More than Designer Reading Glasses

Visualites is not only a designer reading glasses brand, we’re also a member of a broader industry. An industry that shows up every year at Vision Expo East.

The eyeglass industry is sitting in a unique intersection of fashion and medical.  Your glasses serve a purpose to correct your vision while at the same time making an outward statement to the world about how you see yourself and what image of “you” that you want to convey. This year’s show addressed all these things in new and creative ways. It started with an off site press event attended by exhibitors, media and — new this year — influencers.

Designer Fashion and Cutting Edge Health Technology

The expo brought together the two parts of our industry. Our Visualites designer reading glasses fit in with an increasing number of boutique frame designers from around the globe. Our desire to bring high quality reading glasses to our customers fit in with  all of the exhibitors dealing with ground breaking research in eye care.

Media and Eyewear

VEE built on a very successful event at South by Southwest, where Think About Your Eyes partnered with The Vision Council and The Jane Club to educate the media with influencers and celebrities on eye health and style. The biggest name at that event was Gwyneth Paltrow, who herself requires prescription glasses, and who worked with the Vision Council and Think About Your Eyes to create an Instagram post on the importance of eye health and an annual eye exam.

Inspired by the SXSW event, a consumer and media event attended by influencers from brands and outlets (including the Rachel Ray Show, Bustle, Women’s Health and Well + Good at The Gramercy Park Hotel) kicked of the show on Thursday. In a modern world where influencers among the likes of Love Taza and Lilliana are becoming recognized names, the vision industry is realizing the impact that these social celebrities can have on not only the fashion aspect of the industry but in getting people to take responsible action in eye care. Media coverage from Invision, Eyecare Business, 20/20 Glance and VCPN has spread the outreach of the event even further. There was an exclusive opportunity to see the latest trends in fashion and technology along the latest trends in eye health. There were also product innovations on display in reading glasses, eyeglasses, contact lenses and sunglasses.

Research in Eye Care

Other big news this week included the presentation of the Pisart Award to Tiffany Schmidt, PhD for her work in the field of vision science. Dr. Schmidt, an assistant professor in the neurobiology department at Northwestern University, has performed ground breaking research in the understanding of adult retinal development and retinal function in association with circadian biology. Her mission is to improve the lives of people at risk for vision loss. Dr. Schmidt found evidence that photosensitive retinal ganglion cells responded to light and contributed to circadian control and the pupillary light response. This research offers morphological, developmental,  and behavioral implications to a wide range of important questions with how these cells affect human characteristics.

Boutique Fashion Eyeglasses

Although we are focused on designer reading glasses, we can’t help but notice anything making a great fashion statement. There were so many boutique eyewear brands at this year’s show we can’t highlight them all so we will touch base on a label from Brooklyn that caught our eye. Miu Miu glasses have come up with a bold line of contemporary feminine shapes that are over-sized and original.

Alluring cat eye framed shapes or heart inspired lenses that meld creativity with classic shapes. With rimless glasses, full framed glasses and semi-rimless glasses their “Essential Assortment” has something for everyone. One unique style they had that we saw nowhere else in the show was the Clouds Frame. This look could have bombed if not approached with the delicacy that characterizes Miu Miu. They make it work brilliantly.

These are just a few of the highlights from this years Vision Expo East, check back for more highlights as we have time to unpack everything we learned from the event.