Author Archives: Envision Magazine

GANT: The Hip And Historical Brand

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By Paddy Kamen

How can a brand that began over 60 years ago have such a fresh, strong appeal today? A strong team, from the founder on through to the current creative leadership, makes GANT stand above the crowd.

It was an industrious Bernard Gantmacher who discovered quite by accident that he had a gift for sewing and apparel design. After immigrating to the U.S.in 1914 from his native Ukraine, Gantmacher studied to become a pharmacist, but it was at his night job in a garment factory in New York City that he discovered both his life partner and his ideal profession. Gantmacher’s first job was sewing shirt collars, while his soon-to-be wife specialized in buttons and buttonholes. Who knew that they would later become known for men’s shirts with a distinctive twist: a button on the back collar to help keep a necktie in place?

The couple started their independent business as subcontractors, known as GANT, making shirts for other labels and soon became renowned for their quality craftsmanship. Gantmacher began labeling his shirts with a logo: a diamond with a ‘G’, which was printed on the shirttail. This distinctive sign of superior quality helped to make his signature shirts coveted bestsellers, with demand far outstripping supply.

The couple’s sons joined the business after active service in World War II and created the GANT of New Haven label in 1949. They brought button-down collars to the American market, complete with the distinctive back-collar button, innovative box pleat and their other invention, the locker loop. Their innovations won a dedicated following for the label. Students and professors at Yale University in New Haven were big fans of the comfortable, relaxed shirts from GANT (the factory was located near the campus) and the now-legendary Yale Co-op shirt was originally made exclusively for the university in the 1960s. It’s still going strong, as are the famous GANT Rugger shirts. America’s sportswear heritage simply cannot be discussed without the name GANT figuring prominently.

The Gantmacher family sold the business in 1967 and since then, growth has been exponential. GANT has furthered its association with apparel, accessories, footwear, fragrances and home furnishings that are defined by a casual yet classy aesthetic, combining the best of itsNew Englandroots with a European touch.

Christopher Bastin is the new creative director at GANT, where he has played a key role in many company milestones since 2005. He is credited with the successful re-launch of the company’s GANT Rugger collection and its subsequent market resurgence. His work infused a modern sensibility into the company that has been integral in helping it reach a new generation of customers who have discovered and embraced GANT. According to Viva International Group’s Public Relations Manager Jon Martinez, Bastin is now responsible for providing seasonal inspiration and design direction for all collections. “He serves as global brand spokesperson for all activities relating to design and creative direction.”

Viva was the first and only licensee for GANT eyewear, which launched in 2001. “The partnership between Viva and GANT is a perfect fit,” notesMartinez.

Like the apparel, the eyewear collections fall into three distinct categories: GANT, GANT Rugger and GANT Michael Bastian.

GANT’s collaboration with renowned American designer Michael Bastian began in 2010 with a menswear line under the GANT by Michael Bastian brand. This collaboration led to a GANT by Michael Bastian Spring/Summer 2011 women’s wear collection, which also developed into the bold and edgy GANT by Michael Bastian Eyewear collection with Viva International Group.

The latest eyewear collections from GANT are a mixture of preppy, vintage and mod. Nicole Durda, global brand manager for GANT Eyewear at Viva, sums up the ongoing appeal of this wonderful brand: “The GANT Eyewear collection offers the perfect blend of classic and fashion styling for both men and women, all at a competitive price.”

The Fall 2012 GANT by Michael Bastian Eyewear collection features the G MB Copley front and center with its bold design. A double bridge highlights the frame’s deep angular front shape, which is finished in handmade acetate.

The GANT men’s eyewear collection remains deeply rooted in the heritage of the brand. A distinctive round shape is emphasized in the design of the G Tupper model. A keyhole bridge adds a vintage element to this contemporary style, along with two metal studs on each corner of the frame’s front.

For women, the GW Juvet is a new GANT Eyewear style featuring chunkier plastics in a vintage-inspired shape, with laser-engraved logo treatments on the temples and metal stud detailing.

Round shapes maintain their appeal and the GR Borea from GANT Rugger Eyewear stands out with a slightly modified retro feel married to a more polished look. Horn colorations in brown and crystal, as well as light tortoise and black add depth to the relaxed styling of this handmade acetate frame.

The GANT brand continues to increase its retail expansion, including plans to open a GANT store inCanada.  Eponymous stores are located in all of the world’s major capitals. This high-end exposure only increases the perceived value of the brand in the eyes of consumers, creating a cachet that infuses GANT Eyewear collections. Jon Martinez notes: “The eyewear provides an entry into the brand’s fashion and a great opportunity to get into the spirit of GANT.”

Seeing the Future with Augmented Contacts

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By Shirley Ha, BSc. (Hons), O.D.

Imagine real-time data and information streaming in a mid-air, 3D interface (think Tony Stark in Iron Man). But instead of the heavy suit and headgear, it involves “smart” contact lenses that provide biofeedback and enhanced vision simultaneously.

Welcome to the future – a world of augmented reality featuring contact lenses that monitor your health, thanks to the melding of nanotechnology, biosensors and visual digital information that you can manipulate physically.

Sounds too futuristic? It’s not. Researchers and bioengineers around the world are working on these devices, including lenses that dispense medication1,2. Some even have stem cells growing on them.3 While many are still in the form of prototypes, others are awaiting or undergoing human clinical trials. And one is already on the market.

Switzerland’s SENSIMED Triggerfish®, with the Canadian distribution by Labtician Ophthalmics anticipated to begin around February 2013, is the first commercially available device that continuously monitors intraocular pressure (IOP) variances and provides a 24-hour IOP profile of a glaucoma suspect/patient.4 It consists of a single-use contact lens with “strain” sensors that measure changes in corneal curvature, along with a self-adhesive antenna around the eye and a portable recording device. The two to three annual recordings of when transient IOP peaks occur in a 24-hour period are intended to help the physician monitor and manage a patient’s personalized treatment plan. While it has been sanctioned by Health Canada, at the time of writing, the device was undergoing clinical trials (19 registered) in the U.S. and has not yet received the Food and Drug Administration’s approval.5,6

Another remarkable IOP-monitoring sensing technology comes from the University of California, Davis and uses a drop of liquid to gauge pressure. Like “smart gloves” that can give physicians the enhanced ability to measure firmness of tissues and detect tumors, the flexible sensor relies on the increase in capacitance at the electrode of a single droplet of liquid within a “smart” contact lens as it is pressed by the firmness of the cornea.7

In London, ON, Dr. Jin Zhang and her group at the University of Western Ontario developed sensors with nanostructured optical probes embedded in contact lenses that change colour, depending on the wearer’s biomarkers, i.e., glucose levels in the tear layer instead of in the blood.7,9 She hopes her innovation will become the, “safe, sensitive and cost-effective glucose diagnostic tool and monitoring solution,”10 for diabetics around the world and that it will be extended to help people with other chemical imbalances such as calcium and potassium.11

In May 2012, a team led by organic chemist Dr. Jun Hu at the University of Akron in Ohio announced a glucose-sensing coating containing a boronic acid derivative12 on their colour-changing contact lenses for diabetics. Because only one of the contact lenses worn will have the coating and can change colour, he is designing a smart phone application to record the colour difference and quantify the glucose levels.13

Instead of chemically induced colour-changing contact lenses, Dr. Babak Parviz at the University of Washington in Seattle and his international team of researchers used amperometric sensing to detect glucose levels in the tear film.14 His sensors measure changes in tiny currents through the tear layer between sets of electrodes. Early tests on rabbits showed they could accurately detect even very low glucose levels.

Dr. Parviz, a pioneer in “smart” contact lenses, and his team have also been working on computerized contact lenses with display technology. They have already proven they can shrink electronics and wirelessly power red and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) embedded in a contact lens.15 In November 2011, his team successfully activated their prototype electronic contact lens with an unfocused, single-pixel, blue LED on a live, anaesthetized rabbit eye with no adverse effects to the rabbit’s cornea. Unfortunately, while the researchers were able to power the lens from about one metre away in vitro, the distance dropped to about two centimetres in vivo. Dr. Parviz’s goal is to design a better focused, full-colour, higher-resolution display lens that uses internal or less energy to power.

These breakthroughs led Microsoft Research to partner with Dr. Parviz’s lab in December 2011. They are now developing a “functional” contact lens that will monitor blood sugar levels through tears and provide real-time feedback wirelessly to an external local device, with the eventual goal of merging Dr. Parviz’s technology to stream data seamlessly onto a person’s field of view.16

We can look forward to exciting times as researchers continue to add miniaturized capabilities to contact lenses with improving nanotechnology. From web surfing to navigating to up-to-date health and safety monitoring – the possibilities are endless. And all of this is without the need for physical headgears, electronic screens or communication devices. The future looks very bright indeed.

References:
1 PENG, C.C., BURKE, M.T., CHAUHAN, A. “Transport of Topical Anesthetics in Vitamin E Loaded Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses”, Langmuir, vol. 28, no 2, 2012, p.1478-87

2 TIEPPO, A., WHITE, C.J, PAINE, A.C, VOYLES, M.L, MCBRIDE, M.K, BYRNE, M.E, “Sustained in Vivo Release from Imprinted Therapeutic Contact Lenses”, Journal of Controlled Release, vol.157, no3, February 2012, p.391-7

3 Centre for Eye ResearchAustralia: News Archive. “Stem Cell Treated Contact Lenses to Repair Damaged Eyes”, June 2012. Available at: http://www.cera.org.au/news/61/124/2012-06-18/stem-cell-treated-contact-lenses-to-repair-damaged-eyes/?page=1 (Accessed August, 2012)

4 Company website. Sensimed AG. www.sensimed.ch (Accessed August 2012)

5 MANSOURI, K., WEINREB, R.N. “Meeting an Unmet Need in Glaucoma: Continuous 24-h Monitoring of Intraocular Pressure”, Expert Review of Medical Devices, vol. 9, no 3, May 2012, p. 225-31

6 ClinicalTrials.gov – a service of the National Institutes of Health. Search: Triggerfish. Available at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=triggerfish (Accessed September 2012)

7 NIE, B., XING, S., BRANDT, J.D., PAN, T. “Droplet-based Interfacial Capacitive Sensing”, Lab on a Chip, vol. 12, no. 6, 2012, p. 1110-1118

8 COLLIER, R. “Rosy Outlook for People with Diabetes”, Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 182, no 5, March 2010, p. E235-6

9 ZHANG, J., HODGE, W., HUTNICK, C., WANG, X. “Noninvasive Devices for Diabetes through Measuring Tear Glucose”, Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, vol. 5, no 1, January 2011, p. 166-72

10 ZHANG, J. “Development of Non-invasive Diagnostic Device for Diabetes”, Canadian Rising Stars in Global Health – Round 1 Grantees, grandchallenges.ca, June 2011. Available at: http://www.grandchallenges.ca/canadianrisingstars_round1grantees/jinzhang_en/ (Accessed August 2012)

11 GILLESPIE, B. “Seeing Red”. Innovation.ca, July 2010. Available at: http://www.innovation.ca/en/ResearchInAction/ImpactStory/Seeingred (Accessed August 2012)

12 Patent: Optical Device and Method for Non-invasive Real-time Testing of Blood Sugar Levels. Available at: http://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2011034592&recNum=1&maxRec=&office=&prevFilter=&sortOption=&queryString=&tab=PCT+Biblio (Accessed August 2012)

13 BATES, C. “Colour-changing Contact Lens Could Replace Painful Skin Pricks for Diabetics”, May 2012. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2149276/Colour-changing-contact-lenses-replace-painful-skin-prick-tests-diabetics.html (Accessed August 2012)

14 YAO, H., SHUM, A.J., COWAN, M., LAHDESMAKI, I., PARVIZ, B.A. “A Contact Lens with Embedded Sensor for Monitoring Tear Glucose Level”, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, vol. 26, no 7, March 2011, p. 3290-6

15 LINGLEY, R., ALI, M., LIAO, Y., MIRJALILI, R., KLONNER, M., SOPANEN, M., SUIHKONEN, S., SHEN, T., OTIS, B.P,. LIPSANEN, H., PARVIZ, B.A. “A Single Pixel Wireless Contact Lens Display”, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 21, no 12, November 2011, p. 1-8

16 Microsoft Research. “Functional Contact Lens Monitors Blood Sugar Without Needles”,December 8, 2011. Available at: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/stories/functionalcontactlens.aspx (Accessed August 2012)

Software to Make Your Practice Sing: Ocuco is Customized for Canada

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By Paddy Kamen

Dermot Walsh is vice-president of sales for Ocuco in North America. He took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for Envision: seeing beyond magazine.

E:SB: Ocuco is new to Canada. What kind of track record does Ocuco have in the ophthalmic retail software industry?

DW: Ocuco is the only ophthalmic retail software company with a global reach. In fact, our software is used in more than 5,000 sites across 36 countries, including the U.K., Italy, France, Spain and Australia.

Ocuco has 17 years of solid growth under its belt, with over 100 employees, including 40 developers.

E:SB: Is this internationally successful product really applicable to the Canadian market?

DW: The company has invested over $20 million in research and development over the last few years with a focus on localizations. Our Patient Relationship Management software, Acuitas, is currently being rolled out in many regions across Canada and will soon cover all health insurance and fiscal rules.

E:SB: Which category of eyecare professionals (ECP) is your solution designed for?

DW: Acuitas serves independent ECPs as well as multi-branch businesses with two or more practices. Our lab management software, Innovations, is a strong brand in retail workshops and large labs. The integration of Acuitas and Innovations allows one system to complete the full patient journey.

E:SB: In 50 words or less, what does Acuitas accomplish in the professional eyecare practice?

DW: ECPs with Acuitas will see increased sales, a better-organized practice, and will have a greater understanding of all aspects of their business. Acuitas is the first paperless practice management system with a focus on integration and gathering information in one system for enhanced patient care and empowering the ECP.

E:SB: What aspects of Acuitas are most helpful to opticians in terms of keeping the dispensary running smoothly?

DW: Opticians can seamlessly manage the entire patient journey, from marketing and appointment booking, through to exam, dispensing, order collection, recall and ecommerce. Acuitas offers many ‘administration savers’, such as two-way SMS communication with patients and electronic submission and reconciliation of insurance claims.

E:SB: What are the most impressive gains for optometrists when they use Acuitas?

DW: Acuitas allows the optometrist to focus on the patient because all the information is at the practitioner’s fingertips immediately through interfaces with optical equipment, including the Rx, the diagnostics, previous lens and frame selections, and stock availability. Time saved can be better spent with the patient.

E:SB: What business development tools does Acuitas offer Canadian ECPs that they didn’t have before?

DW: Business Intelligence reports are a key feature of the system and essential to the survival of any business. These include revenues, exam outcomes, sales figures, stock availability, sales and brand performances, recall trends and ROI. With 65 reports in Acuitas, there’s no more guessing about how your business is performing.

Implementing a system that follows the patient through the practice means that there is an uninterrupted flow of information when a patient goes from one part of that journey to the next. For example, patients who do not require eyewear to be dispensed can have their exam bill created in the consulting room. Charges for specific exams or imaging are also easily applied to a patient’s account without the need for a verbal handover.

E:SB: Is Acuitas easy to learn and to use? What kind of support does Ocuco offer?

DW: Acuitas is highly configurable; the software adapts to the way you run your business, rather than the other way around. In a live test before a major buying group, a complete novice learned Acuitas in 15 minutes and then easily demonstrated it to the audience of professionals.

The Ocuco support team of 38 is the largest in the global optics industry. Ocuco offers full telephone and online support during typical business hours. All new practices receive a welcome call, hardware review, data migration, assistance in stock setup, onsite training and go-live day support, follow-up advanced on-site training, and dedicated account management and consulting.

Canada’s ECPs by the Numbers

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By JoAnne Sommers

Envision: seeing beyond  magazine recently conducted the first-ever survey of Canadian eyecare professionals (ECPs) to find out who they are and what’s on their minds. In the following story, we share some of what we learned.

The survey yielded a great deal of information. So rather than presenting all of it, we decided to focus on the points that we believe will be of the greatest interest and value to eyecare professionals. This story covers a number of topics, including challenges and opportunities, marketing strategies, Internet and social media usage, and customer service.

We hope it provides you with food for thought as well as action.

Canada’s ECPs consider the Internet both an opportunity and a threat, according to the results of Envision: seeing beyond  magazine’s 2012 survey of the three Os.

Asked to identify the greatest challenges facing ECPs, fully 68.7 per cent of people who responded to the question chose the Internet. Consumer education, with 11.9 per cent of votes, ranked a poor second.

At the same time, the Internet was the most popular choice among those who specified where they think future opportunities in the industry will come from. 15.7 per cent of respondents chose the Internet, second only to the 18.7 per cent who said they were unsure where those opportunities might lie.

How can we explain this dichotomy?

In the sense that the Internet is used as a dispensing vehicle for glasses and contact lenses, it represents a threat to both ECPs and consumers, says Ali Khan, chairman of theAcademyofOphthalmic Education.

“The Internet has created a two-tier system that allows a big company such as Coastal Contacts to hide behind it and dispense illegally everywhere inCanada, exceptBritish Columbia.”

At the same time, Khan said he welcomes the Internet as a communications tool. “Today everyone needs email and a website to do business,” he explains. “It’s a faster, more economical way to communicate with clients and a great marketing tool.”

But while Khan might consider email access and a business website indispensable to optical professionals, not all ECPs seem to agree. Somewhat surprisingly, 11.2 per cent of survey respondents indicated their practice still did not have Internet access, while more than one-quarter (25.8 per cent) of the people who answered the question said they didn’t have a website.

Interestingly, these results are in line with those of a recent Jobson Internet survey, which found that more than 22 per cent of the U.S. ECPs surveyed did not have websites.

Dr. Patrick Quaid is an optometrist with IRIS The Visual Group inGuelph,ON, and co-chair of CCEPro. He expressed shock at the number of ECPs who said they did not have an Internet presence. “It probably has a lot to do with the ages of the ECPs who responded to the survey,” he says, noting that more than two-thirds of them (67.2 per cent) were aged 40 or older.

Dr. Quaid says that some of the fear of the Internet is justified, since the public is not being educated about the risks of buying online from unregulated vendors. At the same time, he adds, “The Internet isn’t going away. If we embrace it in a controlled, sensible way, we can harness its power, while keeping the best interests of the public at heart.”

Dr. Diana Monea was blunter. “If you’re not computer-savvy, you’re useless and if you don’t have a website you may as well close up,” says Dr. Monea, an optometrist who owns Eye Health Centres, a full-service vision care facility with locations inCalgaryandRegina.

Her advice to ECPs: “We can’t compete with Internet retailers in terms of price so we have to provide great service. If you educate your contact lens-wearing patients about eye health, for example, you shouldn’t have a problem with online competitors.”

While CCEPro co-chair Dr. Michael Naugle agrees that ECPs should strive to provide outstanding service, he cautions that it’s easier said than done.

“Exceptional customer service is hard to deliver. Many eyecare providers think their service is exceptional but, if measured against that of non-optical retail entities, it would not compare.”

Dr. Naugle thinks that one way to counter the Internet threat is to offer the newest technology available to the eyecare industry. “We should also have a more “value-based” option for the 20 per cent of the market who are price-sensitive,” he says.

James Hollstein, owner/optician of Crystal Vision inRosetown,SK, has adopted this approach.

“We can compete with Internet sellers by offering essentially the same product (that we normally sell) but at a lower price. We provide professional service and make sure the customer is satisfied but we don’t offer the usual two-year warranty and we charge for parts. Our advantage is that we offer a little more than Internet retailers do but at a comparable price.”

Canada’s ECPs could learn a lot from watching their European counterparts, says Dana Sacco, a registered optician with Rossland Optical inWhitby,ON.

“Europeans understand the online market better than we do and they’re ahead of us in terms of combating online sales. They do that by aligning themselves with top lens manufacturers and educating their customers about the benefits of various lens products. Online companies aren’t yet in a position to compete with that.”

That advantage won’t last indefinitely, however, so now is the time to develop that expertise, she says. “This is the greatest advantage that independent ECPs enjoy. We need to educate our patients and improve their experience with us by leveraging our knowledge and access to specialty products.”

Customer service is critical to the success of today’s optical professionals, agreed Dr. Trisha Beal, a partner at Brant and Paris Family Eye Care, located in Brantford and Paris,ON.

“Independent ECPs don’t have the buying power of chains but they can counter that by offering outstanding service. We have to take time to provide our patients with the information they need. If they don’t understand what we do as optical professionals and recognize the importance of our role in the industry, we won’t be successful.”

Dr. Beal says practitioners can use the Internet to make service faster, more convenient and more accessible. “Patients visit my website to do research and order contact lenses. They appreciate the convenience of ordering online and we can take the opportunity to book a checkup with them.”

The website has been a big success and Dr. Beal recently ventured into the world of social media, creating a Facebook page. That places her among the 44.2 per cent of survey respondents who said they use that social medium. Only 12.1 per cent reported using Twitter, while 11.9 per cent said they use Google+. Just 7.9 per cent reported using LinkedIn and a scant 2.1 per cent said they used Pinterest. Meanwhile, more than one-third (37.4 per cent) of respondents said they didn’t use any social media.

Just six months after creating her Facebook page, Dr. Beal says it’s too early to tell how successful it will be, but she noted that several of her colleagues have successfully run contests, which asked patients to like them on Facebook.

When it comes to marketing, Dr. Beal thinks word of mouth advertising still works best. “We’re out in the community, supporting children’s and adult’s sports teams and sponsoring events like lawn bowling tournaments and curling bonspiels. We advertised in golf course guides this year and contributed to school silent auctions. Advertising – whether it’s in the Yellow Pages or newspapers – is expensive and I prefer to give something back to the community.”

Dana Saccorelies on word of mouth for all of her advertising. “I didn’t spend anything in 2011-12 except for the cost of maintaining my website,” she says.

Sacco, who uses Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest, adds that social media marketing casts a very wide net.

“Internet marketers leverage social media in a global way. Recently, a $25 pink ribbon campaign from Coastal Contacts went viral on Facebook. Few independent locations can make that kind of an impact but I firmly believe it’s possible if we plan for it.”

Such a plan could include making a commitment to messaging on a regular basis, blogging, dedicating a percentage of advertising dollars to Internet ads, etc., Sacco says.

The Envision: seeing beyond survey showed that newspaper advertising remains the most popular form of marketing for 50.2 per cent of respondents, followed closely by the Yellow Pages with 49.5 per cent. Direct mail was next at 36.3 per cent, while Internet advertising ranked fourth with 22.5 per cent.

“Newspapers have a short shelf life compared to magazines,” notes Sacco. “I’m not suggesting the elimination of newspaper advertising, just that taking a balanced approach that includes online media is a good idea.”

Michael Naugle was not surprised that the majority of ECPs still use newspaper and yellow pages as their main marketing tools but notes that, “there is growing evidence to show this is misaligned with the reality of marketing effectiveness. The best return on investment is from marketing to your own database of clients/patients.”

Portrait of an Industry

There were compelling reasons for undertaking the first-ever survey of Canadian eyewear professionals earlier this year, says Martine Breton, president of Breton Communicationsand publisher of Envision: seeing beyond magazine.

“Over the years,Breton Communicationshas been a trusted source of information onCanada’s optical industry and, as a result, we have received numerous requests from both ECPs and suppliers for industry statistics that weren’t available anywhere.

“Providing industry stakeholders with the information they need has always been one of our goals, so conducting the most comprehensive survey of Canadian ECPs ever done made good sense. And with the major changes that have taken place in Canadian vision care over the last few years, accurate data is, now more than ever, vitally important.”

The survey took a fairly broad brush approach to its subject because it was breaking new ground, says Breton. “Now that we have the results as a point of reference, we’re thinking of conducting more specific surveys in the future,” she added.

Over 130 questions under eight major headings – demographics, the Internet, sales, services, training, human resources and marketing, as well as questions on the challenges and opportunities facing ECPs – were formulated by Breton Communications staff, with input from industry suppliers.

The number of responses far exceeded expectations, Breton notes. “More than 950 ECPs from across Canada completed at least part of the survey and almost 550 did the whole thing. I’d like to thank those who took precious time from their busy schedules to answer our questionnaire. For many, it was a lengthy process and simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers weren’t always an option. Everyone at Breton Communications appreciates the time, thoughtfulness and honesty of the respondents.”

Just over one-third of survey participants (37.4 per cent) were Ontario-based;Quebec was second with 27.9 per cent and B.C. was third with 16.8 per cent.Alberta placed fourth with 8.8 per cent, while Manitoba(2.2 per cent) andNew Brunswick(1.9 per cent) ranked fifth and six respectively.

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents said they were opticians, while 22 per cent were optometrists; 5.2 per cent were optometric assistants and just under one per cent were ophthalmologists. 7.4 per cent identified themselves as “other”, including managers, sales reps, students and educators.

Independent retailers made up about two-thirds (65.8 per cent) of the respondents, while those working for chain (three or more) stores accounted for 30 per cent of the replies and department stores represented 3.8 per cent. Among the independents, 34 per cent of retail locations were optometrist-owned and 65 per cent were optician-owned.

Sixty per cent of our respondents were female and interestingly,Quebec accounted for the entire disparity in gender: 75 per cent of respondents from that province were women, while men and women accounted equally for the responses from the other provinces.

Dr. Patrick Quaid, an optometrist with IRIS The Visual Group inGuelph,ONand co-chair of CCEPro (the Canadian Coalition of Eyecare Professionals), was surprised that the proportion of women wasn’t higher since, “Seventy to 80 per cent of students at theUniversityofWaterloo’sSchoolofOptometryare women.”

The gender shift could mean that many new optometrists will enter the workforce on a part-time basis, since many younger women also plan to have children, Dr. Quaid added.

“The industry needs full-time, committed ECPs and female optometrists need to be encouraged to become strong entrepreneurs and realize that they can have both a career and a family,” he says. “This is vital to the health of the profession.”

The survey’s results also revealed a graying industry: more than two-thirds of respondents (67.2 per cent) were aged 40 or older and just 31.7 per cent were 39 or younger. So it’s not surprising that 45 per cent of respondents have practiced more than 20 years while 28 per cent have spent 11-20 years in the field. The smallest category was those with five years or less of experience – they accounted for just 13.2 per cent of responses.

Despite the economic challenges of recent years, news on the sales front was fairly positive. Asked to compare overall sales in 2011 with those in 2010, 8.1 per cent said they were significantly higher and 33.9 per cent said they were slightly higher. 19.3 per cent of respondents said sales were about the same and only 28.1 per cent said their 2011 sales were lower.

Those results surprised Dr. Michael Naugle, co-chair of CCEPro. “Increased sales do not match what the manufacturers/wholesalers are saying regarding growth,” he says. “Maybe it’s because those who responded to the survey are ahead of the curve or at least with the curve.”

Inside Silmo 2012: Alive with Colour

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By Paddy Kamen

This year’s Silmo optical trade show in Paris signaled a bold shift in eyewear trends for 2013. This article looks at the show through the eyes of Amin Mamdani, a seasoned veteran of all things optical. Mamdani, vice-president of operations and buyer for Josephson Opticians in Toronto, was thoroughly impressed and inspired by the eyewear collections at Silmo – and even experienced a bit of nostalgia.

“For me, this was a very special show because it brought me back to my first trade show as a buyer in 1988,” says Mamdani. “It was clear to me this year that I have seen and lived a full cycle of fashion in the past 24 years. In the past, when people talked about what Jackie O, Katherine Hepburn or Michael Caine wore, it was interesting and I did my research, but I hadn’t lived it. Looking at the styles presented at Silmo this year, I knew that I had experienced the history first-hand. The collections are heavily influenced by the styles of the late ‘80s but with a modern twist, of course.”

Mamdani notes that Silmo 2012 was lively, indeed. “It was the best energy I’ve seen in years and I felt inspired to a different level than in the past.”

One of his key inspirations is the emergence of a new design aesthetic. “I saw a move away from the heavy plastic look. This year’s plastic frames are thinner. This is an exciting change and perhaps, overdue.”

P3 shapes were popular on the show floor, as were butterfly and cat eye shapes for women. “I was reminded of Sophia Loren and the frames she used to wear, which were oversized and followed the contour of her brow – more rounded and with a bit of colour,” notes Mamdani. “She always wore pastels and soft rose colourings.”

Other colours that were trending for women at Silmo included violet and olive. “There was much less black and tortoise, and a revival of colour overall,” says Mamdani.

Colours for men included blues, olives, and many shades of brown, such as champagne and chocolate. Shapes for men were changing as well, moving toward what Mamdani calls ‘anti-rectangular.’ “Even Alain Mikli, who is known for his rectangular frames, was showing more square frames for men and cat eyes for women.”

Several exhibitors impressed Mamdani at this year’s show. “Anne et Valentin were superb, with a very colourful palette. They showed various shapes and sizes and I really loved the raw look of the finish on some models with sharper corners and an almost handmade look. I also loved Thom Browne, theNew Yorkdesigner of men’s clothing. I think he is right on the ball with his 1980s look, showing heavier acetate fronts with thin metal temples.” Mamdani also listed Harry Lary’s, Theo, Oliver and Claire Goldsmith and Francis Klein as among his favourite collections at the show.

The optimism that imbues Mamdani post-Silmo is palpable. “As a consumer and an optician, I look forward to 2013 with excitement. In the New Year, we will see a lot of new colour moving on to our shelves, brightening up the stores and signaling a shift. The heavier, chunky look will be replaced with fresh new designs that are good for retailers and consumers equally. I see this breathing new life into the industry.”

The next Silmo will take place from Thursday, September 26 toSunday September 29, 2013. It will be Silmo’s fourth year at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, where they continue to demonstrate the vitality of the optics and eyewear sector and confirm Paris’ enviable position as a venue for major international events.

Have Eyes, Will Travel: Cosmetic Eye Procedures May Risk Vision

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By Paddy Kamen

medicaltourismWealthy people have been traveling for medical or pseudo-medical treatments for centuries: think ancient Roman spas, ‘taking the cure’ at European hot springs, or seeking the salutary effects of dry climates. But what would motivate a Canadian woman to travel to Panama to artificially change the colour of her eyes?

According to a CBC News report, dated Jan.17, 2012, “Beatriz Murillo, 36, traveled from Toronto to a clinic in Panama and paid $8,000 to have a silicone disc placed on top of her irises to lighten the colour from brown to green.” The article states that Murillo has become virtually blind as a result of complications following on the surgery.

Vanity motivates a large number of people to participate in what has become known as medical tourism. Josef Woodman, author of Patients Beyond Border[1], estimates that more than 50 per cent of medical tourism procedures are cosmetic. These include face-lifts, tummy tucks and cosmetic dental work. Popular non-cosmetic procedures include organ transplants, orthopedics, in-vitro fertilization, dentistry and even gender reassignment surgery.

The clinic where Murillo went under the knife declined an interview with Envision: seeing beyond magazine, but a Mississauga-based ophthalmologist, Dr. Ike Ahmed, was able to talk about some of his experiences dealing with aftercare from similar procedures.

“I know of five cases of iris implants and I have treated three,” says the glaucoma specialist. “It’s unfortunate, incredible and hard to grasp why anyone would put their vision at risk for a cosmetic procedure. Some people seem to think it is like getting a tattoo.”

Dr. Ahmed says the iris implants have caused corneas to stop functioning and become cloudy from trauma to the eye. “We have seen corneal decompensation and glaucoma. One person developed a cataract as well, and some have had all three issues. One cornea required a transplant. The repercussions from this procedure are very serious and can cause permanent loss of vision.”

Patients who undergo such risky procedures do not generally consult with an ophthalmologist in advance and often put off getting help when problems develop, notes Dr. Ahmed. “But we can sometimes halt disease progression if they seek medical help early.”

Another cosmetic procedure that originated at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS) is the Cosmetic Extraocular Implant. In this procedure, a small, flat, ornamental object is inserted into the conjunctiva – the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the eyelids and the front of the eyeball. The object, known as a Jewel Eye, is available in the shape of a heart, star, clover, musical note or as a custom design. There are patents pending on this procedure.

While the website for the NIIOS claims that, “Patient satisfaction is high and no side effects of the treatment have been noticed with a follow-up of more than one year,”[2] Dr. Ahmed is not impressed. “While it is not as potentially serious as the iris implant, it can cause negative reactions.”

Health care services have become global for-profit industries with hundreds of thousands of medical tourists traveling each year for medical procedures performed abroad. According to Woodman, “In 2011, Americans spent an estimated $15 to $20 billion on procedures abroad, including elective heart surgery, dental work, cosmetic procedures and infertility treatments.” Many countries are getting into the medical tourism business. Thailand welcomes over one million health travelers annually, with India, Mexico and Singapore welcoming hundreds of thousands. And the U.S.not only exports health seekers but also welcomes 600,000 each year.[3]

Many Americans have come to Canada for eye surgeries, including refractive surgery, which was approved in Canada earlier than the U.S. “We see medical tourism here, with people coming for PRK, Lasik and intraocular lens implants, some of which are not available in the U.S., which is generally behind in terms of optic technologies,” explains Dr. Ahmed. “And most recently, they are coming for corneal cross-linking, a treatment for kerataconus which strengthens the cornea using ultraviolet light and nutrients.”

Are Canadians traveling abroad for eye procedures? Dr. François Codère, a Montreal-based ophthalmologist and president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, says, “I haven’t heard of anyone going outside of the country to get eye care.” He points out that in Canada, even the most expensive refractive surgery costs under $5,000, which makes it hardly worthwhile to incur the expenses associated with medical travel. “And I would certainly not recommend it because the follow-up to surgery is very important. Infection can occur one week to 10 days after surgery. I wouldn’t want to have eye surgery without follow-up medical care.”

Dr. Codère adds that while there were long delays for cataract surgeries in the past, which may have driven some people to go to other countries for the procedure, most provinces have reduced wait times to less than six months. “In Montreal, over 95 per cent of cataract operations are done within six months so the waiting times within ophthalmology have improved in the last five years.

Dr. Ahmed says that he has known people who left Canada for eye procedures due to waiting lists. “But only a very small percentage of Canadians go out of the country for eye surgeries. In Canada, we’ve had great pioneers and leaders of the world in surgical technologies and it’s more likely that people will travel here.”

As for the doctor who performed the disastrous surgery on Beatriz Murillo and other unsuspecting Canadians, Dr. Ahmed thinks he may have realized the error of his ways. “We had a rash of cases where we had to deal with the fallout from his work but the last one was about a year ago. Last I heard he had moved on.”

And will there ever be an end to people who don’t have the good sense to take their health seriously? Josef Woodman has the last word: “Unfortunately and tragically, the most extremely “stupid” mistakes, though few and far between, are lethal. I know of one patient who traveled to Costa Rica for cosmetic surgery, did not heed her doctor’s advice to stay nearby to recover and to stay out of the sun.  She instead traveled deep into rural Panama, did not attend properly to her wounds, they became infected and she died. Thus, in general, I would say that not complying with doctor’s orders and reasonable measures pre- and post-op is unwise.”


[1] Published by Healthy Travel Media. www.patientsbeyondborders.com

[3] Figures courtesy of Josef Woodman

Special Lenses Offer Help For Those with Dyslexia, Colour Blindness

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By JoAnne Sommers

chromagenImagine a set of tinted lenses that can help to manage dyslexia. Now imagine that a similar set of lenses can also correct for colour deficiency (commonly known as colour blindness).

That is the promise of ChromaGen®, an exciting series of products that’s now available in Canada through Centennial Optical.

ChromaGen is the brainchild of British optician and researcher David Harris, who began developing specially tinted lenses in the 1980s for people with colour blindness. In the course of his research, Harris discovered that by altering the wavelength of light that reaches the eye, the lenses also reduced visual distortions that make reading difficult for many people with dyslexia.

ChromaGen, which has been available in the U.K.since 1997, was awarded ‘Millennium Product’ status for innovation and achievement by Britain’s Design Council in 1999. It has FDA clearance in the U.S., where it is sold by ChromaGen Vision, and was recently introduced into Canada through Centennial Optical, ChromaGen’s exclusive distributor in this country.

The ChromaGen system consists of a series of lenses that incorporate combinations of 16 colour filters. Practitioners mix and match them to come up with the pair of lenses that works best for each client, says company President Ted Edwards.

A different series of filtered tints works for each condition, he notes. For colour deficiency, ChromaGen lenses alter the light wave as it passes into each eye, which dynamically balances the speed of information travelling along the optic nerve to the patient’s brain. This enhances colour perception and discrimination, enabling the user to distinguish colour and experience the full colour spectrum.

For those with dyslexia, the use of different ChromaGen filters effectively changes the speed of the information in the brain’s neurological pathways, allowing the eyes to synchronize, Edwards explains.

“When the eyes are not dynamically balanced and are not working together properly, words appear to move, are blurry and out of focus, and people see double words or sentences. When using the ChromaGen filters, patients report that these symptoms simply stop. This is the world’s first non-invasive treatment for the visually dyslexic, presented in a simple pair of glasses.”

ChromaGen lenses, which look neutral gray when viewed on someone’s face, are available in Trivex and CR39 for bifocals and progressives, as well as single vision and plano lenses. They are fitted in either contact lens or eyeglass form and are easily incorporated into any existing prescription and frame choice. The effects are instantaneous and there are no side effects, says Edwards.

Rick Leroux is director of marketing and communications, lens division, with Centennial Optical. He calls the ChromaGen system a reading aid, rather than a cure for dyslexia.

Leroux says Centennial conducted clinical tests with a Toronto optometrist who fit several staff members who have dyslexia with the system. “They love the fit and now read for pleasure,” he notes, adding, “We think we can help about three-quarters of people with dyslexia.”

The condition affects about 23 per cent of the population, according to the Canadian Dyslexia Association.

Ophthalmologists, optometrists and opticians all can perform the diagnostics associated with ChromaGen, provided they participate in a one-hour training session and purchase a diagnostic lens kit. To date, three Canadian practitioners – all of them in Ontario – are using the system.

Leroux says the product is relatively expensive (it runs into the hundreds of dollars) but notes that patients complete a test that determines its efficacy before ordering the lenses.

For further information, visit IReadBetterNow.com.

A Sculpture to Wear

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A Sculpture to Wear

COS introduces Silhouette’s Titan Sculpture to the Canadian market Silhouette’s Titan Sculpture, a model with three-dimensional design and top quality manufacturing using high-tech materials with a real attention to detail.

The temples are tensioned by the contrast between the high-tech materials titanium and SPX. The sweeping shape of the front part of the temple, as well as the minimalist amount of material, enhances the aesthetic appeal of the eyewear as well as its function – optimising the temple’s suspension. The contrasting fine faceting inside and out underlines the model’s three-dimensional design, with the high-tech SPX polymer picking up the dynamics in an emotionally powerful way, complementing the fine titanium lines, and perfecting the Titan Sculpture as an artistic mould offering maximum comfort in wear.

Classic, durable and yet still stylish, this collection, comprising models in six different colours, has that certain something that is needed to capture the world far away from the fashion mainstream.

Silhouette’s high-quality Austrian manufacturing – 80 percent of the design is completed by hand in innumerable steps – is a guarantee of the exacting standards of perfection that sets all Silhouette eyewear apart.

Skaga Signs a « Colourful Atmosphere » Autumn Collection

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Skaga Signs a « Colourful Atmosphere » Autumn Collection

Scandinavian Eyewear has launched its new Skaga collection, featuring unique colours for the new season. Made with special acetate, the line presents 16 autumn styles. Skaga’s material consists of four layers of acetate, three of which are in selected colours and the fourth of which is transparent. This has resulted in colour compositions that are totally unique to Skaga and can’t be found on any other frames in the world.

Within the “Colour Atmosphere” theme, Skaga, which was founded in 1948, has also been reliving the 1980s with retro coloured nylon wires holding the lenses in place, a style first launched in the early 80s. This gives a special tone-on-tone effect when, for example, blue frames are combined with another shade of blue in the wires. As well as blue, there are green, red, pink and black models to choose from.

Kaenon Releases Hutch

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Kaenon Releases Hutch

Kaenon introduces the new sunglass style, Hutch, as part of celebrating 10 years of premium optics. The new style, which features the proprietary SR-91™ polarized lens, is suitable for a wide variety of face shapes and sizes. Hutch features a “relaxed” 8 base wrapped design for maximum peripheral coverage from the sun and the elements. As expected, Hutch grasps the wearer with lightweight comfort, clean lines and thin temples. Equipped with our SR-91 polarized lens, Hutch is a no-brainer when it comes to ultimate glare-reduction and clarity in an easy-to-wear frame design. Available in black, matte black and matte tobacco.

Constructed of lightweight TR-90, each frame maintains its shape for the life of the sunglass and naturally adapts to the wearer’s facial features.

Kaenon continues to lead the premium sunglass market with the SR-91™ polarized lens. This proprietary lens material is standard in all pieces and is the only polarized lens that combines superior optical clarity, impact-resistance and glare reduction in one ultra-lightweight lens. Kaenon SR-91 polarized lenses are available in a variety of lens tints for personalized vision. Every frame in the company’s broad collection of sunglasses can be fitted with prescription SR-91 lenses – for both men and women.