OpticPlus by Optic Plus

OpticPlus

Bi-monthly Eyewear Fashion Magazine

Everything between you and eye Vol.11 Issue 4 Mar/Apr 2012 A FourPlus Publication

The Right Coatings

Making all the difference

Marc Jacobs Breaking new ground

“Companies that sell exclusive frames ... just need the right customers” – Dominique Pinton, President, Lunettes de France in conversation with Vinita Bhatia

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2012 •

Need to know about fashionable eyewear? Check out the free OpticPlus supplement - GALLERIA

ement

lus Suppl

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Mar/Apr

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Contents Everything between you and eye Vol.11 Issue 4 Mar-Apr 2012 A FourPlus Publication

s u l P c i t p O

Bi-monthly Eyewear

Fashion Magazine

Mar/Apr 2012 •

An OpticPlus Supple

ment

een Everything betw you and eye Mar/Apr 2012 Vol.11 Issue 4 lication A FourPlus Pub

The Right Coatings

Making all the difference

bs Marc Jacokin g

Brea new ground

– Dominique Pintwith Vinita Bhatia in conversation

• An

OpticPlus

Supplemen

ut Need to know aboear? fashionable eyew Check out the free ent OpticPlus supplem - GALLERIA

Lens Talk

PRINTED & PUBLISHED by Siraj Bolar on behalf of FourPlus Publications, and printed by him at Mail Order Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Malad, Mumbai and published at 106/A, Shivdham, 62, Link Road, Malad West, Mumbai-400 064. Editor: Siraj Bolar

Alongside optical design and using specific material, the different surface treatments are absolutely core to the performance of a lens.

All correspondence should be addressed to FourPlus Publications, 3rd Floor, Sahdev, Vishal Nagar, Marve Road, Malad (West), Mumbai-400 064 Tel: (022) 2889 9662 Fax: (022) 2889 9665 E-mail: response@opticplus.in

INDIA | MIDDLE EAST | SOUTH EAST ASIA 12

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The Right Coatings Make The Difference

Plus Optic

frames ... t sell exclusive “Companies tha t customers” righ s de France just need the on, President, Lunette

2012

OpticPlus

Mar/Apr

Designer Profile

Breaking New Ground Marc Jacobs is beyond high street fashion. He's a fashion legend.

In Focus 36 “Companies that sell exclusive frames don’t need lot of customers; they just need the right customers” – Dominique Pinton, President, Lunettes de France in conversation with Vinita Bhatia

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Trends

Back To The Future Designers are looking to the past to design futuristic fashion!

Market Talk

Perspective 68

International Tradefairs and India

Online: To Be Or Not To Be Businesses are looking at online space as a source for additional revenue like never before. Is it as lucrative as it seems?

China has succeeded in bringing in international fashion brands to its trade fairs. Is India lagging behind?

Management 78 Matters

Just One Question

Does Employee Recognition And Praise Imrpove Performance?

“Optic India 2012 - How Did It Affect Your Business?”

Maintaining a motivated staff pays off for you, your customers and the employee.

Positive feedback from the industry seems to suggest good times ahead.

Ophtha Talk

114

Eyeducation 106

Femtosecond Laser

Vision Problems In Young Children

Recent studies show that this is a new and more effective approach to cataract surgery.

A growing and worrying trend, but one that can be controlled.

PLUS EVENTS OPTICMAN OFF THE SHELF SNAPSHOTS INTERNATIONAL SNAPSHOTS TRIVIA

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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86 102 122 134

SOUNDING BOARD EYE MATTERS GALLERIA OPTICPLUS MATE STAR FORECAST

150 158 162 172 174

140 146

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CMYK

this is ic!berlin hello loved people! hello hated people! hello berlin! hello tokyo! hello mama! hello papa! hello mr. president! hello young people! hello tall people! hello bikers! hallo tante sybille! hallo angela! hallo frau bundeskanzlerin! hallo hundee guten tag dogs! hallo oldenburg! hallo philipp! hallo tante greta! hallo maria! hallo helden! hallo ic! berlin blechbrillen! hello loved people! hello hated people! hello berlin! hello tokyo! hello mama! hello papa! hello mr. president! hello young people! hello tall people! hello bikers! hallo tante sybille! hallo angela! hallo frau bundeskanzlerin! hallo hundee guten tag dogs! hallo oldenburg! hallo philipp! hallo tante greta! hallo maria! hallo helden! hallo ic! berlin blechbrillen!

RONAK ENTERPRISES 129 Champaklal, Ind. Estate, 105, Sion (E), Mumbai-22, India. T +91.22.43402222 F +91.22.43402233 E info@eternitylifes.com RONAK ENTERPRISES 129 Champaklal, Ind. Estate, 105, Sion (E), Mumbai-22, India. T +91.22.43402222 F +91.22.43402233 E info@eternitylifes.com

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CMYK

8/4/2011 3:15:42 PM

CMYK

OpticPlus Editorspeak S

ummer's approaching and I am sure everyone's looking at their sunglass sales to pick up this season. And if the designs at the recently held Mido are any indication, then vintage frames seem to be really what every fashionista is craving for. Interesting, that designers are looking to the past to design futuristic fashion! In this issue we have Dominique Pinton, President of Lunettes De France, telling us a lot about French fashion and why the French industry is looking at India as a prospective and interesting market. In 'Designer Profile', we have Marc Jacobs, a designer par excellence and one whose recognition is growing at a very decent pace. We have an article on trade fairs in 'Market Talk' and also some responses to the recently concluded and highly successful Optic India 2012 in 'Just One Question'. Another hot topic is about 'going online' with one's business. Everyone seems to be bitten by the online bug. Is it as lucrative as it is made out to be? Find out more in our 'Perspective' section.

Editorial Siraj Bolar

Editor-In-Chief

Alim Bolar

Editorial Director

Vinita Bhatia Group Editor

Dr Jugal Shah Dr Deepak Garg Bob Urichuck Mohammed Bhojani Subash Kataria Editorial Advisors

Design Tabrez Bolar

Creative Director

Purav Mehta Art Editor

Amarjeet Prabhakar Digital Art Supervisor

Paul Daniel Nadar Sonal Mehta

Graphic Design/Photography

Do send us your feedback as your input helps us understand your needs and plays a key role in shaping the content of OpticPlus magazine.

Marketing Jasbir Bolar

Marketing Director

Farhan Shaikh

Business Development Manager

Read on. Enjoy!

Finance R K Tharoor

Finance Director

Manoj Nahak Deepa Survase Statement about the ownership and other particulars about magazine entitled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;OPTICPLUSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as required to be published in the first issue of every year after the last day of February. FORM IV (Rule 8) 1 Place of Publication : FourPlus Publications, 106, A, Shivdham, 62, Link Rd, Malad West, Mumbai 400 064 2 Periodicity : Bi - Monthly 3 Printers Name : Siraj Bolar for FourPlus Publications Whether citizen of India : Yes Address : 106, A, Shivdham, 62, Link Rd, Malad West, Mumbai 400 064 4 Publishers Name : Siraj Bolar for FourPlus Publications Whether citizen of India : Yes Address : 106, A, Shivdham, 62, Link Rd, Malad West, Mumbai 400 064 5 Editors Name : Siraj Bolar Whether citizen of India : Yes Address : 106, A, Shivdham, 62, Link Rd, Malad West, Mumbai 400 064 6 Name & address of individuals who own the magazine and are partners or shareholders of : Siraj Bolar (Sole Proprietor - FourPlus Publications) more than one percent of the total capital. 106, A, Shivdham, 62, Link Rd, Malad West, Mumbai 400 064 I, Siraj Bolar, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Accounts

Administration Amala Varghese Samit Medidhi Office Admin

Suhas Dhumal Harish Javir

Office Assistants ____________________________________

Acknowledgement Models: Naila K, Albina G Modelling Agency: Diva Dubai (www.divadubai.com) Photography: Alim Bolar

Date : 1.03.2012

Signature of the Publisher

-------------------------------------------Our Bankers: The Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank Ltd. Malad (West)

Views and opinions expressed in this publications are not necessarily those of FourPlus Publications. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information published, neither FourPlus Publications nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions.

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Lens Talk

The Right Coatings Make The Difference V

isual clarity has many foes — glare, smudge, dust, scratch, water, fog, etc. These cause unwanted reflection of light as well as its absorption, diffusion, dispersion or diffraction by the lens front-surface, back-surface or their inner material space in-between. The optical industry has been coming out with continuous improvements in these areas over the past few years and some disruptive innovations in terms of optical design and materials as well as different surface treatments have been introduced to answer growing consumer needs. 16

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And a good thing about the premium anti-reflective and smudge-resistant lens treatments is that they are generally easy-to-demonstrate during dispensing. And consumers perceive their benefits quickly when comparing with their existing eyewear. That is why, in most countries worldwide, the consumer repurchase rate of lenses with various coatings, after their first experience with it, reaches nearly 100 per cent! When wearers are aware of the experience, they enjoy it and these customers are generally customers for life.

NEED FOR EFFECTIVE LENS COATINGS

Offering a reflection-free lens is the first objective of multi-layer coatings. But natural reflections from the lens’ front-surface or internally from its back-surface create unwanted mirror effects and limit the intensity of light transmitted to the wearer’s eyes. Annoying glare can also be caused by reflections on the lens’ back-surface (when the light source is located behind the wearer), which will alter visual contrast. It could also cause double internal reflections, which create disturbing visual echoes.

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OpticPlus Top coat

The Standard Coating Layer Sequence In Most Lenses

Anti-reflective

Anti-scratch Anti-shock

Pigments

Typical Natural Reﬂectance Of Different Raw Uncoated Materials Refractive index

1.5

Total light reflected 7.8%

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

10.4%

12.3%

15.7%

18.3%

Source: Essilor International

Today’s optical lens is a complex and interlayered package, which addresses both visual and physiological needs. Alongside optical design and using specific material, the different surface treatments are absolutely core to the performance of a lens. Without an efficient anti-reflective coating, the higher a material’s refractive index, the higher the light’s reflection — from 8 per cent for a lens material with refractive index of 1.5 to 18 per cent for a lens material with refractive index of 1.9. Premium antireflective coatings today limit reflected light to 1 per cent or less. No-glare coatings are thus multi-layered (a few dozens of layers at times) to restrict reflected rays for their different wavelengths, and cancel them out. For anti-reflective coated lenses, the time when prescription eyewear

wearers were discouraged by the difficult maintenance of lenses is far behind us. This is especially true for areas which are warm, humid or have sandy environments like the Middle East. Premium anti-reflective coatings are way less sensitive to scratch or smudge, whilst being very durable. The anti-scratch function requires a surface that is both hard and flexible, in order to resist any types of physical aggressions. Nanocomposite materials today bring this double property, as being both mineral and organic, OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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and also ensure a perfect continuity between the lens’ organic material and the mineral anti-reflective layers. A lot of highly sophisticated patented technologies are actually hiding behind the perfect transparency of the premium lenses. Leading industry players have also invested a lot of R&D resources in making these lenses easy-to-clean, which is obviously a prime concern. In some case, anti-static layers have been added to anti-reflective stacks, using exactly the same technologies that are used in the ultra-clean chambers where electronic integrated circuits are manufactured. In fact, wiping a lens charges its surface with negative ions, which will attract positively charged dust particles and thus making it difficult to have perfectly clean lenses. The anti-static properties of premium anti-reflective coatings avoid these negative charging and particles attraction, making the lens virtually dust-free. 17

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In dry and arid regions like the Middle East, wearers often experience another vision enemy — fog. It can appear on the lens, when moving from colder air-conditioned rooms to hotter humid environments or practicing certain sports or professionals activities. But combining hydrophilic (to avoid fog) and hydrophobic (to repel dust) lens coating features is a tough technical challenge, since they have antagonistic properties. So far, this has led optical professionals and customers to make compromises. Nanotechnologies may be the technological breakthrough expected to bring solutions that both offer high-performance and durable anti-fog features, while preserving the high dust-free levels reached. Some promising solutions are expected to arrive in the market soon.

MANAGING REFLECTED HUES Premium anti-reflective coatings are today extremely high-tech. Their efficiency is not only directly linked to the number of layers, but also to the way they are stacked for perfect interaction. They are also almost invisible. Premium multi-layer coatings

Comparative Effects On Lenses With Various Coatings

AR Coated

reduce, to a very low intensity, the chromatic effect due to residual reflections. The coating reflection spectrum will define the quantity of reflected light remaining and its residual colour. Beyond aesthetical criteria, the residual colour can be adapted to eye sensitivity to different colours, yellow-green or blue in particular or potentially ‘achromatic’. Controlling this residual colour is also challenging, as the slightest variation in the refractive index or the lens’ layer thickness will have an immediate visible effect, which may complicate

A lot of highly sophisticated patented technologies are actually hiding behind the perfect transparency of these premium lenses. AR Uncoated

OpticPlus left and right lenses matching. Premium anti-reflective coatings today are available for all types of materials, with all designs and for all refractive corrections possible.

CONTROLLED PRODUCTION PROCESSES

Multi-layer coatings today involve nanotechnologies in layers formulation and use different production techniques. In dip-coating process, the lens surfaces are first prepared in ultrasonic baths, then is immersed in the coating bath and later polymerised. In spin-coating process, the coating liquid is deposited on the lens surface centre and then spread out with centrifugal forces, before polymerisation. Top multi-layer coatings are often deposited using ion-assisted beams, in special vacuum chambers. In each deposition step, layers thickness (each from several nanometres to a few microns) is severely controlled, as its reproducibility is key for coating performance. All operations are carried out in a very clean atmosphere, with controlled timing, temperature and hygrometry.

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

Super Hydrophobic Coated

Super Hydrophobic Uncoated

Anti Static Coated

Anti Static Uncoated

There is no doubt that no-glare and easy-to-clean treatments bring a lot to vision clarity and comfort to wearers. New consumer demands are also constantly on the rise, feeding innovations and pushing the market up. There are developments taking place in fog-free and water-repellent premium coatings, further enhanced coating features, protective and preventive treatments. Following heavy investments in research and development and in wearer tests by some industry players, the potential for fulfilment of new consumers’ trends as well as business development seems endless. __________________________________________ - Matthieu Ruatti, Marketing Director-Middle East and Africa, Essilor International Image Source: Essilor International ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

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Designer Profile

The youngest designer ever to be awarded fashion industry’s highest tribute — the ‘Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent’ from The Council of Fashion Designers of America — Marc Jacobs is beyond high street fashion. He's a fashion legend.

Breaking New Ground K

nown for his eccentricity in the fashion circuit, Marc Jacobs is one of the few men out there who have the courage to wear a skirt at a red carpet event where there's no escaping the all-seeing eye of the paparazzi. And he pulls it off alright, too! His reason to wear a skirt? He 'feels good in them'.

And that's not the only thing that makes this designer stand out in the crowd. Marc has always had a penchant for going that extra mile, doing something different and by virtue of that, creating something unusually new. He has had a deep impact on New York’s fashion sensibility and New Yorkers simply adore his rebellious, charming ways. A junkie, an original, a winsome recluse, a brazen exhibitionist — Marc 26

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Jacobs is all this and much, much more. But the man does not stand alone. His long time friend and fashion collaborator Robert Duffy has played an important role in the past 27 years. From advising him on his collections, to encouraging him to feature in ads for his appropriately named men's perfume Bang, Duffy has always stood by Jacobs and been his source of stability through the years. Together, they make for a heady mix of young street and provocative fashion — one that was much needed in their times. Since then, they have built the Marc Jacobs company that now verges on an empire, comprising clothes, shoes, accessories, stores and fragrances.

BIRTH OF A LEGEND

Marc Jacobs was born in 1963, to

parents who were agents for the William Morris Talent Agency. He lost his father when he was only three and his mother remarried thrice after that, moving young Marc and his two siblings around the state. In 1976, at the age of 13, he started working in the stockroom of a trendy New York clothing boutique, Charivari. He was so keen on working there that he did it for no pay. In the midst of folding sweaters and dressing mannequins, he befriended influential patrons of the fashion industry, including sportswear designer Perry Ellis. Good times and hard times awaited Marc, as he became estranged from his family in 1980 and decided to

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OpticPlus

new designers, which called his work 'young and irreverent with a whimsical, childlike grace and a hint of the exuberance of the 1960s’. Jacobs and Duffy finally established Marc Jacobs Inc, which was financed by the Canadian manufacturer, John Atkins. The duo eventually got fired and the firm went bankrupt. But this didn't douse their enthusiasm for fashion. By now, Marc was recognised for having an innate ability to design clothes that people wanted to wear. Whether he designed a satchel or a shoe, it was always something everyone wanted. From grunge to prom, from a private jet to a Tokyo nightclub, he had an outfit to suit every occasion.

Marc Jacobs always looks to the past for inspiration, with a sense of irony and wit, and still has the tendency to represent street clothes on the runway, which though familiar now, was remarkable then. move in with his grandmother, who taught him how to knit and was a great influence on his life. He took up a summer course on costume-making at Parsons School of Design in Paris

and later, on the advice of Perry Ellis, enrolled there full-time. This effort reached fruition when he was awarded Parsons’s ‘Design Student of the Year’ for his senior collection of three Op-Art sweaters, hand-knit by his grandmother. The oversize, trapezoidal pieces also won him the school’s ‘Chester Weinberg’ and ‘Perry Ellis Gold Thimble’ awards. Impressed with his designs, Robert Duffy, executive for Ruben Thomas at that time, roped him in to design a ready-to-wear collection for the company's Sketchbook label.

STRONG TIES

In April, 1985, Marc charmed critics with his second collection for Sketchbook and also got included in a New York Times article on hot OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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1988 was an eventful year — one that carved Marc his very own special place in the fashion industry as he became the youngest designer ever to receive the ‘Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent’ from The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Following this, Perry Ellis executives hired Marc as creative director and Duffy as president of the women’s line. The pair, during this period hired Tom Ford, a friend and ‘struggling designer’, to work on womenswear. And at 25, Jacobs was spearheading Perry Ellis. His first collection for the brand, with an American-flag theme, debuted to a packed crowd at the Puck building in Manhattan’s SoHo district. And his consequent collection 27

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OpticPlus

for the brand made it to several cover-spreads of Vogue.

TRYING TIMES

In 1992, Jacobs showed his notorious but landmark Grunge collection, one that people still marvel at, over 19 years later. Marc was into grunge and its throw-away attitude and he decided to put it on the runway — flannel shirts, thermals (re-imagined in cashmere, a Jacobs signature to this day), layers and layers, all of it topped with a little

Marc’s over-the-top eyewear literally seeks out those who just love standing out in a crowd and capture immediate attention of an onlooker at the first glance – much like himself. crocheted skullcap. The press was smitten. The powers at Perry Ellis, however, were not. Jacobs and Duffy were fired shortly after this because the executives weren’t convinced that women would pay a lot of money for such clothes. Despite all this, he never played it safe design-wise, exploring ideas that have since become his signature. Marc always looks to the past for inspiration, with a sense of irony and wit, and still has the tendency to represent street clothes on the runway, which though familiar now, was remarkable then. Jacobs and Duffy formed their own licensing and design company, Marc Jacobs International Company in 1993. 30

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They made a comeback in 1994 with a small show held on Marc's birthday. The collection was, in Marc’s words, 'a little funky, a little trashy and a little chic'. Top models Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell walked at his show for free, proving the kind of respect that Marc commanded in the industry.

TURNING POINT

In 1997, after months of negotiation and with the help of Bernard Arnault, Marc assumed the newly created post of artistic director at Louis Vuitton, where he was responsible for the luxury label’s leather goods as well as creation of the house’s first clothing line for men and women. Proving that 1997 was truly a golden year for the hip designer, the CFDA awarded Jacobs the ‘Womenswear Designer of the Year’. Following this, he was also named ‘Womenswear Designer of the Year’ at the VH1 Fashion Awards and there was no doubting the credibility of his designs — his beautifully made clothes were effortlessly elegant, bright and polished. In 2000, Marc by Marc Jacobs debuted its Spring Summer collection, followed by the opening of their store in Manhattan next year. CFDA named him the ‘Menswear Designer of the Year’ in 2002, and he was honoured with a plaque on the ‘Fashion Walk of Fame’ in New York City’s Garment District. In 2005, he launched a line of childrenswear called ‘Little Marc’ that saw great response from buyers. The Spring Summer 2010 collection had the designer looking back at elements from the ’60s or the ’90s. Dressed up in their finery, the models were given a glittering tinsel edge. They

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wore styles reminiscent of the '20s including Coco Chanel-style jackets, drop-waist dresses and skirts layered in tiers with that fringe particular to satin lampshades. This is still noted as one of his memorable collection in recent times.

MARC JACOBS EYEWEAR

Marc Jacobs has made his presence felt in eyewear fashion just as much as any other reigning designer. He always ran away from the conventional and his eyewear reflects his eccentricity and his originality. His eyewear combines street savvy designs with radical styles and features different kinds of sunglasses. Marc Jacobs sunglasses carry his signature flair for innovative creativity. They are bold, sometimes shocking in design, setting them apart from other

A junkie, an original, a winsome recluse, a brazen exhibitionist, Marc Jacobs is all this and much, much more.

sunglasses in the market. Celebrities like Mariah Carey, Nicole Richie, Adam Brody and Sarah Jessica Parker flaunt his eyewear and swear by his designs. Marc’s over-the-top eyewear literally seeks out those who just love standing out in a crowd and capture immediate attention of an onlooker at the first glance – much like himself. Enriched by details that transform a very simple pair to a classy one, he knows how to please his critics as well as wearers. One of Marc’s famous 'upside down' sunglasses actually have their frames designed in a way that they appear to be upside down! He also loves using prints, polka dots, gradients on aviators, oversized, round-shaped cat 32

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eye sunglasses as well as frames. And Marc simply loves retro! His Spring Summer 2011 collection was all about looking back at glorious, bright hot retro colours like pink and red.

MARC JACOBS TODAY

In June, 2011, the CFDA honoured Jacobs with its prestigious ‘Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement’ award. He went ahead to also launch an initiative 'Saving the Atlantic Forest', a charitable project supporting The Nature Conservancy, a leading conservation organisation working to protect ecologically important lands and waters. The campaign’s mission is to protect and restore the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, one of the world's most endangered tropical forests. At the centre of this worthwhile project are Marc by Marc Jacobs MMJ 261/s

OpticPlus bio-based sunglasses, made from a material derived from castor-oil seeds. The chocolate coloured sunglasses, which feature leaf textured temples, are packaged in a chic case made from repurposed leather. In support of this project, Marc by Marc Jacobs will make a contribution to The Nature Conservancy to support the restoration of the Atlantic Forest. Today, Jacobs is credited for reigning the fashion industry not only in terms of creating fashion, but also having reinvented it time and again. And rightly so! ___________________________________________ – Ishita Bal ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

Timeline

1984: Designed ready-to-wear collection for Ruben Thomas's Sketchbook label. 1988: Became the youngest designer ever to receive the CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. 1992: Showed his notorious but landmark Grunge collection. Got fired, along with Robert Duffy, from Perry Ellis. 1997: Assumed the post of artistic director at Louis Vuitton. 2001: Opened a store for Marc by Marc Jacobs in Manhattan. 2011: The CFDA honored Jacobs with its prestigious Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award.

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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In Focus

“Companies that sell

exclusive

frames they just

don’t need lot of customers;

right customers” need the

Who is?

Dominique Pinton

President, Lunettes de France With Lunettes de France: Since 2004

A fashion photographer, Dominique Pinton is a third generation owner of François Pinton – an exclusive eyewear boutique in Paris. He was the first chairman of the Lunettes de France – an association representing French frame manufacturers.

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Lunettes de France, the umbrella organisation representing French frame manufacturers, has been trying to market the collections of its members to Indian opticians for close to five years. The association was part of Optic India 2012 and its president, Dominique Pinton, talked to Vinita Bhatia about the potential that Lunettes de France’s members foresee in the Indian market. Vinita Bhatia (VB): Hello, Mr Pinton. It is nice to have you with us. I believe you have been in the optical industry for a long time, haven’t you? Dominique Pinton (DP): You can say that! My grandfather François Pinton started our company by the same name almost 30 years ago and my

father managed it later. We were the preferred eyewear designers for celebrities like Cary Grant, Aristotle Onassis Marlene Dietrich, Princess Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, etc. Before joining the family business, I was a fashion photographer with Paris Match magazine. I spent a year with

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OpticPlus eyewear for fashion-conscious customers who wanted the eyewear to reflect their personality through sophisticated styles. Around 20 years ago, we decided to expand overseas and started selling in the US. Later, we began catering to countries like England, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Japan, Spain, Brazil, Italy, etc. Today, though we are strong in France, we sell better in countries like Italy, Spain, Australia, Brazil, etc.

“I think that you need almost three years to understand the Indian market. We don’t want to rush to make business alliances.” – Dominique Pinton, President, Lunettes de France

Rodenstock, learning the ropes of the optical business, before I took over the operations of François Pinton. VB: Really?! A fashion photographer to a businessman? Did you enjoy the transition? DP: I was very excited. When I took

over the reins, I told my father that we have photos of dead celebrities in our shop wearing our products. We needed to have photos of existing clients sporting our designs. Instead of selling only to the aristocracy, we started designing high-end luxury OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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VB: What is it about the Indian market that caught the attention of the French eyewear companies? DP: The first thing is that French and Indian people have similar facial structure, unlike the Chinese. As French manufacturers we don’t need to make special designs for Indian customers. Also, there are not many frame manufacturers in India. There might be small factories, but the country does not have many big factories like the ones in China. Another interesting thing is the way the Indian market is growing. I have been visiting the country for the past three years and I can say that the Indian market is moving very quickly. And to top it all, India is a very fashionable 37

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country, probably because it has Bollywood actors. It is therefore no surprise that the French eyewear companies have a love affair with India! VB: So the French eyewear companies visit other countries under the umbrella of Lunettes de France? DP: The Lunettes de France was started in September, 2004 as a national association for the French optical industry. A member of the Groupement des Industries Françaises de l'Optique (GIFO), it has three active associations under its banner — the Lunetiers de Paris, Oyonnax and Morez. Our first visit to India was five years ago where we visited Chennai. Then in 2010 we brought our delegation to India again. In 2011, members of Lunettes de France were present in the national optical fair that took place in New Delhi. And we participated in the Optic India 2012 as well. So you can see that our members have been showcasing their products in the Indian market at various events over the past few years. VB: Tell us about our association with Essilor in India? DP: The eyewear business is not only about frames – it includes lens and frames. And Essilor is the leader when it comes to lenses. It is always helpful to have a strong support when you enter a country and we are happy to state that we have Essilor's support. Though we are not partners with the company, we work jointly since we are in the same game. Essilor knows the Indian domestic market, which we don’t. So we use their strength and our friendly association to make inroads into the country. VB: I believe Lunettes de France is working with the buyer group in India called Platine Optics to market its members’ collections. How has this association worked out? DP: I think that the buyer group is a very interesting concept for Lunettes de France. We are working with Platine Optics for a while now. A few months ago, we jointly organized a week-long roadshow to many cities where we displayed our members’ collection and also met with some of the leading opticians, in a bid to get them to 40

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showcase our products in their outlets. And I believe we have been fairly successful. VB: Has it been easy to understand the Indian optical market? DP: I think that you need almost three years to understand the Indian market. We don’t want to rush to make business alliances. We need to learn about how the Indian market functions.

“In a country like India, we can sell to maximum 50 opticians because most people will not be able to understand why these handmade frames are so expensive.” – Dominique Pinton, President, Lunettes de France

Also a lot of our members produce expensive frames which can’t be sold to everyone. This is simply because not everyone can understand why some frames are expensive, while the others are relatively cheaper. VB: What sets French products apart from those that are created in other countries? DP: French people are very fashionconscious as we all know. And we like all products to be aesthetically pleasing. The characteristics of French products are creativity and quality. We add that essential element of chic in all our designs, which is what sets the French eyewear apart from that of other countries. And with the growing interest in eyewear, our members are now in a better position to offer upscale products at relatively competitive prices. VB: Marketing such exclusive brands in different countries must be quite a task... DP: It actually differs from country to country. In Europe, many elite people do not want to a brand name on their eyewear. They prefer to have it somewhere discreet like the inside of

the arms. The handmade products that a lot of our members sell is not meant for the mass-market; it is very exclusive. In a country like India, we can sell to maximum 50 opticians because most people will not be able to understand why handmade frames are so expensive. But in regions like Europe and America there are some opticians who prefer stocking handmade

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OpticPlus exclusive brands. We don’t want to sell to everybody because I want to protect the exclusivity of our brand. We believe that if we sell to everyone, then we will kill the uniqueness of our collection. So we have the best outlets in New York, London or Milan selling our collections. If you have the best corner, then you are on the top of the pyramid. Companies that sell exclusive frames don’t need a lot of customers; they just need the right customers. VB: Has Lunettes de France been successful in its task in India? DP: It is sometimes difficult to find a distributor for expensive and exclusive products in the local market. Though a brand like Cartier is equally expensive and exclusive, it is a well-known name. To successfully sell your brand in a particular region boils down to finding the right partner in the country to market your frames.

eyewear over well-known brands. These crème de la crème eyewear boutiques might carry names like Alain Mikli, La Font, etc., because it is more exclusive and will be appreciated by their clientele.

an exclusive collection. Lunettes de France is not limited to those optical companies that create handmade frames alone. If you are an eyewear company in France, then you can become a member of our association.

VB: Do all the members of Lunettes de France create handmade frames? DP: Our association has a mix of companies. Some carry brands that are very popular, while others have

Currently Lunettes de France has around 60 members of which 20 per cent make exclusive handmade designs. For instance, my own company, François Pinton, sells only OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Some good examples of brands that Lunettes De France helped bring successfully into India are Yves Cogan, La Font, Mikli, etc. Currently there are about 10 French companies that have found Indian distributors successfully. A few of these companies were present in India before Lunettes de France started promoting the French companies aggressively. But we helped the other smaller companies find a good partner in India as it might not be easy for them to find a local partner on their own. VB: According to you, how large is the market for the exclusive handmade products in India? DP: I think it depends. If a French company that has exclusive products wants to have good brand recall, then it is important for them to be in India. But if they want to make money then it might not be a good place to be in, because there might not be lot of takers for it. In the Indian market the optician needs to have many options for their customers, especially the well-known brands. And then he can also show them the exclusive collection and let the customer make the choice. At the 41

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DISTRIBUTOR FOR INDIA

PRAMUKH SWAMI OPTICALS 6-B, Kakadia Complex, Ghod-Dod Road, Surat. Ph.: (0261) 2256425, 2256522, 3298254 E- mail: pramukhswamioptical@rediffmail.com & pramukhswamioptical@hotmail.com

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moment, when it comes to making the selection for exclusive frames, India is still in the evolution stage. There is another interesting aspect to these handmade brands. The French are very emotional about their products and Indians love emotions. When you see the French frames and massproduced frames from other countries you can see that there is no emotional attachment with the latter. While selling or buying frames, the most important

“There is another interesting aspect to these handmade brands. The French are very emotional about their products and Indians love emotions.” – Dominique Pinton, President, Lunettes de France

thing is emotion and then its price. If you give emotion, then the price is not that very important to the customer. VB: How do you create the awareness for such exclusive brands? DP: In the masses we are not popular, but the opticians know our brands. We don’t go to them, they often come to us. We seek customers who will like our collections and buy the same frame in many colours. It is a very close and personal interaction that we have with such select opticians. VB: How has the experience for your members been in India so far? DP: I think so it has been successful, since we keep coming back to India so regularly. Every six months, we ask our members which country they want us to market their products to and the answer is always India, instead of China, Hong Kong or Singapore. So Lunettes de France will continue to bring the Parisian chic to India, but we will continue to be exclusive. VB: Considering India is a price sensitive market, would the members of Lunettes de France’s have a more economical pricing in this market? 44

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DP: I can tell you about François Pinton here and the answer is no. To begin with we produce every frame by hand and we do not keep a lot of inventory. The more you have the stock, the more you need to sell it faster. If an optician wants our frames, then he will have to wait till we can create it and send it to them. This could mean a wait of two months or so. The operations of other Lunettes de France’s member companies that make exclusive collections similar to François Pinton are very different from that of bigger frame companies. In the case of the latter, they take an order and send it to their factories and then the fame is made available in 15 days. We take around two months to give the frames to the optician. This is because we produce only a select number of collections and discontinue it once we

have exhausted our stock. We make just three collections every year. You might find it strange but we sell a lot of sunglasses, even though they are 20 to 30 per cent more expensive than a Prada or Chanel. But there are opticians who still buy from us. This is because the other brands are available everywhere. The rich people do not want that; they don’t want anyone else wearing the same frame that they are wearing and that is why they prefer to buy our products. VB: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, Mr Pinton. And we hope that many more members of your association find local partners of their choice soon in India. ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

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DISTRIBUTORS FOR INDIA

EYES

LICENSED BRAND

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TRICK

TRENDS Tel : (022) 27832552

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Trends

The past is always alluring. And fashion designers always look back when creating futuristic fashion. Is this what adds to the charm of vintage eyewear? Whatever it may be, vintage eyewear is still very ‘in’, very popular...

K C A B TO THEFuture

he world of eyewear fashion has undergone many changes but none as legendary as the comeback of vintage styles. Otherwise known as retro, vintage eyewear itself has gone through major metamorphosis and the key to its long-standing stature is that it constantly seems to redefine eye fashion. In an age when no one's interested in 'playing safe' anymore, people seem to flaunt retro eyewear with much pride. A kind of salute to our past, one might think. The obvious reason behind this is that there’s a certain charm that comes with vintage glasses. Clearly not everyone can achieve the aura of chic style; it takes a special type of person to pull it off properly. But for those who have the confidence and the desire to be different than the

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crowd, wearing vintage eyeglasses is one of the easiest ways to make that bold, stand-out-from-the-rest fashion statements.

the moment being the cat eye frames. There's also the round and thick frames, oval, square, oversized, and the classic optical styles.

Point to be noted before venturing into the sepia-toned world of vintage – retro eyewear goes far beyond celebrity status. And as far as the design inspirations go, it almost seems to reflects the designer’s (and the wearer's) personal aesthetics in life, which should be nothing short of someone who is rooted, and no matter where they go, they don't forget where they came from. No wonder then that fashion designers have time and again paid tribute to vintage eyewear that inspired their own creations.

And we're not just talking spectacles; the sunglass brigade has a whole range of sweetly retro designs that will bring a shot of fun to the wearer’s style. They are über chic and the trend of the moment is all about colour!

THIS, THAT AND MUCH MORE Vintage eyewear encapsulates a wide variety of styles, the most popular at OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

The cat eye has become so popular that it’s making an appearance on many fashion ramps with models strutting in cat suits and other 'cat' motifs while flaunting cat eye sunglasses. Giving office eyewear a flirty twist, the cat eye spectacles, though having a studious look owing to its thick frame, also have a naughty appeal because of the up-ended shape. Definitely for

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OpticPlus

And this is something that the generation today has perceptively caught onto. Other hits include retro-looking frames in bright colours, reminiscent of the 70's and 80's, when the after-effects of the counter-culture hippie movement was still felt. Large round styles and butterfly shades have also been compulsively flaunted by actors on and off screen.

COLOURS GONE BOLD, PRINTS GONE WILD

those who aren't afraid to cross the line when it comes to corporate dress code! Round, oval and square shaped frames dominate the optical frames more than the sunglasses section. Mostly sported in heavy frames by the intellectual crowd, they have a distinct appeal very reminiscent of all things gone by but still longed for.

Striking use of colours on rims is very much in when it comes to retro sunglasses. Coloured rims like red and amber are fast catching up and the plain white rim has been compulsively flaunted by tons of Hollywood as well as B-town actresses. These coloured rims add just right touch of funk to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outfit! Even with lenses, there are loads of colours to go playfully classic with. From the rose-tinted to the hippie green-gradient, each have their own niche and immediately add the glamour of a yesteryear diva to one's personality. A modern retro gradient would be violet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something that requires a lot of confidence to pull off. OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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One can even play it safe by going in for brown or black but retro eyewear allows one to take chances which probably couldn't be taken otherwise. And Marc Jacobs took his chances in his Spring Summer 2011 collection with upside down-larger-than-life, thickframed sunglasses in a red gradient.

Oversized retro is ruling the game so much so that eyewear brands are placing their bet this season on oversized sunglasses, which come with a signature rim. Oversized retro is ruling the game so much so that eyewear brands are placing their bet this season on oversized sunglasses, which come with a signature rim. Even patterns are very in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; while floral patterns give a feminine, soft look, animal prints (which it is safe to say, will never go out of fashion) reflect a wilder side of one's 49

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OpticPlus The intellectual air of retro eyeglasses can be fully reflected on actor-director Woody Allen. Buddy Holly, the legendary American singer-songwriter, who was considered as 'rock hero' of eyeglasses, immortalised his black-tie, young man in a pair of heavy framed eyeglasses look. In fact, there is still a pair of retro big eyeglasses in front of his memorial hall.

Embellishments from lace and leather to rivets and rhinestones have made the shapes – round, square, or heart, thin branched or wraparounds – a secondary consideration. attitude. Animal prints have always been known in the fashion industry as exotic and unique, despite the fact that they've been done to death. The Dolce & Gabbana 2011 eyewear collection featured Naomi Campbell as the red fashioned animalistic diva sporting 60’s inspired and rounded eyewear. These came in a stand-out colour palette of poppy red, slate blue, purple orchid, yellow ochre and sapphire. Adding a glam quotient to retro shades, already an instant hit, is encrusting of crystals or precious metals, some with pointy edges, shades with butterfly or cupid motif on the arms. Embellishments from lace and leather to rivets and rhinestones have made the shapes – round, square, or heart, thin 52

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branched or wraparounds – a secondary consideration.

WHO'S WHO FLAUNT IT

There's no dearth of A-listers flaunting the blast-from-the-past eyewear styles. Actress Scarlett Johansson and singer Rihanna have sported some seriously retro shades that have only upped the sales of this segment in eyewear. Movies like Harry Potter, that have lead characters sporting retro spectacles and frames only aid to its popularity. The oversized sunglasses in funky colours seems to be the coolest way to beat the glare and our actors know that. Bollywood divas like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu and Kangna Ranaut, among others, hold their heads high off the sets, each with equal elan, taking the trend to the racecourse and brunches. Soha Ali Khan is gung-ho about yellow coloured lenses in oversized frames. Thanks to the ‘Dev D’ look of actor Abhay Deol, men too aren't far behind on this trend.

Model Kate Moss and singer-actor Jessica Simpson are also among the celebrity who wear vintage eyewear and are partly responsible for keeping it popular right now. The trend is fullblown in the US as well as Europe.

OLD FASHIONED, MODERN ELEMENTS

In the 21st century, wearing the retro eyewear of yesteryear may label one as a non-conformist, a free-spirit, an artistic-type, plain cool or just plain weird. But this is for sure: they will be noticed, and they will stand out simply by virtue of looking unique. So whether it is the divaesque oversized sunglasses or the simply understated reading glasses, vintage eyewear has something to match everyone’s sensibilities and keeps coming back. We’re clearly not complaining. __________________________________ - Ishita Bal ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Retail Tales

In the quest for newer customers, are you ignoring your existing ones?

hen I ask eye care professionals the single most important thing they need for their practice’s profits – the answer normally is ‘more new customers’. But the reality is something different. It’s patient retention or loyalty that is probably the single biggest factor that will affect your business’ success and your bottom line.

how can you define loyalty in your practice? According to me, the definition of a loyal client is simple. Once a prospective customer has made the conscious decision to come to you, loyalty is defined as the series of interactions before,

In modern day optical practice and optical retailing business, client loyalty is becoming difficult to quantify and measure, due to the relatively long purchase cycle when it comes to buying a number of optical goods and services (including eye examinations, spectacles and sunglasses). This means that it is very difficult to know if and when your patient or client will return to your business or practice – until they have physically returned.

Loyalty is defined as the series of interactions before, during and after the consultation, which converts that client into a long term advocate of your business.

'Loyalty Architecture' is therefore about creating an infrastructure in your business or in your practice that ensures that this actually happens.

WHO IS A LOYAL CLIENT?

According to Wikipedia, loyalty is defined as faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. So 56

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during and after the consultation, which converts that client into a long term advocate of your business. There are three key steps to building patient loyalty in your business. These can be described as ‘identify,

quantify and create’ loyalty architecture. 1) IDENTIFY You have to identify with your team why your customers may be leaving? And the best way to do this is to contact your buyers and ask them! It may be uncomfortable but it will be very enlightening, if you decide to do this. You can also ask your staff to do this or send a letter to conduct a survey amongst your customers on how their experience doing business with you. To make it a simpler process, prepare some of the potential faults and ‘cracks’ in your business. With the help of your team identify the top 5 to 10 reasons why a patient is likely to stop coming back to your outlet. Some instances could be: 1. They are apathetic or even unhappy about the range, quality or price of your products and services. 2. They have forgotten about your services. 3. They feel they do not need (or do not perceive to need) your services. 4. They do not see value in your products and services.

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Building Loyalty Architecture

OpticPlus

Assessing your customer loyalty ACTIVITY

5. They find your outlet or business policies inconvenient (in terms of opening times, appointments, store location, etc.) 6. They are influenced by the marketing of your competitors. 7. An interaction with a member of your team has put them off. 8. They do not feel that you really appreciate their business, so they ‘like you, but don’t love you.’ 9. They procrastinate about coming to see you. 2) QUANTIFY Quantify with your team what customer retention actually means to your

business in terms of net profit. For e.g. do your staff know what the average transaction value is of any patient who walks into your premises to see you, and the contribution each customer therefore makes to pay the overheads including their own salaries? This type of simple analysis can also be done with contact lens customers too so that the average profit contribution per patient per year is fully understood by the team. By knowing this, it’s easy for your staff to also understand and appreciate the effect of making small upgrades that make a OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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LOYALTY INDEX

Response rate to first and second reminder letter

> 60%

Adoption of upgrades

> 70%

Additional/repeat purchases in between eye test cycles

> 20%

Contact lens adoption/ penetration rate

> 20%

New patients from recommendations or referrals

> 25%

Ratio of active-to-lapsed > 70% patients State objections to price rises

< 1%

substantial difference to profitability in any optical practice. 3) CREATE LOYALTY ARCHITECTURE For any product category or service, the end-user has an expected level of 57

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satisfaction and value. Our job is to pleasantly surprise our customers at each point of contact and also provide a delight beyond their expectations. This enhances their buying experience and it remains in their mind much after their visit.

WHY HAVE LOYALTY ARCHITECTURE?

There are many reasons why opticians need to create loyalty architecture. For starters, the market, competition and consumers are trying to grind the optical business down into a commodity. Add to this, more customers have come to expect mediocrity. There is therefore an opportunity to increase loyalty and educate them about how your business is aimed at offering the best vision care and make their buying experience fun. • The process of creating loyalty architecture in an optical store begins by designing a customer journey and listing all the ‘touch points’ in that journey. A touch point is a ‘moment of truth’ for your client. • Next, with your team, list what’s expected and what would be truly exceptional at each of these touch points. • Then, in addition to listing each touch point you should consider what occurs just before and just after each and every touch point too – as this is where most ‘cracks’ appear in the process. Once you have made this document you have to action it, review it and revise it over time as it can become a powerful process tool in your staff training and your team building and also contribute to create the right core ‘values and culture’ in your business. A very important part of your offerings to your clients should be Critical Non-Essentials (CNE). These are not normally part of the core offering of the the business, but they go a long way in making the customer’s experience more memorable. This approach will also allow you to make a member of your team the ‘Patient Journey Manager’ or PJM, who will be responsible for ensuring 60

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the CNEs always look and feel right in the business. The CNEs are not necessarily expensive to implement but it will make the customer much more likely to tell someone else about their experience at your outlet. And this is the power of creating loyalty architecture in your practice.

GET STARTED

I am sure by now you get the picture! The point here is that people will draw broader conclusions from what they

The process of creating loyalty architecture in an optical store begins by designing a customer journey and listing all the ‘touch points’ in that journey.

OpticPlus observe and how they feel when they are buying a particular product. Take advantage of this inherent human nature and carefully construct a broader customer experience wherein you demonstrate care and attention to detail in these areas. Creating loyalty architecture is a longterm group commitment involving your entire team and is the bedrock that improves customer loyalty, increases the number of buyer referrals and immunises them from going elsewhere. It can also have a very positive effect on staff morale, performance and even attrition rates. __________________________________

- A practicing optometrist in the United Kingdom, Mohammed Bhojani is also a business coach and runs workshops for optical practices to create loyalty architecture in their businesses. A non-executive director of three optical groups, he has authored a 3-part practice building programme called ‘The Practice Profits Formula’ which can be accessed at www.eyeperformance.co.uk ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

WHAT ARE

CNEs? Critical Non-Essentials or CNEs are elements that ‘surprise and delight’ your clients and customers, make the customer experience more memorable and add a ‘wow’ experience that will make the customer much more likely to tell someone else – this is the power of creating Loyalty Architecture in your practice. Relatively inexpensive to implement, the point of the CNEs is paying attention to details and this is what gets your customer to notice your effort and appreciate it more.

Some examples are:  How clean are your floors? The windows at your front entry?  How clean is your website?  How professionally designed are your letter head, POS and brochures?  How professionally do your team answer the phone?  What type of uniform does your staff wear?  Do they have and wear name badges?  How do they meet and greet prospective patients and customers?  How clean and tidy and well-lit are your bathrooms?  What does your waiting or reception area and consulting room look like? Is it tatty and cluttered, or clean and professional?  Do you serve beverages? Is that in styrofoam cups or nice cups and glasses?  Do your doorways or skirting have chips or scuff marks?  Are your door handles polished or tarnished?

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Market Talk

International Tradefairs and

The success of Optic India 2012 was a pat on the back for the Indian optical industry. Considering the poor response witnessed at most exhibitions in other parts of the world (except China, of course!), it was certainly a pleasant surprise for most exhibitors to see 'more than expected' crowds. And the icing on the cake was that even the quality of the crowd was much better than the last time. "Most visitors were serious buyers, this time", said Ketan Parikh from Sterling Group.

There was a French Pavillion too that got a steady stream of visitors and Dominique Pinton, President of Lunettes de France seemed to be enjoying his experience in Mumbai. Even Gemma Arribas from Cecop India was excited to be a part of Optic India for the first time. Hans Stepper from 64

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INDIA Germany, however, declined to call it 'international' stating that it still has a long way to go to be of an international standard.

the Asian region has ensured that the trade fairs in Asia make for more lucrative options, even for fashion and luxury brands.

However, in stark contrast, trade fairs in Europe donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be getting the kind of response they once received. The current recessionary environment in those regions is the obvious reason and also the booming economies of

China seems to have grabbed this opportunity and made a success of its exhibitions i.e. SIOF, CIOF and HKTDC. These exhibitions were considered to be mainly attended from the manufacturing point of view and

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OpticPlus be the reason to visit these events. Where's the desire to extend one's knowledge about optometry?", rues Subash Kataria, who visited Optic India 2012 for one day but is generally seen at major international events for all the days. His point is valid as most senior and experienced people from the industry tend to give the events a miss as it doesn't give much scope for knowledge sharing.

‘So many trade fairs and so little time’ is what most people from the industry seem to be saying. Are international trade fairs losing their appeal and purpose. Do we need to cash in on this and have our own event of international standards? even today are largely dependant on that category of exhibitors. But now a lof of international fashion brands are displaying their products to catch the attention of huge crowds that throng these events. Excellent infrastructure, smooth operations and really huge sizes are how one would describe these events. The only complaint that most visitors have is the language and communication barrier. Shouldn’t India too be grabbing this opportunity and creating an event that’s of international standards? India has not been able to cash in on this. At Optic India 2012, the bigger brands were missing. But some of these, till recently, were missing even from international exhibitions and their absence cannot be accepted as the reason. One can't really say that our industry lacks the desire to excel and to achieve international standards. The desire exists and today, with even corporate organisations as part of the optical industry, we are sure that we

will see an event of international level in terms of brand participation as well as infrastructural capabilities. So what exactly is it that high end brands don’t find in our trade fairs? You can blame it on the infrastructure, lack of professional venues, etc. However, other industries too have exhibitions which have an international feel to them. "Basically, today the market is demanding low cost products. Branded and high end products have a niche segment and opticians who need to see these get to see them abroad. For the high end opticians, exhibitions in India are not that important. So it's the middle and lower end of the segment that's on display and that's why the bigger brands aren't on display," said an exhibitor at Optic India 2012. "There should be seminars and interactive sessions that make the event more meaningful. Only talking about business and money should not OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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The desire exists and today, with even the corporate organisations as part of the optical industry, we are sure that we will see an event of international level in terms of brand participation as well as infrastructural capabilities. Some will find excuses and give reasons about the state of affairs and why it’s not possible, while some may suggest that as long as it’s profitable why should one invest more into these events. The idea of investing into these events should come from a desire to provide a platform for high end luxury brands to reach out to opticians. Earlier malls were mushrooming all across India. But a Louis Vuitton or Gucci could not be part of these until some malls at New Delhi and Bangalore opened their doors to them. Similarly, if the optical industry is looking at having the high end brands available to them, there are organisations knocking at our door too. But we need to set our house in order to be able to open these doors. The time is right but the question remains — are we prepared? ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in 65

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Perspective

Online:

To Be Or Not To Be

In recent times there has been a lot of interest in the optical industry to have an online presence. If you are planning to take the plunge into the online domain, then read on to learn how you can plan your foray.

hould one jump into the online bandwagon or be wary and use the same old excuse - ‘it was a bubble that burst earlier and it’ll happen again’. It’s true there are both types of people - those who believe in the online potential and those sceptical but those who are getting their businesses online seem to be enjoying their time there with the Indian consumer getting more and more savvy with online spending.

BENEFITS OF HAVING AN ONLINE PRESENCE

A Nielsen Global Online Survey shows that 875 million consumers worldwide shopped online in 2011, which is an exponential 40 per cent growth from 627 million in 2009. Indian e-shoppers ranked third in the survey, beating US consumers who stood at number eight.

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The India Online Landscape 2011 study showed that the number of active internet users in India stands at 65 million. The study also determined that roughly estimating, 4 out of 5 internet users have shopped online at least once. This opens up a huge market for the optical industry to tap. And yet not many optical retailers have an online presence! One reason why companies are skeptical about getting into the online space is the pace at which technology is moving. One just doesn’t know quite where to begin. And to add to that, there’s a lot of ambiguity about how easy or difficult it is to create their online identity and how to reap its benefits.

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OpticPlus

To begin with, an online presence helps in extending your offline or physical business’ identity. Therefore before creating an online identity, it is important that the business owner has a clear picture about what the company’s online presence should highlight. Dhruv Gupta, CEO of GKB Optical, which recently created an online eyewear megastore, sums it up well when he says that it is important for businesses to have an online presence, but it is not important for every business to be online. Nilay Jani of Prometheus Solutions is currently helping a leading optical retail chain in the country create a stronger online presence to enhance their sales. He says that the cornerstone of having an online presence is to ensure that it

One reason why companies are skeptical about getting into the online space is the pace at which technology is moving. One just doesn’t know quite where to begin. And to add to that, there’s a lot of ambiguity about how easy or difficult it is to create their online identity and how to reap its benefits.

is well aligned with the overall business goals of a company. “Some companies create their online presence to inform all stakeholders in the business – their employees, suppliers, peers and even prospective candidates – about their products OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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and services. Others want to use it to generate a supplementary revenue stream. Only after an organization has decided what they expect from their online identity, they can accordingly put together the building blocks for it,” Nilay adds. 69

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He however cautions that most companies that are want to generate business from their website often get carried away from the experiences of their better known peers, which is erroneous. Just having a website does not guarantee immediate business returns or a spike in sales. The online space is also getting over-crowded and to be able to stand apart from its competitors, a company has to highlight its most unique offering aggressively to potential customers.

IMPROVISING ALL THE TIME

From a retailer's perspective, till a few years ago, providing basic information about your company or its services on a website was enough. A basic website with details like your company’s history, services, brands, location, contact details, etc. may still help a prospective customer learn a lot more about the nature of your business without having to venture to your office. But today’s tech-savvy customers are looking at your website for more than just that information. Rather, today it is an important tool for 'branding' of your organisation and how your online space looks and functions are as important, if not more, as the information it provides. It is important to regularly provide new content on the site which will attract customers. This content need not be updated regularly about new products, schemes or offers. Even a bit of fascinating trivia can catch their attention, and you can then gently nudge them towards other sections of your site where they can see products and services they can opt for. Gangar EyeNation’s website, for instance, has a ‘Tips’ section where it tells customers about the eyewear shapes that will best suit their face as well as how people from different walks of life can select eyewear best suited for their needs and lifestyle. Newsletters are another great way to keep the connect going with customers as subscribed readers can learn about any new initiatives that your company undertakes, courtesy an email in their inbox. Lawrence and Mayo brings out a monthly newsletter – Eye2Eye – which has details about eye ailments,

Till a few years ago, providing basic information about your company or its services on a website was enough. But today’s tech-savvy customers would like to know more about your organization before they decide to give your products and services a shot. eyewear brands, as well as any promotions the company plans to conduct soon. To be able to bind all these elements together, an organization needs to invest manpower and technology regularly into the site to ensure that it gets good traffic, which could result in business lead generation, which in turn could culminate into a sale. And it is ideal to rope in a professional to do the job. A professional web development team can guide you on the modules that can be incorporated at the backend, for current or future use, as well as work on various interactive tools that will attract traffic to the site. They can also train someone from your team to manage the site on a regular basis and offer technical fire fighting services whenever necessary.

EVOLVING GRADUALLY

The next evolution for any company that has its online presence it go

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the e-commerce way. Having an ecommerce-enabled site opens up a new entry point for consumers who might want to buy your products but do not want to visit your physical store. And though most perceive that this is an expensive and labour-intensive effort, there is no denying that it allows a local store to have a national, or even an international reach. While planning to go the ecommerce way, besides ensuring that all the technology modules are built in perfectly onto the site, the delivery and payment logistics should also be integrated into the site. A proper customer support team should also be set up to deal with any pre- or post-purchase issues that a customer can have. And with the constant evolution that technology is going through these days, e-commerce is considered as passé when compared to socialcommerce. Facebook, twitter and other

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such social media sites are proving to be quite a profitable option for selling online and not just for networking. However initally one can use such social media sites to o draw more traffic to the site, and share information about your company with your target audience and also get their real time feedback about their expectations from and experience with your company.

After joining social media sites, take the time to create a comprehensive profile about your company with as many details and add people to your network. Creating an online identity for your organisation maye seem like a lot of effort and patience. However, hiring the right team can ensure the process

“Within 12 months of going live online, we are projecting a turnover between Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore” - Dhruv Gupta, CEO, GKB Optical DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR COMPANIES IN THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY TO HAVE AN ONLINE IDENTITY? It is important for businesses for online presence but it is not important for every business to be online. There has to be a business reason to go online. If none of current or potential consumers are looking for you online then it might not be necessary to have an online presence. For example, if you are distributor who does business with limited accounts, then your customers are unlikely to be searching for you on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter or access your website. So online presence can mean multiple things -- it could mean having a website, or having a presence on social media or listing yourself in a business webpage. It therefore important for the business owner to figure out where are his potential customers that he wants to reach, if they are even online at this point of time. WITH THE HYPE AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA AND GOING ONLINE, DO YOU THINK IT IS TRULY WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT OF A SMALLER

OPTICIAN TO INVEST IN THIS BUSINESS MODEL? Going online requires a significant amount of investment, not just from the technology perspective, but from marketing, employing the right people, building the backend infrastructure. For the local optician, it surely helps to have an online presence because there might be customers out there to who he can reach out to. Because an online store requires significant amount of time and investment, a simple way for local retailers to go online is to have a basic website or information about their location and contact details on the internet, which in turn helps the store in getting sales leads. WHEN DID GKB OPTICAL DECIDE TO HAVE A STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE AND WHY? We made the decision early in 2011 and went live in October 2011. The internet penetration is growing in India and more and more people are buying online. Now GKB Optical is a national brand and we have lot of customers across the country who want to buy products but are unable to reach our stores for various reasons like geographic or time limitations. So

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OpticPlus is smooth. And it is an endeavour worth investing into considering that the future is digital and the sooner one gets a foothold in the online space, the better it is. __________________________________________ - Vinita Bhatia ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

our online store was an initiative to reach out to these customers as well as potential customers, who would be interested in purchasing optical products. HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT BUILDING YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE? First and foremost is creating a business, because going online requires significant investment and involvement. Having the right leader and building the right team is critical followed by building the right infrastructure and technology. Seamless technology, smart marketing, customer service setup and logistics – these are the four areas that companies need to factor when they are going online. We ensured we had all these components put together and since then we have been getting good response. Since October 2011, we have been seeing a growth of 50 per cent monthon-month. Within 12 months of going live online, we are projecting a turnover between Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore. WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT CONSTITUTE FOR A COMPANY TO HAVE THEIR ONLINE PRESENCE? They could have a website, a Facebook page or Twitter profile to reach out to their customers. They could also list themselves in the local business sites in the trade. Listing on these locations is helpful. There are many other options too but it depends on the objectives that an organisation has planned to achieve that would define these elements.

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Management Matters

Maintaining a motivated staff is not the easiest of tasks. But it does pay off for you, your customers and the employee.

Does Employee Recognition And Praise Improve Performance? I

Bob Urichuck

n today’s business environment, there is a definite change in perception when it comes to retaining one’s job. The current generation doesn’t seem to think twice before heading off to another job if he or she is dissatisfied with the one they are holding. And this is a growing challenge that many businesses are facing — be it small, medium or large.

publicly may save yourself the time and money of having to attract and re-train new staff.

Although one might think it is the age of ‘fast money’ and that’s what dictates the satisfaction level of an employee, this is not entirely true. In fact, employee recognition and regular praise play a much larger role than one probably gives them credit for. If you want to avoid losing your best employees and encourage others to do better, then recognizing them

We could give all employees a bonus in the form of money at the end of the year. Sure they’ll be happy and thankful. They may even perform better. But what are their expectations at the end of the next year? In all probability, it would be getting more money!

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It may be hard to believe, but recognition is the most powerful motivator of all. Research has shown that there is a stronger need in society today for recognition than there is for sex and money. Let’s think about it.

Money is an external motivator but once acquired, it leads to expectations

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OpticPlus

to be important for them by their supervisors.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

It is fair to say that money, over and above wages, is not a main motivating factor, but full appreciation of work done is. This is recognition: the number one factor in maintaining a motivated staff. When someone gives you a compliment or recognizes you for doing something, how do you feel? Imagine, for a moment, being complimented by your family, friends, staff and customers all day, every day. Without it going to your head, how do you think would it affect your

for more — bigger or better. So, if your company is going through a bad period will your employees care? They’ll want a bonus that is at least equal to what they got last year — preferably more, but definitely not less. A recent survey of thousands of workers across the United States compared rankings by supervisors and employees on factors that motivate employees. The typical supervisory group ranked the factors in the following order: 1. High wages 2. Job security 3. Promotion in the organization 4. Good working conditions 5. Interesting work 6. Personal loyalty of supervisor 7. Tactful discipline

8. Full appreciation of work done 9. Help on personal problems 10. Feeling of being in on things However, when employees were given the same exercise and asked what affects their morale the most, their answers followed this pattern; 1. Full appreciation of work done 2. Feeling of being in on things 3. Help on personal problems 4. Job security 5. High wages 6. Interesting work 7. Promotion in the organization 8. Personal loyalty of supervisor 9. Good working conditions 10. Tactful discipline Note that the top three factors marked by the employees are the last three felt OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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People perform in a manner that is consistent with how they see themselves conceptually. So, the key is to help people build their self-esteem. performance? Won’t you strive harder to be outstanding?

POSITIVE FORCE AT WORK

Recognition is positive reinforcement. And positive reinforcement of actions ensures repetition of those actions. Recognition and praise reinforces our beliefs about ourselves and helps make us think that we are much better than we thought about ourselves. Positive reinforcement also builds our self-esteem. Our self-esteem is the way we see and feel about ourselves either 79

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internally, through our own beliefs, or externally through what we accept as the beliefs of others. If we feel good about ourselves and believe others feel good about us as well, we will perform better than we would when we see the opposite side of the coin.

for the things we do wrong. But how often do we find someone praising us for the things we do right?

People perform in a manner that is consistent with how they see themselves conceptually. So, the key is to help people build their self-esteem.

It is time to go ahead and pat ourselves on the back for the good that we do. The more we do it to ourselves, the more our self-esteem grows and the more confident we feel in praising others. This sort of self-recognition goes a long way, just as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.

Unlike money, which is an external motivator and never lasting, one’s self-esteem is internal, and internal motivation is longer lasting. In order to build a healthy self-esteem one needs recognition and praise, both from one’s

It’s not to say that one can motivate another to do impossible things. We all know we could only accomplish so much on our own and that everyone is a product of their environment. But that gives us the opportunity to create the

If you want to avoid losing your best employees, and encourage others to do better, then recognizing them publicly may save yourself the time and money of having to attract and re-train new staff.

OpticPlus environment. It’s possible to provide the means and the atmosphere in which others motivate themselves. One must set the example by demonstrating the appropriate behaviour. The appropriate behaviour that we are talking about here is recognition and praise. And once you follow this, you will notice that employees will go out of their way to do a great job, because you took the time to thank them. Actions that get recognized or rewarded usually get repeated. __________________________________

- Bob Urichuck is an international speaker on sales, leadership, motivation and team skills and is also the author of ‘Up Your Bottom Line’.

................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

self and from others. You can help build an individual’s self-esteem and self-motivation through recognition, but also through advancement and responsibility where that person can obtain a sense of achievement and personal growth. Society has influenced us more to look for the things people do wrong, instead of the things they do right. How does it impacts a person’s self-esteem if they are always recognized for the things they do wrong? Can you see them looking for the good in others and praising them accordingly? It is more likely that they will find something to criticize in others. Since society, to a certain extent, is to blame for this sort of behavior, there has to be a change, from the insideout. These same influences also have an impact in our self observations. Most of us tend to criticize ourselves 82

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7KH 6FLHQFH RI &RPIRUWTM References: 1. Andrasko G, Ryen K. Corneal staining and comfort observed with traditional and silicone hydrogel lenses and multipurpose solution combinations. Optometry, 2008; 79(8); 444-454. 2. Schachet J, Zigler L, Wakabayashi D, Cohen S. Clinical assessment of a new multi-purpose disinfecting solution in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Poster presented at: AAO; December 2006; Denver, Co. 3. Data on file. Alcon Laboratories, Inc. 4. Survey of 305 Optometrists, Harris Interactive8, May 2008.

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Events

WHERE:

Milan WHEN:

Mar 11-13, 2012

2012 Beyond Expectations 42,000 visitors visited Mido 2012, of which 56 per cent were from countries outside of Italy. The event organizers are pleased with this turnout.

n the last day of Mido 2012, Cirillo Marcolin, President of Mido, stated that the international optics, optometry and ophthalmology exhibition was all about commitment. “It was a commitment to offer, despite the unfavourable economic situation, a one-of-a-kind overview of the eyewear industry. It was our commitment to provide a ‘different’ tool in order to promote companies in an ever new and business-focused way.” And looks like this commitment by Mido’s organizers paid off. The number of attendees virtually matched that in 2011 at about 42,000. The foreign visitor attendance was basically the same, though there was a slight fall in the number of Italian visitors. This 86

could be called a good result given the overall economic situation.

NEW INITIATIVES

The event’s organizers claimed that the event had very good turnout on its first two days and attributed these results to the initiatives they had promoted to engage the interest of the trade. One such initiative was the The OttiClub by Mido area, which was also the location of the ‘Registro dell'Optometrista Magistrale Consortium’ conference titled ‘Education, training and professions: A scenario in motion’. The conference included a round-table discussion, which was moderated by journalist Danilo Fatelli, and saw the participation of Andrea Garagnani representing Assogruppi – an association of independent opticians, and Riccardo Perdomi, President of Andom – an the association of optical distribution chains. This year, Mido had six pavilions, theme areas and dedicated spaces to accommodate over 1,000 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, representing five continents. These

included leading vision care companies in the world as well as up-and-coming producers of eyewear. The Tech Pavilion showcased state-of-the-art products, including material, lenses, and accessories, while the Fashion District showed the latest trends in prescription eyewear and sunglasses. Visitors to Mido Design Lab could see the R&D work that companies have undertaken with lenses and frames, whereas the Asian pavilion featured product offerings from Asia. “The busy program of interesting appointments for every sector of the eyewear industry – introductions to innovations in the sector, market surveys and presentations of books – caught the attention of opticians, and attested to the multi-faceted nature of this profession, which calls for 360° training,” Marcolin added. Now that the 2012 event went well beyond the expectations of Mido’s organizers, they are working on making Mido 2013 a dynamic one, hoping to surprise the optical world once again.. _________________________________

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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OpticPlus

DIOPS 2012:

he 11th Daegu International Optical Fair, which is also called DIOPS, will be held from 18th April to 20th April, in 2012 at Daegu Exhibition and Convention Centre in Korea. The show organisers are expecting at least 220 exhibitors and nearly 30,000 show participants to participate in this event. Last year, 16,159 attendees and 208 exhibitors attended DIOPS 2011. The event is organised by Korea Optical Industry Support Centre (KOISC) and Korea Optometric Association, in cooperation with many other trade associations. The sponsors for the event include Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge and Economy; Ministry of Health and Welfare; Food and Drug Administration; Federation of Professional Economic-Person Societies and Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

“DIOPS is the only optical trade show held in Korea. We are working hard to ensure that the 11th edition is bigger than ever before, which will reinforce its status as a leading optical trade

Great Expectations The 11th Daegu International Optical Fair, which is also called DIOPS, is likely to attract the participation of at least 220 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors, this year. show of Asia,” said Jin-Young Son, CEO of KOISC. Talking about this event, Dominque Pinton, President of Lunettes de France, said that the Korean market is interesting for French companies. “French companies try to come every year to tap the domestic market in this country,” he added. DIOPS is expected to attract companies that manufacture and trade in prescription frames, sunglasses, optical instruments, eye-testers, lenses, contact lenses, lens cleaner as well as eyewear accessories. Chang-Ho Hwang, President of BLICK, which was an exhibitor at DIOPS 2011, said that OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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WHERE:

Daegu WHEN:

Apr 18-20, 2012

many orders were made by opticians during that event. “Many overseas buyers visited our booth and showed their interest in 3D eyewear. We were very satisfied with DIOPS 2011 as it was an effective show for our company, as well as an essential meeting place for our international customer base,” he stated. The event will have the DIOPS International Optical Conference, a symposium by the Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society and another one by the Korean Society of Vision Science as well as special events to enhance networking opportunities. ___________________________________________ 87

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SIOF 2012

Bigger And Better WHERE:

Shanghai, China WHEN:

Feb 22-24, 2012

The 12th Shanghai International Optics Fair registered good growth in exhibitor and visitor turnout, giving the country’s optical community a good exposure to international brands under a single roof.

he 12th Shanghai International Optics Fair, or SIOF 2012 as it is better known, saw good growth in the number of exhibitors and visitors who came to the event. This annual trade fair was organized by the China Optometric and Optical Association and co-organized by Hong Kongbased Orient International Exhibition. SIOF 2012 was also endorsed by the Ministry of Commerce of China while getting support from global partners including the Korea Optometric Association, Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Fukui Optical Association, DIOPS, MIDO, SILMO and Vision Expo.

NUMBERS SAY IT ALL

The event’s organizers expanded the venue by 63 per cent spreading SIOF 2012 across 62,000 square meters. 90

The trade show saw the participation of 845 exhibitors -- a growth of 18 per cent over the previous year’s figure. Of these 323 exhibitors were from 21 countries outside of China and 391 international brands were showcased. The visitor turnout of 70,700 too was a growth of 61 per cent over the previous year. The international buyers came from many countries from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, North America, South East Asia, etc. This increase in numbers by exhibitors and visitors underlines the potential of China’s optical trade. With approximately 550 million Chinese citizens needing eyecare services, 50 million contact lens wearers and just 30,000 opticians, demand for good eyewear products and eye care practitioners clearly exceeds supply. The general consensus amongst the industry is that the purchasing power in the Chinese eyewear market is continuing to rocket and customers are seeking good quality, fashionable eyewear. And the participation of the international exhibitors at SIOF displayed that many brands are seeking to entrench themselves strongly in China’s domestic market.

Some well-known companies that were part of SIOF 2012 included De Rigo, Rodenstock, Transitions, Mitsui Chemicals, Mykita, Safilo, GKB, and Lindberg. Brands like Beausoleil, Buick, Daicel, Charmant, Fugita, Gotti, Jill Stuart, Menrad, OPO, Ports, Rang Rover, SkunkFunk, Swiss Eyewear, Lotos and YS America made a debut at SIOF this year.

NEW INITIATIVES PAY OFF

This year, SIOF was moved to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. In addition to assigning booths according to different product categories, the event organizers created a ‘Procurement Zone’ to help buyers place orders after a preview. A ‘Design Gallery’ in the central concourse showcased selected eyewear brands. A highlight of the event was the visit by hotel heiress and celebrity Paris Hilton, who displayed the Paris Hilton brand for eyewear. The event organizers are confident that SIOF 2013, which will be held at the same venue as this year, will be a much bigger success. To help exhibitors plan their participation in the event, they announced that SIOF 2013 will be held from 27th February to 1st March, 2013. _________________________________

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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OpticPlus

International Vision Expo East Sees Good Attendance With a new split level floor plan, featuring the French Loft on the Level 4 Terrace and combined pavilions and education destination on Level 1, International Vision Expo drew huge crowds.

he International Vision Expo East 2012, co-owned by Reed Exhibitions and The Vision Council, drew huges crowds at the Javits Center in New York City. Preliminary unaudited attendance figures indicate that 16,317 eye care professionals attended the show, a 10 per cent jump from 2011. “We are pleased to report that we broke attendance records dating back to the show’s inception in 1986,” said Tom Loughran, VP for Reed Exhibitions. “Overall feedback indicates that visitors were very satisfied with this year’s show. The new split level floor plan, featuring the French Loft on the Level

WHERE:

New York, USA WHEN:

Apr 23-25, 2012

4 Terrace and combined pavilions and education destination on Level 1, exceeded expectations.” The new show floor layout also provided an opportunity for many exhibitors, to re-think their strategies, including Hoya Vision Care who took advantage of the split levels with a separate booth presence on Level 3 and Level 1. Heather Padgett, National Marketing Manager for Hoya Vision Care noted that there was definitely a synergy between the two booths as the company’s executives drove traffic to each other throughout Expo. Hoya’s Distortion Free DF complete Vision System was voted Best New Product of International Vision Expo East 2012.

INITIATIVES BEAR FRUIT

Held over four days, the International Vision Expo East featured a comprehensive conference line-up, expanded student programming and show specials, including three luxury car lease giveaways. The show floor expanded an additional 10 per cent OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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from 2011, with conference, meeting rooms and exhibits spanning four levels for a combined total of 312,823 square feet. More than 575 exhibitors, including 132 brand new companies, presented the latest trends in eyewear and advances in eye care technology to eye care professionals and buyers from around the world. Many exhibitors seemed particularly pleased with the timing and location of the show. Steve Wright, Senior VP of Sales for Marchon Eyewear, Inc pointed out that the greatest percentage of business is done at the beginning of the year, which is why it is important for eyewear companies choose to be a part of the event. This is also the reason behind the good visitor traffic to the event. Mike Hundert, CEO for REM Eyewear, noted strong traffic patterns throughout the show and said this was the most productive Vision Expo East ever. The event was also a tremendous success for Luxottica according to Milena Cavicchioli, VP-Marketing of Luxottica. Next year, the International Vision Expo East will be held 14th March to 17th March, 2013, in Javits Center in New York City. ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in 91

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Just One Question Though Optic India 2012 lived up to the expectations of most people from the trade, others felt it could be improved. We asked a cross section of people from the optical industry their opinion on how this national trade fair impacted their business and this is what they had to say...

Bipin Shah

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How did it affect your business?â&#x20AC;?

Stylrite Optical Industries Mumbai

s a member of the committee that was instrumental in organizing Optic India 2012, I am very happy with the event. We got very good response from all the business associates in the trade and the exhibitors who were very happy to be part of this trade fair. The visitor turnout to the event was almost 15 to 20 per cent more than the same event two years ago, which demonstrates how successful it was. Overall, the show was well-planned with good layout, and many of the stalls had a very enticing design which caught the attention of the visitors. ____________________________________________________

platform with the optical industry and we got an opportunity to meet retailers from all over the country. By and large, in terms of business, Optic India 2012 worked very favorably for us. ____________________________________________________

Hardayal Singh

Director, Galorebay Optix New Delhi

Atul Phawa

Our company participates in all exhibitions across India and we have also been participating in Optic India for many years now. But I was not very happy with the trade fair this year. It was not as good as the annual trade fair that took place in New Delhi in 2011. The arrangements for exhibitors and visitors were not perfect, probably because the event organizers got their permission and other details in place very late.

Optic India 2012 was a very good event. Our company was able to generate a good number of trade enquiries. Add to this, it was a perfect platform for us to showcase our newly added brands and latest collections. The event also proved to be a good networking

As an exhibitor, we were given a very short notice about when the event will be held, which did not give us a lot of time to properly invite our customers to visit us at Optic India. Other than these issues, the event worked well for us. It largely helped us get a lot of customer leads, especially visitors from the southern parts of India. This visitor turnout has helped us expand our networks into more regions nationally. ____________________________________________________

Chief Operating Officer, Aureole Inspecs, Noida

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OpticPlus potential customers. This in turn has led to increased sales leads and enquiries, which has automatically translated to improved business. We are happy that we participated in this event. ____________________________________________________

Yogita Rajgandhi

National ASCO Representative, Mumbai

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) India received satisfactory response at Optic India 2012 and we could generate more awareness about optometry as a profession and could display products that are now accepted by the World Council of Optometry. It was also a great opportunity to interact with many ophthalmic companies under a single roof and we could also educate ourselves about the new equipment and innovations in dispensing optics, surgical instruments, lowvision aids, contact lenses, etc. ____________________________________________________

Vishal Dabhaliya Yash Impex, Mumbai

Ketan Parikh

Sterling Group, Mumbai

Our company’s participation in Optic India 2012 gave us a platform to meet the owners of various retail companies with who we are currently doing business with, on a one-toone basis. The discussions helped us better understand their needs and their expectations from our brands, those that they are selling and those that they would also like to sell in the future. Optic India 2012 also helped us publicise our new brands, new product collections and inform people from the industry about the various activities that Sterling Group undertakes on a regular basis. Although getting orders or business leads are not our core focus during this event, inadvertently that aspect of the event has been positive too. ____________________________________________________

Navin Shah

Hind Corporattion, Mumbai

It is my opinion that Optic India 2012 was a fantastic event. It helped us to create better awareness about our company and also the numerous brands that we have in our portfolio. The trade fair also helped us to get in touch with a lot of existing and

The event was a huge expense for us, but we participated in Optic India 2012 just to make our presence felt amongst our customers. Most of the visitors to our stall were our existing buyers who would anyway place an order with us, even if we did not take part in the event. The other visitors who met us at Optic India 2012 were from small towns and were not our target customers. So we did not get more than 5 per cent fresh business leads, while we were hoping for a much higher figure. ____________________________________________________

N Chakravarthy

National Sales Manager, Beauty Glass, Mumbai

As exhibitors we had a very good experience at Optic India 2012. There has been a steady growth in business after the event, based on visitor feedback. Our presence at the event helped us build new distribution channels as well. This aside, we were able to create awareness about our product ‘I Pal’. By participating in Optic India 2012, we have increased our visibility in the market and are doing very well, in terms of sales. ...........................................................................................................................

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Opticman

Optometry, as a discipline, offers good prospects to students. It is time corporate organisations take an initiative to promote optometry as a lucrative career choice in India.

n January-February 2012 issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Opticman, I mentioned how opticians in the country are realising the need to send their children to good institutes offering courses in optometry. And with good reason too. Specialised education, especially in optometry, will be a key differentiator for the next generation of opticians, in the long run. It is comforting that opticians are paying close attention to ensuring their offspring get the best education in this specialised faculty. Selecting the right institutes is of paramount importance, but it is not an easy task. Part of this is because not enough has been done to promote optometry as a lucrative career choice. What is needed is a joint effort from all the players in the vision care fraternity to create better awareness about this subject and its rewarding prospects.

TAKING AN INITIATIVE

I feel it is time that corporate houses take it upon themselves to promote 102

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UniďŹ ed Effort Needed In Optometry Education optometry as a lucrative vocation for students. There are many international pharma and eye care companies that can sponsor optometry courses as well as schools of optometry to warrant that better-qualified and well-trained eye care practitioners emerge from these institutions every year. They could also sponsor a booth at various trade fairs as well education-related exhibitions, where they can create awareness on why optometry is a good career option. The second driver for better optometry is none other than the optometry

schools themselves. They too should assertively promote themselves at expositions and industry forums as well as educational seminars. Schools and colleges of optometry like those in the United States or Australia aggressively endorse their optometry courses -online and offline. But do our universities do that? Sadly, they do not. Of course, the reason could be lack of financial support. But I am of the firm belief that financial support comes sooner or later but the initial desire and drive should come

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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OpticPlus advocate that we should have one central institute sponsored by all the companies who will be able to at least grade optometrists based on their acquired skills and level of education. There are common entrance exams in engineering and business management, where the aspirants know where they stand amongst the total number of students who had taken part in it. In optometry they just don’t know where they stand. Nobody bothers to have this gradation system. A few months ago, some lobbying took place to get a common minimum curriculum for all the optometry colleges. But nothing has come of it, yet.

It is comforting that opticians are paying close attention to ensuring their offspring get the best education in this specialised faculty. from within. The ratio of seats available to admission applications is quite dismal and there should be initiatives to reverse this trend. Another unusual aspect I would like to point out is the fact that all students from most of these optometry colleges pass their examinations every year! While I am not trying to be cruel to the students, if seen in the right perspective, then this is not a good trend. If you look at any other field – medical, law or engineering – of all students who join, there will be a number who are unable to clear the examinations. But in optometry the motto seems to be to get everyone to pass the course. You pay the fees; you pass, if not today then tomorrow! That is not healthy at all!

HOW WE FARE INTERNATIONALLY

In the US, UK and Australia, optometry is considered to be amongst the top 20 career choices. But in India, it is probably not in the top 100 career options! And part of this is because there is no standard curriculum for this subject in India. Our neighbouring country, China, too has a Doctor of Optometry program that it started in the year 2000 and is currently running in conjunction with a reputed optometry school in the United States. And students who have graduated from these institutes in China have become senior management personnel at well known optical and ophthalmic organisations in the country. Since these people are qualified doctors of optometry themselves, they are also better equipped to train more students in optometry in a very systematic fashion. In India, sadly, no qualifications or licenses are needed to practise optometry. I, therefore, strongly OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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That is why I go back to the example of China. How is it that it has the optometry education programs in place and India is lagging behind? Their Masters program is recognised in other countries, like the US, as well. This means that an optometrist who has done the OD Masters program in China is eligible to practice in the US, just by passing another licensing exam in the States. That is a big advantage that the Chinese optometrists have over their Indian counterparts. So why are optometrists in India not a recognised lot and why do they not get good job prospects? We opticians and optometrists are in service of the nation, looking after the country’s eye care problems. And yet what have we done to give optometry education a fillip? It is time we raised the level of optometry in the country, and the first step to doing this is to create awareness about this faculty. __________________________________________ Opticman is one amongst you. He hobnobs with everyone who matters in the optical industry. He is very knowledgeable about optics and his experience has taught him the nitty-gritty of the optical business. Some may find him to be prudish and cocky, while others may find him extremely amiable. But one thing’s for sure - he will say things to you the way they are - whether you like it or not! ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in 103

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Eyeducation

A child having vision problems may not be able to communicate about it clearly. Certain signs like lower grades in school and slackness in academic and extracurricular performances should not be ignored as these could well be indications about the child suffering from vision problems.

ver 80 per cent of what children learn is processed through their eyes. Needless to say then that perfect vision is critical to a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall development. According to Prevent Blindness America, one in four school-going children have vision problems that, if left untreated, can affect learning ability, overall personality development and social quotient in school. It is often quite difficult to realise if children have any visual problems because they might not know it themselves! There are instances when a child is squinting while reading the blackboard but the teachers dismiss it as a facial mannerism he has picked up. Or a kid watches a movie by closing one eye and the parents put 106

Vision Problems In Young Children it down to fear of watching monsters in the flick! But this might not be the case and parents, guardians and teachers need to keep a close watch for symptoms that the child displays, which could indicate that they are unable to see as well as they should.

READING INTO THE SIGNS

Reading, as a visual activity, requires children to accurately use their lingual, phonetic, and visual skills to successfully recognize words and make sense of the written text. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s common to see children having difficulty in reading at school. This could point to learning disabilities, which are not easily identifiable usually. According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.3 per cent

of boys and 3.8 per cent of girls between the ages of 5 to 17 years were identified as having a learning disability in a study. At times, children reverse letters while reading and writing or consistently mistake their left for their right or vice versa. They might also exhibit poor handwriting, or have difficulty with reading, writing or math. While these could be a visual-related problem, it might also point towards learning disability and parents should seek professional medical help to find out the reason behind these symptoms. While not all learning disabilities are related to vision problems, learning-related vision problems can sometimes exist with, or be

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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OpticPlus sit too close to the TV, squint while reading letters on the blackboard, or hold the book very close to their eyes to read better. Some kids even tilt their head to be able to see the favourite cartoons on the TV screen well, which shows that they are unable to focus on the moving images properly. Another giveaway is when they have red and irritable eyes or their eyes water often. If the child exhibits these symptoms then ideally they should be examined by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Some kids are also prone to getting seasonal allergies, and they land up with watery, red eyes, which they tend to keep rubbing. Then there are those who keep getting styes regularly. This is an acute infection of the secretory glands of the eyelids, when the gland is blocked and the oil that is secreted from it accumulates to form a lump. These painful nodes can also be caused due to some refractive error, where a child is unable to see clearly and rubs his eyes all the time. The good news is that most visual problems can be treated very successfully with the help of prescription glasses or even contact lenses. In some cases, vision therapy associated with, learning disabilities. A study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in the US found that children with binocular vision problems (intermittent exotropia and convergence insufficiency) were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children with normal eye alignment. What this means in simple terms is that often a large portion of children struggling to read do not have ‘learning disability’ in the true sense of the word - their phonetic awareness and language processing skills are fine. More often than not, it's their vision that interferes with their ability to read.

An eye test is a good yardstick to check a child’s long-sightedness, but a lot more is needed to ensure that the child has perfect visual acuity and can coordinate their eye movements well. TELL-TALE SYMPTOMS

Some tell-tale signs that a child's vision needs correction are when they complain of frequent headaches, OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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is also employed like in the case of eye tracking and eye teaming problems, wherein a series of special eye exercises and procedures 107

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prescribed by the medical practitioners can help correct it. During these therapy sessions, the child learns to gain control of their eye muscle coordination and builds the eye teaming skills necessary to succeed in school. An eye test is a good yardstick to check a child’s long-sightedness, but a lot more is needed to ensure that the child has perfect visual acuity and can coordinate their eye movements well. Eye care practitioners should urge parents to enroll their children for comprehensive eye tests, including those for eye coordination, regularly. These can help determine if the child suffers from common refractive

errors like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism or dry eyes.

OpticPlus

These are easy to correct with the use of prescription glasses, contact lenses or lubricating eye drops. Some other ocular ailments in children includes strabismus or lazy eye, which needs a prolonged vision therapy or in some cases, surgical intervention. But the good news is that these are curable, and easily so, if detected early. __________________________________ – Vinita Bhatia, with inputs from Dr Jugal Shah, Ophthalmologist and Head of Department at Bhaktivedanta Hospital ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

The good news is that most visual problems can be treated very successfully with the help of prescription glasses or even contact lenses.

Eye Coordination Tests Qualified eye care practitioners conduct eye coordination tests to assess a child’s vision and motor skills. During this test, they check for various visual issues including accurate eye teaming, peripheral vision, ease in focusing from distance to near and proper hand-eye coordination. While the eyes are designed to work as a team, each eye functions independently. The right eye records one part of the image while the left eye records the other part of that image. These two separate images are transmitted up the optic nerves to the brain, which combines them into a single picture. For the visual system to work correctly, each eye must aim at the exact same point in space so

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that the images being recorded are identical. However, if the eyes aren't aiming at the image together, then slightly different versions of that image get recorded in the brain. This disparity gives rise to double vision. These eye teaming problems are technically called convergence insufficiency or convergence excess. At closer distances, children with these problems are unable to aim their eyes together on text correctly for short periods of time. As their ability to accurately aim their eyes breaks down, their eyes end up pointing at slightly different places on the page. The result is a great deal of visual strain and eventually blurred, scrambled, or double print.

Another visual complaint in children is poorly developed tracking skills, or the ability to control the eye movements required to follow a line of print, while reading. Children with this problem often lose their place or skip words, because they have difficulty moving their eyes accurately. Some children might have improper peripheral or side vision, leading to poor response comprehension by the child. Peripheral vision detects objects outside the direct line of sight — a much-needed trait in sports. For instance, if a child is playing football, he might be looking towards the goal post using his central vision, but his peripheral vision will tell him if another player is coming at him from his left or right.

OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Ophtha Talk

Two new studies add to the growing body of evidence that a different approach â&#x20AC;&#x201C; using a special femtosecond laser â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for cataract surgery may be safer and more efficient than today's standard procedure.

Femtosecond Laser A New Approach To Cataract Surgery

wo new studies add to the growing body of evidence that a different approach to cataract surgery may be safer and more efficient than today's standard procedure. The new approach, using a special femtosecond laser, is FDA-approved, but not yet widely available in the US or other parts of the world. This procedure was one of the hottest topics at the 115th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology held in October, 2011 in Orlando, USA. The research reported by William Culbertson, MD, of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, and by Mark Packer, MD, of Oregon Health and Sciences University, confirmed several advantages of laser cataract surgery.

LASER LENS FRAGMENTATION BOOST SAFETY

Dr Culbertson's team studied how pretreating cataracts with the femtosecond 114

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laser affected the level of ultrasound energy needed to soften the cataracts. This emulsification is performed so that the cataracts can be easily suctioned out. Surgeons want to use the lowest possible level of ultrasound energy, since in a small percentage of patients it is associated with slower recovery of good vision after surgery and/or problems with the cornea, which is the clear outer layer of the eye. Ideally, in appropriate cases, ultrasound use would be eliminated altogether. In Dr Culbertson's prospective, 29 patients had laser cataract surgery with a femtosecond laser in one eye and the standard cataract procedure, called phacoemulsification, in the other. The laser surgery included a laser capsulotomy, which is a circular incision in the lens capsule, followed by laser lens fragmentation, then ultrasound emulsification and aspiration. Lens fragmentation involved using the laser to split the lens into sections

and then soften it by etching crosshatch patterns on its surface. Standard surgery included a manual incision, followed by ultrasound emulsification and aspiration. After cataract removal by either method, intraocular lenses were inserted into the eyes to replace the natural lens and provide appropriate vision correction for each patient. The use of ultrasound energy was reduced by 45 per cent in the laser pre-treated eyes as compared with the eyes that received the standard cataract surgery procedure. Also, surgical manipulation of the eye was reduced by 45 per cent in eyes that received laser pre-treatment as compared to manual standard surgery. This study involved the most common types of cataracts, those graded one to four. Dr Culbertson noted that these findings may not apply to higher grade cataracts. "In clinical practice, surgeons would expect safer, faster cataract surgery when laser pre-

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OpticPlus “The combination of precision and simplification using femtosecond laser represents a major advance for cataract surgery.” – William Culbertson, MD, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine

treatment is performed before cataract removal," he said. "The combination of precision and simplification using the femtosecond laser represents a major advance for cataract surgery."

LASER LENS FRAGMENTATION PROTECTS CORNEAL ENDOTHELIAL CELLS Dr Packer's team at the Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, Oregon, assessed the safety of laser cataract surgery in terms of loss of corneal endothelial cells, as measured after cataract surgery. Measuring endothelial cell loss is one of the most important ways to assess the safety of new cataract surgery techniques and technology.

These cells preserve the cornea's clarity, and since they don't regenerate, they must last a lifetime. Dr Packer's study found that when laser lens fragmentation was used in 225 eyes, there was no loss of endothelial cells, while the 63 eyes that received standard treatment had cell loss

Femtosecond lasers have been used by ophthalmologists for years in refractive surgery such as Lasik, in-corneal transplants, and other procedures. of 1 per cent to 7 per cent. "Our finding, that laser lens fragmentation appears to protect corneal endothelial cells, represents a significant benefit of this new surgery," said Dr Packer. "This procedure is safer than standard cataract treatment and is likely to mean better vision and fewer eye health concerns for cataract patients, over the long term."

OTHER BENEFITS OF FEMTOSECOND LASER

The femtosecond laser technology enables greater precision in both cataract and refractive procedures than manual techniques, providing ophthalmologists with more control and potentially enhancing the patient experience. Earlier studies of femtosecond laser cataract surgery found other benefits. OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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The laser allows the surgeon to make smaller, more precise incisions and to perform improved capsulotomies, which is the removal of part of the lens capsule that makes intraocular lens (IOL) placement more secure. This reduces the chances of an IOL getting displaced later. Also, laser cataract surgery appears to improve results in patients who opt for advanced technology IOLs, plus corrective corneal incisions, to achieve good alldistance vision. Femtosecond lasers have been used by ophthalmologists for years in refractive surgery such as Lasik, in-corneal transplants, and other procedures. In 2009, a new type of femtosecond laser that could reach deep enough into the eye to be used in cataract removal was approved by the FDA. Femtosecond laser technology is expected to aid minimally invasive eye surgery, much like excimer laser technology 15 years ago and ultrasonic phacoemulsification 30 years ago. The impact of femtosecond lasers in ophthalmology goes beyond creating a flap for excimer laser refractive surgery, extending to cataract surgery, corneal transplantation, and potentially presbyopia correction. __________________________________________ Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology, www.geteyesmart.org ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in 115

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From The Movers And Shakers Of Contact Lenses –‘PV2HDA’ In My Eyes

Based on his field observation study of 10 contact lens users who tried Bausch + Lomb’s PV2 HD for Astigmatism contact lens, Karan Sachdeva concludes that more than 66% of contact lens wearers want immediate upgrade to this new product.

am sure you all will agree that the emotional boost and kick which an eye care practitioner (ECP) gets on being thanked for dispensing the perfect contact lenses to a wearer is more than any monetary reward. For all contact lens fitters, it is very interesting and satisfying to dispense soft toric contact lenses that can provide good and stable vision throughout the day. Bausch + Lomb, which already had the most successful fitting lens design in soflens toric lenses, has now raised the bar for a faster stabilizing and a high-definition lens design with their present day silicon hydrogel lens material — the PV2 HD lens for astigmatism.

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AN INTERESTING STUDY I had the opportunity to conduct a field observation study (FOS) for a small select group of contact lens users, who were already using some brand of soft toric lenses. I particularly picked analytical and vocal contact lens users from my database, distributed across various age groups and lifestyles, as I really wanted comparative responses from these users. This could help me logically interpret differences, both subjective and objective, between their existing and the new PV2 HD for astigmatism contact lens. With the power range limited by the samples available up to -6.0 spheres, cylinder up to -1.75 and axis 10, 180, 170 and 90, I finally

selected 10 contact lens users. Three of them were already using silicon hydrogel toric lenses in monthly and fortnightly replacement schedule and the remainder was using monthly disposable hydrogel toric contact lenses. The trials started in the middle of January 2012 with proper awareness and consent of participants regarding the FOS. The process of evaluation followed was same for all contact lens users (please allow me to use the words contact lens users repeatedly as I hate to use the word ‘subjects’, as if they are non-expressive or nonliving objects). Each individual was asked to report after a minimum 24 hours non-wearing period from their existing contact lenses, for an anterior segment (slit lamp) examination, to rule out any pre-existing eye health condition that could interfere with the present FOS. Fortunately, all contact lens users were free from any anterior segment pathology. The trial lenses were inserted in the contact lens user’s eye by the ECP and not by the wearer and as a precaution the lens solution used was the same as being previously used by the wearer. Evaluation was done after a settling time was allowed, between

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probably accounted for the good vision in almost all wearers. I had already started attributing this excellent stability of the PV2 HD for Astigmatism to its Auto Align Design — hybrid ballasting (peri and prism design), a large diameter (14.5 mm), and large optic zone (8 mm).

10 minutes to one hour to facilitate the wearer’s convenience. The initial criteria for this subjective evaluation included responses for comfort and vision. The pie charts in Figure 1 and Figure 2 are selfexplanatory regarding the success story of PV2 HD lens for Astigmatism’s initial response. INITIAL COMFORT

Very Comfortable 65%

less comfortable 35%

The high initial comfort of the lens was as I expected — it has a comfortable, moist, thin and rounded edge design in a moisture-rich packaging solution. The objective criteria included lens centration, lens movement, lens rotation. Over-refraction was not done as the contact lens prescription was being copied from the existing contact lens for comparative purpose. While the lens centration and movement was acceptable in all 100% wearers, the lens rotation was classified as the degree of rotation, detailed in the chart Figure 3. 90%

Fig: 3

Not a single contact lens wearer of PV2 HD for Astigmatism had noticeable issues of centration, movement or large rotation of axis and the lenses were fairly stable soon after insertion. This

During this use period of 15-20 days wear, I did receive two responses regarding occasional blurring of vision and reduced discomfort, which I attributed to the need of upgrading the lens care solution with better

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20%

INITIAL VISION

10% 0%

Very good 90%

Vision could not be assessed 10%

Figure: 2

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The comfort of the lens was as I expected — it has a comfortable, moist, thin and rounded edge design in a moisture-rich packaging solution. I strongly believe that the aroma and flavor of first spoon of a food may be misleading regarding its nutritional value and human body’s ability to digest it. The same principle holds good for the first reaction of a contact lens wearer to a new lens product and better insight is available after evaluating its tolerance in the eye over a few days/weeks.

80%

Figure: 1

Having tasted success in 9 contact lens wearers out of 10, (one wearer was rejected from the study due to acute irritation in her right eye after two hours of lens wear, the lens/ eye could not be re-evaluated) I proceeded to allow the contact lens wearers of this FOS to extend the lens wearing hours to their usual routine and lifestyle and report again for an examination after using them for two to three weeks.

No Rotation = Slight Rotation Moderate Excessive Unacceptable 0˚ = 1˚-5˚ Rotation = 6˚- Rotation = 11˚>16˚ 10˚ 15˚

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in all directions of gaze, was so happy with the new lenses that she insisted I immediately replace her existing stock of fortnightly disposables lenses with PV2 HD for Astigmatism. The vision of one more

lubrication. Sooner we switched to BioTrue, the issues of both the wearer’s were immediately resolved and they continued to participate in the study. ENCOURAGING RESPONSE I had a very encouraging response from majority contact lens wearers of this study group. While evaluating the fit and tolerance of PV2 HD for Astigmatism lenses, after days/weeks of use, the same subjective and objective criteria was followed.

The initial criteria for this subjective evaluation included responses for comfort and vision.

I was keen to record the wearer’s response after having worn the contact lenses for the full day. To my expectations I had a 100% score on the vision front, the lens were well centered and rotation did not show any change from what was recorded at the time of initial fit. In fact there were some encouraging positive responses from the wearers.

contact lens wearer who was fitted has a post LASIK cornea improved to 6/6 and remained so from the time of insertion till the days end.

One contact lens wearer is a squash player and he is extremely satisfied with the vision clarity and vision stability, during his game, which involved extremely quick eye movements. Another young lady, who is learning classical dance, involving expressive eye movements

SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS The higher centre thickness of the PV2 toric contact lens, larger optic zone of 8mm and its higher modulus, helped in masking the corneal

irregularity better than the previously used hydrogel toric lenses. Night vision while driving was a challenge for some wearers in this study and all of them felt their vision was better with PV2 HD for Astigmatism lenses than the vision with the previously worn lens. Though happy with the vision, two contact lens wearers of this FOS preferred their existing lens to PV2 HD for Astigmatism. Their preference was simply because of the softness of the hydrogel lenses as compared to the new material. One wearer was neutral in response and left the decision to me regarding the best lens for her eye. One wearer has mild hyperemia after 8 hours wear and the lens movement was sluggish. In Figure 4 I have summarized the wearer’s preference to upgrade to PV2 HD for Astigmatism from their existing contact lenses. 9 8 7 6 5

The following response chart Figure 5 shows in each box, the affirmative response of number of contact lens wearers, out of total 9 who completed this FOS.

Does PV2 HD for Astigmatism lens worn by you:

Strongly agree

Agree

Deliver clear vision throughout the day

Fit quickly in place when I put them in my eye

Deliver crisp, sharp vision immediately after insertion

Deliver consistently clear vision at all times

Delivers continuously crisp, sharp vision

Delivers superior vision Compared to your existing lenses

Reduces halos and glare, even in low light

Helps keep your eyes healthy

Is easy to handle

Delivers long-lasting comfort

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Slightly agree

Slightly disagree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

3 2

Perfer Upgrade to PV2 toric

Perfer existing Hydrogel Lenses

Neutral to change

change not recommended by ECP

Fig: 4

I concluded my study with more than 66% contact lens wearers wanting immediate upgrade to PV2 HD for Astigmatism lenses.

_______________________________________ – Karan Sachdeva graduated with honors in Ophthalmic Techniques from AIIMS. He has over three decades of clinical practice experience in optometry and contact lenses, while serving a professional optical high-street chain in India, and independent practice at Eye Q. He has many professional articles, presentations and media interviews to his credit. A strong advocate of continuing education, he has earned Masters in Arts and Commerce and is currently finishing his Masters in Science (Optometry).

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2/14/2012 11:22:23 AM

Refined styles dominate Blumarine’s 2012 sunglasses collection

Off The Shelf

Refined and ultra-feminine, the sunwear styles from Blumarine fully embody the brand’s stylistic spirit. It features contemporary looking frames, with a revival of classic styles and of retro-inspired models. It also has smaller frames embellished with important details on the one hand in addition to oversized shapes with clean and elegant lines on the other.

Acetates prevail, embellished this season with refined matt effects, featuring opaque inserts on the front piece and on the temples. Coloured enamels are widely used in the metal models, revitalizing styles with determination and brightness. The colours are taken from the catwalk: other than black, white and beige, the collection includes brighter shades like orange, purple, turquoise, teal green and yellow.

Elegance rules Carolina Herrera’s 2012 eyewear range The 2012 Carolina Herrera eyewear collection exudes refinement and elegance with its close attention to detail and quality. With a keen awareness of sophistication and femininity it is designed for the elegant woman of today. This collection features 17 new models, ranging from squared off shapes with thicker temples for a classic look to rounder cat-eye shapes with delicate features. Characteristic of these designs is the demure placement of the monogrammed metal plaque within the temple tip.

Chopard draws inspiration from its jewellery line

All the elegance and beauty of Chopard's jewels is reflected in its 2012 eyewear collection as well — a line of lightweight and elegant designs made out of valuable materials with great precision reminiscent of the painstaking labour of the Swiss Maison’s goldsmiths.

Vera Bradley’s ‘Fun at Heart’ collection

For the woman with timeless spirit and style, Vera Bradley’s ‘Fun at Heart’ collection offers the latest in fashionable design. Nina, Shelby, Hazel and Sue offer spring hinges for a comfortable fit, and embellishments inspired by typical Vera Bradley colours. Modern and classic eye shapes and colour combinations ensure that these frames will fit any style. Nina is a combination frame with a modified oval eye shape with antique design elements, featuring an etched design with inlaid enamel on the temples. Shelby is a triple laminate acetate frame with a modified butterfly eye shape. Hazel and Sue are combination frames with adjustable nose pads, classic eye shapes and unique temple embellishments.

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Silhouette launches Crystal line

Silhouette’s Crystal collection for women is handcrafted with Austrian crystals. It consists of four ophthalmic frames and three sun styles. The ophthalmic frames showcase looks that will suit tastes ranging from conservative to extravagant. The Gem Stone model is characterized by a xilion square crystal floating inside the temples, while the Light Attraction style highlights the curves of the temple design with strategically placed crystals for a modern look. Sparkling Icon has one subtle, but glimmering crystal on each temple complemented by a shiny exterior finish and a satin interior finish. And then there is Limelight, which is accented with 300 handset pave crystals.

Baby Phat 2012 collection – From the runway to the pavement The Baby Phat Spring Summer 2012 collection includes six new optical frames and five sunglass models that export the glamour right from the catwalk to the masses. Infused with stand-out temple treatments such as textured metal embellishments, metal cut-outs and layers of textures; the range’s colour palate includes double laminate purple with turquoise, burgundy pinks, as well as staple colours like black and brown.

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Passion is the cornerstone of Ermenegildo Zegna’s designs

A 100-year history of couture and male luxury are some of the distinguishing features of Ermenegildo Zegna’s style found in its 2012 sunglasses collection. Classic aviator shapes prevail in metal models alongside retro-inspired acetates. Exclusive materials such as wood and carbon fiber, are expertly integrated. Pieces are welded by hand, and all models are presented with variants of polarized lenses.

Prodesign’s tryst with the past

Prodesign’s latest collection is inspired by the desire to create a contemporary line of frames for the urbane, design-oriented man and woman, which was also high-fashion. Though the shapes are inspired by the past — with the classic panto, the Jackie O-shape and the curvy butterfly shape — the company has tried to keep the collection fresh and relevant, with usage of fashionable colors and with combination of different acetates layers. There are nine shapes in the collection, of which two come in two colours, each, while the remainder is available in four colours, each.

DVF’s collection — Classic designs with contemporary twist

The Diane von Furstenberg Spring Summer 2012 eyewear introduces design aesthetics modernized to incorporate the classic styling synonymous with the DVF brand. The designs feature colour blocking techniques with vivid colours that draw attention to vintage-inspired frames. Taking a step forward, DVF prints found on scarfs and in her ready-to-wear collection are mimicked in a rich proprietary zyl. The ‘Love is Life’ collection introduces an optical style that pays tribute to vintage design and stays true to Diane von Furstenberg.

Tag Heuer’s sunglasses inspired from motor racing

Tag Heuer Avant-Garde Eyewear’s Automatic Sun Vintage sunglasses showcase the brand’s patented automatic temples. Thanks to a system of magnets integrated into the hinge of the temple, it can be flipped open with a simple flick of one hand. The Automatic Sun Vintage model has been designed to support amateur enthusiasts and motor racing professionals alike in coping with challenging driving conditions. They can now slip their glasses on to ensure protection from glare without taking their eyes off the road or their hands off the wheel.

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Escada presents innovation in luxurious sensuality

Inspired by the cool glamour, sensual femininity and modern elegance of the Escada fashion and accessories, its 2012 Spring Summer sunglasses collection offers easy chic styles embellished with vintage and very sophisticated details. Large and round masks come alongside more classic styles, perfect for days in the city and relaxed weekends. Little gemstones, the reinterpretation of the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s double E-logo and the lace-design on the temples reflect the love for detail. The colour palette ranges from classic black, tortoise and dark brown to intense colours like burgundy and plum purple.

Marchon unveils new Nine West collection

Marchon's first Nine West eyewear collection for Spring Summer 2012 features styles that translate colour, pattern and trends to capture the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern, sexy style. It contains 22 ophthalmic models of which 10 are made of plastic and 12 are metal designs. It also includes 10 prescription-ready sun styles, eight of which are plastic and two are metallic. Colour blocking features prominently in the collection in bright green, red, pink and turquoise mixed with black and tortoise zyl. Other prevalent colours include peach blonde, ruby orange, rose ombre and silver mesh, which all highlight the collection's trendy designs.

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Fendi embodies iconic design elements in new line

For the Spring Summer 2012, Fendi Eyewear debuts a sun and optical collection that embodies the timeless and iconic design elements synonymous with the luxurious fashion house. The double ‘F’ logo is inlayed onto rich zyl in unique form, whether on end-pieces or repeating, layered onto triple laminate temples.

Colour blocking highlights the frame shapes that are crafted from both custom zyl and polished metal. Fendi endeavours to push expectations and reinterprets the ‘F’ to create temples that re-emphasize the fashion philosophy of the brand.

Tag Heuer Eyewear’s C-Flex and Racer models Tag Heuer Eyewear’s C-Flex optical frame weighs 3.9 grams and is manufactured from the same high-tech components as a Formula One racecar — titanium and around 20 layers of carbon fibre. Its patented carbon mesh layers in the self-adjusting temples are superimposed multi-directionally, which promise good tensile strength and corrosion resistance as well as flexibility.

The Racer sunglasses are inspired by Tag Heuer’s Link INK series of sports watches and chronographs and are designed for people with active lifestyles. The frame and temples are made in high-tech industrial polymer, making it flexible and wear-resistant, with a special soft touch finish for extra comfort.

Lacoste debuts a collection true to the brand’s DNA

For the Spring Summer 2012 season, Lacoste Eyewear’s collection sticks to the brand’s identity, which includes the iconic petit piqué print forms to the silhouette of uplifting cat eyes. Polished metal details are inlayed onto brows, strengthening a classic profile. The collection highlights Lacoste’s characteristic craftsmanship that is displayed through layered materials and dual colorations to pure simplicity with striking shapes saturated in rich colours.

Carrera’s 2012 range is inspired by the brand’s heritage

The new Carrera sunglasses collection is vintage inspired but with contemporary detailing. The square, teardrop and wraparound shapes take their inspiration from the brand’s heritage. A leather insert on the front, held in place by a small metal button is the new iconic theme of the collection. The cat-eye sunglasses for women are made in a trilayer acetate featuring frames with sophisticated colour combinations. The new ‘Signature’ Carrera logo can be seen on the temples in contrasting colours.

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Mykita’s marries tradition with contemporary spirit

The new Mykita Decades sunglasses line has a colour and design concept that links the modern with the classic. Featuring contemporary classics, the models are characterised by a rendering of large forms to Mykita’s ultralight flat-metal concept. The 0.5 mm stainless steel frames appear as a silhouette of their predecessor which, in combination with the frame colours, create their own unique look. The colours assigned to the models make a conscious break from the classic form; the combination of Yves Klein blue, saffron brown, opal green and pastel grey with gold-coated hinges and the surface-satin finish translates into acute contrasts.

Tom Ford’s special edition sunglasses

Marcolin has announced the special edition Tom Ford optical frames for Fall Winter 2012. which is inspired by the elegance of the ‘50s. The models sport gold-plated metal frames with water buffalo horn on the front and the temple tips.

The retro influence on the eyewear is evident in the women’s models which are in gold plated metal with brown and gray striped horn or white and gray striped horn. The men’s models are in white-gold plated metal with brown and gray striped horn or gold plated metal with black striped horn.

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A GREAT READING EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS!

Each frame under the Dr. Harmanns LIBRARY 2 collection is made of TR-90, a hi-tech material that is hypoallergenic.Complementing the frame are lenses made of time tested materials. Easy to clean and scratch-resistant, these lenses give you crystal clear vision.

Featuring a unique light-weight and stylish flex material, combined with superior grip and wider vison for maximum comfort, Dr. Harmanns Library 2 are the ideal choice of readers.

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Snapshots WBOA organizes two-day conference and exhibition

The present speakers emphasised that optometrists were very essential in the delivery of primary vision care for the country to reach its goal of ‘Vision 2020: The Right to Sight’. Debasish Kar, President of the WBAO appealed to the government for upliftment of optometry as a curriculum with proper legislation, adding that there were many optometrists who are waiting to serve the country. The scientific session, coordinated by Supriyo Chatterjee, Vice President of WBAO, included many topics ranging from binocular vision, vision therapy, infantile hyperopia to trouble shooting in spectacles, contact lenses, low-vision aids, etc. The conference highlighted the activities going on at national level for legislation and formation of Optometry Council through the efforts of ASCO and IOF. It also had a trade exhibition with stalls from companies like Essilor, Vision Rx Labs, GKB Hi-Tech, Johnson & Johnson, etc.

he West Bengal Association for Optometrists (WBAO) held a conference on 14th and 15th January, 2012 at the Indian Science Congress Association Auditorium in Kolkata. The event was aimed to share knowledge about optometry among the eye care professionals and to highlight this profession as an integral part of community health care program.

GKB Optical launches online mega-store

The event saw the participation of over 400 members, including students, practising optometrists, ophthalmologists and scientists. Lecturers and researchers from institutions like the Elite School of Optometry, Sankara Nethralaya, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad State University and Dr Shroff’s Eye Hospital discussed optometry topics and shared their clinical experiences. Some of the guests including Prof Dr Supriyo Ghose, Former Chief of Dr RP Centre in AIIMS and Lakshmi Shinde of the Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) graced, highlighted the role of optometrists in the national health care system and the role of IOF in the present scenario. Prof Dr Abhijit Bhakta, General Secretary of the Nationalistic Doctors Forum and Professor of Department of Anatomy, NRS Medical College and Hospital was the chief guest. Prof Dr Gopal Mondal, Department of Anatomy, NRS Medical College and Hospital, Dr Mahadeb De, Dr Akhilesh Khan and Dr Kalyan Bhattacharya were the other guests of honour. 134

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KB Optical launched its online eyewear mega-store, www.gkboptical.com, which is designed to bring to Indian customers prescription eyewear with over 50 international eyewear brands (Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, Versace, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Vogue, Maui-Jim) as well as sunglasses.

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Talking about this new venture, Dhruv Gupta, CEO of GKB Optical said, “Through our online store, people across India can get access to a wide range of high quality eyewear. To choose the right eyewear, we have a team of 25 optometrists and eyewear specialists available on call and who are present online, seven days a week.” He added that going forward the company’s focus will be on strengthening online operations, expanding physical presence, increasing revenue per store and engaging highquality sales personnel. GKB Optical has also developed a ‘Try-on Virtual Mirror’ and ‘Face Shape’ guide to help customers try and choose a product that fits them best virtually. It is expecting business worth Rs 10 crore to come from this online venture in the first year of operations.

OpticPlus College. The ICO delegation presented one oral and five posters, while students from Lotus College had 13 oral and 12 posters presentations. This event was a good platform for exchange of research information between the students of both countries.

Opium Rockstar launched at Jack Daniel’s Annual Rock Awards 2012

ternity Lifestyles launched its Opium Rockstar eyewear range at the Jack Daniel’s Annual Rock Awards 2012 in Mumbai on 24th February. The company stated that this collection depicts freedom, superiority and transition and it all about rock and roll with youthful styles.

Lotus College of Optometry organizes exchange program with Institut et Centre d’ Optometrie

Models from the collection was presented to the winners of Rock Awards, including bands like Pentagram, The Circus, Indus Creed, Bombay Bassment, The Feni Farm Riot, Eccentric Pendulum, etc. Actor Prateik Babbar and fashion designer Rocky S were amongst those seen trying out the eyewear at the event.

umbai’s Lotus College of Optometry organized a Student Faculty Exchange program with the Institut et Centre d’ Optometrie (ICO) for the sixth time in February 2012. The French delegation, comprising 12 students and three faculty members, participated in the various activities planned by Lotus College for a fortnight, including the ‘Mumbai Eye Care Campaign’. Students of both colleges examined 1822 patients, prescribed spectacles to 1054 patients, conducted screenings for ocular diseases and referred 350 patients to Lotus Eye Hospital for further evaluation. Reading glasses were dispensed during the camp while prescription spectacles were dispensed subsequently. Besides the eye camp, the French students also worked in the out-patient department of the Lotus Eye Hospital. The French students along with their Indian peers participated in a scientific session on Founder’s Day at Lotus

Jaipur Zila Opticians Association organizes its first training program for 2012

he Jaipur Zila Opticians Association (JZOA) organized its first training program this year on February 12, 2012. Essilor India was the sponsor for the event. During this program, Surendra Khanna, President, JZOA inducted the new executive council, including Anant Vikram Lakhotia and Kishen Doraya, with an oath ceremony. 117 members participated in this training session. Dr Anant Sharma, National President, Consumer Confederation of India and Advisor to Rajasthan Government on consumer affairs was the chief guest at the event. He spoke about consumer rights and stressed that association should work to protect consumer rights to ensure that the trade flourishes. Rajneesh Arora, Senior Branch Manager-

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OpticPlus According to IOF, the primary public health responsibility of optometry professionals is to eliminate uncorrected refractive error, which accounts for around 21 per cent of curable blindness in India. Among the major causes of visual impairment in India, unoperated cataract accounts for around 61 per cent and uncorrected refractive error is approximately 21 per cent. Delhi, Essilor India; Nitesh Sharma, Territory Sales Manager, Essilor India and Kulbhushan Singh, Manager, Varilux India, too participated in the program and spoke about different types of lenses. Niranjan Rathi, General Secretary of JZOA announced that around six training programs would be held between from 2012 to 2014.

EyePals organizes Varilux Cup 2012 tournament in Mumbai

World Optometry Day celebrated throughout India

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he year 2012 has been announced by Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) as the ‘Year of Optometry Awareness’. IOF and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) launched an awareness week from 23rd March to 7th April, 2012, all over the country. Several events were held to observe the World Optometry Day, which falls on 23rd March. To create awareness, IOF prepared a number of resource materials, including flip charts, posters, Powerpoint presentations, which were disseminated free. Many educational institutes like The School of Medical Sciences in The University of Hyderabad celebrated this day by organizing a symposium for its students. Dr Aditya Goyal of ASCO and Dr Rajesh Wadhwa of IOF participated in this event and gave talks about the future of optometry. The students too did their bit to add a fun element to the proceedings. Some other optometry educational institutes that also celebrated this day with a lot of enthusiasm included the Lotus College of Optometry, Manipal University, India Vision Institute, etc.

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he Varilux Cup Tournament was organized by EyePals – a group formed by Prabodh Gangar, Pragnesh Gangar, Dhaval Daftary and Rushabh Daftary with the objective of getting together opticians in Mumbai as friends rather than rivals – on 19th February, 2012. This is the third year this sporting event was held, which saw the participation of six teams comprising opticians, wholesalers and representatives by manufacturing and distribution companies. And they were spurred on by their highly enthusiastic peers and family members who congregated at the VJTI Grounds for the friendly match. Veterans from the optical industry including Dhirubhai Daftari, Surendrabhai Gangar and Champak Gangar were seen enjoying themselves at the event. Essilor and Color Eyes were the sponsors of the event. The winner of the tournament was Team Airwear which was headed by Rushabh Daftary. Talking about the event, Rushabh said, “The good part about the event was that our fellow opticians enjoyed it so much that they contributed a few additional awards impromptu. The ‘Man of the series’, ‘Best batman of the series’, ‘Best bowler of the series’ and ‘Best fielder of the series’ was contributed by Empire India, while the 4’s and 6’s were sponsored by Alankar Opticians.” ............................................................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

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Internationa Marchon3D enters Japanese market

best in the market. The demand for 3D products in the Japanese market is growing rapidly, and our relationship with a world-class eyewear designer like Marchon3D will allow us to bring the highest-quality 3D glasses to our consumers,” said Sanji Arisawa, President and CEO of Arisawa..

Actress Kirsten Dunst is back in Bvlgari

The agreement between Marchon3D and Arisawa includes full sales and marketing, logistics, shipping, POP and display support from Marchon Japan to promote the EX3D line in Japan. Arisawa’s sales division, Asuna, will focus on consumer electronics retailers and theater channels in Japan. “From a quality, performance and design standpoint, Marchon3D is the 140

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merican professional golfer Michelle Wie, who is also the brand ambassador for Nike, shows off the brand's latest fashion-inspired sunglasses for women.

Golfer Martin Kaymer performing in Hugo Boss eyewear

archon3D announced a deal with Japanese consumer electronics distributor, Arisawa, to provide a distribution outlet for its EX3D line of passive 3D glasses in Japan. EX3D eyewear uses patented, curved Marchon3D lens technology and includes 25 styles in various colours and shapes for men, women and children.

Golfer Michelle Wie in Nike

fter two seasons, actress Kirsten Dunst has returned as Bvlgari’s poster girl to present the brand’s new collections for eyewear, jewellery and handbags. The ad campaign for Spring Summer 2012, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, shows the svelte actress sporting sophisticated sunglasses with elegant shapes and precious details that make references to the brand's luxury jewellery pieces..

hampion golfer Martin Kaymer who struck a long-term partnership with Hugo Boss showcased the German fashion house's eyewear recently.

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OpticPlus

nal Snapshots Polaroid Eyewear collaborates with Sightsavers

o mark the its 75th anniversary and the launch of its ‘Best Under the Sun’ sunglass collection, Polaroid Eyewear has announced a worldwide collaboration with Sightsavers, a charitable group. It will help fund the latter’s work to restore sight and prevent blindness in children and adults living in some of the world's poorest countries. Available this Spring Summer, Polaroid will donate a share of sales from every single pair of sunglasses sold from its ‘Best Under the Sun’ collection throughout 2012 to Sightsavers. The money raised will help the group treat some of the 39 million blind people worldwide — a staggering 80 per cent of which can be prevented or cured. To support Polaroid's Sightsavers campaign, trade partners and consumers can choose from 20 frames in the 'Best Under the Sun' collection, each drawn from an original design from the Polaroid archives. Each style comes in two colourways, reflecting styles from the '30s to the '80s.

For their anniversary year, Polaroid has also created a new aviator frame, called Seventy-five. Available in a gold or silver frame and fitted with the latest flash mirror UltraSight polarized lenses, these are also included in the Sightsavers fundraising campaign.

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen in Salvatore Ferragamo ad campaign

alvatore Ferragamo’s Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign has supermodel Gisele Bundchen in bright red sunglasses and model Noah Mills in metal framed sunglasses with brown gradient lenses. Shot in a tropical resort, the eyewear collection is inspired from the glamorous designs of the ‘80s. OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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Essilor launches Crizal UV corrective lenses

ssilor introduced Crizal UV, a corrective eyeglass lens offering the advanced protection against ultraviolet (UV) light. It also launched a new ‘Eye-Sun Protection Factor’ (E-SPF) to drive consumer awareness about the importance of protecting eyes from ultraviolet rays. Hubert Sagnières, Chairman and CEO of Essilor, said, “Protecting the eyes and the surrounding area against UV damage is such an important issue that we have introduced the E-SPF to build consumer awareness and understanding”. While most lenses prevent transmission of UV rays to the front side of the lens, few offer protection from UV rays coming from the back and side of the lens, which can represent up to 50 per cent of damaging UV light. The Essilor innovation involves a new anti-reflective coating on the backside of the lens which virtually eliminates UV light reflection into the eyes while maintaining the premium transparency of the lens. This reinforced solution against UV rays is available for clear lenses as well as for sun lenses, with Crizal Sun UV. 141

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Essilor’s E-SPF rating system is similar to the index used to rate skincare and sunscreen products’ efficiency. It will drive buyer understanding of the level of UV protection provided by eyewear. Values vary from 2 to a maximum of 25 for clear lenses and 50+ for tinted sun lenses.

by the D’Adda, Lorenzini, Vigorelli, BBDO agency, the campaign maintains its direct and forthright ‘After all, no regrets’ headline, showcasing new situations, where the brand’s glasses are the sole protagonists. This worldwide advertising campaign kicked off in March, 2012.

Jean Dujardin in Salvatore Ferragamo

The new images, which are based on Carrera’s web, blog and social network feedback, depict the online generation’s wish list. The campaign will also include a video in which the youth will have their say about how they seize every moment and don’t miss any opportunity that comes along, living a life without regrets.

rench actor Jean Dujardin bagged the Oscar for Best Actor essaying the lead role in 'The Artist'! Here he is sporting Salvatore Ferragamo sunglass style SF102L.

Calvin Klein Jeans eyewear ad campaign

Gucci’s Spring Summer 2012 eyewear campaign

ucci’s Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign by Mert and Marcus features models Abbey Lee Kershaw, Karmen Pedaru and Greg Nawrat. They are closed in an opulent gold room wearing Gucci’s inspired art-deco eyewear collection.

Minimalistic yet chic — Giorgio Armani’s Spring Summer ad campaign

Carrera launches its latest ad campaign

T C

arrera launched its latest campaign images dedicated to young people who know how to live life to its fullest. Conceived and developed 142

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he Spring Summer 2012 eyewear fashion campaign for Calvin Klein Jeans has models Lara Stone and Tony Garn wearing sexy sunglasses in fashionably bright colors. The new collection sunglasses with flourine lenses features in the fashion campaign for the brand that was photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

iorgio Armani’s Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign has Milous Van Groesen sporting eyewear in classical shapes with sophisticated details. Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the photoshoot was conceptualised by George Cortina.

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Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley in Burberry

The company claimed that it also provides a lightweight lens with better strength and durability as well as UV protection. Shamir Single Vision blanks are compatible with all freeform designs, including Autograph II.

New Nike Max Transitions adaptive sunglasses for sports lovers

ctress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looks classy in her pale pant suit and Burberry aviators with brown lenses.

Shamir announces Trivex material within its Single Vision line

OpticPlus Dolce & Gabbana’s ad campaign — Tapping the past

ike Vision and Transitions Optical showcased the new Nike Max Transitions adaptive sunglasses at the PGA Merchandise Show in January, 2012. Available in two colours, the lenses are responsive to changing light and specifically engineered for sport performance including golf, hiking and trail running.

olce & Gabbana’s Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign, photographed by Giampaolo Sgura in Portofino, is a throwback to the 50’s era. It has Bianca Balti in elegant attire by the seaside surrounded by family in a La Dolce Vita setting.

Jessica Alba in Burberry Nude sunglasses

Grady Lenski, Global Director, Transitions Sunwear said, “By combining the best-in-class brand leadership of Nike with Transitions adaptive sun lenses, athletes and sport enthusiasts now have another important piece of equipment to help them up their game.”

hamir has released the DLCTM Trivex (HC/UC) clear, its newest material available for its Single Vision product line. Available in a wider range of base curves, it features increased center thickness from bases 0.50 through 6.00 bases 7, 8 and 9 that consist of the same back curve as the nominal front curve. This provides a better lens for wrap frames.

Steve Tripi, Marketing Manager – Global, Nike Vision and Marchon Eyewear added, “With Transitions Optical’s advanced photochromic lens technology and Nike Vision’s patented Nike Max Optics, patented engineered tints – such as Max Golf Tint and Max Outdoor Tint – these are the new musthaves for anyone wanting to see sport better, without having to think about it.”

ctor Jessica Alba rarely leaves her home without her designer sunglasses. In these Burberry Nude sunglasses, she sports a very relaxed look, but glamorous look. ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in

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Vision Illusion

Trivia

See this image after covering the top portion and then with the bottom portion covered. Do you think both windows have the same view?!

Stare at this image and tell us if you can see the wave? Is it love?!

Get a few dice and try this experiment. If you manage to replicate this in real life, please do let us know!

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CrossWord 1

How well do you know your brands?

Here's a quiz to see how well you recognise the brands you deal in.

Source: Jan/Feb 2012 OpticPlus Galleria

1 13

5. A brand from Charmant that's young and feminine. (4) 6. Gisele Bundchen features in Salvatore __________ Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign. (9) 7. ___________ has recently announced a worldwide collaboration with Sightsavers. (8) 9. Fashionista Olivia Palermo is a strong supporter of Ermenegildo _____________ brand. (5) 10. Its Spring Summer 2012 campaign features Abbey Lee Kershaw and Karmen Pedaru. (5)

4 O

5 ANSWERS 1. Maybach 2. Dolce & Garbana 3. Rodenstock 4. Fendi 5. Tru Trussardi

A K

T R 1

G S

E 9

O M

A G

E O

E I

Z K

I C

N C

S O 4

R O

L 5

Answers:

E 6

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Down: 1. Champion golfer and poster boy for Hugo Boss. (6, 6) 2. Alex Thompson steered the ______ Boss sailboat during the Transat competition. (4) 3. ________ Vision has patented engineered tints such as Max Golf Tint and Max Outdoor Tint. (5) 4. Alessandra-Ambrosios features in Hugo ________ Orange's Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign. (4)

Across: 1. ______________3D recently announced a deal with Japanese consumer electronics distributor, Arisawa. (7) 8. Optifog lenses from __________ is a new lens that provides clear vision even in moist conditions. (7) 11. _________ Dunst has returned as Bvlgari's poster girl. (7) 12. ________ Bruni: Ex-model and wife of French President Nicolai Sarkozy. (5) 13. _______ Klein Jeans' latest Spring Summer 2012 eyewear campaign features Lara Stone and Tony Gam. (6) 14. A German brand that's also the manufacturer of eyewear frames from Alfred Dunhill and Mercedes Benz. (10) 15. ___ Hardy: A brand associated with a famous tattoo artist.

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Sounding Board

THE DISCOUNT WAR — WHO KILLS WHOM FIRST

urrently this topic, which you have mentioned in the Market Talk article of OpticPlus’ January-February, 2012 issue, is being discussed in every business field, be it retail or wholesale. This situation has become highly volatile especially in the optical market where lookalikes rule the market. For a common man, a brand name does not matter much. And even if it does matter, how does he distinguish an original from a fake? This is mind-boggling. I am a retailer from Kerala and I only sell Essilor lenses to my customers, including single-vision, bifocals and progressive lenses. All other big and small retailers in and around my locality dispense low-quality lenses at reasonably good prices to the customer with a statement – this is the best lens available. The customer is fooled and the retailer who sells only Essilor lenses also suffers. So, how do you justify this? Recently our optical association in Trivandrum came down harshly on the CR-39 lenses manufacturers and threatened to boycott them and stop their payment unless they reduce the price of lenses, which had been hiked without notice. Reluctantly they reduced their prices. One thing I would like to highlight is that if we unitedly stand for a just cause it can definitely help us fight the evils that pop up in the business. Optical associations have a great role 150

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to play in controlling the market. But at times, it can also have a negative side. .— Mathew Jacob Trivandrum ______________________________________

NEED EARLIER ARTICLES

am an optometrist practising optometry at a renowned retail outlet. I read the article ‘Get That Twinkle In Your Eye’ in the NovemberDecember 2011 issue of OpticPlus magazine. I liked it very much. I would like to read the other ‘Eye Matters’ articles as well. Where can I find the previous editions of this column? A few months ago, I read another article on Lasik, which was very useful. I want to read the same article again and other such useful articles from your previous editions. — Somnath Basu ______________________________________

ARTICLES ON CONTACT LENSES

our OpticPlus magazine is awesome. Undoubtedly, your magazine is very helpful to readers like us in updating their knowledge about the optical industry, especially about its commercial and clinical aspects. If possible, I request that you add one article on contact lenses on a regular basis. It could include an update about the contact lens industry, product information and technical specifications of various lenses along with experts’ opinions. — Sandipan Roy B. Optometry, FCLI ______________________________________

GOOD COLUMN

‘

Just one Question’ is a brilliant idea for a column in OpticPlus magazine! There many burning questions within the industry. I think this column is a superb way of getting opinion leaders, practitioners, academicians, etc, to share their views on these topics. Please keep the questions coming. And if run out of ideas, ask me. I will give you a whole lot!! — Prema Chande Principal, Lotus College of Optometry ______________________________________

OPTIC INDIA 2012

read the report about the Optic India 2012 event in the latest issue of OpticPlus and I agree with it. I visited the Optic India 2012 for the first time and I must say that it is a good place to see all optical brands at one go. It was a useful place to connect with the distributors and even the manufacturers. It would be great if we had many more similar events, but at a local level. — Deepak R Granth Optics, Lucknow ______________________________________

ROLE PLAYED BY OPTOMETRISTS

ptometrists play an important role when it comes to maintaining eye health in general, except that they are not permitted to perform an ocular surgery. Nonetheless, there are many things to be with respect to maintaining eye health before any surgery, except when there is a case of trauma to the eyes.

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OpticPlus attract excise duty? I look forward to getting some clarity about this. — Neetu Grover ______________________________________

CARRY MORE INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION

t is always a pleasure to read OpticPlus magazine and I am happy that your team has joined the social media network as well. I currently follow your magazine on Facebook and Twitter and enjoy your regular updates.

I wish people were better aware that optometrists are the first people to be contacted for any eye ailment and for checking refractive error. In developed countries they play a very important role in vision care industry as compared to their status in India. It is time OpticPlus makes people more knowledgeable about their importance. — Ananth Vikram Lakhotia Exquisite Opticals, Jaipur ______________________________________

WONDERFUL COVERAGE

our coverage of Optic India was wonderful, especially because it highlighted Indian creations, in addition to international ones. I thank you for taking such an initiative. — Harish Gajjar Gajjar Group ______________________________________

CHALLENGING TIMES

he Management Matters article ‘Family Business Management: How To Beat The Odds?!’is really a very useful article for the optical industry as everyone is facing many challenges daily. They are not prepared for any change or to accept these challenges. And they do not know they have a dark future ahead. — Naishad Desai Chashma Ghar, Anand ______________________________________

QUERY ABOUT EXCISE DUTY

want to know whether excise duty is applicable on fitting the lens on a frame as per a customer’s demand at an optical retail shop. Does this process amount to manufacturing and

But I have noticed that while you carry many international brands on your online network, even if they are not available in India currently, the same product launches are not included in the print edition of the magazine.

have been reading OpticPlus for a long time now. And in recent times, I am happy to see the good coverage your magazine is giving for various international events. Often, it is not possible for opticians like me to participate in these events for a variety of reasons. But with the various advancements that are taking place technologically and in the world of fashion in the optical business domain, it is important for us to to be updated about what’s happening globally. Reading the reports in your magazines helps fill in this gap.

It would be great if you could inform us about new products from various international brands, even if they are not available in India, because we can always contact the companies directly and try to procure their products.

I would also like to suggest here that you carry an events calendar in your magazine, which can give details about the upcoming optical trade fairs globally. This can also help us plan our trips to those countries in advance. This will be a great value addition that you can offer to your readers.

— Jay Kalra JK Optical, Noida ______________________________________

— Deb Ganguly Ujala Optical, Bhawanipur ______________________________________

GOOD COVERAGE OF OPTIC INDIA

CARTELS IN THE OPTICAL BUSINESS

was unable to attend Optic India 2012 for some reason and thought I had missed a chance to learn what had transpired there. But after reading the ‘Special Feature’ article on the event in the January-February issue of OpticPlus, I feel that I have more or less gotten a gist of what took place in the event. After reading the report, though, I was left wondering why companies like Safilo and Luxottica refuse to participate in this annual trade fair and instead try to have their own sales meet for opticians around the same time. I think they, more than any other optical company, should do their best to give the Indian eyewear industry a boost by becoming an integral part of annual trade events. — Vinoo Thomas Dharshan Optics, Trichy ______________________________________ OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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NEED AN EVENTS CALENDAR

read the article ‘The Discount War — Who’s Killing Who’s Business?’ with great interest. It is clear that the group that was mentioned in the article is similar to a cartel. And cartels are something that can be seen in most businesses. Usually it is formed so that members of the cartel get better bargaining power with their suppliers and suppliers too do not come down heavily on these customers seeing that their unity is their strength. For a long time now, cartels have been present in the optical industry as well but not in a well organized way. If some a body has been created in India, I too would prefer being part of it, as in a way my business interests would be safeguarded. — L Manikrishnan Yellama Opticians, Erode ............................................................................... Email us at response@opticplus.in 151

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L u xury,

Prem ium

Va luewea r

B ouq uet

Celebrating over 25 years in the Indian optical fraternity

Sterling Meta-Plast India Pvt Ltd REGD OFFICE E-3, Hiral Mansion, Kalbadevi Road, Mumbai - 400 002, India. Tel.: 91-22-22003420/21 Fax: 91-22-22056364 E-mail: info@sterlingoptics.com BRANCH OFFICE Plot No. 7, Sector 28, Vashi, Navi Mumbai - 400 703, India Tel.: 91-22-27654067/68, 27659983, 9322593200 Fax: 91-22-27666666

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OpticPlus

Mar/Apr 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ An OpticPlus Supplement

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CRYSTALS. A WOMAN’S PASSION.

PRESENTED BY NADJA AUERMANN AND HELENA CHRISTENSEN

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16/03/12 1:39 PM

Eye Matters

Your Eyes Need Some Loving Too! Protecting and caring for our vision is easy. All it takes is the effort to follow some simple steps.

ost people put in a lot of effort to make their eyes look good. The make-up industry can vouch for this fact! And even though this doesn’t come cheap, people are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that their eyes look perfect for every occasion. A lot less effort and cost is required to ensure that vision too is perfect but sadly that’s an area that’s ignored a lot. Some of the common excuses for not caring for our vision range from not knowing exactly what needs to be done, to not having enough time to do so. The truth however is that one can imbibe some very simple habits that will protect our eyes from damage with great ease. Read on to know how a few easy steps can ensure healthy vision.

1) EAT RIGHT

This is the simplest thing one can do for their eyes – just eat foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, 158

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Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Studies have shown that regular intake of Omega-3 fatty acids helps reduce the occurrences of dry eyes syndrome to an extent. Some rich sources for this include fish like salmon, sardine or mackerel as well as flax seeds and walnuts.

whole grains and sunflower seeds. Vitamin C helps reduce the risk of cataracts and is found in plenty in bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, oranges and other citrus fruits. You should also cut down on or preferably eliminate caffeine and sugar from your diet as these can dehydrate your system. They also tend to constrict the vascular system and reduce blood circulation. And incidentally having well-balanced meals with foods that are loaded with healthy elements will also help other major organs in the body. So why not get these multiple benefits by following healthy dietary habits?

Vitamin A is essential for maintaining normal eyesight, and antioxidants together with zinc play an active role in reducing the risk of developing AMD. Vitamin A-rich foods include carrots, apricots and sweet potatoes. To include zinc in your diet, just opt for oysters, red meat, beans, nuts,

2) PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM UV RAYS

The atmosphere around us has UV-A and UV-B rays in abundance. And exposure to these rays can result in many eye disorders from irritable and red eyes in mild doses and in

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OpticPlus

extreme cases can cause cataracts and even blindness. So while it is important to get your daily dose of Vitamin D through sunlight, it is equally important to protect your eyes from the damaging UV rays.

Just don a pair of sunglasses or use photochromic lens coating on your prescription lenses before you leave your home. And throw on a hat as well, especially if you stepping out in the sun like a beach or playground. Similarly, if you work in an environment where your eyes are exposed glare, external agents or things blowing near your face, like a factory or laboratory, then invest in a pair of safety googles that will protect your delicate eyes. Even if you are involved in sports, then you can use lens with a tint that is best suited for that sport. This will not only safeguard your eyes but will also enhance your performance. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry, especially where vision is concerned. OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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3) WORKING LONG HOURS ON A COMPUTER If your job demands that you spend long hours stationed before your computer, then you would have experienced dry eye syndrome. This is where your eyes feel dry, itchy and irritable and you tend to rub them often. This is caused because there is not enough lubrication in the eyes, often because we forget to blink our eyes regularly, which leads them to become dry and irritable.

A study conducted by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that 75 per cent of computer users surveyed reported occasional aching or burning eyes at work, while another 39 per cent reported blurred vision. 159

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A simple way of not falling into this statistic is to keep blinking as often as is possible while working on any digital device. You can also follow the 20-20-20 rule where every 20 minutes you look 20 feet into the distance for 20 seconds. Keep the screen of your machine at least two feet away from you centred in the middle of your visual field and preferably just below your eye level. Check the glare from your computer screen and if it is too bright then shift the machine so that your eyes are not in the direct line of the glare. You can also put an anti-glare filter which will cut down the brightness. Drinking water is another good way to lubricate not just your eyes, but your entire body. Consuming 4-6 litres of water daily is recommended to detoxify the body by flushing out the toxins naturally. Imbibing this healthy habit will gain you compliments not just for your eyes, but also for your glowing skin.

4) EXERCISE WHENEVER POSSIBLE

important is important for your overall well-being and helps the heart to pump blood more efficiently and ensure better blood circulation to all parts of the body, including your eyes. In his study, Paul T Williams, a staff scientist with the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory examined the effects of running on the development of cataracts. In a group of 733 men and 179 women, he found that men who ran had a lower risk of cataracts. Those who exercised by running 64 or more kilometers a week had a 35 per cent lower risk of getting cataract than those who ran less than 16 kms a week.

If it has been said once, it has been said a million times – exercise to remain healthy. Being fit and active is 160

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Even those with better cardiovascular fitness were also at less risk. This is

because exercising, especially running, increases the level of HDL (good) cholesterol, which is associated with a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration. Additionally, C-reactive protein, which shows higher levels during ocular inflammation, may contribute to cataracts. Exercise typically boosts levels of HDL cholesterol and lowers levels of C-reactive protein. And you need not sign up at a fancy gym or health club to reap the benefits of exercise. Even walking briskly for half an hour a day can help. And you can even factor some exercises around your everyday chores – walk to the market to pick up the groceries, take the stairs instead of the elevator and take the kids for a rumble in the

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playground as often as you can. You can remain fit and have fun at the same time.

5) AVOID SMOKING

Most of us have read the statutory warning on the cigarette packs that smoking is injurious to your health. But did you know that people who smoke are four to five times more likely to get macular degeneration, a serious eye disease leading to severe vision loss and irreversible blindness, than those who don’t smoke? So now you have the perfect reason to kick the butt or at least reduce your smoking. Enough said.

6) GO FOR THAT EYE TEST REGULARLY

During a comprehensive eye examination an eye care practitioner will check the back of the eye, the optic nerve, the retina and the iris to understand if there are any optical malfunctions which could indicate the onset of an ailment. People with a genetic history of eye disorders such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, astigmatism, cataract and myopia especially are advised to go for an eye test every six months. Regular eye screening can help an eye care practitioner detect illnesses like diabetes, glaucoma, thyroid, macular degeneration or hypertension and ensure that quick medical treatment is provided as needed. So don’t postpone your eye examination ... it’s an important investment for your overall wellbeing.

It is advised that adults should go for an eye test every six months while children should be taken for an eye examination annually till they hit their teens. 7) WEAR AND USE EYEWEAR RIGHT

Most people presume that they need to go for an eye test only if they experience difficulty in their vision or need to update their prescription glasses. That is not true. It is advised that adults should go for an eye test every six months while children should be taken for an eye examination annually till they hit their teens.

If you visit your eye care practitioner regularly chances are that you will notice your refractive index has changed. Ensure that you are wearing the correct prescription for your spectacles as well as your contact lenses. Wearing too low or too high prescription will not only multiply your vision difficulties and could also be potentially dangerous for your vision. You can also ask your eye care practitioner to guide you about the right lens tints that will suit your lifestyle and working habits. Most people instinctively reach for the nearest piece of cloth to wipe their spectacle lenses dry, which eye care practitioners say is not a good idea. Instead they suggest that you should clean spectacle lenses with warm OpticPlus : Everything between you and eye

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OpticPlus water and soap solution and then wipe them dry with a soft cloth. Never wipe the lenses with tissue paper or stiff cloth like jute as it might leave scratches on the glasses thereby impairing vision. One should also avoid placing spectacles on any surface with the lenses facing down as these too leave scratches on the lens. The best place to store spectacles is its protective case.

Similarly, follow the standard suggestions provided for caring for your contact lenses. Most eye care practitioners lament that their patients often abuse, misuse or overuse their contact lenses and then end up with red or itchy eyes and blame it on the contact lenses. Caring for your contact lenses is very important for your ocular health. Always wash your hands with water and soap before handling your contact lenses, whether you are inserting them or removing them from your eyes. Make it a habit to disinfect your lenses as prescribed by your eye care practitioner. Never use plain water directly on your contact lenses in case you do not have the multi-purpose solution. And most importantly, never share contact lenses. As you can see caring for your eyes is not very difficult. It just calls for making the above simple steps an everyday habit. __________________________________________ Vinita Bhatia ................................................................................ Email us at response@opticplus.in 161

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Brand Wagon At MIDO 2012 in Milan, the eyewear trend for 2012 seemed to unfurl itself claiming the return of the wave of Vitamin colours, mint green, orange, pink, with flirty shapes and 'dramatic' lenses. Even minimal white is back. It’s the soft 'non-color' par excellence. Ephemeral and refined, white unleashed. And then there’s ‘Remake’ (also referred to as vintage) and it’s very fashion-forward. Its retrò-chic style blazes and blushes as it reinvents the past. For those who like it simple, there’s the ‘Minimal Allure’ style, where the lines are clean, but the shapes are exceedingly daring — round becomes oversize and the nerdy square — a major revival of recent seasons — updated and transformed.

JOHN GALLIANO JG52 Marcolin Spa

Strong and with a very masculine shape, John Galliano seems to have got it right with this one.

PRADA SPR090 Luxottica

The sensous curves and the gradient make this design very, very sexy.

There are even some styles that offer you the desire to feel good and to feel up-beat. Finally in 2012 contemporary eyewear seems to have made moonlight an inspiration, mixing the allure of the moon with light, to offer innovative nuances whose only purpose is to shine. No longer an add-on, eyewear seems to dictate what the rest of the wardrobe is supposed to look like. And with the range that’s on display, there’s definitely plenty to choose from!

FENDI F931 Marchon

Pretty and classy — very Fendi.

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ROBERTO CAVALLI 663S Marcolin Spa

The master of design is at it again with this beautiful piece of art.

ELLE EL 18944 Charmant

Youthful and trendy, with a simple and eyecatching embellishment on the sides.

BURBERRY B4109 Luxottica

Minimalistic yet having plenty of style.

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TOM FORD TF5207 Marcolin Spa

Tom Ford with his signature display and shades of animal print â&#x20AC;&#x201D; definitely a conversation piece.

VERSACE 2126 Luxottica

For the strong and bold woman, this one's a showstopper from Versace.

MONT BLANC MB247 Marcolin Spa

An inspiring design from Mont Blanc, this one's just perfect for its target audience.

DSQUARED2 DQ0077 Marcolin Spa

Another very strong an interesting avatar of the classic aviator, this one's very very macho.

DOLCE & GABBANA DG4114 Luxottica

Cat eye meets wayfarers and they go colour shopping.. we definitely like!

PAL ZILERI PZ70010 101 Studio

Simple and clean shapes with defined temples, Pal Zileri has got it right with this one.

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 SCOTT 1731 C4

 SCOTT 1719 C1

 SCOTT 1705 C1

 SCOTT 1667 C3

 SCOTT 1743 C2

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 SPRINT 11304 C3

 SPRINT 11411 C2

 SPRINT 11446 C2

 SPRINT 11301 C1

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JUST CAVALLI JC 408S Marcolin Spa

The master combines animal prints with a hint of bling... and succeeds!

ESPRIT ET 17784 Charmant

Keeping it simple and classy.

CARTIER CHARLIE - GF-TOR Richemont

For those who understand luxury, here's a little 'nostalgia' from Cartier with this vintage design. 168

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LACOSTE L644S Marchon

This design from Lacoste can be called as the 'flavour of the season'.. it's so 2012!

PUMA PU 15130 Charmant

Loud and vibrant, the combination of gloss and matt demands attention.

STEPPER S STS 40013 Eye Concepts

Stepper provides what it promises â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sturdy design and clean finish.

BVLGARI 8091-B Luxottica

A design that leans towards the cat eye shape but doesn't go all the way. The subtle bling make it even more interesting.

RODENSTOCK R4850 Rodenstock

With a very interesting use of colour, this model from Rodenstock does surprise you!

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RAY-BAN RB 5257 Luxottica

Vintage, nerdy or simply a combination of both, this one's definitely heading up the popularity charts!

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CALVIN KLEIN CK4156S Marchon

Calvin Klein seems to want to growl and with this classy animal print design, and it works!

TRU TRUSSARDI TR 12837 Charmant

Get's your attention and leaves you speechless ... Tru Trussardi surprises you with this beautiful design.

OAKLEY OO9102 Luxottica

Simple and rugged ... simply Oakley.

TOM FORD TF 247 Marcolin Spa

Brilliant use of alternative material in a very understated way makes this design very, very classy. 170

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SILHOUETTE 6761 Silhouette International

Silhouette with a pleasantly surprisingly bling design. Makes you wish they did more on these lines!

CELINE DION CD5094S 101 Studio

Feminine and multilayered, this one's 'love at first sight' for most women.

CHROME HEARTS FLAVOR SAVER Chrome Hearts

Model Photography: Alim Bolar Product Photography: Purav Mehta Model Agency: Diva Dubai (www.divadubai.com) Models: Naila K, Albina G

From the king of gothic eyewear designs, here's another stylish offering.

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Leisure

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Star Forecast

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OpticPlus

is latest movie ‘Agent Vinod’ is getting a lot of attention from the ‘fashion press’ and Saif Ali Khan seems to be enjoying every bit of it. The sauve Khan is seen in a wide range of stylish eyewear in the movie, which is surely getting his fans excited! Even baddie Gulshan Grover sports sunglasses in metallic frames that make him look menacing, yet stylish. __________________________________

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Interviews

Information

on the latest developments in the optical trade and industry

Add a PLUS to your optical business

Views and reviews on eye and

with important personalities in the optical business

Bi-monthly

Eyewear

vision related subjects

and much more...

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