From the editor
Etnia Barcelona
Long gone are the days when glasses were something that people with vision issues “ had ” to wear . Today , eyewear is a bonafide fashion accessory ; something people not only love wearing but get excited about purchasing and showing off .
Cool shades , smart spectacles and trendy frames can be seen on celebrities , pop stars , models on fashion runways , executives on Bay Street and everyday moms , dads and children throughout Canada .
The latest VisionWatch Canada report from The Vision Council Research , which looked at the Canadian optical market for the year ending March 2017 , found that three in four Canadians wear some form of vision correction . A whopping 67 per cent of those people wear prescription eyeglasses , while about 10 per cent wear prescription sunglasses . That ' s a lot of people . In dollars , Canadians purchased 7.5 million frames that year and spent about $ 1.4 billion . About 10.3 million pairs of plano sunglasses were also purchased by Canadians , valued at $ 632 million .
In this issue of Optical Prism magazine , we take a look at the fashion side of the optical industry . This is your chance to see the latest and greatest in frames and eyewear technology . Included in this issue is a feature on what eyewear companies see as being the hot trends for this fall . The piece includes many examples of these trend-setting frames .
We also take a look at the hottest luxury frames and get some insight into what sets these styles apart from others . This issue of Optical Prism magazine includes a pictorial on ' smart ' eyewear for those adults heading back to the classroom – either as teachers , staff or mature students . We also find out more about a collection by Safilo that was inspired by Academy Award-winning actor Jared Leto . We profile The Vision Council ' s Eyecessorize campaign , which aims to increase awareness of the fashion and lifestyle aspects of eyewear .
Of course , no issue of our magazine would be complete without a preview of some of the latest frames and sunglasses that are available on the market today as well as a profile on an independent Canadian eyewear shop that continues to thrive in the optical industry .
Be sure to keep an eye on our website , www . opticalprism . ca , as well as our Facebook page and Twitter feed to stay on top of the headlines in the eyewear industry .
Don ’ t forget to check us out on social media and subscribe to us online to get the latest eyecare and eyewear information .
Denis Langlois , Editor .
06 Optical Prism | September 2017