VEE ROUNDUP

New York State of Mind

A look at the highlights from this year’s Vision Expo East

the optical industry once again returned to the Big Apple for the 2014 International Vision Expo East (VEE), which was held March 26 to 30 at the Javits Center in New York. Attendance was at an all-time high, increasing by more than 6 percent over 2013, breaking the previous record set in 2012 and representing the most diverse range of eyecare and other industry professionals in recent years.

VEE showcased the latest trends in eyewear, lenses, equipment, technology, and fashion from exhibitors from around the world. In addition to more than 300 hours of continuing education, attendees were treated to a number of exciting events, celebrity appearances, show specials, giveaways, and newly launched products. Here, we present just a few of those products, as well as other show highlights.

The 2015 Vision Expo East show will take place March 19 to 22, 2015.

INFO: visionexpoeast.com

1. The Shyer family—(l to r) Bonnie, Samantha, Henry, Elizabeth, Bob, and Cathy—celebrate Bob and Henry’s Person of Vision awards at the Prevent Blindness reception.
2. Shamir Insight’s Raanan Naftalovich talks lens technology at the company’s press conference.
3. Models showcase the latest bebe eyewear styles at the Altair booth.
4. Thomas Gosling, O.D., discusses the effects of blue light at the HOYA booth.
5. Legendary boxer Larry Holmes visits the Think About Your Eyes booth.
6. The Sunglass and Reader Division held a reception aboard the Intrepid Museum (l to r), FGX’s Robert Grow, ANFAO’s Cirillo Marcolin, The Vision Council’s Ed Greene, and MIDO’s Francesco Gili.

7. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles greet attendees at the Noveau Eyewear booth.
8. Vision Source’s press conference with (l to r) Vision Source’s Derrick Artis, O.D., FAAO, with Sauflon’s Bryan D. Pinciaro, Brad Jones, and Rick Franz, O.D., FAAO.

9. ClearVision Optical’s (l to r) Fred, Mimi, David, and Peter Friedfeld at the company’s party for the 25th anniversary of the BCBGMAXAZRIA license at the fashion brand’s midtown shop.
10. TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie (c) meets with attendees at the TOMS Eyewear booth.
11. Green Bay Packers All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews snaps photos with fans at the Revolution Eyewear booth.

12. The Safilo Runway Show, hosted by author and “Today” show style editor Bobbie Thomas, highlights the company’s latest eyewear and sunwear offerings.
13. Retired New York Yankee relief pitcher Mariano Rivera, better known as “Sandman,” stops by the Eyefinity booth.
14. Blackfin’s (l to r) Giancarlo Recchia, Nicola Del Din, and Paolo Doglioni welcome guests to a reception at Cipriani Dolci in Grand Central Station to celebrate the launch of Blackfin with H. Cipriani eyewear.

15. Graeme MacKensie (l) and Mike Ferrara of Adlens answer questions during a press conference about the progress of the company’s new eyewear designs.
16. Michael Block of Block Buying Group leads a presentation on buying groups at the Briot/Visionix booth.
17. Essilor’s (l to r) Howard Purcell, John Carrier, Carl Bracy, and Jean Felix Boisse Duplan pose for photos after the company’s annual breakfast for the trade press, at which they outlined Essilor’s achievements, campaigns, and goals.
18. Andrea Dorigo (l), past present of Luxottica Wholesale NA, is honored at the Eyes on New York Gala (benefitting the Optometric Center of New York, SUNY College of Optometry). With him are Luxottica’s Holly Rush and Richard Feinbloom of the Optometric Center of NY and Designs for Vision.

19. Jagdish Jethmalani, Ph.D., leads an in-booth demonstration of PFO Global’s new laser tracer, the eyeX3.
20. Presenta Nova’s Helen Rogic and Mladen Pintur welcome guests to the company’s Tribeca showroom, where they offered design services and showed off their latest frame display systems.

21. Eye Docs of Rock play to the crowd at B.B. King’s.
22. Opti-Port’s Jim Edwards (c) with celebrity impersonators at the company’s SPARK conference.
23. David Schulte (l) and Larry Leight host the Oliver Peoples party atop the Gramercy Hotel.
24. OWA Pleiades Award winner Sherrie Rogerson with husband Kirk and children, Jordan and Zac, at the OWA event held at Marchon’s NYC showroom.

25. Advanced Style’s Ari Seth Cohen (l) and l.a.Eyeworks’ Gai Gherardi at l.a.Eyeworks’ trunk show.
26. At the launch party for its new Maison Martin Margiella collaboration, Mykita’s (l to r) Cedric Moreau with Daniel and Philipp Haffmans.

27. Safilo begins its 80th anniversary celebration with a reception at its New York showroom. Shown (l to r): Safilo’s Ross Brownlee, Robin Ettinger, and Glenn Rusk.
28. Selima Saloun (l) welcomes guests to her party at The Standard Hotel’s Le Bain.
29. Tura’s (l to r) Lidia Parisi, Audrey Pavia, Jennifer Coppel, and Scott Sennett celebrate the company’s new showroom.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

1. A&A OPTICAL

Jimmy Crystal style Engagement

A marriage between hard and soft details, Engagement dazzles with hammered metal and glistening Swarovski crystals. The bow-tie acetate frame is available in black and blush in size 52/16-135.

INFO: aaopticalco.com

2. ADLENS

Adlens Sundials

Using technology in which two wave-shaped plates glide across one another to alter the power of the lens, Adlens’ newly launched Sundials feature dark lenses and are available in four frame colors.

INFO: adlens.com

3. ASPEX

Easy Clip style EC319

This ladies’ stainless steel frame boasts a removable, rimless, and magnetic sun clip-on featuring polarized lenses with UV filter. It’s available in three colors.

INFO: aspexeyewear.com

4. BEST IMAGE OPTICAL, INC.

Dolabany Eyewear

Debuting a new “Internet-Free Eyewear” logo, this eye-catching stamp marks the company’s commitment to independent ECPs to exclusively sell its brands through brick-and-mortar locations.

INFO: bestimageoptical.com

5. CHARMANT

Opera style XL 2052

Inspired by the passion and opulence of the opera, each frame features a supple wave-lined temple. The addition of the Swarovski crystals epitomizes the perfect pitch, the supreme achievement in musical expression.

INFO: charmant.com

6. CLARITI EYEWEAR

Konishi KF8345

Designed with a spring hinge for an easy fit, this style features flex-titanium memory metal technology that will hold up against long days as well as transition nicely into a frame for the evening.

INFO: claritieyewear.com

7. COBURN TECHNOLOGIES

Cobalt LTE

The new Cobalt LTE compact lens generator is ideally suited to small to mid-sized labs—as well as in-house retail labs—to produce digital and traditional Rx lenses.

INFO: coburntechnologies.com

8. COSTA

Limited edition collection

Costa released five new limited edition frame options for select sunglasses for 2014. These vibrant, colorful styles are available in limited quantities at participating Costa retail outlets and online.

INFO: costadelmar.com

9. DE RIGO

Police style

Celebrating 30 years of iconic designs, Police concludes its anniversary year with a new collection inspired by the brand’s icons of the past.

INFO: derigo.com

10. ESSILOR OF AMERICA

Visioffice 2

The Visioffice 2 is the newest generation of the company’s digital dispensing systems. In addition to its 3D patient measuring technology and patient education modules, it offers high-definition imaging and is more powerful than the previous system.

INFO: essilorvisioffice.com

11. ESSILOR INSTRUMENTS USA

Neksia edging system

The new Neksia edging system is a full-featured, multi-functioning unit with an attractive price point. It combines tracing, edging, and computerized centering and blocking in an easy-to-use system.

INFO: essilorinstrumentsUSA.com

12. HILCO

Leader merchandising displays

Hilco’s complete vision protection display program maximizes sell-through in any space with a customizable, double-sided, modular floor display suitable for displaying Rx sport frames, sunwear, and safety frames as well as eyewear accessories.

INFO: hilco.com

13. HOYA VISION CARE

BluTech Lenses

BluTech Lenses are available in several HOYA designs, including flat-tops, free-form single vision, free-form backside PAL, computer, and VSP Unity. BluTech Lenses filter High Energy Visible (HEV) light or “blue light” rays, which can cause macular degeneration.

INFO: thehoyafreeformcompany.com

14. KENMARK

Original Penguin Junior

The Original Penguin Eyewear isn’t just for the big guys anymore. Original Penguin Junior features top-selling styles sized down to fit the boys who are smaller in size, but have big style.

INFO: kenmark.com

15. LINDBERG

LINDBERG N.O.W. model 6520

LINDBERG N.O.W. frames blend a slender composite front with delicate ultra-light titanium temples for an understated, minimalist design that’s distinctive for its unobtrusiveness and subtle color shadings.

INFO: lindberg.com

16. LIVE EYEWEAR

Jeweled Vistana Collection

The new jeweled Vistana brings luxurious elegance to the polarized fitover sunglasses category, combining quality protection with a sleek, fashionable look that comfortably fits over Rx eyewear.

INFO: cocoonseyewear.com

17. MARCHON

G Star style GS612S–Compact Dexter

This foldable style is squarely shaped with flat lenses and features a laser-engraved logo encased in a fat acetate frame and flash metal inserts that wrap around the end piece.

INFO: marchon.com

18. MARCOLIN USA

Just Cavalli JC567S

The youthful spirit of the brand is expressed by its feminine shape and lively color options: light pink, magenta, black/gray, blue, or purple. A partial temple print in snakeskin adds a playful charm.

INFO: us.marcolin.com

19. MAUI JIM

Legends’ style #293

These lightweight acetate sunglasses have a right-from-the-movies look with their squared-off shape and distinctive temples. Legends’ MauiPure lenses also have Maui Jim’s patented bi-gradient mirrors.

INFO: mauijim.com

20. MEI

EzFit

EzFit is a compact edger that brings the same milling technology of MEI’s larger edgers to optical shops. It can mill any edge, at any angle, for any frame style, with ease.

INFO: meisystem.com

21. MOREL

Oga Talval grouping

Marrying high-tech materials with color, Talval adopts an architectural approach to eyewear. Inspired by construction beams, the inside of Talval’s aluminum temples are hollowed out to house solid matte colors.

INFO: morel-france.com

22.OGI EYEWEAR

Innotec 4702

Innotec Eyewear introduces the 4702, a smooth rectangular duo of TR-90 and stainless steel. Brushed metallic striping in nature-inspired neutrals provide a sleek masculine style to this rectangular frame.

INFO: innoteceyewear.com

23. OLIVER PEOPLES

Sir O’Malley sunglass

In continuation of the Vintage Circa 1987 collection, Sir O’Malley and Sir Finley have been released as sun versions in five colorways with beautiful, photochromic lenses that complement the rich acetate colors.

INFO: oliverpeoples.com

24. OVVO OPTICS

Style 3009

The Wood & Carbon Fiber collection is OVVO Optics’ latest innovation in wearable art. Combining the natural beauty of exotic wood finishes with engineered science offers the thinnest combination of stylized brilliance.

INFO: ovvooptics.com

25. PFO GLOBAL

eyeX3

The eyeX3 laser frame tracer offers a non-tactile way to trace frame shapes (up to 9-base curve), grooves, and lenses to exact specifications and send the information to one’s edging or wholesale lab.

INFO: pfoglobal.com

26. SAFILO USA

Safilo by Marc Newson Collection

Safilo celebrates the 80-year history of its namesake brand by launching a special capsule collection created in collaboration with Australian designer Marc Newson that combines tradition and innovation.

INFO: mysafilo.com

27. SANTINELLI INTERNATIONAL

Xtrimer SE-1 Industrial Edger

The Xtrimer SE-1 Industrial Edger features dry-cut lens cutting and miling technology to provide tiltable bevel profiles, faceting, and drill multiple shapes on all lens materials.

INFO: santinelli.com

28. SCOJO NEW YORK

Plush Pilot

With a boldly colored velvet front, Scojo New York’s Plush Pilot introduces a fun twist to the aviator sunglass. These 100 percent UV-protected sunglasses provide comfort and are available as a bifocal reader or with plano lenses.

INFO: scojo.com

29. SERENGETI EYEWEAR

Palmiro

A member of the Genus II collection, Palmiro uses Trivex material for both frame fronts and lenses. An innovative modular design adds an elevated level of flexibility and Rx compatibility.

INFO: serengeti-eyewear.com

30. SHAMIR INSIGHT

Shamir Duo

Shamir Duo is a freeform bifocal design that, by eliminating the visible dividing line associated with flat-tops, gives the wearer a distortion-free visual path and access to all the lens treatments previously unavailable with flat-tops.

INFO: shamirlens.com

31. SIGNET ARMORLITE

KODAK Unique progressive lens

Signet Armorlite has expanded its KODAK Unique progressive lens to include individual lens customization. KODAK Unique HD lenses use point-of-wear measurements taken with the KODAK Lens IDS measurement tool.

INFO: signetarmorlite.com/weareallunique

32. SILHOUETTE

Futura

Silhouette updates the classic Futura shades in its new 50th Anniversary Collection, seen in the campaign starring Tali Lennox and shot by Peter Lindbergh.

INFO: silhouette.com

33. SMITH OPTICS

Quinlan

Rich acetate materials handcrafted into a large oval face shape combine with titanium temples and silicon nose pads to create a look and fit with timeless design and avant-garde edge.

INFO: smithoptics.com

34. SUPER SYSTEMS

Fast Grind 2200

Super Systems Optical Technologies announces that its Fast Grind 2200 all-in-one lens surfacing unit has qualified as an EyeMed in-office lab.

INFO: superoptical.com

35. TRANSITIONS OPTICAL, INC.

Trial decals

Transitions’ trial decals are now available to patients who want to experience the technology of Transitions Signature VII lenses before they buy. Consumers can get the decals after watching an informative web commercial.

INFO: transitionstrial.com

36. VILLA EYEWEAR

Blackfin Edge

The latest additions to the Blackfin Edge collection reinterpret the latest design trends and the fashion for high-tech eyewear, combining lightness with vibrant, high-impact colors, two-tone fluorescent shades in contrast with more classic tones.

INFO: villaeyewear.com

37. VISION-EASE LENS

Mia Hamm endorsement deal

Vision-Ease Lens announced an endorsement deal with U.S. soccer star Mia Hamm for the company’s Coppertone polarized lenses. The deal kicks off the brand’s consumer-focused marketing efforts.

INFO: coppertonelenses.com

38. VSP OPTICS GROUP

CVxpression

CVxpression computer lens is the latest addition to the Unity Performance Optics line. The customizable lifestyle lens offers three distance options—4, 6, or 12 feet—to best fit a patient’s daily activities.

INFO: vspopticsgroup.com

39. WESTGROUPE

Fysh UK style 3507

The Spring/Summer 2014 FYSH UK collection stays true to women with a prevailing sense of style. Eye shapes range from this season’s dramatic cat-eye frames to classic, softened rectangles.

INFO: westgroupe.com

40. WILEY X

DIGIFORCE digital Rx

The new DIGIFORCE digital Rx lens technology, designed specifically for Wiley X’s 8-base frames, delivers personalized free-form lenses that optimize the field of vision in all directions and provide a more significant reading zone.

INFO: wileyx.com

41. YOUNGER OPTICS

Availability Guide

The Younger Optics Availability Guide is a 40-page, full-color, free booklet that provides a two-page summary of each of Younger Optics’ featured lenses, including technical information, benefits, full-color graphics, and an easy-reference availability table.

INFO: marketing@youngeroptics.com

42. ZEISS

PureCoat PLUS AR coating

Zeiss’ new PureCoat PLUS AR coating boasts an improved hydrophobic performance and durability (it retains 97 percent of its hydrophobic qualities for the life of the lens) over its original PureCoat.

INFO: vision.zeiss.com