NEW YORK—National Sunglasses Day is often a day when those both within and outside the optical industry can celebrate together—and this Tuesday, June 27, is gearing up for exactly that. For those of us within the eyecare and eyewear industries, National Sunglasses Day offers a perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of protecting their eyes from UV rays, and for those outside the industry, the day offers the perfect moment to learn about UV protection while showing off their best sunglasses selfie.

We’re just a few days out from National Sunglasses Day 2023, but there’s still plenty of time to get ready and get involved with the big day. The Vision Council has an exclusive promotional toolkit for members, which includes digital assets, print assets, press materials and more to help ECPs spread this year’s message: Share Your Solar Flair. In addition, The Vision Council is encouraging everyone to get involved by posting a selfie wearing their favorite sunglasses with the hashtag #SolarFlair, all while spreading awareness about the importance of protecting eyes from the sun’s rays.

On Tuesday, June 20, a week ahead of National Sunglasses Day, The Vision Council hosted a rooftop event in New York City to showcase sunglass trends from some of it members. Modo Eyewear, EssilorLuxottica, Safilo, Marcolin, Marchon, Evil Eye and Randolph showcased new sunglass styles, while attendees were able to browse the latest trends.

The Vision Council welcomed members and guests for a special rooftop event in New York City ahead of National Sunglasses Day to preview this season’s sunwear trends.


The Vision Council Members showcased their newest sun collections, including (l to r) Randolph Eyewear, Marchon Eyewear and Safilo’s Carrera.


National Sunglasses Day is a commemorative date held annually on June 27 and serves as a reminder that sunglasses and other UV-protective eyewear are key to protecting long-term eye health. It was founded by The Vision Council as part of its mission to promote better vision for better lives.

Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council, said, “Sunglasses play a crucial role in ensuring better vision for a better life. Not only is wearing sunglasses integral to overall vision health, but sunglasses empower us to look and perform our best. We welcome everyone to join us as we celebrate National Sunglasses Day on June 27 and encourage sunglass use year-round.”

ECPs are getting ready to celebrate, too. Many are preparing special sales, trunk shows and other sunwear promotional events for this coming week, while others are taking the chance to remind patients and social media followers about the importance of UV protection.

The Vision Council and Vision Expo hopped on the latest social media trend—Kourtney Kardashian’s pregnancy announcement—and refreshed it to remind followers about National Sunglasses Day. Image via vision.expo on Instagram


Truffles the Kitty, who works at A Child’s Eyes in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and helps kids feel comfortable in their new glasses, took to Instagram to remind parents that children should wear sunglasses too. Image via truffles_the_kitty on Instagram


With a week to go until National Sunglasses Day, the team at Winthrop Eye Center in Winthrop, Massachusetts, reminded patients to get their sunglass selfies ready—and to drop into the office to pick up a pair of prescription sunglasses. Image via winthropeyecenter on Instagram


Laster Eye Center in Arkansas is celebrating National Sunglasses Day with a sunwear giveaway. Image via lastereyecenter on Instagram


In Fresno, California, Spex Eyewear showcased some exciting sunglasses in stock for National Sunglasses Day. Image via spexeyewearinc on Instagram


The team at Family Vision Clinic in Morgantown, West Virgnia, reminded patients to schedule their sunglass fittings on National Sunglasses Day. Image via familyvisionclinicwv on Instagram


   
  Ray-Ban Celebrates the Summer Solstice Across the World

On June 21, EssilorLuxottica created a moment for Ray-Ban fans to share their brand love by celebrating both the summer solstice and Ray-Ban's iconic heritage in sunwear and eyewear. On the summer solstice, EssilorLuxottica and Ray-Ban celebrated with a worldwide Ray-Ban Sun-Day event, a musical event series that celebrated both the latest Ray-Ban collections and the longest day of the year. The concert series kicked off in Tel Aviv, followed by Paris and London, and concluding with a final party in New York City.

These vibrant cities provided the perfect backdrop to chase the sunset around the globe and celebrate the longest day of the year with Ray-Ban. In Tel Aviv, DJ Itay Galo took the stage. In Paris, the party kicked off with Ofenbach, Andy 4000 and more. In London, Tiffany Calver and friends celebrated the solstice, and finally, in New York, Ray-Ban celebrated with artists The Knocks, Channel Tres, Baby Tate and Mazurbate.

In addition to musical celebrations with both emerging and established artists, the Ray-Ban Sun-Day events across the globe showcased the brand’s newest sun collections, including the brand new Ray-Ban Reverse. With the tagline “shades on, volume up,” the events underscored Ray-Ban’s commitment to music, culture, style and celebration.


In New York, Ray-Ban celebrated the summer solstice with artists The Knocks, Channel Tres, Baby Tate and Mazurbate.


With the tagline “shades on, volume up,” Ray-Ban Sun-Day showcased the brand’s commitment to music and culture.

 
Ray-Ban Sun-Day also provided an opportunity to celebrate Ray-Ban’s latest summer collections.