Shield Me.

At the intersection of sleek and sporty, the bold visor trend is one to watch this season. Showing up everywhere from the runway to the Tour de France, this mono-lens look was prolific on Spring/Summer and Fall 2023 runways. Bring a mirrored lens into the mix for a subtle nod to ski style and early aughts directions. Pictured here on Broadway dancer Lloyd Boyd, the Carerra Flaglab 15/S from Safilo shakes things up on the shield front.

—ERINN MORGAN

Italian Eyewear Immersion

One 45,098-high-tech eyewear factory and an acetate processing center nestled in the rugged Italian Dolomites. A stunning, immersive Experience Center in the thriving, modern heart of Milan. The 2023 EssilorLuxottica Days in Italy were designed to impress and inspire.

I was fortunate to attend and experience this multiday event, accompanied by members of the EssilorLuxottica team and a group of Vision Source eyecare professionals and executives. Below—some key takeaways from the experience.

—ERINN MORGAN

 The main EssilorLuxottica factory in Agordo, Italy, employs around 5,000 workers and has the capacity to produce more than 90,000 frames each day.

 Select areas in the factory operate 24 hours a day with three shifts of workers.

 At the Agordo facility, more than 1,000 new frame styles are developed each year.

 Frame molds are made on-site from 15-kilo steel blocks—by workers who have completed three to four years of training to do this job where precision is critical.

 The 70-meter-long frame plating line has a capacity of 90,000 pieces per day and is in operation 24 hours a day.

 All acetate is supplied by Mazzucchelli and one large sheet yields 80 frames.

 The acetate production facility, which operates 24 hours a day and employs more than 2,700 people, has to be kept at a consistent 22 to 23 degrees Celsius and 50% humidity so that acetate sheets do not warp.

 EssilorLuxottica’s Tortona Experience Center is a highly modern, open space located in the heart of Milan’s Design District.

The unique Experience Center digital showroom showcases EssilorLuxottica’s frame and lens brands, digital products, and key innovations such as the Leonardo education platform.