive vision in the sun. This combination delivers high contrast sensitivity, depth perception and glare reduction, as well as 100 percent UV protection.
This is the first time that patients can have the clarity of W.A.V.E. Technology with UV protection and the comfort of a polarized lens. With Essilor's proprietary polarized process and Airwear's official American Optometric Association Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers, patients now have new options to meet their outdoor needs. Varilux Physio in Airwear Polarized is available with Crizal Alizé with Clear Guard, which comes standard on Varilux Physio 360.
The Eyewear
Valet
Corinne
McCormack has created the Eyewear Valet, a compact,
stylish carrying case that can store up to four pairs of glasses,
each in their own Velcro-sealed compartment. The sleek microfiber
exterior and lightweight, strong construction withstands tough treatment
and measuring only 3” x 3” x 6”, the Eyewear Valet
is easily stored keeping eyeglasses or valuables accessible and safe.
The colors choices for fall include classic black and leopard print.
Glamorous Gems for Day and Evening
I Wear My Sunglasses at Night
For years, fabulous jewels only made an appearance on the evening wear of socialites and starlets. But when the bling bling movement hit, precious gems started making their way into daytime hours on everything from cell phones to teeth grills -- and sunglasses are no exception. Now any one can adorn themselves in sparkles and pearls, whether they choose to glam up their day or wear their sunglasses at night.
Bvlgari BV 652B
Badgley Mischka Joseph in Pearl
Caviar Collection Champagne 6823
Sun Readers from Amy Sacks Eyewear
Ann
Sacks, founder and president of Amy Sacks Eyewear and Accessories, introduces new sun reader and sunglass styles, a few of which incorporate sun lenses into some of the customer favorites, like Kelly, Kendall and Niki, in all colors and magnifications.
As
former president of Ann Sacks Tile and
Stone, Ann Sacks brings her design experience
to a new market and aims to elevate reading
glasses to an extension of one’s personal
style. The Amy Sacks Eyewear collection was
created to flatter different face shapes and
skin tones. The color palette is meant to
work with varied hair and skin colors so
that a customer can find the correct shape
in the best color for a complete look.
The frames are made of premium Italian, Japanese and French materials, with Swiss hinges designed to provide years of comfort and performance. The lenses are made of polycarbonate, anti-reflective material, and boast high-tech scratch-resistant coatings on both sides which offers customers less distortion than typical reading glasses. All Amy Sacks sunglasses and sun readers range in price from $85 - $125, come with a lifetime warranty and the lenses may be replaced for a $10 charge if a customer’s magnification changes or their lenses scratch.
Taking a Hands-On Approach
How a Long Island Practice Keeps
Them Coming Back For More
For 35 years, Marty Mast has been an optician and frame buyer so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about selling eyewear. For the last nine years, Mast has been with Dr. Steven Schoenbart’s optometric practice in East Meadow, N.Y. While many professional practices only carry a limited selection of ophthalmic frames in their dispensary, Dr. Schoenbart’s caters not only to all their patients’ ophthalmic needs but their increasing sun needs as well.
“We’ve been carrying sunwear from day one but our sunglass business has doubled over the last six or seven years. Now, our sunglass selections are pretty extensive with an assortment from value to high end. OP and Izod are popular with teenagers and men, and women looking for more contemporary and sophisticated styles really like BCBG and Ellen Tracy, so those lines do very well for us,” said Mast.
Marty
Mast (l) and Steven Schoenbart,
OD at the optometric practice in East
Meadow, N.Y.
Knowing who your customer is and what they are looking for is also important. “Women are our biggest sunglass buyers and typically are looking for more design; the oversized trend is still strong for us. Whereas our male customer is just looking for something that gets the job done,” added Mast. “We have a middle class client base but our patients come from every economic level and we’ve found that regardless of income, women tend to upgrade to the prestige brands. We don’t carry anything very exclusive but we did just add some Versace frames.”
But even with a large selection and a loyal client base it can be hard for a small professional practice to survive in an industry full of large corporate chains if they don’t stay competitive. Mast has come up with a few ideas to keep their customers coming back. “We have a large contact lens practice, as well as Dr. Schoenbart being affiliated with our local laser vision center, so we carry a selection of plano glasses so we can continue to service our patients who no longer need Rx-able frames,” stated Mast.
“Though we do carry Rx-able frames which help us make that second pair sale, one of our most successful techniques has been to outfit ophthalmic styles with sun lenses so patients can see that they aren’t limited to sun styles only. Customers sometimes have a hard time visualizing what they will look like in them as sunglasses so we have outfitted a number of our regular ophthalmic frames with sun lenses so patients can see the frames with darker lenses and try them on before they make their choice,” he said.
“We used to have one of those computer programs that would show customers a virtual image of what they would look like in a new style of frame but we have found that if a patient can see what the frame will look like on their face, or how the lens will enhance their vision, they are more likely to buy. It has been very successful approach for us. Along those lines, we have grouped all of our sun together on two walls with POP materials and lens demonstrations for polarized lenses, and other treatments, so customers can actually see the difference it makes instead of just being told what each treatment will do.”
For some customers though it will always come down to price. “We also discount our frames about 20% to compete with the larger chains. If you go to the mall and then come here, across the board our frames will be less expensive,” Mast concluded.
Thinking
Outside the Box
Sports Sunwear Company, Panoptx, Finds New Niche in Dry Eye Sufferers
Panoptx,
a sunwear company known for high performance frames and lenses
with sports and military applications, has found another
sector of the eyewear market that benefits from their unique
product.
There are 11 million Americans suffering from dry eye syndrome and 30 million who wear contact lenses and though not all of them suffer from dry eye symptoms, long-term use of contact lenses may be a contributing factor to the development of dry eye syndrome. Many dry eye sufferers use eye drops to replace the lubrication the eye is no longer able to generate naturally.
Panoptx eyewear maximizes the therapeutic benefits of eye drops by creating a sealed moisture chamber around the eyes to trap humidity inside the patented Orbital Seal, designed to follow the contours of the face, found in their Velocity Series, locking moisture is trapped in and wind, and harmful airborne irritants, out. To ensure healthy air flow around the eye, foam-lined vents allow filtered air to circulate inside the Orbital Seal.
Panoptx conducted a self-rated study of 110 patients who complained of dry eye symptoms, including dry eye sufferers, long-term contact lens wearers and post-LASIK patients. The study revealed that dry eye symptoms, including burning, itching, light sensitivity and excess tearing, decreased on average by 57 percent, while 30 percent of patients reported a complete elimination of overall symptoms while wearing Panoptx frames with the Orbital Seal. Ninety-five percent of participants reported improved comfort while driving with Panoptx and 99 percent reported a decrease in their overall dry eye symptoms. According to a statement from Panoptx, a separate study conducted by the Cornea Research Foundation of America found that wearing Panoptx also alleviated the dry eye symptoms of post-LASIK patients.
Hollywood Hits Italy
Adrien Brody wore his Persol 649 sunglasses from Luxottica at this year’s Venice Film Festival where he screened his new movie “Hollywoodland.”
Gucci of the Month
Jessica Simpson, star of the new release “Employee of the Month,” signs autographs in the new Gucci 2927S from Safilo after a recent visit to MTV’s Total Request Live.
Married Bliss
TV stars Jane Kaczmarek in black Carolina Herrera sunglasses style H708 and
husband, Bradley Whitford, in silver John Varvatos sunglasses style V704 both
from Base Curve look award worthy as they hit the red carpet at this year’s
Emmy Awards.
He
Even Looks Good From Outer Space
Jared Leto,
singer and guitarist for band 30 Seconds to Mars, thinks his
Kata Plus 5 from Legacie are out of this world.
Practice
Makes Perfect
Dylan McDermott, best known for his role
on the television show “The Practice,” partied
it up in his DK1018 sunglasses from Donna
Karan for Luxottica after this year’s
MTV Video Music Awards at NYC nightclub
Marquee.
Can We Talk?
Red carpet icon Joan Rivers interviewed celebrities in her characteristically no holds barred way at this year’s Emmy Awards in her Robert Marc style 716 sunglasses.
Charmant released three new styles for fall from Christian Roth. The Place Vendome, CR14263, is inspired by the opulence of baroque luxury in gleaming metallic colors with a gilded edge borrowed from the details of a necklace. The Status Shades, CR14264, a new rimless style where size and luxury matters; a signature Christian Roth look; and C’hic-Hop Sleek, CR14265, a sleek unisex shape in acetate with three dimensional patterned titanium temples modeled after chunky chains, for a sophisticated look.
Jones New York Collection
Jones New York Collection launches three styles which are retro-inspired in colors wearable for today. Inspired by the 1950s, the J918 is a combination metal/zyl featuring a floating lens design with a fashion gradient and a wing-tip temple design. The J919 is a classic style reminiscent of fashion icon, Jackie O with sculpting and beveling in colors that include tortoise and olive. Lastly, the J920, is a large modern rectangle in double and triple laminate acetates in bold, rich colorations such as red and honey in a slight wrap style.
“mosleytribessupportsfreecity”
Mosley Tribes and Free City, the L.A. based clothing line, have partnered to design an exclusive, limited edition sunglass. From the design house of Oliver Peoples, “mosleytribessupportsfreecity” is the first collaboration for the brand. The Mosley Tribes sunglass collection is a lifestyle brand inspired by classic style, sport culture, and street fashion, while Free City is described as a state of mind—a free-minded, free-spirited sensibility. The limited edition sunglass is an updated double bar aviator style available in silver and gold with a selection of coordinating lens colors.
Starck Eyes
Starck Eyes from Alain Mikli Ltd. offers fashionable shades in autumn hues for men. ALUX, the aluminum frame collection from Starck Eyes features bioflex hinge technology allowing the frames to bend, flex and adjust to the wearers' face for exceptional fit, comfort and style.
Tommy Bahama
Tommy Bahama from Altair Eyewear releases the Tommy Bahama Sun for Men line in the titanium memory metal, TitanTwist. The line features Italian acetate temple tips, adjustable nose pads, laser engraved logos and polycarbonate polarized lenses with a backside anti-reflective coating, dual-side hydrophobic coating and flash mirror coating set in frame colors of bonze and dark gun.
Vogue
Continuing their commitment to fun, femininity and the latest in fashion, Vogue introduces two new sunwear styles with an emphasis on color, detailing and shape for Luxottica. Colorblock designs appear on temple details with diagonal striping and sparkling crystals in bold and daring shapes putting the accent on detail, innovation and glamour.
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