Author Archives: Envision Magazine

The Truth about Soft Daily Disposables

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By Janice Schmidt

Are you a golden fitter? Have you been around for a while and are now in the golden years of fitting contact lenses? If so, you are not alone. If you speak with the College of Opticians of Ontario or any regulatory college across Canada you will learn that many opticians face retirement in the next few years.

We golden fitters have seen it all – from the introduction of soft conventional lenses to today’s daily disposable soft contact lenses. And we have to ask whether soft daily disposable lenses are the answer, given that we deal with the pathological conditions created by hypoxia/anoxia (which in most cases, are directly related to the patient’s failure to look after their lenses properly).

I believe that soft daily disposable lenses are the answer for soft lens patients. However, we still have a way to go before they become 100 per cent worry-free.

The soft contact lens market is growing, and sales of soft daily disposable lenses are increasing faster than any other modality of wear or lens material. Sales were around 27 million in 2008, growing to 34 million in 2010.

This modality of wear offers definite benefits to patients and practitioners alike. At the same time, wearing contact lenses enhances the evaporation of the precorneal film (tear layer) and disrupts the proliferation, migration and exfoliation of corneal epithelial cells. Research shows that contact lenses can actually damage the surface epithelium and expose underlying cells. In fact, contact lens patients are at an 80 per cent risk for eye infections because of the breakdown in surface epithelium.

Although the surface epithelium is constantly bombarded by invasive microorganisms, eye infections in non-contact-lens wearers are rare. That’s because our eyes’ natural defense mechanisms are superior to the microorganisms that try to invade the cornea. But once you place a contact lens on the eye you break the balance between the bio-burden – the number of microorganisms on the ocular surface and the natural defense mechanisms – which leaves the eye at risk.

Having said all that, will I stop fitting contact lenses? Definitely not, because so many contact lens patients benefit from their superior visual acuity.

We just need to be realistic in our approach to dispensing contact lenses. Soft daily disposable lenses are designed for ocular health and represent one of the best options available to wearers but compliance remains an issue. Soft daily disposables are the most-complied-with modality of wear but 12 per cent of patients still keep them longer than they should. So if your practice is based solely on dispensing soft daily disposables remember that your patients are not free from the risk of infection. This is where we need to be diligent and get to know our patients better.

Research done by Stapleton, Holden and colleagues in Australia in 2004, showed that two in 10,000 soft daily disposable lens wearers developed an eye infection, compared to 1.7 in 10,000 wearers of frequent replacement lenses worn on a daily basis (bi-weekly or monthly). In other words, there was no significant difference in the incidence of infection between the two types of lenses. Soft daily disposable lenses were supposed to eliminate risks associated with contact lens wear but they actually increased the risks in non-compliant patients, based on the study results.

How well do you know your patients? Does the software on your office computer allow you to track their contact lens purchases? Do you call patients for rechecks and reorders? Does a red flag show up when a patient has not ordered lenses for a while?

You need to ask your soft daily disposable patients the following questions:

• Do you reuse your daily lenses?

• If the answer is yes, where do you store them – in the blister pack containing the same packaged solution?

If your patient answers yes to either of the above questions they are at risk and so are you. Why not provide them with a case and a MPDS solution? The soft disposable lens won’t survive – they are designed not to last – but at least the patient will be safer if they keep them for two or three days.

We can control what we tell our patients but we can’t control what they do. So if they admit to keeping their lenses longer than they should let’s be proactive and provide them with a means to care for them better. In a perfect world soft daily disposables are the right answer and if we can get them to improve compliance it will become a win-win situation for everyone.

Tax Planning a Year-Round Activity

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By JoAnne Sommers

The June 15 deadline for self-employed Canadians to file their income tax returns is rapidly approaching but it’s not too late for entrepreneurs to consider money-saving tax strategies, says Mark Shoniker, director of commercial banking at BMO Bank of Montreal. In fact, notes Shoniker, in order to derive the greatest benefit from your tax planning efforts you should be thinking about them on a year-round basis.

“Small business owners need to take a holistic approach to tax and retirement planning in order to wind up with a lower overall tax rate and a good diversity of income when they retire,” he says.

Tax planning should be part of your overall financial plan, agrees Adam Salahudeen, senior manager of taxation advisory services at Scotiabank. Rather than filing your taxes and forgetting about them it’s wise to think about how to make the most of your tax deductions throughout the year, he says.

A variety of tax-planning opportunities are available to help small business owners boost their bottom line. Here are some to consider:

• Income Splitting
Family-run businesses can take advantage of income splitting by hiring a spouse or children as employees. They earn income while you get to use their wages as a tax deduction.

“Many small business owners think it’s verboten to have family members on the payroll but provided their compensation is market-driven and they’re performing an actual service, it’s a great way to split income among several people at lower tax rates,” says Shoniker. “The keys are to ensure that their pay is reasonable, their roles in the company are clearly defined, and their performance is well documented.”

• Incorporation
Consider whether or not to incorporate your business. Sole proprietorships are advisable when you’re starting out because you may be facing losses and you’ll want to be able to deduct them against your other income, says Salahudeen. You can’t do that when you’re incorporated.

According to Adrian Mastracci there are two main reasons to incorporate: the first is to protect your personal assets from creditors; the second is to take advantage of the small business tax deduction, whereby the income of qualifying Canadian-held corporations is taxed at a special “reduced” rate. The combined corporate tax rate on the first $500,000 of active business income can be as low as 10.5 per cent, depending on the province, compared with as much as 50 per cent if you file as a sole proprietor, says Mastracci, portfolio manager with KCM Wealth Management Inc. in Vancouver.

• Remuneration Options
Small business owners who have incorporated have greater flexibility in determining how they will be compensated. Their options include paying themselves a salary, dividends, or both. According to BMO, a reasonable salary can create personal RRSP room, provide a business deduction and help bring taxable income below the $500,000 threshold for the small business tax deduction. On the other hand, a dividend may be taxed at a lower rate for the owner than a salary or bonus would be, but would not be deductible for tax purposes.

“Review your personal compensation and that of other family members,” advises Mastracci. “A blend of salary and bonuses totaling $125,000 in 2011 creates the maximum RRSP room for 2012.”

• Capital Gains Exemption
When you sell your business, you are entitled to a lifetime capital gains exemption of $750,000 on qualified small business corporation shares. If your spouse, or children through a family trust, own shares in the corporation, you effectively increase the number of exemptions accordingly.

“When you set up your business make sure to create a share structure that will allow you to maximize the capital gains deduction,” says Shoniker. “The first $750,000 of capital gains accrue to you tax free and since you and your spouse are both eligible for that you can get up to $1.5 million tax free.”

Some rules apply, including a requirement that the claimant must have owned the shares for at least two years before selling, notes Mastracci.

• Work with a Professional
It’s important to work with an expert, such as a chartered accountant and/or tax advisor, to take full advantage of the deductions available to you, says Salahudeen. “This is one area where you really need professional help,” he says. “Besides, you don’t want to take time and energy away from your business to do your taxes.”

Adds Shoniker: “Smaller accounting firms can be very helpful with this. Find someone who knows how the tax rules apply to your business because there can be major financial consequences for you now and in the future.”

Note: while self-employed Canadians have until June 15 to file their tax returns, any tax owing to the government was due to the CRA by April 30.

For further information on tax-planning strategies for small business owners, visit BMO SmartSteps for Business(TM).

Everything Old is New Again

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by JoAnne Sommers

Vintage styling with more than a hint of opulence. That’s the forecast for the 2011 Canadian sunwear market. Whether it’s the Jackie O look or an updated take on the classic aviator style, today’s sunwear consumer is looking for the iconic styles of the past done with modern flare, says Robert Eggett,Ontariosales manager for SafiloCanada.

As an example, he cites Diormohotani, part of Dior’s new Les Marquises collection. The large butterfly-style sunglasses take their inspiration from the 1950s while featuring the benefits of thinner, lighter, more comfortable acetate, faceted metal ovals, and mirrored, coloured lenses. “This new technology has replaced the heavy and often-uncomfortable frames of the past,” notes Eggett.

Glamour is a major theme in many women’s sunwear collections this season. And who better to evoke the glamour of the past than Marilyn Monroe? The screen goddess was famous for her flare and unique fashion sense and The Marilyn Monroe Collection from Optiq Frames does a great job of capturing that style, says company President Joe Nadler. “Marilyn is a timeless fashion icon and she has broad appeal to women of all ages, from teens up,” he notes.

“Opulent” is how Mike Christiansen describes this year’s sunwear styles. “Whether they’re 25 or 85, that’s what women want,” says Christiansen, founder and president of Venus Eye Design. “They’re willing to go funkier with their sunwear than their eyewear and they like diamonds and bling on the temples. The image isHollywood, red carpet and JLO.”

On some Venus models, Christiansen routers out the frame and fills it with silver dust to create a sparkly effect. And like a number of sunwear designers, Venus also uses exquisite Swarovski crystals for the ultimate in glamour.

“What sets these apart is the attention to detail and the quality of the finished product,” he says. “Customers love that the models are limited edition so they are not wearing the same thing as everyone else on the street.”

The Judith Leiber sunwear collection from Toronto-based Eyenigma consists of nine pieces, all of which are encrusted with Swarovski crystals. It’s a chic, glam look designed for a more mature audience, says President Stephen Kapoor, who notes that, “This is a luxury brand and the wearer projects a rich, stylish image.”

The collection also takes classic shapes in exciting new directions, says Kapoor, citing Channel, which features rectangular crystals on a large oval frame. “It’s a Jackie O-style design. Larger frames provide a lot of coverage, which is great for sun protection, and the soft fronts are popular because not everyone wants to be edgy.”

Swarovski Eyewear has just launched its first sunwear collection, consisting of 11 styles and about 30 pairs, including aviators, round shapes, ovals, and romantic butterfly wings, which is a big spring trend, says Diana Mazzuca, PR and communications manager at Swarovski Canada.

They use the company’s famous crystals to create subtle glints of light and the designs incorporate Swarovski’s identity by including the iconic Swanflower® motif. This delicate design, composed of a swan shape repeated to form a flower, is integrated into the faceted crystal workmanship, which captures and reflects light.

“No matter what colour you choose, it is hard to go unnoticed in these glasses,” says Mazzuca. “Amazing” is a piece with real personality for bold fashionistas and women who are confident in their power to attract. And with a large frame and arms adorned with baguette cut crystals that light up your face, “Ava” evokes an afternoon on theRiviera– pure chic.”

Jee Vice is committed to making women of all ages feel special with a wide range of stylish, iconic eyewear – a design for every mood, outfit and season, says the company’s Calgary-based Vice President Jess Inman.

“Our Jealous sunglasses are so glamorous and chic that I believe every woman would be a little envious if they didn’t own a pair,” says Inman. “They’re available in peacock, brown silk and gold smoke, and the latter features our melanin photochromic lenses, which are the latest breakthrough in eyewear technology.”

Melanin lenses filter out harmful UV and HEV light and protect the skin around the eyes, which can help prevent wrinkles. They also diminish glare and provide extra protection for the eyes, reducing the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, while enhancing colour perception.

Eye protection is increasingly important to today’s sunwear consumer and growing numbers of Canadians are investing in Rx-friendly sunglasses.

“The fact that all Venus sunwear can be made into prescription sunglasses is a huge selling feature because the aging population understands the benefits of Rx sunglasses and prescription wearers often have a hard time finding fashion sunwear to accommodate them,” says Christiansen.

Prescription sunwear is the biggest growth segment in the optical market, says Paul Storace, president and CEO of Alternative Eyewear and Plan B Eyewear, adding that women purchase 10 times more Rx-friendly sunglasses than men. “Our One Sun collection includes 12 styles in handmade acetate, all made with a 4 or 6-base.”

The unisex collection, which is available with polarized lenses, is one of the best Rx-able value brands available, adds Storace.

Women aren’t the only ones who see their sunwear as a means of self-expression. “Men want to look cool but not over the top and they want to convey a sense of personal style without having to dress in designer fashions,” says Nicole Durda, brand manager for the GANT brand at Viva International Group.

Viva’s GANT Rugger Sunglasses are the perfect way to demonstrate style without committing to a huge price tag or wardrobe, she says. Durda agrees that updated retro styling is an important fashion trend this season and says that Rugger delivers it at the perfect price point. The Spring 2011 collection includes five new sunglass styles featuring a varied mix of vintage and contemporary styling. Designed for free-spirited, fashion-conscious men, the frame shapes are classic and feature styles with diamond stud detailing, representative of the GANT Rugger logo.

Fringe Fact or Fiction? Is EYEPORT the Real Thing?

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By Paddy Kamen

Jacob Liberman was concerned that he might be kicked out of optometry college after completing his second year — after all he was just getting by with the lowest passing grades. It was nothing new for him to do poorly in school; although he applied himself, every time he had to read for any length of time he fell asleep. This had been going on for most of his life and he didn’t expect it to change.

Then, as part of his optometric training, Liberman underwent a comprehensive vision exam. He was told that his eyes were not working together properly and sent home with a vision training device. “I didn’t do anything with it right away, and that afternoon I fell asleep again while reading,” he recalls. “When I woke up, the first thing I saw was the vision training unit so I got up and used it for five minutes. Afterwards I read for an hour with great comprehension and no distractibility. This was so profoundly moving that I started crying because I always thought I was stupid. But after just two months of doing the training, I made the dean’s list almost every quarter until l graduated. Vision training took me from being a less-than-average student to one of the best in the class, and dramatically changed my life.”

Liberman earned a Doctorate of Optometry in 1973 from Southern College of Optometry, and a Ph.D. in Vision Science in 1986 from The College of Syntonic Optometry. He has written  three books – Light: Medicine of the Future, Take Off Your Glasses and See, and Wisdom From an Empty Mind – and invented the EYEPORT Vision Training System. The latter is designed to improve vision, academic, and sports performance via a set of five visual exercises that teach, as Liberman puts it, “the brain to function more effectively.” The  device has been FDA-cleared and the subject of four peer-reviewed published studies, he says.

According to Liberman, most people can benefit from using the EYEPORT because they spend so much time reading and staring at computer screens. He feels vision training can improve visual performance and protect our eyes from the unnatural task of looking at computers all day in the same way that tennis shoes improve athletic performance and protect our feet while walking on synthetic surfaces. “The world’s biggest epidemic is eyesight deterioration. We must do something, not only to prevent that deterioration but also to optimize performance. Although eyeglasses improve acuity, they don’t prevent vision problems from getting worse. Thank goodness we have eyeglasses for those that need them. However, we also need to deal with the cause of vision problems, not just the effects.”

Although Liberman wore glasses for nine years, he hasn’t done so since training his eyes in 1976. Now, at age 63, he has a significant amount of astigmatism but sees well at both near and distance. This is because vision occurs in consciousness and is not entirely dependent on the mechanics of eyes, he explains.

Liberman says his device helps people learn to see effortlessly.

“Most people are in the habit of trying too hard. They think they have to work their eyes instead of allowing the eyes to work for them. Using the EYEPORT lets you experience how easy or hard your eyes are working and trains them to function more fluidly. The user’s brain notices a lack of congruity with the way they have always used their eyes and in some way that causes the brain to change the way it works.”

“Some scientists might dismiss this logic,” he allows. “However, 35 years ago I experienced a 300 per cent improvement with no change in my eyeglass prescription. I still have astigmatism and no eye doctor will say I should be able to see as well as I do.”

Developmental optometry is so called because it treats disorders (like strabismus and amblyopia) that can occur in the course of human development, usually in childhood. The field was formerly known as pediatric optometry but the name was changed to reflect the fact that problems not corrected in childhood can still be addressed  in adults. Developmental or behavioural optometrists prescribe vision training for children with attention, reading and learning-related vision problems, as well as athletes seeking a competitive edge, people experiencing eyestrain, and individuals dealing with cognitive and neurological challenges due to traumatic brain injury.

According to Debbie Luk, an optometrist who specializes in developmental vision training inCalgary, the field has moved from the fringes of acceptability to a mainstream specialty within optometry. “It is taught in all American colleges of optometry but isn’t yet part of the curriculum at our two Canadian colleges at University of Waterloo and University of Montreal,” she notes.

Luk wasn’t aware of EYEPORT, but after checking out the Liberman website www.exerciseyoureyes.com she noted that she uses a similar system. “This is a good tool to use for in-office training, but for home therapy I would prescribe the Brock String exercise, invented by Dr. Fred Brock. It’s important to note that optometric vision therapy involves the use of a variety of exercises that enhance eye tracking, eye focusing and eye teaming skills. So we cannot treat someone solely with one type of exercise.”

It appears that Liberman’s work, while nesting within developmental optometry, is still somewhat on the fringe due to his apparent position that the EYEPORT can ‘do it all’.

Liberman acknowledges that he doesn’t ‘speak the same language’ as the majority of optometrists or vision scientists. “It can take a long time for scientists to realize they don’t understand the mysteries of life. When I don’t understand something it drives me to do research, whereas conventional science often dismisses truths that don’t fit within the existing paradigm. The EYEPORT speaks for itself. Over 1,000 optometrists are using it and those who use it understand and appreciate the results. My goal has always been to develop something that can help people and has real science behind it.”

There’s no doubting Jacob Liberman’s passion for his product. Is it possible that just as developmental optometry was a fringe specialty not too long ago that the EYEPORT represents the way of the future? Only time will tell.

Celebrating 25 years of International Flare in Eyewear

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By Evra Taylor

“Expand your field of vision,” ran the website slogan for the 25th International Vision Expo East (VEE) and Conference. And the event delivered on that promise for the more than 30,000 ophthalmologists, optometrists and opticians from around the world who gathered at New  York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from March 18 to 20 to attend the event.

VEE had a dual mission as a showcase for the latest and greatest from among 549 exhibitors displaying eyeglass frames, lenses and accessories, and featuring cutting-edge developments in medical and diagnostic products. The second part of its mandate was educational, with over 300 hours of continuing education offered. In addition, this year’s VEE experience provided an ideal opportunity for exhibitors to network with customers and see what the competition held in store. Tom Loughran, vice president for Reed Exhibitions, co-owners of the event with The Vision Council, aptly described it as, “Your one-stop shop for education, products, trends and solutions.”

Naturally, the tragic earthquake in Japan was on peoples’ minds. However, exhibitors and attendees reported a positive spirit that welcomed the introduction of new products and innovative technologies. By all accounts VEE was a resounding success, recording a seven per cent increase in attendance over 2010. And from a staging point of view, one of the hallmarks of this year’s assembly was a new layout in which The Underground and The Galleria were merged, making it easier to navigate the exhibits.

Overall, Canadian manufacturers and distributors were extremely pleased with the event as well as their return on the significant investment required to exhibit at a world-class trade fair.

Beverly Suliteanu of Montreal-based Westgroupe feels that the U.S.optical market is in an upswing. “We have enjoyed double-digit growth since we launched our products in the U.S.and so far, 2011 is on track to improve on this growth.”

Several opticians and frames manufacturers consider the European flair that informs Canadian design a decided advantage in product differentiation from the big global brand names. “A number of Canadian collections have enjoyed success in the U.S. I think our design aesthetic is a little more forward than that of a lot of the American companies, which makes our products stand out,” Suliteanu stated.

At Toronto-based Eyenigma, eyewear designer Stephen Kapoor voiced his satisfaction with this year’s event. “We signed some very good U.S.orders and several of my colleagues reported improved results over last year’s show. The Americans trust us and they feel comfortable doing business with Canadians.”

According to optician Charlene Bickell, from Oakley Optical in Winnipeg, who was attending Vision Expo East for the first time, it is an excellent way to strengthen one’s knowledge of fashion and design in the optical industry. “There is definitely room for Canadian companies to expand into the U.S.With all the sales reps gathered together in one place, it’s a great opportunity for them to share information about the latest trends.”

Don Armstrong, owner of i. Frame eyewear designers and distributors, reports that his firm is in the process of expanding its sales force and distribution operation. “The recession hit the low to medium size optical sector very hard. But in the luxury segment of the market, which is our target, it’s hard for us not to do well. We’ll be doubling our exhibit space next year. In our industry, if you cultivate relationships with your clientele and if your product is unique, you really don’t have competition,” he stated.

For Shiu-Chi Mo of McCray Optical Supply in Toronto, exhibiting at Vision Expo East proved worthwhile. “It was a very good marketing opportunity for us. This was our second year attending and the sales at this Expo increased over those of last year. Since this was our first year as distributors of Breitfeld & Schliekert in Canada and the U.S., we were able to display those collections and showcase unique niche items, such as our spring hinge tool kit.”

Fellow Torontonian Mel Rapp, owner of Rapp Optical, attends VEE as both a buyer and a seller. He feels that Canadian firms can do well south of the border as long as they have products that fulfill well-defined criteria. In the design end of his business, Rapp manufactures handmade eyeglass frames for several high-end retailers. As a result, he said, his key criterion is quality, not price.

Mehran Baghaie designer and owner of Spectacle Eyeworks in Vancouver came away from the Expo with a particularly positive economic outlook. “Our industry is definitively on the upturn in the States. No one was talking about the economy. Opticians are trying to look past the recession and surge forward. In fact, the recession hasn’t hurt our company. What affects us more are the Canadian and American currencies being at par.”

While eyewear and eyecare professionals took in the sights at Vision Expo East, the general public was privileged to view the exhibition “Eyewear from the Beginning to the Future – The History of Eyeglasses from their Invention in Italy to the Latest Trends.” The event took place from March 18 to 24 at Grand Central Terminal in New York City as part of the Made in Italy Eyewear initiative designed to highlight the excellence of Italian eyewear worldwide. Almost 200 eyeglasses selected from several museum and private collections reconstructed a virtual map of the history of eyeglasses from their origins to modern times.

With the month of March witnessing such spectacular eyewear-related events in both the professional and consumer sectors, it bodes well for the remainder of 2011 in terms of the industry’s continued growth and Canadian participation in it.

Another Great Mido: Design, Innovation and Business Take Centre Stage

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By Evra Taylor

From March 4 to 6,Milan was host to Mido, the leading international trade fair dedicated to the world of eyewear. More than 1,100 domestic and international manufacturers took advantage of the opportunity to unveil their new collections and present cutting-edge optical technology to more than 42,000 visitors. With an increase of seven per cent in attendees fromItalyand roughly three per cent overall compared to 2010, Mido confirmed that a much-welcome economic recovery had taken place.

The focus of Mido is the manufacturing sector, whose aesthetic moxie has inspired some of the world’s most surprising and stunning products. The show represents a unique forum that gathers together a varied mix of fashion buyers, opticians and ophthalmologists seeking out new design trends. The 2011 fair saw the return of the Mido Design Lab, an environment set apart for the most daring experimenters. Other attractions included the introduction of the Mido Fashion District, which hosted the world’s premier eyewear companies, and the debut of the Health and Innovation area showcasing the latest developments in vision health and prevention.

As part of Milan’s busy fashion week and in the spirit of Mido, from February 28 to March 6 the International Optics, Optometry and Ophthalmology Exhibition partnered with Vision+Onlus – an Italian non-profit health organization – to offer the public free vision examinations at Milan’s Malpensa Airport.

Mido is the “must attend” appointment on the global eyewear industry calendar and the 2011 event did not disappoint. Sheryl Nettleton, vice president of Business Development for the Montreal-based Vision Canada Optical Services (VCOS) buying group, attended Mido to gain a sense of new directions and trends, and to ensure that her group’s present and future needs are being met. Said Nettleton: “I was interested in seeing the European flare typical of these fairs. It was nice to see that North Americais in line with Europein this regard.”

Nettleton feels that there is post-recession optimism among eyecare professionals who are regaining their entrepreneurial drive to find the exclusive piece or the look that’s going to be the forerunner for the next five years.

One of the more prominent current aesthetics seen at Mido was vintage 1960s plastic frames as part of a return to simplicity. Said Raouf Hakim, owner of Montreal’s Les Opticiens Associés retail stores, “the frames I’m selling now are the same ones I used to sell in the 1970s. It’s really a case of back to the future.”

Hakim enjoys Mido because there are certain European exhibitors who don’t venture to North America. In addition, he found this year’s gathering more exciting than that of last year, with an increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors.

For Toronto’s Amin Mamdani, vice president of Josephson Opticians, the most intriguing aspect of the experience was visiting the Asian pavilion and seeing the progress that has been made in various Asian countries. “I found some new and upcoming eyewear designers who I think would have a place in our store and a strong future in the industry.”

Gordon Duross is supplier account manager for Optometric Services Inc. (OSI), based in Montreal. OSI is a multi-service group that responds to the needs of more than 1,500 independent Canadian optometrists. His chief objective in attending Mido was to “stay ahead of the curve” in order to deliver offerings of tangible value to his network members. “The crucial factor is to be able to gather industry insight from a global perspective.” For Duross, the highlight of the fair is the relationship that OSI has developed with the Italian Trade Commission, which invited him to the event.

Mido 2011 signified the convergence of design, fashion and technology, plus training and health. The three-day immersion in the world of eyewear proved to be a great success and was lauded by exhibitors and attendees from around the globe.

Monika Schnarre Debuts in Exciting Partnership with Optiq Frames

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By Paddy Kamen

Monika Schnarre, the youngest woman ever to win Ford’s Supermodel of the World competition, is now the proud designer of an eyewear collection in partnership with Optiq Frames.

Schnarre won the modeling competition when she was only 14, subsequently gracing the cover of American Vogue and runways the world over. Not many young women would have the poise and confidence to live that kind of high-pressure life and Schnarre allows that it was challenging: “I felt this great sense of expectation, perhaps self-imposed, that I had to be a perfect role model, completing high school while working internationally, getting straight ‘A’s, and also living a wholesome lifestyle, which isn’t easy in the modeling world.”

By age 18, Schnarre had given up full-time modeling and moved to Los Angelesto pursue acting. She tested herself by not relying on her savings, throwing herself into another uber-competitive world. “It is definitely very hard to break into acting. I was lucky because I started doing commercials right away and landed a job on The Bold and the Beautiful and then The Beastmaster. At the same time, I took a two-year certificate program in journalism at UCLA.”

After appearances on many leading television shows and hosting red-carpet events, Schnarre decided that she wasn’t meeting her full potential. She left LA and moved back to her hometown of Toronto in 2008, hoping to get more television work.

“The industry was really hurting at that time, and I wasn’t going to sit around waiting for a job to materialize,” she explains. “I realized that I have good name recognition and a love for fashion, so I decided to turn that into a woman’s apparel line.”

Having seen many fashion designers go broke, Schnarre took a low-risk approach and began working with the Shopping Channel. “I knew what I was missing in my own wardrobe and I instinctively knew how to address the needs of tall women like myself,” she explains. “My first collection, Tall, sold out. That collection is now sold through retail stores and now I also design clothes for the average woman, plus accessories, including bags and jewelry.”

It was a chance meeting through a mutual friend that led to Schnarre connecting with Joe Nadler, president of Optiq Frames. “I’ve always loved eyewear and have many pairs in my collection, even though I don’t have a prescription. I liked the Nadlers immediately. It was essential to me that I be involved in the process as I didn’t want to just stick my name on something that I didn’t believe in. They were receptive to my ideas and so a partnership was created.”

Says Nadler:  “I saw working with Monika as an outstanding opportunity. I love the fact that she is Canadian and I appreciate what she is invoking with her brand.”

As Nadler points out, many manufacturers simply obtain a license to use a designer’s name and, “slap the name on with little or no actual involvement from the designer. Our partnership with Monika, is, in contrast, very hands on. She is easy to work with and knows how to articulate her brand. And with all her years in the fashion industry she is very much in touch with what women want to wear. I’m happy to say that we are all extremely proud of the collection.”

The Monika Schnarre eyewear collection of prescription frames and sunwear features designs that embody Monika’s fashion philosophy of simple sophistication and affordability. “The women I design for are working women, like me. They don’t have a fortune to spend on eyewear and yet they insist on designs that further their self-expression and sense of style,” she says.

The launch of the collection this spring will find Schnarre on Breakfast Television and in major women’s magazines. She will appear at trade shows with Optiq Frames and even at customer locations. Video footage has been shot for television and print and radio exposure will be included. “She is prepared to do what it takes to promote the collection and her elegance and recognition factor demand attention,” says Nadler.

All Optiq Frames eyewear, including the Monika Schnarre collection, is manufactured in the same leading factories as many other well-known brands. “We pride ourselves on the quality of our frames,” notes Nadler. “That quality, combined with accessible design features and reasonable pricing, assures us that the target market of women 30 and over is going to love these frames.”

Each frame comes with a lens cloth and designer case, also created by Schnarre, both in her signature colours of blush pink and chocolate brown. Frames are on-trend in a variety of styles (roughly 50 per cent metals and 50 per cent Italian acetates), featuring tortoise shell, sleek metallic temple details and current colours.

It seems there’s no stopping Monika Schnarre as she turns her early success on the world’s runways and her experience in fashion, acting and media to the creation of products that help women express themselves with confidence and style.

While Thinking Globally, Ronor Acts Locally

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By Paddy Kamen


Robert Charbonneau and his company, Ronor International Inc., are not shy when it comes to participating in world markets. The 100 per cent Canadian-controlled firm expanded into China in 2006 as one of the first ventures allowed to operate as a wholly owned foreign investment under new central government regulations.

Charbonneau, Ronor’s founder and president, demonstrated his commitment to expansion by moving his family to Hong Kong, where they lived for almost three years. It was a fascinating business experience as well as a tremendous cultural immersion for the whole family. “It was a very positive experience for my son, who was eight at the time, and my daughter, who was ten. She is now fluent in Mandarin, which is a key global language,” says Charbonneau. “And we all learned what it means to be members of a visible minority group.”

Working through 11 levels of government to establish a factory in Foshan City, Guangdong province was, “relatively easy,” notes Charbonneau. “China is a place where you can accomplish great things if you know how. But if you don’t know the rules, speak the language and understand their protocols, things can move at a snail’s pace. The learning curve was much more difficult than anticipated and the project took a long time to get off the ground.”

But Charbonneau succeeded and the factory is now in its fifth year of production, employing more than 200 people who manufacture Ronor-designed lens cleaning products and cases. “It was surprisingly easy to find a reliable and dedicated workforce,” notes Charbonneau. “They are not particularly loyal to their employers but the vast majority work hard and do an excellent job. One of the most difficult things was to establish a good supplier base.”

While it was frightening at the time, the world-wide economic slowdown in 2008-09 actually helped Ronor to succeed, as Charbonneau explains: “The Chinese economy experienced only a quick purge of the weakest manufacturers, which was, in fact, a good thing. Business rebounded rapidly and there were fewer companies to share the same volume. Economic slowdowns force organizations to review their habits and procurement practices, so this turned out to be an opportunity to meet new customers. Suddenly, thinking outside of the box became urgent and new opportunities were created.

“While the whole venture of setting up in China was, in retrospect, riskier and more difficult than expected, one of the rewards is that we are now, as far as we know, the only Canadian and possibly the only North American-based cleaning lens products and cases company that is 100 per cent vertically integrated.”

Over the past year a rapid and sustained rate of inflation in China has caused a surge in export prices. “Thanks to a strong Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. currency, most of these increases have not yet been reflected in the Canadian marketplace but this can’t continue forever,” notes Charbonneau.

Going global for Ronor also means distributing their accessory products in more than 15 countries, including the U.S.– their biggest customer outside Canada. Most major American retailers, including Luxottica Retail, Costco, US Vision, and Kaiser Permanente, are customers, as are U.S.-based importers like Altair, New York Eye and Nouveau.

Canadian retailers are fortunate in being the first to benefit from distribution of Ronor’s fashion frames, reading glasses and sunglasses. Since going into the frame business in 2000, Ronor has continuously expanded that side of the business and aligned with some of the top names in the industry, including Eschenbach Optik GmbH of Nuremberg, Germany. In fact, the two companies will soon be announcing a five-year renewal of their exclusive contract.

“We are glad that our excellent performance has allowed us to forge such a strong relationship with this first-class German company,” says Charbonneau. “Eschenbach is known for their great design and superior quality and has won numerous international design awards. For at least the next five years, the love affair between Canadian opticians and the Humphrey’s, Brendel and Marc O’Polo brands, among others, will continue to be delivered through Ronor. Dealing with the best in the frame industry helps Ronor become one of the best distributors here at home.”

Humphrey’s is Ronor’s number one collection and the company sells more units of that brand per capita than are sold in any other country among the nine subsidiaries outside of Germany.

The other brands Ronor represents include New York Eye/Hart Specialties and house brands Nordic, King Size and 4U&I. The ‘Boutique Wholesale’ subsidiary Voila Vision Inc. distributes French designer frames Azzaro, Thierry Mugler, Smalto and licensed brands IKKS, and X-One.

Eighteen full-time sales reps bring the Ronor focus on service and customer satisfaction home to more than 3,500 accounts across Canada. “The caliber of our salespeople, most of whom have been with us for over 10 years, makes me confident that each and every contact point with our customers will be satisfying for them. We want every ECP to feel at ease trying all of our products and services because we stand behind them 100 per cent,” says Charbonneau.

Where is Ronor headed? True to form, there will be expansion both at home and abroad. “Here in Canada we will be growing by leaps and bounds with a mix of acquisitions and structural improvements aimed at making us the best service provider ever to Canadian ECPs,” notes Charbonneau. “A company like Ronor, with units outside Canada and customers worldwide, is best poised to deliver added value through our commitment to ‘think globally, act locally’.”

Robert Charbonneau, who has made the local and global growth of Ronor his life’s work, is expecting to hand over the reins of his company to a younger team within the next few years. “Ronor is the story of my life,” he says. “And before long I will enjoy watching it continue to grow while lying on a beach somewhere beautiful and sunny.”

No doubt Charbonneau will be thinking globally when he considers which beaches to visit between September and May. Come the Canadian summer, he’ll have plenty of ‘local’ beaches to choose from in La Belle Province and elsewhere in Canada. Don’t forget the sunscreen — and sunglasses from Ronor!

Unravelling the Mystery of Sunwear

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By Dana Sacco

The funny thing about sunglasses is that they become part of our persona and allow us to project an image or style. Of course, sunglasses also protect our eyes and the delicate skin around them. Technologically advanced sun lenses provide crisp optics and enhance visual performance. It’s such a cliché – the guy on the beach admiring females passing by, with full confidence that his observations are shielded by a pair of dark sunglasses. Like all stereotypes it contains a modicum of truth. Yes, sunglasses protect us from harmful UV rays but they also add that layer of mystery.

So, it’s interesting to look at what motivates our clients and to understand the behavioural needs that drive their sunglass purchases. Opticians have a long-standing tradition in retail and an innate philosophy of customer-focused selling. They are trained to understand the lifestyle and needs of the customer and to provide the perfect eyewear solution for them.

Optical inventory selections are often driven by trends in the marketplace. Some opticians have a “golden gut” that lets them pair the perfect sunwear trend to the patient. Those opticians instinctively understand the key motivating behaviours of their customers and translate that “EQ” or emotional intelligence into the perfect sale.

An example is the “weekend warrior” who lives a sport-centred lifestyle. Many athletes have fiercely competitive natures. This assertiveness drives them to go to great lengths to get the newest style or technology to enhance their athletic performance. Any Oakley or adidas sunwear dealer has served a customer who knows all about the newest, “about-to-be-released” model. Just like a new golf club that will make their shots 20 yards longer, the sunglass is in hot demand.

Generally speaking, if a client pursues individual sports they may be less extroverted and will choose a more conservative style. Their more extroverted counterparts often choose team sports and identify with bold colours and distinctive designs.

An athlete who is a strong sequential processor, such as a long-distance marathon runner or golfer, displays core behaviours linked to repetitive tasks, which are sustained for long periods of time. These people are often quite happy to wear the same style for many years. Or, if they update their look, the next model will be quite similar to their last, as they may be reluctant to change.

A person who is hard-wired for urgency to achieve their goals, such as a beach volleyball player, whose sport has a very random changing pattern, will likely own multiple pairs of sunglasses to suit their mood and playing conditions. Sunwear models that offer choices of lens colours or a changeable palette in the frame design will appeal to their natures.

Identifying your athletic customers’ need for detail will also help the sales process. Those attracted to highly technical sports, such as road cycling and mountain biking, will often display a need to know all the technological aspects of their purchase and demand the same attention to detail as they would in purchasing their coveted bicycle.

The level of core behaviours, such as assertiveness, extroversion, sense of urgency and detail orientation, give the retailer a basic pattern to work with in the selling process. In behavioural science you must take account of individual personality, which is shaped by birth order, cultural context and other external experiential factors. However, some studies indicate that understanding core behaviours can give us insight into about 30 per cent of a person’s make-up and help predict behavioural outcomes with about 85 per cent accuracy.

As an optician, sunglasses represent the “fun” side of the eyecare business. Every client has unique needs and it’s not necessarily the activity that drives their final purchase decision. Each customer presents a new mystery for the optician to solve and a new opportunity to establish a valuable long-term relationship.

Can You Talk Technology?

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Can You Talk Technology?
By Brian P. Dunleavy

Optical shop owner Steven Levy believes he has an advantage when it comes to understanding lens technology. His three-location business inToronto—LF Optical and LF Warehouse – began as an eyeglass-processing laboratory.

“The LF in the name originally meant ‘Lenses First,” he explains.

Even so, it hasn’t been easy for Levy and his staff of seven opticians to stay up-to-date on the latest in spectacle lens design. “Think about how it is when you buy a TV now,” notes Levy, who is not an optical practitioner but has been in the business for more than 20 years. “Three months later, if you walk up to the counter in the store with the same TV, the clerk laughs at you. It’s almost the same way with lens technology.”

Indeed, the past decade has seen a baffling array of technical enhancements in eyeglass lenses, from free-form progressives to digital single-vision. Keeping current can be a full-time job and it doesn’t help that lenses often take a backseat in optical shops to high-fashion frames, or that optometrists have taken an increasing interest in ocular biology and disease.

“Your garden-variety optometrist has not kept up well with new lens technology,” says Dr. B. Ralph Chou, MSc, OD, FAAO, an associate professor in the School of Optometry at the University of Waterloo and a practicing optometrist for more than 30 years.

Adds Madelaine Petrin, RO, an optician and professor in the opticianry program at Toronto’s Seneca College, “Our graduates know the latest lens technologies. For how long? That depends on where they work.”

Educators like Petrin and Chou feel strongly that eyecare practitioners – be they opticians in optical shops or optometrists with optical retail businesses in their practices – must improve their working knowledge of optics technology to ensure they offer their patients and customers the best eyeglass products available. According to Dr. Chou, studies have found that 50 to 60 per cent of optometrists’ income is derived from eyeglass sales, so they, “need to know how to hang glass because that’s where the money is.”

“Without a doubt, patients are more concerned about the ‘label’ on their frames than the actual lenses they house – or at least they are when they enter our clinics,” adds Dr. Alan R. Boyco, OD, owner of Image Optometry, a 14-location chain of optometry clinics in B.C. “But we’ve learned over the years that while a designer frame will elicit a lot of compliments for the patient, a ‘designer’ lens will generate a lot of new patients for our clinics.”

So how can eyecare practitioners stay informed on new lens technology? Continuing education meetings and courses for both opticians and optometrists are an excellent source of information on eyeglass lens designs. Both Boyco and Levy suggest having those who attend such programs share what they’ve learned with their colleagues in the optical shop or optometry practice through in-office workshops. Similarly, sending shop or practice representatives to local, regional or national conferences can help. Lens manufacturers are usually well represented at such events and more than willing to share information on their products. Once again, attendees can come back with knowledge to share with colleagues. Finally, lens-processing laboratories are also excellent sources of information on lens designs; lab personnel have hands-on knowledge of how new designs affect optics.

Above all, it doesn’t matter how you learn, just that you learn. It can make a difference in how your patients see, and whether they come back to you in the future.

“I want to offer our clients the best products available,” Levy says. “If they leave wearing nice frames, friends will ask, ‘Hey, where did you get those?’ If they leave wearing lenses with good optics, they will see better and tell their friends and family how knowledgeable our staff is. It is just good business.”