shop in the world, pg.3 The future for the US industry ...€¦ · by Julbo the title of Gold Winner in the “ski accessories - goggles and helmets” category. Uphill or downhill,

The future for the US industry looks bright

The Glassing Yacht at MidoWith the first optical boat shop in the world, the brand is launching a new retail experience.

Marsala is the color of 2015

Mike Daley, new CEO of The Vision Council, tells WMIDO that 2015 should be another year of prosperous growth and sales for the American optical industry.

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As new Ceo of The Vision Council which will be your priorities?

There are four main areas that I’ve committed to focusing on in my new role. The first is ensuring our governance process is as consistent and relevant as possible. The second is a continued focus on the International Vision Expos.Thirdly is expanding communications between our members, volunteers and industry, and expanded professional and retail associations.Lastly, to stimulate growth in the market. We’ll also continue to support the “Think About Your Eyes” campaign which is designed to stimulate market growth by driving awareness for the importance of annual eye exams.How is the USA market going?

In 2014 retail sales had the strongest growth the industry has seen in almost a decade. A lot of this is due to a rising number of adult’s with corrective lenses, expanded managed vision care coverage, and more adults getting annual eye exams – which rose to over 110 million this past year. In terms of revenue, there was growth throughout every sector of the industry in 2014 – Rx lenses, frames, contact lenses, OTC readers – and an impressive increase for plano sunglasses, which reached 100.5 million pairs worth $3.9 billion in 2014 (+4% from 2013).The future for the industry also looks bright: 2015 should be another year of prosperous growth and sales for the US optical industry.Which are the topics themes in your market?

We represents six different divisions across the spectrum of vision care products and services, including eyewear and accessories, lenses, sunglasses and readers, low vision, lens processing technologies, and optical laboratories.

There’s an array of ‘hot topics’, which right now include things such as managed vision care and the

ACA, internet sales of optical products, and new lens technologies like wearables.

We’re also seeing a lot of themes on the consumer side, such as the effects and prevention of digital eye strain, the importance of UV protective eyewear, and an increased awareness of low vision.Which are your next activities and programs to promote the growth of your market?

We have an expanding slate of initiates aimed at growing the market, such as our product-related PR campaigns, the continuous efforts put into the International Vision Expos, our expansion of our VisionWatch market research data, and the US government and regulatory affairs efforts on behalf of the vision community.

The future for the US industry looks bright

Anna-Karin Karlsson’s Decadence at Mido

The Swedish eyewear designer Anna-Karin Karlsson, known for her unique and extravagant designs, will present at Mido 2015 her “Decadence” collection, which brings stories of wanton, luxury and opulence.Through traditional skills, Anna-Karin Karlsson creates eyewear that continues to push the boundaries of exclusive eyewear. Combining high fashion and new techniques, each model is a piece of art. The Collection is characterized by excess and indulgence in pleasure, with frames bejewelled with hand-set crystals and 24-karat gold.

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Julbo Aerospace wins an ISPO Award

Mido LabAcademy: 3 questions to... Vinylize

Where does the idea to use vinyl for eyewear come from?I started making frames out of vinyl around 1999. I was searching for a suitable plastic. I noticed my fathers old record collection in the garage (which was my workshop) and a light went off in my head!

What’s the target of your collection?The target for my collection is men from 30 to 60 years old, who appreciate simplicity, quality and the saving of time. We only make frames in one color: black.

What do you expect from your participation at Mido’s Lab Academy?I expect to meet clients who are searching for new concepts. We use on one color: black, but we carry nearly 60 shapes.

The international jury of the ISPO Awards gave Aerospace goggles by Julbo the title of Gold Winner in the “ski accessories - goggles and helmets” category. Uphill or downhill, the high-performance Aerospace model is comfortable thanks to SuperFlow ventilation.

This ingenious system allows the lens to be opened slightly for correct ventilation but without exposing the eyes to sun or wind at high altitudes. When going downhill, you simply need to close the lens.

Adlens and Vision for a Nation for Rwanda

The first Glassing Yacht Store at Mido

Adlens, in cooperation with Vision for a Nation (Vfan) and its philanthropist founder James Chen, has provided over 18,000 pairs of adjustable focus eyewear in the last 3 years for use in Rwanda, a country where there are just 14 eye care professionals for a population of

almost 11 million people. When a pair of Adlens’ John Lennon Collection, Hemisphere or AdlensFocuss eyewear is purchased, a pair of Adlens Instant Eyewear is donated into a ‘bank’. Vfan can withdraw these ‘banked’ pairs of adjustable focus eyewear at no cost, and those who need them in Rwanda can then purchase a pair at the small fee of around $1.50. This fee goes to the Ministry of Health in Rwanda. The project has been selected by Associated Press to produce a special video for worldwide distribution across over 200 major television and news channels.

After Portofino and Milan, for the third flagship store Glassing is launching a new retail experience. Made in cooperation with shipyard Giorgi Marine, the store is a yacht of Giorgi Marine’s fleet completely customized and designed to be a real floating shop, the first optical boat shop in the world. The yacht will be used as a stand at Mido and through this initiative the brand is competing for the “Bestore” award announced by the trade fair and dedicated to the best optical store in the world. After being revealed to industry insiders at Mido, Glassing Yacht Store will officially open to the public this summer, reaching the harbors of the most exclusive holiday destinations of the Mediterranean sea and giving customers the opportunity to buy the newest sunglasses and optical collections, even while barefoot and dressed only in a swimsuit.

Zack Tipton, Vinylize founder

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A revolution for sunglasses?

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Vespa, glasses “on two wheels” at MidoThe TWC L’Amy Group has signed

a new partnership with the legendary Vespa brand of the Piaggio Group. Vespa represents an Italian icon of style and elegance, symbol of freedom, and it is the most widespread and loved scooter in the world with more than 18 million models in the five continents. The pluriannual licence agreements concern a capsule sunglasses and eyeglasses collection, that will be launched on the

world market during the Mido fair. The fil rouge of the made in Italy collection – that will also be distributed in flagship and in the best showrooms of the Piaggio Group starting from September 2015 - are indeed forms flavour back and the luxurious styles of the eyewear that the Italian film stars wore in the “Dolce Vita” period, but with a modern and stylish twist, that will conquer everyone.

Turn over

Electrochromic polymers are materials that rely on electrical current to produce color changes and they can offer a broad color palette. According to a research of the Georgia Institute of Technolog, supported by Basf, the materials could be used to make sunglasses that change from tinted to clear in a matter of seconds, at the press of a button. To demonstrate the capabilities, the researchers created brown lenses for sunglasses using a five-layer sandwich of materials, including a film of the electrochromic material, a charge storage layer and a UV-curable electrolyte, with a cathode and anode layer on either side. The lenses can be switched between a colored and colorless state by applying a brief pulse of electrical current and do not need a continuous power supply. To maintain the colorless state, a brief refresh pulse needs to be applied approximately every 30 minutes; however, the colored state can be stable for up to several days. Researchers thinks that this materials could solve some of the problmes related to the photochromic lenses technologies.

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Steve Brewer Senior Partner Visibility ManagementRichard C. Edlow Executive Chairman EyeCare Services PartnersSergio Ciucci Creative Director Didier ParakianJeff Grumbling COO, Ophthalmic Division North America OptoTechAndrea Guerra Board of Directors Member CoachFrancesco Ferro Export Sales Manager WestGroupeChristopher R. Fusco Vice President of business development EyeCare Services PartnersGrady Lenski Vice President of Sales, North America Vision-EaseClaudio Luti Ambassador Expo Milano 2015Francesco Pesci Ceo PeutreyDavid L. Thomas President & COO EyeCare Services Partners

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The color of 2015 is MarsalaEvery year the Pantone Color

Institute - perhaps the world’s leading authority in the color sector - establishes the nuance that will dictate trends. For 2015 it has announced that the color is Marsala.According to Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman “Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul by transmitting confidence and stability.

It is a subtly charming color that attracts because of its enveloping warmth. It is a natural choice for the kitchen and dining room (...) and also adapts easily to the fashion, beauty and industrial design sectors”. Just like the fortified wine from which it gets its name, Marsala releases the sophisticated and natural intensity of the soil.

Minimalism is a signature styleAt the beginning of February, the latest edition of the Stockholm

Furniture & Light Fair - the Swedish design week dedicated to furniture, furnishings and lighting - confirmed that minimalism and deconstructionism are the signature styles of Nordic designers, something that has been, and continues to be, in their DNA even in the eyewear world. Suffice it to think of Lindberg, Ørgreen and Carlottas Village.The Fair also confirmed the essential role craftsmanship plays in the entire production system. The combination of its intrinsic values with current projects creates a design that takes development paths that are attentive to environmental themes in which people and natural products are central.

When art meets fashion

Contamination between fashion and art is increasingly frequent. An example is the new single-brand store opened by Emenegildo Zegna in Miami’s Design District. The store is part of the ZegnArt/Art in Global Store project that aims to unite fashion and art in a constant dialog between space, the label’s characteristics and artistic inspiration. The concept envisages that every Zegna store will display a site-specific work by a mid-career artist. Italian artist Ettore Spalletti has been chosen for Miami. With over 260-square-meters on two floors, the store is based on the concept developed by Peter Marino for the Global Store in Milan and hosts the label’s entire range, from formal apparel to sportswear, from accessories to fragrances.

Hints of minimalist-chic

Marianna Cimini is one of the most promising talents on the international fashion scene. Elected by Vogue and AltaRoma among the 10 best young talents in the “Who is on next?” contest, she designs collections that combine a love of well-defined lines with simplicity and the functionality of sportswear. The label that bears her name is characterized by metropolitan meticulousness and upbeat Mediterranean playfulness. Marianna has an innate passion for eyewear (“I have 230 pairs of glasses”, she confessed to WMIDO) and for the S/S fashion shows she decided to combine her apparel with TYG eyewear. One of her dreams is to have her very own eyewear collection: “I already have the characteristics in mind: lightweight, polarized, minimalist, but with an unconventionally chic touch.” Look out for sporty minimalism from this young designer.

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Design, fashion & lifestyle | Issue #2 | February 18th 2015