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about how The Ultimate Lens Package has translated to patient satisfaction. The Varilux X lens, in particular, has been a game changer for many of our patients. The intermediate range improvement is amazing.
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A single lens that brings together three innovative technologies for our ultimate in vision, clarity and protection. To learn more, contact a sales representative today. EssilorUltimateLens.com Varilux® X Series™ Sharper vision within arm’s reach. Crizal Sapphire® 360° UV Reduce glare and reflections. Transitions® Signature® VII Adapt to light inside and out. Also available for single vision patients with Eyezen™ +, Crizal Sapphire® 360° UV and Transitions® Signature® VII.
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Contents.
VC P N J U N E 2 018
ON THE COVER Members of the edCFDA (Eyewear Designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America) share the stories of their beginnings, describe their frame designs and predict where they see eyewear headed.
16 UPFRONT FROM THE PUBLISHER 7 VIEWS 8 THINK ABOUT YOUR EYES 9 Guest Editorial by Dana Fairbanks
VCPN INSIDER 10
50
56
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
EYEWEAR + FASHION
ERADICATING POOR VISION IN ONE GENERATION 12
TRENDS 19 Geometry 101.
by Eric Leonard
UNIQUE FOR THE BOUTIQUE 20
A PHOTO FINISH 16
PRODUCT FOCUS 30
NEW 18
The Golden Touch
NEW 49
Continued on page 4 V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Contents.
VC P N J U N E 2 018
JUNE 2018 VOL 18, ISSUE 6
EDITORIAL STAFF VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL John Sailer JSailer@FVMG.com
EDITOR Cara Aidone Huzinec CHuzinec@FVMG.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kat McBride
pg.3ut3our
Chec k o ision Kids + V ent Supplem
KMcBride@FVMG.com
PRODUCTION + WEB MANAGER Anthony Floreno AFloreno@FVMG.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dana Fairbanks, Joy L. Gibb, ABOC, Kevin Harrison, ABOC, Eric Leonard
KIDS + VISION
VISION CARE TECHNOLOGY
ATTRACTING PEDIATRIC PATIENTS 35
FREE-FORM FOR ALL 56
by Joy L. Gibb, ABOC
ABO CE: EIGHT TIPS FOR PEDIATRIC DISPENSING 38 FITTING SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN 44 by Kevin Harrison, ABOC
PRODUCT SHOWCASE 46
DIY LENSES 58 by Cara Huzinec
PHOTO CLINIC 60 Snug and Comfortable
NEW 61 20 QUESTIONS 62
EDITOR EMERITUS Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM EDeGennaro@FVMG.com
BUSINESS STAFF PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Terry Tanker TTanker@FVMG.com
EXECUTIVE VP Shawn Mery SMery@FVMG.com
With Davide Rettore of Marcolin
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING
VISION EXCHANGE
Debby Corriveau DCorriveau@FVMG.com
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING FOR THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY 63
For subscription information email Sub@VisionCareProducts.com VCPN (ISSN-1549-6716) is published monthly by JFT Properties LLC, 31674 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 104, Ridgeville, OH 44039. phone (440) 471-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Cleveland, OH and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to VCPN, 31674 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 104, Ridgeville, OH 44039. SUBSCRIPTIONS: 31674 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 104, Ridgeville, OH 44039 or online at visioncareproducts.com. Distributed to qualified optical dispensing locations, chain store headquarters, and optical laboratories. Other U.S. subscriptions are available for $85 for one year; $160 for two years. Contact publisher for overseas rates. Copyright © 2018 by JFT Properties LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher’s acceptance and publication of any advertising or editorial materials does not constitute endorsement of any product, service, or company by JFT Properties LLC. Throughout this publication, trademark names are used. Instead of placing a trademark or registration symbol at every occurrence, we are using the names editorially only, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
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From the Publisher.
IT’S CUSTOMER SERVICE
strategy season
T
he summer months can be a good time to catch up on strategies you want to implement in your business. Specifically, customer service strategies. Service and relationships are the difference makers in most businesses, and this is certainly true in the vision care industry. How your co-workers interact with patients is really important. Collectively, everyone needs training whether it’s your receptionist, optician or technician. To be honest, the bar is set pretty low. Which fortunately or unfortunately means being average makes you look good, and being great makes people talk to their friends about your practice. Recently, I’ve been paying attention to just how subpar organizations are when it comes to customer service. I travel a lot, so I’m no stranger to airlines, hotels and car rental agencies. The customer experience at most airlines, to put it nicely, isn’t good. Tickets are expensive, the check-in process could be a lot better, security . . . well, what can I say? And, seating arrangements are claustrophobic. Luckily, the hotel and car rental experience is much better than the aforementioned. Being on the road means I eat at my fair share of restaurants. Customer service ranges
from over the top to making me turn and walk out the front door. And, don’t slight that ill-mannered waiter; he’s still expecting his 20%. What about your local grocery store? Probably not so good there either, often you have three options at check-out: the painfully shy high school student, the 20-year check-out veteran with an attitude or self check out. Who decided this was a good idea? Have you been to a big box retailer recently? Pick any you’re familiar with and you’ve got a 50-50 chance of dealing with Ms. Sweetie Pie or Ms. Lemon Face. One can absolutely make your day, while the other will have you muttering as you leave the store. All I’m trying to illustrate is that your patients (and you) are routinely exposed to poor customer service. Customer service is an “every employee” thing, and business owners who understand the value of great customer service set their companies apart. It all starts with the person answering your phone. A friend of mine owns a tech company. I met his receptionist Michelle years ago. She has a unique title, Director of First Impressions. It’s a great title, and it shows the importance this company puts on front-line interaction with everyone who calls.
After getting to know Michelle, I believe she’s a natural, has a great phone voice, friendly personality and the knowledge to either help you or get you to another person who will. If you don’t have a “natural,” it’s okay. These skills can be coached and improved upon. And, as I mentioned before, it’s not just the person answering the phone; it’s up to every person who has contact with patients to ensure a good experience. I found a great post on Help Scout written by Gregory Ciotti titled “15 Customer Skills that Every Employee Needs.” I’ll list them here, and I encourage you to read the entire post on Help Scout. 1. Patience 2. Attentiveness 3. Clear Communication Skills 4. Knowledge of the Product 5. Ability to Use Positive Language 6. Acting Skills 7. Time Management Skills 8. Ability to Read Customers 9. A Calming Presence 10. Goal Oriented Focus 11. Ability to Handle Surprises 12. Tenacity 13. Persuasion Skills 14. Closing Ability 15. Willingness to Learn A lot of you do a good job, and getting to the next level is difficult. But with commitment, dedication and training you will get to the next level, and your practice will grow. n
TERRY TANKER PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER
Email me at TTanker@FVMG.com V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Views.
Making a Difference WHILE MAKING A LIVING
W JOHN SAILER VP, EDITORIAL
hile we generally reserve our focus on philanthropic endeavors within the optical community until the traditional end-of-year giving season, it became apparent that this issue of VCPN is filled with examples of eyecare professionals doing good by giving back. With a portion of its proceeds going to the Essilor Vision Foundation, our annual KIDS + VISION supplement ultimately helps fund eyewear and eyecare for children in need. As you can see from this issue’s Guest Editorial by Essilor president Eric Leonard and the accompanying infographic, millions of children in the U.S. still lack vision correction. Among the facts pointing to this need to improve children’s eyecare in the U.S.: More than 10 million children in the U.S. suffer from vision problems that may contribute to poor academic performance; The risk of failing one grade level is three times greater for children who have a visual acuity below 20/20 versus children with good visual acuity; In the U.S., 174,000 preschoolers struggle to see due to untreated vision problems, and this number is expected to increase by 26% by 2060. The publication of this Guest Editorial and infographic follows Leonard’s announcement
during Vision Expo East that he and Essilor will endeavor to “eradicate poor vision in one generation,” in part by partnering “with vision care providers around the country to give more access to those who need it.” We here at First Vision Media Group are pleased to be a part of that initiative as we help by spreading awareness. (Read Leonard’s Guest Editorial on page 12 to find out how you can join in.)
This issue of VCPN is filled with examples of eyecare professionals doing good by giving back. Among our other philanthropic partnerships found throughout this issue are those we have with Think About Your Eyes and Optometry Giving Sight. According to recently released statistics, Think About Your Eyes’ efforts yielded 3.4 million incremental eye exams in 2017, resulting in industry revenue of $752 million. Each month in VCPN we offer the practitioners who participate in Think About Your Eyes space in the publication to share some insights and further their cause, another source of pride from our involvement. Each year, Optometry Giving Sight hosts World Sight Day in October, when ECPs donate a
portion of their proceeds to target uncorrected refractive error. Again, we’re honored to participate in this cause by spreading the word about this organization and its initiatives among our readers (see page 65). OGS even benefits through participation in Bausch + Lomb’s contact lens recycling program (see page 18). Other ECPs doing good works in this issue of VCPN are the members of the edCFDA (eyewear designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America). During Vision Expo East, the group sponsored Frames for a Cause with the launch of a capsule collection to benefit Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and a reception at the Selima Boutique in New York City’s Soho neighborhood. (See page 29.) ECPs epitomize making a difference while making a living simply through the basic purpose of their profession, helping people see. And that’s not all; they are also among those with an aptitude for giving back by participating in eyecare missions throughout the world and supporting organizations like those already mentioned plus many more that we cover throughout the year. So, no need to even wait for the traditional end-of-year season of giving; any time of year is the right time to make a difference. And in this business, sometimes it’s a matter of just doing your job. n
Email me at JSailer@FVMG.com 8 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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Think About Your Eyes.
SUMMER Checklist
By Dana Fairbanks
T
he average parent’s summer checklist can look like this – sign up kids for swim lessons, book hotel for family vacation, bulk buy sunblock. Think About Your Eyes is encouraging parents to add another item to that list, schedule an annual eye exam. This message not only encourages parents to stay on top of their child’s vision health, but it will also help determine any vision correction needs and implement a solution, whether it be glasses, contact lenses or other tools before the new school year gets underway. Think About Your Eyes’ research shows that patients in the age range of 30-39 are most receptive to health messaging and, more specifically, more likely to act on Think About Your Eyes messaging for both themselves and their family members. This month, Think About Your Eyes will partner with professional athlete and lifestyle expert Laila Ali to promote the importance of scheduling an annual eye exam while kids
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are out for summer. Ali will share her own vision correction story of wearing glasses starting at age 11, as well as the experience of parenting a child who needed vision correction starting at age 5. Ali will appear in TV interviews across the country as well as promote annual eye exams to her Facebook audience of more than four million people.
Think About Your Eyes is encouraging parents to add another item to their summer checklist, schedule an annual eye exam. These efforts are coupled with the ongoing advertising campaign, with TV ads airing on 41 cable networks, 22 million online video ads, and 230 million online banner ads. In a first for the campaign, radio ads will feature popular national radio personalities Ryan Seacrest, Jon Tesh, Mario Lopez
and Delilah. These ads are expected to reach 85% of the target audience of patients. With recent data showing that Think About Your Eyes’ efforts yielded 3.4 million incremental eye exams in 2017, resulting in industry revenue of $752 million, the campaign is working. These results wouldn’t be possible without the support of leading companies in the industry and the 43 optometric state associations that stand behind the campaign. We invite everyone in the vision industry to support those who are supporting our industry and helping it grow. Visit ThinkAboutYourEyes.com/Industry-Portal to learn more. n Dana Fairbanks is the director of marketing for Think About Your Eyes. Think About Your Eyes currently lists more than 21,000 eye doctors on its online locator and reaches more than 85% of its target audience through a combination of advertising, media relations and social media promotion. First Vision Media Group is a media partner of Think About Your Eyes.
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vision care
product news
Insider. LAUNCHES, PROMOTIONS, MERCHANDISING, EVENTS AND OTHER THINGS TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW TRANSITIONS ON THE TELLY Two television commercials — first shown at Transitions Academy in February — can now be previewed at Light-UnderControl.com. Featuring younger, stylish consumers, the commercials are one component of the company’s new “Light Under Control” consumer campaign, which aims to re-create the Transitions brand identity and attract and introduce photochromic lenses to new and younger eyeglass wearers. 800.848.1506 Transitions.com
FAMED DESIGNER PASSES Judith Leiber, known for her distinctive, luxurious handbag designs that inspired Design Gallery’s Judith Leiber Eyewear line, passed away in April at age 97, hours apart from her husband, Gerson Leiber.
ON A ROLL For the fourth consecutive year, Hauppauge, NY-based ClearVision Optical has been named one of the “Best Companies to Work For in the State of New York.” The company — ranked number 16 out of 19 companies in the category of medium-sized employers — was honored April 18 in Albany, NY. Now in its 11th year, the “Best Companies to Work for in New York” state awards recognize the best employers in the state based on employee satisfaction and engagement and workplace policies and practices.
Judith Leiber Couture and JL Judith Leiber ophthalmic and sun collections debuted in 2016. Design Gallery is a division of Match Eyewear. 800.976.3937 MyDesignGallery.com SOLAR
800.645.3733 CVOptical.com BestCompaniesNY.com
ALL ABOUT MARKETING Learn what tools you need to effectively market and grow your business at EyeInnovate, a one-day conference hosted by Marketing4ECPs on Nov. 6 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Speakers from Yelp and Google, plus Alan Glazier, OD, creator of ‘ODs on Facebook’; Tanya Gill, OD, of Oakland Vision Center and We Love Eyes; Bill Gerber of OMG! Marketing; and Kevin Wilhelm and Johnny Wenzel of Marketing4ECPs will lead talks on topics such as social media, search engine optimization and reputation management. Vendor exhibits, giveaways and a celebrity speaker will round out the event. For more information and to register, visit EyeInnovate2018.com
To stay informed subscribe to the VCPN INSIDER e-newsletter here: VisionCareProducts.com/VCPN-INSIDER 10 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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vision care
product news
Insider.
PEARLE VISION PARTNERSHIP Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Pearle Vision announced plans to open a Pearle Vision EyeCare Center at the hospital’s main campus in Avondale, OH. Scheduled to open this summer, the facility will be owned and operated by Cincinnati-based franchisees Ryan Yauger, David Tabeling, OD, and David Blair, OD, and will have optometrists on-site with open hours to accommodate walk-in appointments to provide vision care for both adults and children. PearleVision.com
A MOVE FOR MONDOTTICA Mondottica USA’s headquarters moved in April from New Providence, NJ, to a 27,000-square foot space in Warren, NJ. 866.666.3662 MondotticaUSA.com
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SUPPORTING STUDENT-ATHLETES Tifosi Optics has partnered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) for 2018 through its Corporate Booster Club. Booster Club members support the organization through donations and in-kind gifts to help NICA develop interscholastic mountain biking programs for teenage student-athletes and coaches across the U.S. “Mountain bike racing was the thing that got me hooked on cycling 26 years ago, so we feel connected to NICA’s mission,” said Joe Earley, president of Tifosi Optics. 866.310.0996 TifosiOptics.com
IN ’PERSPECTIVE’
A HOME FOR THÉLIOS Inaugurated April 24, the Manifattura Thélios in Longarone, Italy, houses design and production of Thélios-branded eyewear. The building, designed to be environmentally friendly, incorporates more than 2,300 solar panels. Thélios was created last year through a joint venture of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Marcolin to produce eyewear collections for brands belonging to LVMH group, including Céline, Loewe and Fred.
Götti Switzerland’s DC05 sun model from its Perspective collection was named “2018 Frame of the Year” in April at the Optician Awards in Birmingham, England. Constructed without screws or the use of soldering, the DC05 style includes a 3D-printed polyamide connector to provide a stable connection between the frame and lenses. “We are very pleased that the jury has honored this innovation with this award,” said Sven Götti, designer and owner.
HIRES + PROMOTIONS
914.274.8522 Gotti.ch
James Rosin was named chair of The Vision Council’s Optical Retail Division and Stuart Jolly was appointed vice chair.
Lukas Ruecker, president of EyeMed, has been named chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP) for 2018 to 2020. Silhouette International appointed Onofrio “Mike” Giannattasio as president of its U.S. subsidiary as of May 1.
Stephen Wright has been appointed chief commercial officer of Safilo North America, effective June 19. He takes over the position from Henri Blomqvist.
+33 1 83 75 64 40 Thelios.com
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Guest Editorial.
Eradicating POOR VISION
IN
ONE GENERATION WE CAN DO IT; IN FACT, AS AN INDUSTRY IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
1 IN 4 CHILDREN
HAVE A VISION PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN10
By Eric Leonard
P
oor vision. As the eyecare professionals and companies that make up the optical industry, we all do our part to help correct and protect the vision of patients all over the U.S. But there is still so much more to do. Consider this: Millions of children in the U.S. need vision correction, and it is estimated that one in four children has a vision problem that affects their ability to learn. Vision impacts every aspect of a child’s life, from learning, confidence and social interaction to participation in activities such as sports, art and music. The good news is 80% of visual impairment can be avoided or corrected. It is our responsibility and mission to not only help prevent and correct impairment but also to bring vision care to underserved individuals within our communities. This is one of the ways that the Essilor Vision Foundation is focused on eradicating poor vision in one 12 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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generation. We are looking for ways to partner with vision care providers around the country to give more access to those who need it. To that end, as a board member and proud supporter of the Essilor Vision Foundation, I want to share three new programs designed to empower eyecare professionals who want to make a difference in their community and participate in our shared mission of improving lives by improving sight. RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE A vital part of making vision care accessible to all who need it is ensuring people are aware of the scope of the problem and giving them a way to make an impact. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vision impairment is one of the most prevalent disabling conditions among children in the U.S.1 One way V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Guest Editorial.
174,000
preschoolers struggle to see due to untreated vision problems in the U.S. This number is expected to increase by 26% by 2060.8
80% MORE THAN
OF ALL VISION IMPAIRMENT COULD BE PREVENTED OR CURED12
10 MILLION children suffer from vision problems that may contribute to poor academic performance.5
CHILDREN RELY ON THEIR PARENTS, TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY TO
BE ADVOCATES FOR THEIR VISION CARE.
3X
The risk of failing one grade level is 3 times greater for school children who have a visual acuity below 20/20.7
eyecare providers can raise awareness is by educating patients and parents about the need for annual eye exams. This can be as simple as displaying materials in their office with information about the need for vision services. Essilor Vision Foundation makes it easy for ECPs to promote the cause of vision by providing no-cost marketing materials for their practice. The materials are intended to inspire parents, patients and doctors’ staffs to adopt the cause of vision, which gives them an opportunity to raise awareness and funds to help children in need. ECPs can enroll at EVFUSA.org/BetterSightEnrollment. PROVIDE EYE EXAMS AND GLASSES While refractive error is the most easily treatable eye condition, it costs the U.S. more than $16.1 billion a year, making it the most expensive eye condition in the country.2 Another way we all can tackle the problem of poor V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
0618_VCPN_GuestEditorial.indd 13
80%
OF WHAT A CHILD LEARNS COMES THROUGH THEIR EYES13
vision is by providing eye exams and glasses to those in need. This often involves participating in free vision events or other charitable outreach efforts where people can get their eyes tested and receive a free pair of glasses. These vision events help to identify and reach people who might never have thought about the impact poor vision can have on their lives. Without charitable eye doctors, many people around the country would be unable to obtain vision services. That is why we are launching a new online program called Changing Life through Lenses, where doctors can order complete glasses at no cost for their patients in need. Enrollment is available at ChangingLifeThroughLenses.org. ENABLE ACCESS TO VISION SERVICES Nearly a quarter of parents do not pursue full vision exams for their Continued on page14 J U N E 2 018 VC P N | 13
5/24/18 12:01 PM
Guest Editorial. AT MINIMUM, CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE AN EYE EXAM
BEFORE AGE 1 before they begin school, and ongoing as recommended by their eyecare professional.6
LACK OF EYE EXAMS LINKED TO GREATER EXPENDITURE
62%
The average annual expenditure per employee is 62% higher for workers who did not have an eye examination at work.4
44%
OF PARENTS ARE UNAWARE that behavioral problems can be an indication of a child’s vision impairment11
Continued from page 13
children due to a lack of financial resources.3 In an effort to increase access to vision services and address uncorrected vision problems, Essilor Vision Foundation is proud to partner with the Optometry Cares The AOA Foundation’s Healthy Eyes Healthy Children Community Grants program. The program offers grants of up to $5,000 to optometrists who focus on collaborative efforts to spread awareness and increase vision services within their community. In 2017, 14 grants were awarded to optometrists in 12 states for a total of $65,250, helping more than 180,000 children. Apply now through July 2, 2018 at
While refractive error is the most easily treatable eye condition, it costs the U.S. more than
$16.1 BILLION
a year — making it the most expensive eye condition in the country.9
AOAFoundation.org/HEHC. By supporting initiatives such as these to provide vision care, and making it easier for eyecare professionals to serve, we can make a significant change in the future of our patients and our industry. Everyone has the right to healthy vision, and it is our duty to do everything we can to provide it in our own communities and around the country. n Eric Leonard is president of Essilor of America and a board member of the Essilor Vision Foundation.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vision Health Initiative 2. Prevent Blindness America, Cost of Vision Problems: The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders in the United States, 2013 3. The National Health Commission on Vision & Health 4. KDD Health Solutions based on an analysis of 389 individuals in a moderate size employer over three years. 5. Learning Related Vision Problems: Education and Evaluation, Resolution Adopted at the National PTA Convention, June 1999. 2ZabaJN.Children’s Vision Care in the 21st Century and its impact on Education, Literacy, Social Issues and the Workplace: A Call to Action. Journal of Behavioral Optometry 22; 2:39-41. 6. AllAboutVision.com/EyeExam/Children.htm 7. Cumani Toledo et al, University Juiz de For a (Brazil). Early Detection of Visual Impairment and its Relation with School Effectiveness. Revista da Associaҫão Médica Brasileira 2010; 56(4). 8. Varma, R., Tarczy-Hornoch, K., Jiang, X. (2017) Visual Impairment in Preschool Children in the United States. JAMA Ophthalmol;135(6):610-616. doi:10,1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.1021. 9. Prevent Blindness America. Cost of Vision Problems: The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders in the United States.2013. 10. aoa.uberflip.com/i/807465-cpg-pediatric-eye-and-vision-examination 11. beareye.com/news/Eye-Q-Report-card.pdf 12. who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/ 13. aoa.org/patients-andpublic/good-vision-throughout-life/childrens-vision/school-aged-vision-6-to-18-years-of-age?sso=y)
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ENSURE A PRECISELY SURFACED DIGITAL LENS WHILE SHOWING PATIENTS HOW THEY’LL LOOK AND SEE.
B
M’EYEFIT & VISIOFFICE 2 From Essilor, two different m’eyeFit digital devices enable ECPs to easily measure patients for an accurate fit. ECPs can also demonstrate various lens designs and materials along with add-ons such as anti-reflection, polarization, photochromics and anti-fog. Both m’eyeFit devices also enable patients to quickly and easily compare multiple frame styles. The stand-alone m’eyeFit requires no personal computer and measures 11.5 in. W x 8 in. H x 7.25 in. D. The tabletop m’eyeFit Mirror has a smaller footprint. The mirror itself is 4 in. W x 11.4 in. H and stands on a base that is 7 in. W x 5.6 in. D. It does require a Windows-based personal computer. Internet access is recommended for both for registration
COURTESY OF ZEISS
y simply taking a picture of your patients wearing their selected frames, these devices automatically calculate the parameters necessary for today’s digitally surfaced lenses. They can also be used to show your patients how they’ll look in certain frames and how they’ll see through various lens add-ons. Eyecare professionals (ECPs) can now discard the oldfashioned markers and pupilometers and begin dispensing eyeglasses using computerized technologies that are more appropriate for the digital age in which we live.
and updates. Both the m’eyeFit and the m’eyeFit Mirror are plug-and-play, providing a quick comfortable process for the patient and access to advanced personalized lenses in both single vision and progressive for the ECP. For dispensing digitally surfaced lenses, Essilor’s Visioffice 2 takes all the measurements you need, including the physiological ones (PD, fitting heights, natural head position, eye rotation center) and those of the frame (A, B, DBL, pantoscopic tilt, wrap angle, vertex distance). It also measures dynamic visual behavior, including leading dominant eye, head/eye movement ratio, stability coefficient and reading distance. Visioffice 2 also offers a frame comparison module to assist with frame selection and demonstrates the benefits of lens add-ons.
ABS, Inc. 888.989.4227 OpticVideo.com Info@Smart-Mirror.com Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc 866-596-5467 ZEISS.com/Lenses Essilor of America, Inc. 877.457.3760 EssilorUSA.com meyeFit@EssilorUSA.com 16 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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Measurement + Selection. I.TERMINAL 2 & I.TERMINAL MOBILE
COURTESY OF ZEISS
Carl Zeiss Vision offers two devices for calculating patients’ individual parameters — the stationary i.Terminal 2 and the i.Terminal mobile centration system. With the click of a button, the i.Terminal 2 captures your patient’s measurements to 0.1mm. According to ZEISS, the i.Terminal 2 is 60% faster and 84% more accurate than manual techniques. It can be used with any type of frame, including large-size sunglasses and sports frames. Autofocus technology allows for flexibility in patient positioning, and intuitive software automatically recognizes suspect measurements while permitting optional touch screen operation. A more portable device is the i.Terminal mobile, which uses an iPad to capture and calculate basic fitting parameters. Requiring no additional accessories such as cameras or flashes, the i.Terminal mobile includes the ZEISS i.com server, which interfaces with practice management software to store patient data.
SPECTANGLE PRO By snapping just one image of the patient, HOYA’s Spectangle PRO enables ECPs to obtain the advanced measurements required to dispense digital lenses. Monocular PD, seg heights, near PD, pantoscopic tilt, vertex distance, frame wrap, along with the frame’s A, B, ED and DBL values are all obtained immediately after taking the patient’s snapshot. Spectangle PRO’s custom iPad enclosure light source obtains precise corneal reflection measurements, and its patented EY-Stick allows ECPs to capture the patient’s posture without the dotting process or needing to be at the same eye level. Patients can also select frames and see the results of premium lens options using HOYA’s Spectangle PRO. The Frame Selection module shows side-byside comparisons of up to four frames , while the Augmented Reality module along with the Lens Demos module demonstrate how patients will see through their new lenses when specific options are added.
OPTIKAM
SMART MIRROR
Using one image, Optikam captures all measurements necessary for producing digitally surfaced lenses. Its patented EY-stick allows ECPs to use a single frontal image to obtain the following measurements: monocular pupillary distance, multifocal seg heights, near PD, pantoscopic tilt, vertex distance, frame wrap (face form tilt), along with the frame’s A, B, ED and DBL values. Optikam uses a light source available on cameras, tablets or its Custom iPad Enclosure light source to capture precise corneal reflection. The Optikam Cloud Service provides remote technical support assistance, data protection and multi-station licensing. All saved profiles are stored on a secured cloud server. Large offices can extend the use of most functions of the OptikamPad on additional iPads or computers in the office. The Augmented Reality module assists ECPs in building the lens combination of their patient’s choosing. Allowing them to see how different lens options will impact their vision. OptikamPad’s Frame Selection module allows ECPs to help their patients see side-by-side comparisons of up to four frames.
ECPs can take digital measurements of their patients using the ABS Smart Mirror, while their patients can use the iPad application to select frames and lenses. Functioning as portable digital centration, the Smart Mirror takes all the fitting parameters necessary to personalize digital lenses. By taking the five measurements necessary to optimize free-form progressive lenses, the device ensures accurate lens production. For trying on frames, patients can make their selections from the dispensary and take up to four pictures or short videos with the Smart Mirror. They can then compare styles side by side along with the option of also emailing friends or relatives to get their opinions. The Smart Mirror’s augmented reality lens simulator provides animations and images to demonstrate various add-ons for patients, enabling them to visualize how they will see through their finished lenses.
HOYA Vision Care, North America 800.423.2361 SpectanglePRO.com SalesSupport@HoyaVision.com Optikam Tech, Inc. 888.356.3311 Optikam.com Sales@Optikam.com V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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New.
RECYCLE CONTACT LENSES WITH BAUSCH + LOMB
BYE, BYE, MIRROR; HELLO, SNAPCHAT In conjunction with the launch of its new “Light Under Control” consumer campaign, Transitions Optical partnered with Snapchat to offer patients an augmented reality try-on experience. A Snapchat lens allows users to see themselves in different frames in both indoor and outdoor environments while watching lenses darken as scenes move to daytime outdoor settings. Users can find the Transitions lens experience in the Snapchat app, and ECPs can order a kit on how to use it at
Bausch + Lomb’s ONE by ONE Recycling Program has already recycled nearly 2.5 million used contact lenses, blister packs and top foil and donated more than $14,000 to Optometry Giving Sight (OGS). Through a collaboration with TerraCycle, the program is offered free of charge to ECPs and their patients. Practices fill recycling bins with used materials and mail them to TerraCycle for recycling. For every qualifying shipment of 2 pounds or more, a $1-per-pound donation will be made to OGS. BauschRecycles.com
TransitionsPRO.com/Snapchat
SEE 180° WITH EYECONIC VTO
SALES STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE VISION COUNCIL
Eyeconic’s virtual try-on technology allows consumers to select frames by seeing themselves in 180° angles. Eyeconic, created for those in the VSP network who prefer to shop online, features 3D technology that lets consumers remotely try on eyewear in three simple steps. Patients first take a video of their entire face from center to left, back to center, and then from center to right. Size is determined by taking a photo holding a plastic card the size of a business card or credit card against their forehead. Once the upload is created, patients will be able to automatically see how any frame fits their face.
The Vision Council has released the Economic Situation Report, its annual consumer study of 5,000 American adults that examines the role of the general U.S. economy and specific economic indicators on optical purchases and shopping patterns. Specific product categories are examined, including eye exams, frames, Rx lenses, contact lenses, plano sunglasses, over-to-counter readers and refractive surgery. Demographic breakdown of results are available by age, gender, annual household income, region of residence and managed vision care status. The report is available for free to members and for $1,250 for non-members.
Eyeconic.com
TheVisionCouncil.org
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geometry 101.
Trends.
CLASSIC SHAPES ARE NOW BOLDER WITH SHARP, ANGULAR PROFILES THAT MAKE A STATEMENT.
1 8
7 2
6 3
4 5
1. Marchon MCM655S 800.645.1300 Marchon.com CS@Marchon.com 2. Safilo Fendi Eyeline FF 0291/S 800.631.1188 Safilo.com Info@Safilo.com 3. Marcolin Guess GU3034 800.345.8482 Marcolin.com InfoUSA@Marcolin.com 4. Kenmark Eyewear Zac Posen Afeni 800.627.2898 KenmarkEyewear.com 5. Götti Switzerland Dexon 914.274.8522 Gotti.ch Office.USA@Gotti.ch 6. Modern Optical GB+ Attitude 800.323.2409 ModernOptical.com CustSVC@ModernOptical.com 7. Optik by michèle B +(33)143437231 MicheleBEyewear.com OptikByMicheleB@live.fr 8. DeRigo REM John Varvatos V526 800.423.3023 DeRigo.US CustomerService@DeRigo.US V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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COURTESY OF MORGENTHAL FREDERICS
The Boutique Look.
Unique FOR THE
BOUTIQUE
EXUDING INDIVIDUALITY IN THEIR EYEWEAR AND THEIR PERSONALITIES, THE MEMBERS OF EDCFDA SHARE THEIR STORIES.
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T
he edCFDA (Eyewear Designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America) formed in 2014 when four eyewear designers (Gai Gherardi, Blake Kuwahara, Christian Roth and Selima Salaun), who were also members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, joined to create the subcommittee. This working group aims to inspire, empower and promote the eyewear industry as a whole. While together they form a collective, one
composed of what might be called “friendpetitors” as each member of the edCFDA is a competitor of the others while also carrying each other’s product in their boutiques and engaging together in special collaborations, each one has a unique story. Discover the backgrounds of some members of this dynamic group of eyewear designers, peruse their collections, ponder their predictions and learn what makes them tick in their profiles on the following pages.
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The Boutique Look.
EERO
COURTESY OF MORGENTHAL FREDERICS
INGLES
EICHLER
became so much more than any of us ever expected. When KATA was sold, I became the creative director at REM Eyewear before branching out on my own and forming the design collective Focus Group West nine years ago. The creation of my signature collection happened as organically. I ran some initial ideas by my friends from Bevel. They loved the concept and had a sales and operational infrastructure already in place: critical components.
BLAKE KUWAHARA YEAR FOUNDED: KATA Eyewear (1992); BLAKE KUWAHARA Eyewear (2015) BEGINNINGS: I was in my third year as an optometrist and met Dick Haft, president of Liz Claiborne Optics. As it happened, I was looking for a more creative outlet, and he was looking for someone with an optical background and an interest in fashion. It was kismet! He took a huge chance and offered me the position of creative director even though I had no experience. He then gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to design my own collection, KATA Eyewear. KATA
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FRAME LINE: My eponymous collection is an expression of my affinity for combining opposing aesthetics in unexpected ways — whether in the context of fashion or interior design. The fusion of two separate frames and the juxtaposition of contrasting forms and colors create a design tension that is unexpected and modern. My overarching aesthetic is minimal with particular attention paid to the tactile sensibility of each piece. To me, it’s not just how a frame looks on the face but how it feels in the hand. COLLABORATIONS: With my fellow edCFDA members Gai Gheradi and Barbara McReynolds of LA Eyeworks (2016) and Jeff Press of Morgenthal Frederics (2018) as well as Behnaz Sarapfour, John Varvatos, Carolina Herrera, Isaac Mizrahi, Hanae Mori and Creatures of the Wind.
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Creating something from nothing. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Our current political leadership and how numb we are all becoming to bad behavior and incivility. WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? The sun. I have no window coverings in my bedroom. WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADING? Consolidation at every level of our industry is occurring at a rapid pace. This may be good economics, but to me, it is killing the spirit of our industry. Eyewear has become commoditized by both the traditional behemoths and by the digitally native newcomers. It’s not about the product anymore; it’s about marketing and the bottom line. Fortunately, that’s also created a backlash and appreciation for product that has an artisanal sensibility with a specific point of view. It’s one reason why the independent boutique category is growing while the middle market is now scrambling to find its way. And, is why, in short, we formed the edCFDA in the first place. #designmatters
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The Boutique Look.
EARHART
ST. LOUIS
KREWE/STIRLING BARRETT YEAR FOUNDED: 2013 BEGINNINGS: I returned to New Orleans after college, drawn to the city and the rich culture here. KREWE happened very organically — I was a photographer who felt the itch to create something tangible, and I wanted to do something from somewhere no one would expect. I had always had an affinity for eyewear and decided to dive in. Five years later, we’re still living by that mission: to do something from somewhere no one would expect.
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FRAME LINE: KREWE is a New Orleans-based and culturally inspired eyewear brand that creates sunglasses as well as optical frames that allow you to “do you.”
COLLABORATIONS: We are thrilled to announce a collaboration launching this summer with Reformation. Both KREWE and Ref are focused on sustainability, and this small collection will be completely biodegradable.
BOUTIQUE: KREWE’s Flagship store is located in the heart of the French Quarter at 809 Royal St. Designed in-house, the store was created as a concept retail experience. The flagship is known for its hospitality program, which features frozé and other seasonal offerings, such as our current Hibiscus Arnold Palmer. At the heart of the space is the Sun Room, which displays KREWE’s signature modern iconic eyewear. Frames can be individually fitted for optimum comfort and style in the custom fitting area. Our flagship store, 809 Royal is about a mix of the old and the new, the iconic and the modern — all centered on a feeling of community. Recently we’ve expanded our in-person experiences to include new stores in SoHo in New York City, the Lower Garden District of New Orleans and two mobile retail projects utilizing tiny houses. Each of these in-person experiences are opportunities for people to interact with the values we live by.
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Building and sustaining a fashion brand from the city of New Orleans and staying true to our mission since day one. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Nothing. I sleep really well. WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? Doing something unexpected from a place that no one would expect. Sometimes I have to meditate in order to do that. WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADED? Consumers are caring more about sourcing, supply chain and ethical practices. Frame shapes and eyewear design in general are slight iterations on what has been designed in the past. As construction and production capabilities grow, so too will those iterations on classic designs.
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
5/24/18 2:53 AM
The Boutique Look.
CORGI
DOVER
PALOMAR
BOUTIQUE: l.a.Eyeworks is a privately owned house of optical imagination, encompassing two namesake retail stores in Los Angeles and a wholesale company that channels its designs to a global network of independent opticians and retailers.
L.A. EYEWORKS/GAI GHERARDI + BARBARA MCREYNOLDS BEGINNINGS: Best friends since high school, l.a.Eyeworks founders/designers Barbara McReynolds and Gai Gherardi trained as opticians with the finest optical boutiques and craftspeople in southern California before opening their original Melrose Avenue storefront on September 9, 1979. FRAME LINE: Original, often iconoclastic, and always invigorating, l.a.Eyeworks glasses are recognized for their bold shapes, imaginative handling of materials, and expressive use of color.
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gestures, political provocation, and most importantly, to be a place where all faces are welcomed because each one is deserving of celebration. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? The excitement of exploring something new. We are not worriers!
COLLABORATIONS: l.a.Eyeworks most recently collaborated with fellow edCFDA designer Blake Kuwahara on a limited edition, eight-piece capsule collection in 2016. Previous partnerships have covered a broad creative spectrum from the Los Angeles Opera to the eclectic creations of Canadian shoe designer John Fluevog.
WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? The excitement of exploring something new. One of our catchphrases “Keep Fishing” is our encouragement to ourselves and others to be curious and to revel in the pleasure of discovery.
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: We began l.a.Eyeworks with a mission to change the conversation about eyewear and to transform the idea of what an optical brand can be. As we prepared to open our first store, we put huge lettering in the windows that read “Changing the face. Facing the change.” What we discovered is that there are always people, lots of them in fact, who are hungry for new ways of looking at things. Hard work aside, we have been fortunate that we could accomplish our dream of making l.a.Eyeworks a platform for the intersection of eyewear design, artists’ visions, social advocacy, absurdly humorous
WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADED? We know that these are challenging times for independent retailers and voices of design. The path has never been easy, but the challenge has always been rewarding. We still have so much more we want to say — frame designs to be realized, along with concepts that run beneath the surface of l.a.Eyeworks that we want to bring to light. We know that there will always be creative spirits who will never stop re-imagining eyewear, and bold individuals will continue to innovate the retail sphere. Our dream is that they can all have a seat at the table.
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The Boutique Look.
DRONER
FIRI
REDUCER
CHRISTIAN ROTH YEAR FOUNDED: 1983 BEGINNINGS: We were in our early 20s in 1982, and I was very fortunate to assist a well known fashion photographer in New York City. One day on this multi-task job, because I was known to be a sunwear aficionado, I was asked to find the most extravagant sunglasses for a shoot to hide possible fatigue of a famous model. We searched all of Manhattan for an entire day, but we couldn’t find anything worthy to be photographed on this beauty. It was all too conservative and dull. While I was
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afraid of losing my job, on the contrary, when I came back to the studio to face the entire team about it, they proposed that Eric [Domege] and I start our own eyewear brand, which we did the following year.
godfathered by two influential American designers, I was invited to join the CFDA in 1990 — a first for an eyewear designer. Until then, the CFDA did not consider the eyewear category as fashion.
FRAME LINE: Recurring themes that have consistently informed our work include the muscular proportions of Brutalist architecture, embodying the defiant aesthetic of the 1960s with an elegant sportsman’s flair. We also have long looked to the Bauhaus movement, which transformed once-disparate fields such as architecture, sculpture, photography and typography into a unified cultural current a century ago, as a primary source of influence. The collections explore a concept we have coined “Deconstructed Bauhaus,” an attempt to reconcile modernist design with a contemporary design philosophy informed at turns by irony, nostalgia and subversion.
WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? A nice dinner party with friends, TV Series binge-watching, reading, reflecting and other exciting moments we won’t divulge.
COLLABORATIONS: We were privileged to collaborate with some of the biggest names in fashion. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Having a unique and harmonious work/life relationship with Eric for 35 years. On another note, with the support of American Vogue and
WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? We are very fortunate, for the moment, to live on the ocean with full eastern exposure. Each sunrise is a spectacle by nature one doesn’t want to miss. WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADED? In an era of unprecedented disruption, the rapid pace of technological advancement has forever altered our social interactions and enhanced our ability to devise methods of self-representation that are unencumbered by traditional gender or social roles. For a designer, this creates an exciting opportunity to challenge outmoded concepts of beauty and function, to empower people to find new uses for durable ideas. Modernist notions of clarity and logic can be turned on their head and used — or not used — in an emotive way.
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The Boutique Look.
AMANDA
JASSIM
MALCOLM
SELIMA SALAUN/ SELIMA OPTIQUE YEAR FOUNDED: SelimaOptique (1993); first collection (1996) BEGINNINGS: New York made me do it! I opened my first store in Soho in September 1993, the current flagship store of Selima Optique. My first custom frame was the now classic red, round-rimmed Hubert, made for my friend Hubert Kriegel to wear on his 10+-year motorcycle trip around the world. In 1996, the first full collection of frames debuted and was picked up in its entirety by Barneys New York, becoming its first shop-inshop. Today, I have six shops between the U.S. and Paris.
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FRAME LINE: Selima Optique combines high fashion with everyday function, blending tradition and modernity to create genuinely timeless and eclectic eyewear. The collection is designed in New York and handmade in France and Italy.
$40,000 and selling at the famed Gagosian Gallery. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Besides my family and pets, definitely Selima Optique.
BOUTIQUE: The interior designs of all my boutiques are very different from each other. I love vintage pieces, and a lot of my inspiration comes from traveling and from my all-time favorite city Paris. When traveling, I like to discover different stores, and I always find it to be an exceptional experience when stores offer a unique atmosphere and are not precisely alike around the world. I love finding interesting spaces and creating projects specific to that place; combining another component with my eyewear. The thread that ties all my boutiques together is actually that they are all different! And while each one has its personality, an eclectic and colorful sensibility ties them all together.
WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Theater, music and good friends. Now that my kids are independent I’m barely home at nights. I’m very involved with art and support a few organizations, like the National Sawdust Company in Brooklyn. I also have many creative ideas and inspirations at night. I think about future projects and what will be next. I always read before I go to bed, which is an excellent way of taking my mind off completely.
COLLABORATIONS: Some collaborations include Iris Apfel, June Ambrose, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Vik Muniz, Neue Galerie, Paola Pivi and Russell Westbrook. I’m as comfortable in the fashion world as I am in the art or sports world. The Sugimoto project was unique and extremely interesting; it’s not every day that one can make wearable eyewear retailing for
WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADED? Fashion is having a moment where buying eyewear is more than buying a beautiful bag or a pair of shoes. Eyewear is not only a fashion accessory; it’s a medical device. I believe the technical advances in eyewear will allow us to blend the fashion world and medical world even more.
WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? Usually, my pets get me up followed by a few cups of coffee. Then I start responding to all my emails.
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The Boutique Look.
ARLEQUIN
COURTIER
DEMOISELLE
our commitment to innovation, design and impeccable craftsmanship as all frames and lenses are handcrafted in Japan. From a design/product perspective, Barton Perreira has introduced design engineering and several techniques that are firsts in the industry — for example, snake and leopard pattern inlays on metal, 3D printing on sunglass lenses and a patented screwless hinge system.
BARTON PERREIRA/ PATTY PERREIRA
BOUTIQUE: Since launching in 2007, the brand has expanded domestically and internationally. We are now available in 47 U.S. states, 56 countries, as well as having four brick-and-mortar shops in New York, Aspen, Nashville and Kansas City.
encouragement from family and friends, I decided to join forces with Bill to create our own brand. We knew we had the talent and are fueled by the same passion, so we decided to take the gamble and Barton Perreira was born. It has been ten years and we haven’t looked back. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Timelines . . . they are the enemy of creativity, but they keep me on track. Also, reinventing myself to remain relevant is one of the most difficult things one can do . . . particularly while trying to remain true to myself, my art and what inspires me as a designer. You have to work incredibly hard to gain success, but you have to work twice as hard to maintain it.
YEAR FOUNDED: 2007 BEGINNINGS: I am a self-taught designer. I honed my design skills during an 18-year tenure at Oliver Peoples. After the sale of the company in 2006, I joined forces with Bill Barton, and together we founded Barton Perreira in 2007. FRAME LINE: With this anniversary collection, there is a nod to the past with refreshingly modern results. For me, they represent a bit of fantasy, romance and nostalgia. Throughout our ten years, we have continued to focus on
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COLLABORATIONS: Barton Perreira x Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony, Barton Perreira x Albert Maysles for Barney’s New York, Barton Perreira x Goodman’s for Bergdorf Goodman Men’s 25th Anniversary, Barton Perreira x Tuff Gong, Barton Perreira x Mister Cartoon, Barton Perreira x Giovanni Ribisi, Barton Perreira x Christian Roth. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: It was scary for me to leave my job that taught me most everything I knew up to that point. Taking that knowledge along with
WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? Family, doing what I love for a living and my relentless determination. WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADED? I feel we are in a transition period. I think the athleisure trend in fashion is finding its way into eyewear. However, with that said, my design process is quite instinctual. I prefer not to follow trends. When you go against the grain, it usually stands the test of time.
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The Boutique Look.
VASARELY
LEWITT
CARO
COLLABORATIONS: I did a collaboration with Mark Mothersbaugh (of DEVO fame) and have several in the works.
LEISURE SOCIETY/ SHANE BAUM
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Creating a brand that is an extension of my personal lifestyle and beliefs. Every frame we make has a small key on it as a constant reminder to make efforts toward spending time with family and friends, achieving your life dreams, one day at a time. Whenever I’m able to spend the weekend on the polo fields or fly fishing in the mountains and call it “work,” I feel as though I created that kind of career path.
YEAR FOUNDED: 2011 BEGINNINGS: I founded Leisure Society in 2011 when my mentors encouraged me to design my own collection after my tenure at Louis Vuitton. FRAME LINE: Every piece we make is 12, 18 and 24 karat gold-plated titanium, best-in-class polarized lenses delivered in a 100% genuine leather tri-fold case in collaboration with Hook & Albert. As I put it simply, “the world’s finest with a lifetime warranty.”
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WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Running a small but growing company is not without inherent challenges. As the founder, designer and CEO, I have my hands on nearly everything that can become an overwhelming responsibility. Oftentimes I find myself up at night, making a few notes of things that need to be done or could improve the company (or myself).
opening of the U.S. stock market and reading overnight emails from our European team. Then into the office for the marketing, sales and design side of things. It’s a true privilege to head into the office and work with a bunch of fun and talented people who I’ve handpicked to help grow the company. WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADED? I think eyewear is going in a direction with materials and metals that we haven’t seen before. The “intake redone” phase has been going on for over a decade, and now I believe times they are a-changing. Technology is being creatively applied to new materials such as titanium, carbon fiber and aluminum alloys. Shapes will always be shapes, though, and will simply vary in size until there is a vast evolution in the composition of the human face. :)
WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? I love to wake up in the morning with a strong cup of coffee, the
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The Boutique Look.
MADELEINE
WEBSTER
WEAVER
ways and have developed the largest horn collection in the industry. I truly love horn as a material and felt that we could create a collection in our stores that was not a novelty but a product assortment that would be our centerpiece.
MORGENTHAL FREDERICS/JEFF PRESS YEAR FOUNDED: Frederics Opticians (1913); Morgenthal Frederics (1986) BEGINNINGS: I began in the industry in 1996 and was fortunate to work for a wonderful mentor, Richard Morgenthal, who really enabled me to understand the business from the sales floor to the design room. I became designer and creative director for Morgenthal Frederics in 2006. FRAME LINE: Morgenthal Frederics is best known for our use of specialty materials. We utilize buffalo horn in unique
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COLLABORATIONS: Morgenthal Frederics currently creates eyewear collaborations with Oscar de la Renta, Monse and Rosie Assoulin. We began with Rosie in spring of 2017 and with ODLR and Monse for spring 2018. Working with such talented people is truly energizing, and we look forward to growing together. When working together, we love to find paths that really pair both brands’ DNA seamlessly. We also were excited to do a collaboration with Blake Kuwahara this season and have upcoming collaborations with Mykita, Maybach and Matsuda. It’s an honor to work with some of our favorite people and brands in the industry. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Creating the largest buffalo horn collection as our centerpiece product. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? I try not to let too much keep me up at night, but you always want to be sure you are remaining vital and innovative. The industry is filled
with great talents who work hard to create beautiful product, which is very exciting but means you need to keep growing. WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING? What gets me up each morning is the gift of being able to create for a living. I love eyewear and love creating pieces that are so intimate to our clients’ life. The entire process excites me as much today as it ever has, and I love the days when samples arrive, when production arrives, and most of all, when I walk down the street and see our eyewear on clients’ faces. I never lose sight of the fact that these clients could choose any eyewear, and when they choose ours we are truly a part of their lives. WHERE DO YOU SEE EYEWEAR HEADING? I think eyewear’s future is so bright, and that really excites me. Eyewear has broken into being a respected accessory and fashion staple. I think it’s the most important, considering its presence on the face. The industry has never had more talented individuals doing more interesting things, and the use of special materials, paired with technology, and beautiful design work from around the world make me think the future has never looked better for the industry.
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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The Boutique Look.
TOP: Selma Optique Frames for a Cause MIDDLE: Elizabeth Faraut, Robert Marc, Gunnar Spaulding and Tetsuya Okada. Brent Zerger, Lisa Smilor and Blake Kuwahara. Skye Truax and Stirling Barrett. Shane Baum, Erin Baum and Coco Dotson. BOTTOM: Members of the edCFDA gathered at Selima Optique Soho in New York City during Vision Expo East to celebrate Frames for a Cause, a capsule collection that they created to benefit Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. From left: Shane Baum, Steve Kolb (CFDA president/CEO), Jeff Press, Blake Kuwahara, Selima Salaun, Gai Gherardi and Christian Roth. PHOTOS BY GRIFFIN LIPSON V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Product Focus.
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BLACKFIN’S 24KT GOLD LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION TAKES LIGHTWEIGHT FRAMES TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
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he lightweight feel of titanium is combined with 24-karat gold plate in this limited run of ophthalmic frames, resulting in a line that is both luxurious and functional. In development for one year, the collection officially launched at Mido in February and then in the U.S. at Vision Expo East the following month. Composed of eight frames (each limited to a total run of only 499), models are constructed from a single piece of titanium and utilize Blackfin’s patented Nano-Plating technology, an exclusive treatment in which pure 24-karat gold particles are vaporized in a vacuum. This process causes
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sublimation, which enables the particles to be deposited onto the frames atom by atom. “We wanted to be sure to offer an extremely unique treatment,” said Nicola Del Din, Blackfin CEO. “Thanks to Blackfin Nano-Plating technology, we can create a frame of exceptional beauty that is long-lasting and resistant to wear and tear.” Every piece is designed and produced in Italy. Frames take a minimum of two months to produce and include a variety of shapes, including cat eye and round. Colorways are white, black, dark gray, dark blue and brown, each incorporating gold plate on temples, endpieces or fronts. n
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V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
5/24/18 3:01 AM
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YOUR INDUSTRY YOUR CAMPAIGN
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Think About Your Eyes (TAYE) not only promotes vision health among Americans, it also supports the health of the vision industry. In 2018, TAYE messaging will reach 95% of Americans aged 25-49 with its new campaign encouraging consumers to schedule an annual eye exam.
Join these organizations in supporting the effort now. Contact Dana Fairbanks at dfairbanks@thinkaboutyoureyes.com to lend your support.
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KIDS+
VISION Eyecare and Eyewear for Your Young Patients
Attracting
PEDIATRIC PATIENTS Fitting
SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
Tips For
vision care
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product news
A Continuing Education Supplement to VCPN, June 2018. Approved for one ABO credit hour of continuing education, Technical Level II.
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Learn more at essilorusa.com/essentialblue *Standard clear lenses filter approximately 5% of Harmful Blue Light. 1 Arnault E, Barrau C, Nanteau C, Gondouin P, Bigot K, et al. (2013). Phototoxic Action Spectrum on a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Exposed to Sunlight Normalized Conditions. PLoS ONE 8(8): e71398. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071398 (August 23, 2013). Identified Harmful Blue Light through in vitro experiment on swine retinal cells, where the most toxic wavelengths are high energy visible light falling between 415-455nm on the light spectrum (blue-violet light).
©2018 Essilor of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Unless indicated otherwise, all registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of Essilor International and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. These products may be protected by one or more patents listed at www.essilorusa.com/patents.
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KIDS + VISION: PEDIATRIC PATIENTS
Attracting PEDIATRIC PATIENTS Educating other professionals and participating in school vision screenings are among the many techniques described here to bring more children into your practice. By Joy L Gibb, ABOC
C
hildren can bring fun and excitement to your practice . . . they can also bring their parents and grandparents, resulting in more overall patients for you. That’s why it’s important to create a plan to reach out to those individuals who can influence children’s referrals to your practice. Many outreach ideas can be implemented inexpensively and effectively. The key is delivering clear and concise messages to those who can influence referrals of young patients to your practice. PARTNER WITH PROFESSIONALS Many organizations have plenty of statistics you can use to develop compelling educational messages. The Vision Council, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Eye Institute and numerous optical companies have studies and materials available that can easily be adapted to create effective messaging. Create a map of potential influencers to visit, the message you will deliver to each, and how often you will reach out to them. For example, I may choose to visit the pediatrician in my building once a quarter and discuss UV protection, sports-related eye injuries and solutions, blue light, and the importance of an eye exam versus a vision screening. This helps me know the who, when and what of my plan and will increase my chances of successfully
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gaining referrals. The pediatrician and office staff will start to think of me as their go-to expert for kids’ vision issues. When children visit their physician’s offices for their regularly scheduled well-child check-ups, the practitioner often goes through a checklist to ensure children are being safe in their various activities. There are questions and conversations they can initiate to educate a parent and child about overall eye health. Some suggestions could include discussing the potential harm that cumulative UV exposure can have on patients as they age and that the most UV damage occurs when patients are young. You can educate providers about the need for quality sunwear that meets not only UV protection standards but that also has impact-resistant lenses and quality frames. You may want to offer some type of incentive to parents who received information about UV protection from their pediatrician and now want it in their child’s eyewear. When back-to-school time approaches, you can remind pediatricians that school vision screenings have a poor track record in catching the majority of children’s vision problems. Educate them about the importance of a complete eye exam prior to a child starting school to give them the best chance at succeeding in school. This can be added to the checklist of questions a pediatrician may ask. For example, you might ask, “Have you taken your child to see an eye doctor prior to starting school?” Members of our field 35
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KIDS + VISION: PEDIATRIC PATIENTS
understand that many of these preventative exams are covered under medical insurance, but other professionals outside of our field, and parents, may not understand that those benefits are there to be utilized to help in the overall well being of the child. PROTECTING PEDIATRICS Another appropriate topic is blue light. Helping these healthcare providers understand the symptoms associated with digital eye strain and blue light exposure could help in gaining referrals for your practice. When patients present to the pediatrician with headaches, eye strain, or other related symptoms, you can help the doctor understand that it may possibly be a vision problem that can be addressed with blue light filtering or anti-fatigue lenses. You may even consider taking some blue light filtering eyewear in and letting the office staff give them a try to see the difference these lenses can make for the wearer. Another area for which you can provide education and from which you can generate referrals is with community youth sports leagues. Chances are good your practice has seen an eye injury that could have been prevented if the child had been wearing protective sports eyewear. Do an outreach program to provide statistics about sports-related eye injuries and the potential damage that can occur. This may include meeting with parents during league and team gatherings or simply providing a pamphlet with an invitation and/or an incentive to visit your practice to see what you can offer in protective sports eyewear. In addition, you can reach out to local schools and their athletic teams to offer sponsorship in the way of sports eyewear in exchange for an opportunity to educate the parents and attendees of the events. Invite the kids to bring in their helmets and masks to make sure a comfortable and functional fit is achieved when selecting sports eyewear. Don’t forget, it’s not just about sports eyewear, it’s also about an exam and visual acuity. If children have not received a proper eye exam, they may not understand that their vision may be less than what it could be. If they can see the rim, goal, or ball better, they will be more confident and perform better. EDUCATE THE EDUCATOR Offer to visit your local schools during a faculty meeting for a short presentation on signs teachers can look for that may indicate an eye exam could be beneficial. Symptoms such as closing or covering one eye, tilting their head, or moving closer to the board to see instructions indicate that children may not be seeing their best. You may also wish to help teachers understand that if children can’t see well and stay engaged in classroom activities, it may be an indicator that they can’t see what’s going on and that this behavior may not always be ADHD. You can also help schools by volunteering staff assistance at yearly vision screenings, typically overseen by a school nurse and the PTA. Volunteering your time will not only help them see more kids, but it will also increase the quality of screenings being offered. You may also wish to include some type of take-home pamphlet explaining what types of problems may not be caught during 36
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Create a marketing platform that allows you to reach out into your community to the influencers who can refer children and their families to your practice. these screenings and the importance of routine eye exams. Typically, schools have lessons about light and how it affects vision during the year in science sections. Consider volunteering to teach this to the students. You could take some worksheets, coloring pages, or bookmarks that have your contact information on them and help them understand how the eye sees. EFFECTIVE MARKETING Social media today can be your best friend in getting your practice name in front of people’s minds. If you aren’t already, take pictures of your patient families (with their permission and signed consent) and post them to all your social media platforms. Maybe it can be for someone’s first pair of eyeglasses, first time wearing contact lenses, or just how much fun they have visiting your office. Most people will share these posts on their own platforms, which will generate more views and reach more potential new customers. Create a marketing platform that allows you to reach out into your community to the influencers who can refer children and their families to your practice. Educating other healthcare professionals and those who work with children will not only give you an opportunity to share your knowledge and skills, but it will also help give kids the best sight and visual health possible. n Joy L. Gibb, ABOC, is the practice manager for Daynes Eye and Lasik in Bountiful, UT. JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN
5/24/18 1:04 PM
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
TIPS for Better Pediatric Eyewear Dispensing APPROVAL: ABO APPROVED FOR 1 HOUR, TECHNICAL, LEVEL II ONLINE COURSE: STWFV639-2 ISSUE DATE: JUNE 1, 2018 EXPIRATION DATE: APRIL 01, 2023 APPROVAL: This course has been approved for one hour of Technical, Level II continuing education credit by the American Board of Opticianry. NOTE: this course is only available with online testing. Please see instructions at the end. 38
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COURSE DESCRIPTION: While the children’s eyewear segment is only 8% of the total eyewear market, its importance to an eyecare office goes far beyond the numbers. The eye is developing throughout childhood, so is the child’s physical features and personality. In addition, children are dependent on their parents/caregivers for their wellbeing, so you’re dealing with two diverse groups when dispensing to children. You’ll also discover that if you’re good at children’s eyewear dispensing, you’ll have family members and their friends coming to you too. This course presents eight tips to help you improve your pediatric dispensing. The more you learn about children’s vision, their lifestyle characteristics and children’s eyewear, the better prepared you’ll be to serve you’re young patients.
By Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM
I
f you surveyed one thousand eyecare professionals, asking if they dispense pediatric eyewear, I suspect all, or at least nearly all of them would respond “yes.” That’s not surprising since most offices try to accommodate all the patients in their geographic area. While most offices dispense pediatric eyewear, some do it better than others, and some even specialize in it. According to The Vision Council, only 8% of the American eyewear wearing public is comprised of children. That means that in comparison to the total eyewear market, the children’s segment is not a lucrative element of a business plan since you see a lot more adult patients percentage wise, who buy more intricate and JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
expensive eyewear than most children wear. Excelling at kids’ eyewear sales takes insight, special interpersonal skills, specific inventory and a strong commitment. Here are eight tips that can help you dispense pediatric eyewear more successfully. OVERCOME ANXIETY Just for a moment, forget you’re an eyecare professional, and put yourself in the place of a new adult patient who has come to your office for the first time. What do they see when they first enter your office? A waiting room and a reception area where they check in. If it’s like most ophthalmic offices that sell eyewear, it has a medical office feel to it (even though you’ve tried to make it “homier”). After waiting for their eye examination appointment, they’re called back into the pretesting area, where they are confronted by a battery of instruments that buzz, beep and chirp at them during testing. From there they’re off to the exam room where they’re put into the dark for a refraction, more testing and questioning. After the exam, it’s off to the dispensary if they’re getting eyeglasses. There, someone asks a bunch of additional questions, touches their face to take measurements, places eyewear on their face and stares at them, and continues this process until a frame is chosen. This is followed by what seems a litany of information about lens designs, materials and add-ons. At this point, it should be obvious that the exam and eyewear purchasing experience can create nervousness and anxiety, even in adults. Imagine now a child going through this same sequence. The nervousness and anxiety are amplified many times due to their youth and inexperience with such things. While that’s concerning enough, add to that the fact that the child’s parents are also anxious because they don’t know what’s causing their child’s vision issue(s) and what the doctor might tell them about their child’s future, the treatment they’ll receive and the cost. This means that sometimes the parents are as anxious as the child. Knowing this, your goal should be to find ways to make the waiting room, pretesting, exam and eyewear buying experience as cordial, friendly and fun, interactive and inviting as possible. Joy Gibb, an optician who writes and lectures about children’s eyewear dispensing suggests some specific strategies to prevent anxiety in children. After all the bright lights, big machines and eye drops during the eye exam, some VCPN | KIDS + VISION | JUNE 2018
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COURTESY OF KIDS BY SAFILO
kids are cranky and/or jittery and not ready for eyewear selection, so she suggests they return later in the day. Their eyes aren’t dilated any longer and the child is rested. If they choose to stay, she offers them child-friendly snacks such as Goldfish crackers or fruit snacks to give them a break between the exam and the dispensary. “Get on their level for measurements and fittings, even if that means taking a knee or getting on the floor with them,” Gibb recommends. “Let them be comfortable.” She likes to make it fun! “What’s their favorite color? What do their friends wear? Ask mom/dad what their budget is or if there’s a color or style they are absolutely opposed to,” Gibb suggests. “Now pull frames and let the child get what they want, explaining to mom/dad that the child will wear and take care of them better if they love them.” For measurements, Gibb plays a game with kids. She tells them they must look at her nose and that if they don’t, her nose could jump up to her forehead or over to her cheek. They usually get a pretty good giggle out of it, and some even reach out
to hold her nose in place while she takes the measurement. When she’s done, she wiggles her nose and asks them if they can wiggle theirs. She tells them to work on it and to show her what they can do when they pick up their eyeglasses. “Keep calm,” Gibb suggests. “If the child is frustrated and acting up, or if the parent is trying to hold them tight or shove eyeglass frames on them, it can create tension in a hurry for everyone involved. Stay cool, pleasant, and have fun. Sometimes the parents need that more than the kids. If you get upset because they are getting upset, it doesn’t help anyone.” UNDERSTAND VISUAL & LIFESTYLE NEEDS The best eyewear sale occurs when a patient’s wants and needs are matched by the optician with a product (or products) that provides the features and benefits that fulfill those wants and needs. Talented opticians know how to discover a patient’s wants and needs though careful questioning. This is often done through verbal questioning. Some use a questionnaire for this 39
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II COURTESY OF KIDS BY SAFILO
purpose. I suggest using both techniques. A well-designed questionnaire will have a comprehensive set of questions that explore a wide variety of issues that help you discover what products and product features a patient might need. The downside of a questionnaire is that it can’t probe for additional information. For example, your questionnaire might ask if the patient is bothered by bright light outdoors. Okay, they are … but when, where, how, how often, how intensely, etc.? Use your questionnaire first to do a comprehensive but preliminary assessment of the patient’s eyewear needs and wants. After reviewing the form, you’ll discover the areas where you need more information. From there, ask probing questions to get the detail you need in each area indicated. Working with kids, you’ll need a questionnaire that’s specific to the wants and needs of that population. While many of the questions may inquire about the same optical issues, you’ll want to rephrase them for kids. For example, asking if they are troubled by reflected glare on the job is amusing but pointless when working with kids (although their parents might get a chuckle from it). You’ll also want to 40
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ask kid-specific questions on your questionnaire such as, “Do you have difficulty seeing what the teacher writes or displays on the board?” The other aspect of serving kids’ eyewear needs and wants is to understand the visual demands they have. The more you know about children’s visual demands for school, play and daily life, the better able you’ll be to serve those requirements with eyewear. For example, kids read in school and use computers. How much reading do they do? What reading distance does an average 8-year old have? What’s the working distance of their computer? What are the visual and eyewear requirements for baseball, soccer, basketball, swimming, etc.? What activities can pose risk for their eyes and their vision at school, at play or at home? How much time do they spend in the sun? Answering these and other questions will help you serve your young patients well. AGE GROUPS The category we call children is a diverse one, and each age group has characteristics that define it. These characteristics also bear on their eyewear needs and wants.
Infants (ages 0-1) are totally dependent on their caregiver. When eyeglasses are needed, the frames must be lightweight, strong, flexible, durable and fit the unique tiny features of the face. Often an eyewear retainer is used to hold them in place. Toddlers (ages 1-5) and preschoolers are inquisitive and great explorers. They bang, chew and grab everything that’s in sight, so they need the same frame features as infants but with the fitting characteristics unique to their face. Early school-age kids (ages 6-8) have already developed a sense of style and fashion, so when choosing eyewear you’ll need to get their buy-in in addition to mom and/or pop. Be sure to discuss sports eyewear with this group and all subsequent groups. Tweens (ages 9-12) are dealing with adjusting to academic and social challenges. They have already developed brand recognition and in some cases, brand loyalty. Using branded product with this group is an important strategy for success. Teens (ages 13-18) are beginning to look beyond the family and trying to figure out where they fit into the world. Brands help them define themselves. Eyewear helps them make an important statement. Style and JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN
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MUST-HAVE FEATURES Children in all age groups should have lenses that have safety eyewear impact resistance and that absorb UV radiation and blue light. Offering industrial safety level lenses to children is a well-accepted practice in the ophthalmic world, so is offering lenses that absorb 100% UV radiation. What’s not so prevalent at this point is blue light absorbing lenses. While most eyecare professionals are aware of the research on blue light and its potential affect to the eye and the sleep cycle, many of them are not yet incorporating this feature into their lenses for children. Since blue light exposure is similar to UV exposure in that its affect on the retina is cumulative, the best time to start someone with these lenses is in childhood. Most lens manufacturers have blue light lens options, and most surfacing labs offer blue light lenses, either coated or with the blue light absorber in the lens material. There is still some controversy about how much blue light needs to be reduced and at what nanometer range, but research indicates that reducing blue light benefits humans … and that’s the thing to remember. The other feature that children should have is sun protection, and all children should have it, not just the ones who need prescription lenses for a refractive error or eye disorder. The human eye is a wonder of nature, but it’s not perfect. For example, it regulates light coming into the eye, but it doesn’t handle glare well. There are four types of glare the human eye encounters: Distracting glare is caused by light reflecting off of a lens’s two surfaces. Antireflective treatment manages this problem. Discomforting glare is experienced with changing lighting conditions, for example, when the sun ducks in and out of the clouds during the daytime. Photochromic lenses manage this glare. Disabling glare occurs when light levels are high and the eye experiences exceptional brightness, such as on a sandy beach on a bright day. Fixed tint and photochromic lenses manage this glare. Blinding glare occurs when reflections off a shiny surface overwhelm vision to the point the person can’t see objects. Polarized lenses manage this glare. Good quality sun lenses manage all four VCPN | KIDS + VISION | JUNE 2018
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types of glare. They also provide levels of visual comfort and protection children need. While it may be challenging to get the parents to spend the money for sunglasses in addition to a clear pair, the key to success is to emphasize that sunglasses are a medical necessity, not a fashion luxury. Sure, they can be fashionable … that’s clearly an objective, but their primary purpose is to manage the four types of glare, absorb UV and blue light, and provide exceptional impact resistance. These are elements of sunglasses parents will understand and accept. IMPACT RESISTANCE AND KIDS When it’s time to decide on a lens material, there are three criteria the optician must address: 1. the impact resistance 2. the thickness requirements of the patient’s Rx 3. availability of the lens design in the desired material While all three have a bearing on the lens material you’ll choose for a patient, they must be considered in order of priority. The most important factor is impact resistance. Lens materials fall into two fundamental categories: standard impact resistance and safety (or industrial) impact resistance. Most eyecare professionals will insist that children, especially little ones, get safety impact resistance lenses such as polycarbonate or Trivex for clear Rx eyewear and NXT for sunwear. Older children such as teens, might have some other material if the parent and the optician/optometrist decide it’s an acceptable option for them. That’s a professional decision that must be made individually. As you can see, choosing safety impact-resistant materials substantially limits your lens choices (Trivex, polycarbonate and NXT). How the Rx affects thickness is your second concern. This may have you choosing polycarbonate over Trivex for its higher index of refraction to obtain a thinner lens profile, for example. The last consideration is availability. If the lens design you want for your young patient is not available in the material you want, you’ll have to move onto another material. You should be aware that there is now a new lens material option named Tribrid. It’s a Trivex-like material that has similar properties to Trivex but with a 1.60 index of
ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
fashion can be more important to them than eyewear function, so be on guard for this.
refraction and about half the impact resistance of Trivex (which is still substantially tougher than CR-39 and many other standard impact-resistant lens materials). Made by PPG, it’s available in a variety of lens styles and may be just what your younger patients need. It has a very high Abbe value, a low specific gravity, very good impact resistance, offers 100% UV protection, is thin and coats and drills well. ADEQUATE STOCK As mentioned earlier, children’s eyewear represents approximately 8% of total U.S. eyewear sales. This makes some offices less enthusiastic about selling children’s eyewear. Most children’s eyewear contains single vision lenses, which are substantially less expensive than multifocals, and therefore have less profit in the total sale. From an inventory perspective, this can be a problem. For adults you have “men’s” and “women’s” frames that serve 92% of your clientele. That makes it worth stocking a large amount of them, probably one thousand frames or so, depending on your office size and patient base. Following that logic, you’d have only 80 frames for kids of all ages. That’s clearly not going to offer enough choices for size, color, shape, etc. If you’re serious about kid’s frames, you’ll need to put in an adequate supply that enables you to fit kids of all ages properly as well as offer them the features they need such as durability, impact resistance, different styles, color options and more. How many is the right number? It’s difficult to determine a solid number or percentage because every office will make that determination differently. What is clear is that you’ll need a higher percentage of kids frames’ in stock than you would for the adult “men’s” and women’s” categories. Instead of trying to pick an arbitrary number or percentage of kids’ frames to stock, consider what features you want your kids’ frames to have. You’ll need to consider the variable needs of kids in different age groups for this because their needs change as they get older. Find the products that match your list of features, and make sure you buy enough choices so that you can fit all your patients and their optical, fashion and lifestyle needs completely. When you’re satisfied that you can do that with the stock you have, you’ve determined the number or percentage of frames you need for kids. 41
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DEDICATED SPACE Now that you’ve decided what you want to carry, you’ll need to display it. Opticians who specialize in pediatric dispensing agree that you should have a dedicated kid-friendly space for children and their eyewear in your office. For example, Nallibe Mehfoud, an optician in Richmond, VA, with decades of pediatric dispensing experience, suggests a number of strategies: • create an adequate space for children’s frames, and make it warm, friendly, clean and appealing to them (and their parents) • make the space safe and child resistant by keeping all fragile and adult items (such as cords, chains, cleaners, clip-ons, etc.) away from this area • section the area using furniture • give the area a snappy kid-friendly name like “Kidz Korner” • decorate with toys, children’s books and magazines, puzzles, crayons and coloring books • post a bulletin board at children’s eye level showing current pictures of kids with their new eyeglasses • use a brightly colored tot-sized table and chair set with a matching bookshelf • a TV/digital player on hand is also a great source of entertainment and can be used to educate the parents on eyewear features and other optical considerations • display kids’ eyewear at kids’ eye level • make your displays bright, colorful and 42
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appealing to kids • consider using brands kids recognize KEEP ’EM CLEAN I’ve always found it a bit odd that while we’re in the business of providing the clearest vision possible to our patients, we don’t spend much time explaining to eyewear buyers the importance of keeping their eyeglasses clean. By the way, this includes both the lenses and the frame. On the frame side, there are three factors that keep eyewear secure and in place: balance, weight and what I call grip (tension and friction). Eyeglasses that don’t balance well slip, and those that are heavy slip even easier. But it’s the grip — the tension
of the temples to the head and the friction of the eyewear material that touches the face and nose — that helps avoid that slipping. What counteracts these things? Facial oils that build up on the frame. The way to overcome the problem is to wash the frame routinely in mild soapy water. It takes less than a minute, and the resulting improvement in frame stability can be surprising. Cleaning eyeglass lenses often just makes sense. The cleaner they are; the better they provide their full usefulness. I use my microfiber cleaning cloth every day, and I wash my lenses (and the frame) about once a week in warm soapy water. Teaching young patients (and their parents) how to clean their eyewear and why it’s so important is not just good opticianry; it can also be good business. After demonstrating how to clean their lenses with your favorite cleaning solution, give them (or their parents, if the child is young) a sample of it, and suggest that they sign up for a replacement bottle every three months, which you sell to them. Also consider demonstrating how effective an ultrasonic unit is for cleaning eyeglass lenses and frames, and offer them one for sale. Children’s eyewear can be a rewarding part of your dispensing experience. While it takes insight, special interpersonal skills, specific inventory and a strong commitment, the effort you give to this portion of the eyewear population will pay off on many levels. n Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM, is editor emeritus of First Vision Media Group.
This course is ONLY available for online testing. TO TAKE THE TEST ONLINE: Go to VisionCareProducts.com/Education 1. Under the black Log In Bar – log in (Note: If you have not registered on our new sites since September 2017 use the “register” link to register for online education, and record your user name and password for future access.) 2. Click on the course you would like to complete. 3. Review the course materials. 4. T ake the test, and at the end of the course, after you submit your answers, your results will automatically appear on your screen! 5. All passing tests will automatically be submitted to ABO at the beginning of each month. You may print a copy of your certificate for your records. JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN
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KIDS + VISION: FITTING SPECIAL NEEDS
Fitting SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN This very specific demographic subset has its own unique challenges . . . and rewards.
By Kevin Harrison, ABOC
F
itting children with pediatric eyewear presents challenges and opportunities, but fitting special needs children leads to an entirely different set of hurdles. “Special needs” is a broad term. In most cases, people who hear the term typically think Down Syndrome, but there are a number of other challenges that fall into this category. In our dispensary, we have fit children with autism, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other disorders I wouldn’t even begin to try to pronounce, much less spell. We are presented with unique fits involving hearing aids and cochlear implants and even missing or malformed ears. Each customer is unique and must be dealt with accordingly. FRAME SELECTION The first challenge is frame selection. Pediatric eyewear sales already represent a small segment of the typical customer base. Unless you are known in your market for fitting special needs children, the number of frames specifically dedicated to fitting these special customers is an even smaller portion of your inventory mix. Once you have determined what that percentage should be, you must decide how they are going to be displayed. Because frames that can be worn by the more traditional pediatric customer may work for a special needs customer, but frames worn by the more special needs customer may not be appropriate for the typical pediatric customer, it is suggested that the special frames be stored in a tray in your understock to be pulled out on those occasions when they are needed. Frames for patients with Down Syndrome can often come out of regular stock, but specialty frames do exist, such as those with nosepad arms connected at a lower part of the eyewire to allow the wearer’s eyes to be better centered in the lenses.
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Material is a huge factor in frame selection for most special needs children. If a metal frame must be used, I recommended memory metal, but most of these children would be better fit in a plastic frame with as much flexibility as possible. A rubberized frame is a great option as well as frames with few, if any, screws and hinges. PRESENTATION In a typical pediatric engagement, the trick is to speak to the child. Many special needs patients, however, are not as engaging, and many of their parents are, rightfully so, extremely protective of their children. The ways to communicate in these situations is best determined on a case-by-case basis. Talking with the more communicative of your special customers is a great way to reduce fear and make them feel like they are a true part of the decision-making process. If the patient is non-communicative, the conversation should engage the parent(s). But even this communication needs to be different. Parents of special needs children typically need more detail in the information you provide. They need to know the why and the how about what you are doing for their child. If you are putting an eyewear retainer on a frame, they need to understand why. If you are not putting a retainer on a frame, they need to know why you don’t recommend it. And they need it all explained in the terms you would like to have it explained to you if you knew nothing about eyeglasses. We all know a temple is not a temple to the average consumer, for example. So rather than just using the word “temple,” explain what it refers to. MEASURING Special needs customers have seen more than their fair share of clinics and doctors. Just as with a more traditional pediatric customer, the lab coats and sterile environments can elicit a wide range of emotions, and 43
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KIDS + VISION: FITTING SPECIAL NEEDS
The reward for easing the burden on a special needs child or the parent of a special needs child will easily outweigh the occasional monetary loss. most of them are negative. If your job requires you to wear a lab coat, it might be a good idea to ditch it for these customers. Creating an environment with toys and colorful displays may make it more inviting for them, but even that doesn’t always soothe the patient. Getting a simple PD measurement may feel like it requires a straightjacket and a number of people to hold the child down, but it doesn’t have to come to that. Getting perfection in the measurements for the smaller and younger special needs children (as well as many children in general) may be difficult to attain. Inner to outer canthus may be the only PD measurement available to you. While it may not be the most optimal measurement, it may be the only measurement you’ll be able to get. Once familiarity is established, subsequent measurements will be better. Segment height measurements and monocular measurements present more of a challenge. Digital measuring devices that use a camera may be the best choice as some special needs children enjoy having their picture taken, and telling them you want to take their picture with their new eyeglasses may just do the trick. Regardless of the method you choose, expediency is the key. The faster you get a measurement, the better. You typically do not have much time to gain and maintain their attention! SALES POTENTIAL While the special needs community may not be a large portion of your market, their families and extended families sure can be. By being willing to help special customers, you are certain to develop loyalty. That loyalty goes a long way in drawing the other members of their family in to see you. And the special needs community is a tight knit group. When you provide for one member of the community, they become walking advertising for you. One prime example of this is the customer we had in our dispensary the other day. This small child had a number of birth defects. Premature birth can create a multitude of challenges for a child as they grow. This child came in with hearing aids over each tiny ear.
The frames they came in with continually pushed the hearing aids from behind the ear. The solution was to take a popular plastic pediatric frame and modify it. These frames, and others in the same malleable material, come with an eyewear retainer strap, so we modified the frame by cutting the temple short, smoothing the rough edges, and drilling a hole in the remaining part of the temple. The retainer popped into the newly drilled hole and created a goggle that fits more easily and does not push the hearing aids out of the way. When the modified frame was dispensed, the mother immediately said she would tell all of her friends with similar issues to come see us. Wordof-mouth works extremely well in this community. While we are all about making money, we should all remember our purpose, which is to make life better for all. Sometimes fitting a special needs customer may cost us more than we make. Sometimes we may even make the work we do a charity case. However, the reward for easing the burden on a special needs child or the parent of a special needs child will easily outweigh the occasional monetary loss. In fact, the cause marketing potential for helping these children can increase your overall sales in your more traditional markets. n Kevin Harrison, ABOC, is president and owner of Heritage Vision Center, an independent optical dispensary in Hattiesburg, MS.
THE RIGHT FIT Emerson Scott was born prematurely and had a lazy eye, among other eyesight issues, and her nosebridge wasn’t fully developed. The glasses that she was originally prescribed in Boston didn’t fit well and couldn’t fully correct her vision. Her grandmother took her to see her own optician, Chris Cannella at Specs of Westport. After attempting to bend her current frames into the right position and trying on other brands, Cannella discovered that a pair of teal Kids by Safilo frames fit much better and provided total vision correction. Designed to cover a child’s full field of vision, the collection is made of bio-based materials that are washable, hypoallergenic and non-toxic. The frames have a lower nosebridge and straight temples with a horizontal bend to “hug” the child’s head without pressure. The story had such heartwarming universal appeal that it was featured on Modern Living with Kathy Ireland. 44
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LEFT: Mom Alexis Scott with daughter Emerson Scott in Kids by Safilo RIGHT: Safilo’s Bruce Abramson on the set of Modern Living with Kathy Ireland
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KIDS + VISION: PRODUCT SHOWCASE
ESSILOR OF AMERICA CRIZAL KIDS UV Reading, focusing, seeing the board at school – with the right lenses – a child can conquer the world, or at least first grade. And with the smudge- and scratch-resistant technology of Crizal Kids UV, their ultra-durable glasses will provide the clarity they need to succeed in school and in life. Essilor is known for superior quality and innovative technology, and its lenses are no different. The innovative Crizal Kids UV no-glare protection from Essilor is made especially for kids. These lenses provide superior clarity of vision for school and superior safety for play. Benefits include protection from glare and reflections, safe, impact-resistant Airwear polycarbonate lens material, and comprehensive daily UV protection. EssilorUSA.com
KIDS BY SAFILO EYEWEAR COLLECTION FOR 2018 The KIDS by Safilo eyewear collection is designed in collaboration with SIOP (Società Italiana di Oftalmologia Pediatrica) in compliance with the WSPOS (World Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus). In lightweight, safe and eco-friendly materials and 100% made in Italy, the bio-compatible, hypoallergenic, and washable glasses are suited for infants and toddlers from 0 to 8 years old. The medical-scientific approach has resulted in children’s eyewear that is safe (flexible and free of sharp surfaces and edges); comfortable (lightweight, stable, with a lower bridge, a special temple design that hugs the child’s head and lenses that cover the child’s entire field of vision); durable (made with flexible and stable materials); and aesthetically pleasing (discreet on the child’s face, almost invisible, especially for younger children). KIDS by Safilo for children from 3 to 8 years feature new and playful color stories with fun and original graphics. Translucent fronts are combined with solid temples decorated with colorful patterns. Exclusive clipon sun-covers with polarized lenses provide glare-free vision, clear contrast, naturally appearing colors, reduced eye fatigue and 100% UV protection. New elastic straps and ultra-soft silicone tips keep the frame in place for extended periods without compromising comfort. SafiloGroup.com/Kids
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GUESS SPRING/SUMMER 2018 TWEEN COLLECTION The new GUESS Spring/Summer 2018 tween eyewear collection offers lightweight, easy-to-wear styles that play with lively, fun color combinations for a modern, trendy style. The fresh frames, in mainly rectangular shapes, are functional and stylish. This dynamic collection meets the requirements of today’s tween with refreshingly original materials and colors. GU9179 (on the cover of KIDS + VISION): These rectangular-shaped boys’ eyeglasses in acetate are available in different color combinations. GU9180: These boys’ rectangular eyeglasses in acetate and metal are available in shiny and satin color finishes for an original, lively look. GU9175: An injection-molded rectangular shape enhances these unisex eyeglasses. The color combinations of the frame brighten up this style. GU9176: Crystal effect hues in the frame complement this rectangular acetate eyeglass frame for girls. GU9177: A squared shape in acetate and metal defines this eyeglass frame for girls. The color combinations of the frame add a playful touch to this style. Marcolin.com
ESSILOR VISION FOUNDATION Vision is an invisible problem as children are often unable to self-identify that their vision is impaired. They rely on their parents, teachers and communities to be advocates for their vision care. Essilor Vision Foundation believes all children deserve to see the world clearly, and we work toward this goal every day. In 2017, Essilor Vision Foundation provided more than 250,000 pairs of eyeglasses to individuals in need. Our programs focus on overcoming the barriers to vision care so fewer children slip through the cracks. We partner with communities and nonprofit organizations around the U.S. to provide eye exams and eyeglasses to underserved children at no cost to their families. We also work to educate parents, teachers, school nurses and other adults about the importance of vision and the role it plays in literacy, society and the economy. We count on vision advocates who want to make a difference by volunteering their time to help spread the word about the importance of regular eye exams. Without charitable eye doctors, millions of children across the U.S. would be unable to obtain vision services. With your help, we can provide vision service to the millions of children in need. EVFUSA.org
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Every Child Deserves to See the World Clearly Millions of kids in the U.S. need vision care
DID YOU KNOW?
80% of all vision impairment
™
1 IN 4 CHILDREN have a vision problem that affects their ability to learn
Children rely on their PARENTS, TEACHERS and COMMUNITY to be advocates for their VISION CARE.
V could be PREVENTED OR CURED
To learn more or to donate, visit www.evfusa.org At Essilor Vision Foundation, we strive to give children a brighter future by helping them see the world more clearly.
Since 2007, the Essilor Vision Foundation has provided more than 500,000 pairs of eyeglasses to individuals in need. The Essilor Vision Foundation is a 501(c)3 public, non-profit organization committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences.
™
©2018 Essilor Vision Foundation. All rights reserved. Unless indicated otherwise, all registered trademarks, service marks, and trademarks are the property of Essilor Vision Foundation. The Essilor Vision Foundation logo is a trademark of Essilor of America, Inc. and used under license. Better Life Through Better Sight is a trademark of Essilor International used with permission. Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) is a non-profit organization committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences. EVF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations may be obtained without cost by writing Dept. of Finance, Essilor Vision Foundation, 13515 N. Stemmons Fwy., Dallas, TX 75234 or calling 1-866-385-0447.
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New. Launch
SAFILO
ELIE SAAB Six ophthalmic models fall under the Chaine and Vague design themes, each reflecting the refined style of the design house. Characterized by twisted metal wires and geometric contours in gold-finished metal, the collection is crafted in Italy by goldsmith artisans. Soft-squared frames of Vague styles ES 017 and ES 018 feature gold-plated frame fronts and tone-on-tone acetate inserts. Gold with a transparent gray hood and beige tips and copper gold with a nude hood and pink tips round out the subtle color palette. Four Chaine models (ES 019, ES 020, ES 021, ES 022) feature twisted metal temples in oval, pilot, round and square shapes. Temple tips in either havana or black acetate come with gold demo lenses. 800.631.1188 Safilo.com
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New. Special Collections
LUXOTTICA DOLCE & GABBANA/#DGGRAFFITI Paying homage to contemporary, streetwear styling, one ophthalmic and four sun styles for women in addition to one men’s sun are replete with color, prints and fun graffiti writing. Designs such as hearts, stars and crowns adorn temples and frames, which are predominantly black, white and red. Model DG2198, part of the “Customize Your Eyes” collection, is an oversized round,
gold metal frame with gray gradient lenses and four pattern options: leopard, majolica, graffiti or black/white stripes with roses. The DG3285 ophthalmic style features a bold, acetate cat-eye-shaped frame with white and red graffiti printing on the temples. 800.422.2020 Luxottica.com
KERING PUMA EYEWEAR/SPECIAL EDITION SUEDE To mark the 50th anniversary of Puma’s classic suede sneaker, this special edition unisex sun model reflects a vintage vibe with its classic pilot shape and soft geometric angles. A thin double bar detail on the upper front is embellished with leather “look and feel” temples, borrowing the signature material of the sneakers. 844.790.9165 Kering.com
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New.
CLEARVISION OPTICAL ELLEN TRACY STYLE: THE PATNA
MONDOTTICA DUCATI
RANDOLPH ENGINEERING
I & EYE OPTICAL
STYLE: DAS 5005
FUSION
VÄRI EYEWEAR
STYLE: P3P5404
STYLE: VC1
With a Mazzucchelli inlay around the frame front, styles in the Fusion collection come in five colors including bright chrome, 22 karat rose gold and gunmetal. Gradient, SkyTec Lite lenses are anti-reflective and scratch resistant and offer 100% UVA and UVB protection.
VC1 and VC2 ophthalmic models transform to sunglasses with lightweight magnetic clips for a secure attachment. Sun clips feature polarized mirrored and non-mirrored G15 lenses. Mirrored lenses come in three colors: blue, orange and gold.
Sixteen ophthalmic models are thin and light for a polished look. Named after international locales, styles offer a variety of shapes such as cat eye and modified square in sophisticated color options. The Patna is also available in petite fit.
Two sun styles include the Ducati spring hinge located outside of the temple. The oversized pilot-shaped DAS 5005 has a matte-finished TR-90 front and subtle keyhole bridge, while model DAS 7003 features visible screws and a triple bridge to mimic the trellis design of vintage Ducatis.
800.645.3733 CVOptical.com
866.666.3662 MondotticaUSA.com
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800.541.1405 RandolphUSA.com
516.570.2723 VariEyewear.com
MARCHON LACOSTE NOVAK DJOKOVIC EYEWEAR COLLECTION STYLE: L102SND
This unisex aviator-style sun model comes in four colors and features oval-shaped lenses and a double metal bridge. Metallic-finished temples incorporate an enameled, tri-color block design with “ND” branding on the temple tip and inside the temples. 800.645.1300 Marchon.com
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New. Special Collections
Ă˜RGREEN QUANTUM 2.0 COLLECTION Utilizing a spherical hinge to connect titanium temples to polyamide fronts, frames in this collection contain no extraneous parts such as screws or bolts. Made of Japanese titanium, 12 models for men and women come in colors such as petroleum blue and black plus combinations, including gold and chocolate and bordeaux and gold. Shapes range from square and round to cat eye and butterfly. 844.796.4623 OrgreenOptics.com
AYA OPTICAL AYA X KATHY MARIANITO AYA Optical collaborated with Navajo master weaver Kathy Marianito to create two ophthalmic models that incorporate designs inspired by Navajo textiles and blankets. The Aspen and Ryan models both feature a Navajo Chief Blanket Design created by Marianito that is based on a blanket owned by her great-great grandfather. The semi-rimless Aspen comes with adjustable nosepads for a customized fit and is offered in matte burgundy or matte black. The unisex Ryan model, available in two sizes to accommodate larger face shapes, is constructed of lightweight metal glass complemented by either a satin brown or satin black front. Both models can accommodate progressive lenses, and proceeds are donated to indigenous communities in need. 877.377.6601, ClaudiaAlan.com.
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New.
ZYLOWARE EYEWEAR
CLARITI EYEWEAR
MODERN OPTICAL
VIA SPIGA
STYLE: SMART S2827
UROCK COLLECTION
STYLE: NELLA
Four ophthalmic models offered in lightweight materials such as FlexTitanium, TR-90 or acetate come in shapes such as rectangle and cat eye. Styles are offered in fun colors such as blueberry, amber and blue teal or combinations such as mocha/gold.
STYLE: SOLO
This round, full rim zyl frame comes in three colors and features horn temples in burgundy, blue or amber that include a shiny metal plaque engraved with the Via Spiga logo. Spring hinges allow for easy adjustments and the ability to accommodate progressive lenses. 800.765.3700 Zyloware.com
800.372.6372 ClaritiEyewear.com
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Four men’s styles added to this men’s collection incorporate metal accents, textured patterns and matte finishes. The Solo model features a wood grain pattern on the temples, metal trim and spring hinges and is available is three colors: black matte, gray/navy matte and tortoise matte. 800.323.2409 ModernOptical.com
BRILLENEYES
DERIGO REM
DUTZ EYEWEAR
LUCKY BRAND
STYLE: DZ2196
STYLE: D110
Floral prints, stripes and sleek shapes are prominent in this ophthalmic collection of acetate frames. The DZ2196 cat eye features an acetate top and temples incorporating a marble effect. Shades of blue, wine and purple add a feminine touch.
A rounded rectangle frame shape in a rose gold hue combines a lightweight stainless steel front with marbled acetate temples. A metal foil Lucky Brand logo sits on top of the temple, while temple tips feature the signature clover. Adjustable nosepads and spring hinges provide a comfortable fit.
949.215.9661 BrillenEyes.com
800.423.3023 DeRigo.US
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New.
EASTERN STATES EYEWEAR
MATCH EYEWEAR
IMAGEWEAR
MOREL
CHARMANT
LIGHTEC OMICRON 4
TITANIUM
ADRIENNE VITTADINI
BETSEY JOHNSON, PETITE COLLECTION
DIVA
STYLE: 30047L
STYLE: CH12150
STYLE: 5492
STYLE: AV1224
STYLE: FOX
Bold temples are adorned with both circular and triangular Swarovski crystals. The acetate frame features a slight bevel along the top of the frame front. A tortoise color theme, including an aqua blue option, creates a soft look.
Models take inspiration from U.S. desert destinations with leather-embellished temples in tones reminiscent of desert sunsets. The semi-rimless teacup model AV1224 features a flat metal construction and thick acetate temples with a pebbled leather inset and golden bands.
Six women’s models designed to fit smaller faces reflect the fun Betsey Johnson look. Styles are offered in two color choices each such as satin teal and satin purple, pink, green and black. Full-acetate or semi-rimless frames incorporate shiny detailing or prints on temple tips.
Lightec models feature the new Omicron 4 hinge — a single piece that eliminates the need for a spring — making pantoscopic tilt adjustments easy. Three rectangle-shaped frames are composed of two-tone stainless fronts with acetate temples.
Three ophthalmics for men and one for women feature titanium frames for lightweight comfort. The butterfly-shaped women’s CH12150 model incorporates a full titanium frame with accented temples and spring hinges and is available in blue, burgundy, brown and brown-pink. 800.645.2121 Charmant.com
877.88.MATCH MatchEyewear.com
800.414.7656 ImageWear.com
800.526.8838 Morel-France.com
800.645.3710 ESEyewear.com
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New.
PLAN “B” EYEWEAR GLACÉE STYLE: GL6868
Metal and combination frames in 14 models incorporate texture and patterns for a fresh, fun vibe. Double brow bars and an emphasis on smaller, rounded shapes complete the collection. Style GL6868 combines a patterned frame front and temples with contrasting temple tips. 888.399.7742 AlternativeEyes.com
WESTGROUPE
ic! berlin
L’AMY AMERICA
SD EYES
EVATIK
MEET THE CREW
CAFÉ LUNETTES
STYLE: E-9170
STYLE: SYBILLE A
NICOLE MILLER YOURFIT, TITANIUM COLLECTION
This large fit, men’s ophthalmic features an antique horn-patterned acetate with contrasting finishes. Available in olive wood, black wood and brown wood, style E-9170 combines a glossy finish on the bottom front with wood grain finishes on the top front and temples.
This ophthalmic model for women features a full stainless steel frame with a rounded shape. Sybille A. comes in five colorways: black, shiny bronze, rose gold, millenniplum and cocoloco, which are twotoned with one color on the outside of the frame and a different color on the inside.
855.455.0042 WestGroupe.com
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866.634.8990 ic-berlin.de
STYLE: NM BUSHWICK
Two titanium models offer thin profiles and lightweight comfort with a roomier fit. NM Bushwick incorporates diamond patterned temples that transition to multicolored acetate temple tips and is available in: matte burgundy/ navy tortoise, matte eggplant/ teal tortoise and matte navy/ purple tortoise.
STYLE: CAFÉ 3272
This semi-rimless, modified cat eye for women features a metal front and carbon fiber temples to create a lightweight feel. Three color options — black, indigo and berry — are feminine and sophisticated. 800.962.3200 SDEywear.com
800.243.6350 LAmyAmerica.com
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Free-Form.
FREE-FORM
for all
W
hile it’s not easy keeping up with the newest lens designs regularly being introduced, here are the latest free-form offerings from the major manufacturers.
ESSILOR RODENSTOCK Impression FreeSign 3 progressive lenses come in four variations based on lifestyle: Active, for those with sporty lifestyles, provide high image stability at far and medium viewing distances; Allround, for those who participate in various activities, offer comfort for all visual zones; Expert, for patients who need smooth vision at all distances, especially medium distances; and Individual lenses, which are completely customized based on lifestyle using Rodenstock’s DNEye Scanner to accurately measure high and low order aberrations.
Varilux X Series lenses feature Xtend technology, a design calculation that extends the area of vision within arm’s reach, eliminating the need to tilt or angle the head to find “just the right spot,” according to Essilor. Nanoptix technology helps to reduce an “off balance” sensation, and Synchroneyes technology allows for a smoother transition between visual distances. Varilux X Series lenses also incorporate Wavefront Advanced Vision Enhancement (W.A.V.E.) Technology 2 for sharp vision even in low-light conditions.
HOYA HOYA’s iD MyStyle 2 lenses accommodate the total needs of a patient, from lifestyle to previous lenses worn. Lenses incorporate Binocular Harmonization Technology (BHT), which treats the right and left prescription as individual components to define the required binocular lens design. The necessary corridor length and progressive power distribution are then calculated, ensuring both eyes receive equal accommodative support. Every iD MyStyle 2 prescription is verified before the lenses are made with HOYA’s Binocular Eye Model and 3D visual acuity simulation.
Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. 866-596-5467 ZEISS.com/Lenses Essilor of America, Inc. 800.542.5668 EssilorUSA.com HOYA Vision Care, North America 800.423.2361 HoyaVision.com Rodenstock 307.763.4945 Rodenstock.com 56 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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Free-Form. VSP OPTICS
SIGNET ARMORLITE
Optimized for work environments, Unity Via OfficePro lenses automatically calculate near and intermediate distance zones and are available in two working distances — 5 feet and 10 feet — to accommodate all patients’ needs. With maximized near and intermediate zones, Unity Via OfficePro lenses aid in computer work, reading, writing and in meetings. According to VSP Optics, Unity Via OfficePro lenses help to alleviate eye strain, improve ergonomic comfort and provide clarity of digital displays. Unity Via OfficePro lenses are available in CR-39, polycarbonate, Trivex and high index 1.60, 1.67 and 1.74 materials.
The newest addition to Kodak’s Professional Series, Kodak Unique DRO progressive lenses incorporate a full backside progressive design, i-Sync technology to maximize clarity in the peripheral area of the lens and Vision First Design technology to increase prescription accuracy with a smooth gradation of power across the lens surface. Lenses are available in six corridor lengths and more than 60 materials. Dynamic Reading Optimization (DRO) technology maximizes the reading zone to provide comfort during prolonged digital device use. DRO technology also reduces oblique astigmatic errors in the reading area, allowing eyes to focus for longer periods of time.
SHAMIR
ZEISS
To address the everyday needs of wearers, Shamir released Autograph II+ lenses that combine two digital technologies: Close-Up, which adjusts the reading zone inset of the lens to provide increased comfort for reading and intermediate viewing, and Natural Posture, a technology that controls the location of the near viewing zone as a function of a plus or minus prescription, which affects both head position and posture. Autograph II+ lenses offer wide viewing fields and a personalized prescription based on the selected frame with the company’s As-Worn Technology. Lenses are available in both variable and fixed designs, including 11mm, 13mm, 15mm and 18mm fitting heights. They are offered in 1.5 hard resin, DLC Trivex, 1.56, NXT, SuperLite 1.60, SuperLite 1.67 and SuperLite 1.74 materials.
Luminance Design technology provides better vision in low-light conditions in ZEISS DriveSafe lenses, available for both single vision and progressive lens wearers. DuraVision DriveSafe coating reduces glare by reflecting the most harmful wavelengths from LED and Xenon headlights, and progressive lenses incorporate optimized distance and intermediate viewing zones to reduce the need for horizontal head movement while driving.
Shamir Insight, Inc. 877.514.8330 ShamirLens.com Signet Armorlite 800.759.4630 SignetArmorlite.com KodakLens.com/PRO VSP Optics UnityLenses.com V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Free-Form.
DIY lenses
by Cara Huzinec
T
he ability to customize lenses to patients’ needs was the driving force behind Kevin Baab’s decision to make lenses in-house. By purchasing the necessary equipment, along with a lab management system and lens design software, Baab Opticians in Mountain Top, PA, can now give patients what they need and want in a lens without having to order them. “We sit down with patients and explain to them how lenses are made currently and just how accurate the calibration is,” said Baab, vice president and secretary of Baab Opticians, which is owned by his father John and was founded in the early 1970s by his grandfather, George. “We talk about their wants and needs, whether they’ve worn a progressive before and how to prioritize their needs.” Since last September, Baab Opticians
has used lens design software from IOT America, Optivision’s lab management system and the Nano line from Schneider Optical Machines (blocker, generator and polisher), and no longer sends out jobs for quicker turnaround times and truly personalized products.
“They could probably do 30 jobs per day and at a smaller price point because they’ll be producing a digital bifocal off a single vision lens.” - Robin Cassidy, QLDS SOFTWARE OPTIONS IOT’s catalogue includes 28 individual lens designs in five families, allowing ECPs to meet their own needs: from dual-sided designs with Camber technology to specialty
WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT, A LAB MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND LENS DESIGN SOFTWARE, ECPS CAN OFFER PATIENTS PROPRIETARY, HIGH-QUALITY DIGITAL FREE-FORM LENSES AT A FRACTION OF THE PRICE.
lenses such as the company’s own inMotion driving lens. IOT also offers backside digital bifocals and an anti-fatigue lens design. “Every customer’s laboratory is different in terms of equipment, size, layout, processes and preferences,” said Marcos Garcia, director of technical services at IOT America. “Our Free-Form Designer software is extremely flexible, so we can adapt to each customer’s specific situation rather than forcing laboratories to adapt their processes to us.” Daniel Crespo, president of IOT America, said, “There are no pre-defined structures or package solutions. We work as a partner to our customers with a high level of involvement.” Lens design software from Crossbows Optical offers ECPs its products as “white label products, often under a laboratory’s own branding,” said Trevor Steele, managing director of Crossbows. “This gives the ECP the ability to dispense very high quality
Augen Optics 866.284.3611 AugenOptics.com Crossbows Optical +44 (0)28 3832 2301 CrossbowsOptical.com General@CrossbowsOptical.com IOT America 877.414.7809 IOTAmerica.com Novar Novar-Tech.com Info@Novar-Tech.com 58 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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Free-Form.
Crossbows Optical
Augen Optics’ EasyForm System
Novar Freeform Designer
At Baab Opticians in Mountain Top, PA, optician Kevin Baab runs a digital lab with equipment from Schneider and lens design software from IOT. “From a retail standpoint, it’s [in-house lens design] individualized for the patients,” he said.
IOT
designs at significantly lower costs than the top branded designs.” Crossbows Optical offers three levels of customization in progressive lens designs plus lifestyle designs, “bigressives,” blended bifocals and single vision lenses. “Our designs can offer many sophisticated features such as ray-tracing optimization, prescription compensation and edge blending for reduced thicknesses,” Steele added. “It also gives the ECP access to more basic designs at very competitive pricing.” Buenos Aires, Argentina-based Opulens offers Novar Freeform Designer software, giving ECPs the opportunity to create their own lenses with the company’s technology: either with their own private label lenses or by participating in a laboratory group to create a global trademark. With Novar software, ECPs have access to all lens designs, including progressives for specialty use in
the office to the outdoors and while driving. Augen Optics’ EasyForm is an integrated, digital free-form system in a package: a digital surfacing generator, speed blocker and polisher, plus a laser engraving system and Augen’s lens design software. The software designs Augen high definition lenses with aspheric/double aspheric technology. Free-form progressives include Augen’s HDRx Trinity 13/17 for general wear, HDRx Trinity 8/12 for small frames and HDRx Trinity Spacia for outdoor activities and technology and digital device use. HD single vision aspheric/double aspheric lenses can also be produced, and all lens designs are compatible with most materials, treatments and coatings. COMING SOON QLDS, which is working with software development company Softlinker, is set to
launch a digital bifocal lens design later this summer, said Robin Cassidy, QLDS president. According to Cassidy, there’s a “huge market” for digital bifocals in South America and Europe, and QLDS is working with several lab management systems to become fully integrated with them. “We wanted to target the bifocal market because of the increased use of digital devices and eye strain,” she said. “There hasn’t been a good bifocal digital lens out there.” Currently undergoing testing, QLDS will offer lenses with both wider and more narrow segments, and as long as an independent ECP has a lab management system, they can use the software. “It would definitely benefit them,” Cassidy said. “They could probably do 30 jobs per day and at a smaller price point because they’ll be producing a digital bifocal off a single vision lens.” n
QLDS 727.755.0305 Robin.Cassidy@qlds.co Schneider Optical Machines 972.247.4000 Schneider-om.com
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Photo Clinic.
Photo CLINIC WESTERN OPTICAL SUPPLY’S TEMPLE BENDING PLIERS ENABLE ECPS TO QUICKLY AND EASILY FIT PATIENT EARPIECES.
1
During the first frame fitting, the earpiece will have virtually no relationship to the shape of the patient’s ear, so it’s important to have the proper tool always handy for this common yet critical adjustment.
3
After determining where the bend should begin, heat the earpiece with a hot air blower or glass bead warmer and grasp the earpiece with the pliers, which feature several round forms to create a variety of arcs in the earpiece to match the shape of the back of the ear. While securely holding the earpiece and the pliers, wrap the earpiece around the form to create the arc.
O
ne of the most common adjustments and perhaps the most critical is curving the earpiece to conform to each patient’s ear. Follow these four steps using Western Optical Supply’s Temple Bending Pliers to professionally dispense frames with kink-free earpieces.
2
There are two objectives for the optician. The first is to curve the earpiece so it matches the curve behind the patient’s ear for a comfortable yet snug fit. The second objective is that the curve should be continuous and smooth without sharp angles or kinks for a superior cosmetic appearance.
4
A comfortable match of the ear and the earpiece will provide the patient with a superior fit that is secure on the bridge and so comfortable that patients will forget they are wearing eyewear.
WESTERN OPTICAL SUPPLY INC. 800.423.3294 WesternOptical.com Orders@WesternOptical.com 60 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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New.
MAUI JIM’S MAUI SUNRISE RX LENS
SEEGREEN LENS CLEANER FROM HILCO VISION Made from biorenewable resources, SeeGreen citrus-scented lens cleaner from Hilco Vision is 100% biodegradable and recyclable, containing no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or alcohol. SeeGreen is packaged and bottled in the U.S. and is safe and effective on all lens materials and coatings, according to the company.
Maui Sunrise lenses in both Rx and plano are created using the Maui Rose Polarized Plus2 color enhancing lens with a pink mirror and high contrast AR coating to reduce stray light. Maui Sunrise is available in MauiPure and MauiBrilliant materials: MauiPure provides 14% light transmission and MauiBrilliant provides 10%. Maui Sunrise lenses are available in most frames through MyMaui, which allows customers to choose both frame and lens colors. 888.666.5905 MauiJim.com
800.955.6544 HilcoVision.com
CONVERSION BROWN PHOTOCHROMIC LENSES FROM SUPER OPTICAL Super Optical now offers conversion brown in its photochromic lens line. In addition to conversion gray, conversion brown lenses are now available in single vision and ADDvantage HD Plus digital progressive lenses and will soon be introduced to the FT 28 line of lenses. 800.543.7376 SuperOptical.com
THE VISION COUNCIL LAUNCHES ONLINE PROGRESSIVE ID CATALOG The Lens Division of The Vision Council launched last month the Electronic Progressive Identifier Catalog (EPIC), which replaces the printed catalog that had been produced biannually. Lens manufacturers can now directly manage and update data onto the electronic version. Managers need to create new accounts to update existing lenses and add records. Go to EPIC. TheVisionCouncil.org to view available lenses and associated data. 703.548.4560 TheVisionCouncil.org
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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20 Questions
WITH
DAVIDE RETTORE
David Rettore, CEO North America at Marcolin since September of 2017, after a previous stint with the company from 2011 until 2014, brings additional eyewear and fashion background from his experience at Kering Eyewear and Benetton Group. Find out what his “Next Play” is in this interview with VCPN’s John Sailer. 1. How would you describe your overall philosophy toward your business life and how does that inform your management philosophy? The two most important factors for
success for a company are people and culture. When I rejoined Marcolin Group, we worked on a new philosophy called “Next Play,” inspired by Coach K of the Duke Blue Devils. This concept emphasizes the fact that the most important frame of the business on which we should always focus is the next one. In our rapidly changing environment, Next Play means to stay ahead and see opportunities where others see problems. 2. What is your background, and how did you end up in eyewear? After graduating from Ca’
Foscari University in Venice in marketing and communication, I spent my first nine years in the Benetton Group, in the media, communication, licensing and merchandising departments, where I had the chance to understand and manage the dynamics of apparel and accessories. It was a dream come true because I was born in Treviso, close to Venice. The Benetton Group is based in Treviso. I really like marketing, and I am fascinated by the power that creativity and fashion can exploit. Eyewear strikes the right balance between these two worlds. On the other hand, the Veneto region is one of the most important districts for eyewear. It was the perfect combination of my passion and the ability to work in the Veneto region. 3. What have you been able to apply to eyewear from your experience with Benetton?
Product is at the center of everything we do at Marcolin Group. The opportunity to start in the apparel business helped me apply the logic of merchandising in terms of big data analysis, 62 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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understanding consumer needs, and how the product development process is structured. I learned how quickly to apply this specific logic in eyewear in terms of merchandising, editing the collection, and supporting the product department in creating and developing a collection based on mood boards, themes and families in the collection. 4. You’ve been marketing eyewear for many years. What changes have you observed?
Eyewear is a very old industry that is rapidly changing due to some major factors – consolidation, the digital transformation impacting the channels of distribution and the consumer, and the growing relevance of consumer understanding and the ability to create and tell seasonal brand and product stories. 5. What advice do you have for ECPs about stocking their frame boards? Understand the
specific needs of your consumer base, and select the brand and product assortment based on these needs rather than based on stylistic direction. Each brand and each product must have a specific role in the assortment for each customer. 6. How do you encourage ECPs to get consumers into luxury frames? In the luxury
segment, consumers are becoming more opinionated. With digital, they have access to more information than in the past. They are willing to pay a premium for innovation and superior quality. Our role is to provide the eyecare professional with the tools to be able to communicate to the final consumer. For example, we just launched Tom Ford “Blue Block,” frames ready to wear with special lenses that reduce the risks of blue light and increase visual comfort during long exposure to digital devices. It’s a new
selling opportunity for our customers to enlarge their consumer base. We are the first high-luxury brand to offer this feature. 7. What advice do you have to help independent ECPs compete? Independent pro-
fessionals will play a crucial role in the future of the industry in their ability to create more custom made service and experience for the consumer. They have the opportunity to have a more intimate relationship with the final consumer, and this is a key competitive advantage that will remain in the future. 8. What makes the Marcolin Group unique?
We are the only pure global wholesale player. We don’t have managed care. We don’t have retail. We don’t compete with our customers. We would like to develop entertaining experiences for the consumer. We are aiming to be the preferred partner for each of our customers. Our company is completely dedicated and focused on the design, manufacturing and distribution through our partners of the eyewear collections we develop. We offer our consumers unique and exclusive products, representing the heritage of each brand. 9. Now that you are CEO of Marcolin USA, what are your plans? Our mission is to be-
come the most trusted customer-friendly company. We envision Marcolin to be the second player in the market by 2020. With a powerful and balanced portfolio of complementary brands, best-in-class service and our ability to create seasonal product stories combined with an innovative attitude, I’m totally confident that we can succeed in our V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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February National Lens Ad.pdf
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20 Questions
WITH
DAVIDE RETTORE
mission and our vision and be the preferred partner for all our customers. 10. You have eyewear in different levels of the marketplace, value, luxury, etc. How do you organize those different levels as far as sales and marketing? One of the first cross-function-
al projects that we approached when I joined Marcolin Group was to create a clear and compelling portfolio strategy. As I was saying, we have a wide portfolio, but each brand must have a specific role in the customer assortment. And we created clear priorities across the different channels. All of the organization works seamlessly to execute this strategy. 11. Some of those brands are exclusive to the U.S. What makes them particularly appealing to this market? We are clearly an Italian compa-
ny rooted in the American culture. The business potential in the U.S. market is huge, and there are some specific needs that we are not able to cover with our international brands. So we are trying to fully exploit the potential through what I call “local jewels,” brands that may have a limited awareness internationally but are extremely relevant locally. Also, by including U.S.-based brands that we are currently managing directly from here, we are able to cover some specific niches of the market like eco-friendly, managed care and value. For example, with managed care, you have to target some specific price markets, so we support the independent practice with competitive offerings. 12. Are you planning to add to your eyewear lines either through acquisition, licensing or starting them organically? We are always looking for
new opportunities. We are exploring a few opportunities that make sense for our strategy, but we still have to fully exploit the potential that we have with our current portfolio, which has opportunity to grow. We also have a strong and solid partnership with all our partner brands, especially with Swarovski, Guess and Tom Ford. We renewed Swarovski until 2023, Guess until 2025, and Tom Ford until 2029. This is extremely important because it allows us as well as our customers to invest in the long 64 | VC P N J U N E 2 018
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term. Frequent changes in the licensing model disrupt the market, especially for the final customer, so we tell our customers that these are long term partnerships and they can be confident to invest in these brands in their stores. 13. How much do you rely on licensing for your portfolio? We focus mainly on licensing. We
do have our own brands, and one among them has international distribution, Web Eyewear, which is booming. We are growing at a fast rate with Web Eyewear, but at the moment in North America it’s mainly a sun business, so we distribute it mainly through sun specialty stores. Also extremely important for the U.S. market are our house brands Marcolin and Viva that cover the specific needs of managed care. 14. You personally moved from Italy to the U.S. What differences and similarities have you observed between working in these countries? The U.S. is very well organized
with clear processes and all of the organization working in the same direction, while in Italy, horizontal approaches and brainstorming meetings are more diffused. 15. What about communication? In terms of
style of communication, the U.S. tends to have more formal communication. Sometimes it misses the one-to-one communication in favor of sharing a lot of emails. In Italy, we have this approach, but face to face meetings are common and scheduled with tight frequencies. 16. How does the U.S. eyewear market specifically differ from other countries? The U.S.
market is the widest market worldwide for eyewear in both value and volume. So it’s a big opportunity, but it’s the most complex because you have a truly multi-channel approach with totally different go-to market strategies between sun and optical. This is unique of the U.S. market. 17. So are you going to unite the sun and the optical markets? No. That you cannot change,
but you need to have a clear strategy to approach the different parts of the U.S. market.
18. What would you say are the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. eyewear market, and where is it headed? The U.S. market is very
wide with a lot of opportunities in terms of demographics and a lot of technical expertise that you don’t have in other markets. But, the fact that almost 70% of purchasing is driven by managed care doesn’t allow the industry to push for innovation and for a more consumer-driven approach. For the future I see consolidation and positive collateralization of the industry, and for sure, digital will play a crucial role. But I stress the fact that independent practices will continue to play a crucial role in this industry in their ability to create a different, unique, tailor-made experience for the final consumer. 19. What would you say is the greatest need in the U.S. market? What is needed is to create a
unique role for each brand, seasonal brand and product stories relevant to the final consumer, and more of an experience at the point of sale. 20. What’s next for Davide Rettore? My Next Play is to fully embrace the American culture as part of this new journey experience with my family and to work hard with a lot of passion to fully establish the reputation of Marcolin Group in the North American market. n
RETTORE REVEALS ‘NEXT PLAY’ AT NATIONAL SALES MEETING “Next Play” was the overarching theme at Marcolin Group’s U.S. national sales meeting in Los Angeles in April, where the company hosted 225 members from its U.S. sales teams, marketing, brand, product and design teams, as well as executives from both the U.S. and global offices. Davide Rettore welcomed everyone to the meeting and shared his vision of the company’s goals and the concept of “Next Play.” Special guest Tom Ford held a Q&A session. V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
5/24/18 3:31 AM
Your Donations at
Photo Credit Brien Holden Vision Institute
Work
Your donations will help support more programs like the first ever School of Optometry in Haiti. After almost 5 years in planning, the school has welcomed 17 new students to the Bachelor of Vision Science program. Pierre Christopher (pictured) was delighted to commence his 5-year degree on November 6th. The creation of locally trained optometrists will be a huge benefit for the 70% of the population who currently have little or no access to eye care services. Within 10 years, there will be at least 80 new locally educated eye care professionals who will be providing eye care to more than 360,000 Haitians per year. A regular donation to Optometry Giving Sight will help transform even more lives.
To learn more or to donate today please visit: givingsight.org or call 1-888- 647-4483
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YO U R P R E S C R I P T I O N O P T I O N S H AV E N OW B E CO M E C L E A R Maui Jim’s most advanced proprietary prescription lens material combines optics nearly as clear as glass with just one-third of the weight.
ABBE VALUE MATERIAL COMPARISON
HUMAN EYE ABBE 50
POLYCARBONATE ABBE 30
©2018 Maui Jim, Inc.
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MAUIBRILLIANT ABBE 56
SUPERTHIN GLASS ABBE 58
ABBE values shown out of a maximum of 59 (Crown glass)
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