EDA to Distribute K.A.P. Design in U.S.

Eyewear Design Alliance (EDA) and Canada’s Concept Eyewear Inc. created a partnership to produce and market K.A.P. Design eyewear. Starting at the end of the year, EDA will manufacture and distribute Pille Kapetanakis' K.A.P. Design limited-edition, handcrafted eyewear to independent optical retailers in the US. During Kapetanakis' 14-year career as an optician/contact lens fitter/clinic manager, she dreamed of designing handcrafted stylist and colorful frames made of the finest materials. She launched the company only this past spring at Vision Expo West.

Charmant Win "Good Design Award" from JIDP

"Charmant Group recently received the prestigious Good Design Award 2013 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion," notes Midwest Lens. "The award was presented to Charmant for superior frame design of the latest addition to LineArt Charmant: the Opera collection, XL2040 and XL2041, and foCharmant’s innovative Excellence Titan material, their proprietary material used in LineArt frames. Opera’s elegant profile is an exquisitely designed structure featuring delicately shimmering waved lines. The slender lines are made of Excellence Titan and joined using a highly innovative laser micro-welding technique. Excellence Titan is a light and highly flexible material developed and patented by Charmant Group; and the advanced laser micro-welding technology was co-developed by the company to achieve fine details on a frame." Read more.

Congratulations: Kotob Receives ABO Master in Ophthalmic Optics

Shortly before Deborah Kotob presented her talk at the OpticalCEUs Fall 2013 Continuing Education Conference, she received one of the highest honors available to an optician. She, a sales consultant for Vision-Ease, earned her ABO Master in Ophthalmic Optics certification.

"The ABO Master in Ophthalmic Optics designation demonstrates to the public and colleagues that an individual has attained a superior level in ophthalmic dispensing," notes the ABO website. The rigorous program requires candidates to pass a comprehensive exam and to write a Master's paper.

"It's an honor for such an accomplished optician to be a part of OpticalCEUs continuing education program," noted Linda Conlin, founder of OpticalCEUs. "Her continuing education classes always provide attendees with an intriguing look at optics, and our attendees appreciate the professionalism that she brings to every presentation."

"The Master optician certification is worth the effort," said Kotob. "Preparing for the exam and writing the research paper forced me to become more knowledgeable about optical theory and the effects of light, both good and bad, on ocular tissue."

When asked about what she enjoyed most about the program, she said, "The best part was learning. I'm an optician. I've dispensed. But to dig deep into all that is required for sight and how that little hockey puck of a lens corrects Ametropia or Asthenopia, to name a couple, was satisfying. Through this program, I expanded the depth and breadth of my understanding of ophthalmic optics."

New Research about the Development and Progressive of Myopia

"New research on myopia -- how it develops, risk and protective factors, and potentially effective measures for prevention and treatment are reported across twenty articles in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science," reports Science Daily. The issue "highlights scientific discoveries leading to potentially useful approaches to prevention and treatment of progressive nearsightedness in young patients. One study states that soft contact lenses with multiple areas of focus can reduce progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children, and that multifocal lenses also affect eye growth, with effects persisting through at least two years, according to new research reported by Jeffrey J. Walline, OD, PhD, FAAO, of The Ohio State University, Columbus." Read more.

New Design for Google Glasses

"Google on Monday evening unveiled a redesigned new version of its Google Glass connected eyewear… and it doesn’t help," according to Yahoo! News. "In fact, if anything, the new version probably looks even geekier than it did before. Google recently announced a new run of its $1,500 Explorer Edition Glass, and now we finally get to see what the new build looks like. For those hoping it might offer some key design changes that make it less geektastic, no such luck. Instead, Glass gets a bit bulkier and an added earbud that is sure to make any wearer the belle of the ball." Read more.

New Eyewear from Totally Rimless

"Boutique by Totally Rimless offers elegant and feminine rimless designs in the latest fashionable colors," reports Midwest Lens. "TR 202, TR 203 and TR 204 offer beautiful coloring and stone designs for a jewelry-inspired look perfect for any woman. With adjustable nose pads and spring hinges, these frames offer the ultimate in fashion, quality and a comfortable fit." Read more.

Ohio AG Goes After Optical Shop

"Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has filed a lawsuit against two companies that operate Stanton Optical, which has three stores in Ohio, including one in Toledo. The lawsuit charges the businesses with multiple violations of Ohio’s consumer laws," says NorthwestOhio.com. "Stanton Optical sells eyeglasses, contact lenses, accessories, and eye exams, which are performed by third-party optometrists....According to the Attorney General’s Office, 78 Ohio consumers have filed complaints about the business with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Better Business Bureau, or the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers have reported a variety of issues in their complaints. For example, consumers said they waited months to receive their glasses after paying for them, received glasses with incorrect prescriptions, or did not receive refunds they were owed." Read more.

Luxottica Working on New Licensing Deal

"Italy's Luxottica...is working on a new licence deal and expects to match an 8 percent third-quarter rise in net profit for the next three months despite recent currency turmoil, its CEO told Reuters." That was the post on Yahoo!Finance. "The maker of Ray Ban, Oakley and Armani branded glasses, which makes more than half of its sales in North America, posted quarterly net profit of 148 million euros ($203.79 million), beating a Thomson Reuters SmartEstimate of 142.6 million euros....Luxottica said group net sales were affected by the weak dollar, which fell by 3.5 percent against the euro in the third quarter compared with a decline of just 1 percent in the previous three months. Sales rose 7.4 percent at constant exchange rates to 1.8 billion euros. But at current rates, sales were flat." Read more.

Charlotte Ronson to Design Vogue Eyewear Line

Vogue will use Mendes in
its Spring advertising.

Ronson to design Vogue line.

"Charlotte Ronson is trying her hand at spectacles. The fashion designer, who has no previous experience in the eyewear category, has been tapped by Luxottica and the Council of Fashion Designers of America as the participant for the 2014 Design Series for Vogue Eyewear," reports WWD. "The Vogue Eyewear/CFDA Collection by Charlotte Ronson, which was featured in the designer’s spring runway show in New York, will launch at Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters in North America in mid-January and international retailers in March, ranging from $130 for sunglasses to $140 for optical frames. The frames will be featured on [Eva] Mendes in a global advertising campaign next spring." Read more.

Bobbi Brown's Eyewear Set for Feb. 2014 Release

"The cosmetics legend [Bobbie Brown] has designed her first ever range of glasses," notes the New York Daily News. "Makeup artist and beauty maven Bobbi Brown has announced the first details of her latest project, an eyewear line produced in collaboration with Italian luxury specs specialists Safilo. Set to hit stores in February 2014, Brown has designed a range of glasses and sunglasses designed to fit different face shapes, with the color palette organized by skin tones."" Read more.

Google Expands Offering of Its AR Eyewear

"Google is expanding the availability of its Internet connected eyewear Google Glass to more people, but not the general public just yet," reports the Mercury News. "Google said Monday that it is allowing the 10,000 or so people who have been testing out its wearable computer to invite three friends each to buy Glass. The gadget, which works like a smartphone but is worn on your head like glasses, costs $1,500. The invites will be available in the coming weeks. Google says it's also letting users who bought their device before Monday to swap out their Glass for a new one. The new devices have been updated to work with prescription frames and include a single earbud." Read more.

Oakley Expands Its U.S. Olympic Collection

The United States Olympic Committee and Oakley, Inc., have added to its Team USA collection, an array of special-edition products with colors and highlights that honor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams going to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi this February. Customized versions of two eyewear designs and two snow goggles have been added. The specially-rendered products in the collection allow fans to share the excitement of the games while enjoying the same technologies that serve athletes in Olympic and Paralympic competition. A percentage of Team USA eyewear collection sales supports the training of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls.Read more.

New Eyewear from Badgley Mischka

"Badgley Mischka captures the signature glamour of old Hollywood through design and color," according to Midwest Lnes. "For eyewear, nothing is more glamorous than the cat eye shape. Desiree and Juliet offer a twist on this signature shape and feature tonal coloring from custom acetates for an exclusive look." Read more.

NEI Looking at Adaptive Optics

If you've ever been sleep-deprived, you've probably had a firsthand glimpse of the blood vessels in your eyes. But what you haven't seen—and what many eye care professionals cannot see as well as they would like—are the vessels closest to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, according to a National Eye Institute (NEI) spokesperson. The federal agency is helping researchers develop new retinal imaging methods to solve this problem. Such methods have the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of common eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. These diseases can cause a variety of defects in blood vessels inside the eye, including vessel loss, the growth of abnormal vessels, and small bulges that can rupture (called aneurysms).

Adaptive optics (AO) is one technology helping to overcome this problem. It deals with the tendency of light to become distorted as it passes through different media such as air, water, or living tissue. AO was originally developed because astronomers wanted to get a clear view of objects in space, without distortions caused by the atmosphere. But vision scientists and eye care experts have a similar problem: When light is shined into the eye, it is distorted by the cornea (the front, transparent part of the eye) and the lens. AO systems typically use a sensor to measure the pattern of blurring and a flexible mirror to correct it. Read more.

Danica Patrick Representing REVO

NASCAR superstar Danica Patrick will promote Sequential Brands' eyewear brand REVO, according to a company spokesperson. Patrick, one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, drives the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Danica will wear REVO both on and off the track and will be involved in the product development process for the 2014 collection. In addition, she will be featured in the Spring 2014 advertising and marketing campaign, and featured throughout REVO's social media platforms. Read more.

New Eyewear from JudithLeiber Staccato

"The Judith Leiber Staccato collection draws inspiration from the lyrical concept of disconnected parts and short sounds." So goes the Midwest Lens post. "Boasting three optical frames (JL 1665, JL 1684, JL 1685) and two sun options (JL 1666SG, JL 1686SG), this collection is crafted of handmade Italian acetate and features multi-level detailing along the temples for explosions of color on a linear plane." Read more.

NICE Approves Lucentis for Treatment of Myopic CNV

Medical News Today reports that "in a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) published October 25, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that Lucentis (ranibizumab) be approved for use within the NHS in England and Wales as an option to treat people with visual impairment due to choroidal neovascularisation associated with pathological myopia (myopic CNV)6. Myopic CNV is the growth of abnormal leaky blood vessels in the back of the eye in high myopia (severe near sightedness)." Read more.

New Approach to Treating Eye Disease

"Researchers have revealed a new approach for treating human eye disease that has proved to be successful in preclinical studies. This is according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation," according to a Medical News Today post. "The research team from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in California, Mount Sinai Hospital in Canada and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), say their findings could lead to new treatments to prevent blindness. Many types of blindness, including diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, can be linked to the abnormal growth of blood vessels (neovascularization) in the retina at the back of the eye, the researchers explain. The retina is a thin layer of soft tissue consisting of blood vessels and light-sensing cells." Read more.

Custom-Made, as in One of a Kind, Eyewear from Lee Allen

"That’s impossible, Rhode Island School of Design president John Maeda said when optician Lee Kuczewski told him he could make him a pair of custom frames from scratch," notes a post from the Providence Journal. “'So then Lee gets out his camera and starts photographing my face,' Maeda said. That’s the first of many steps Kuczewski and business partner Declan Halpin take when creating bespoke eyewear, a service offered by their company Lee Allen Eyewear. A couple months later, they presented Maeda with a pair of rectangular frames made out of navy blue acetate, a glossy lightweight plastic.'The final glasses are just so beautiful,' Maeda said." Read more.

Treating Cataracts without Surgery

"The ability of the lens in the human eye to change focus relies on a dense formation of proteins that can result in clumps that cloud the lens and lead to cataracts - except for special protective proteins that prevent this. Now a team in Munich, Germany has discovered an activation mechanism that can switch on one of these protective proteins to keep the lens clear," notes Medical News Today. "The team, from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), write about their findings in a recent online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)." Read more.