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July 15, 2021July 15, 2021

Safilo and Carolina Herrera Announce Global Eyewear Licensing Agreement

Safilo and Carolina Herrera, the globally recognized fashion brand, announce today their 5-year global licensing agreement for the design, manufacture and distribution of Carolina Herrera branded eyewear. The licence agreement will be effective as of January 1st, 2022.

“Carolina Herrera is an iconic luxury fashion brand, both popular and valued throughout the world for its feminine approach and extreme elegance,” declared Angelo Trocchia, CEO of Safilo Group. “As we are working to reshape our brand portfolio, Carolina Herrera will reinforce our women’s proposition and represents a crucial step in effectively counterbalancing the recent brand exits.”

“We are thrilled to embark on our partnership with Safilo. Together, we are committed to establishing an eyewear collection as an extension of the fashion language defined by our Creative Director, Wes Gordon, while reinforcing the distinctive codes of the House,” declared Emilie Rubinfeld, Carolina Herrera Ltd. President.

Click HERE for the full press release.

First-of-its-kind Visual Prosthesis Brain Implant Moves to Clinical Trial

While there is currently no cure for blindness, a first-of-its-kind artificial vision system is beginning clinical trials.

The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP) is an implant that connects directly to the brain’s visual cortex, bypassing the retina and optic nerves. The National Institutes of Health has awarded Illinois Tech researchers $2.5 million for a project that includes implanting their new type of wireless visual prosthesis system in volunteers. Funding will be provided as part of the NIH’s The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative.

The implant system was developed by a multi-institutional team led by Philip R. Troyk—executive director of the Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology, professor of biomedical engineering—and represents the culmination of nearly three decades of Illinois Tech research.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment, not just for the field of biomedical science, but more importantly for people with blindness and their loved ones around the world,” says Troyk.

Since many individuals affected by total blindness do not have intact retinas or optic nerves but retain the visual cortex, an intracortical visual prosthesis may be the only possible advanced visual sensory aid from which they can benefit.

The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis System is the first intracortical visual implant to use a group of fully implanted miniaturized wireless stimulators to help explore whether individuals with no sight can visualize rendered images in real-time.

This visual prosthesis system allows devices to be implanted for an extended period, which is a unique advantage that provides researchers ample time to explore how the device can work effectively, and for the recipient to learn how the device can be useful.

In the past two years during the preclinical phase, the Illinois Tech team has worked with surgeons to develop and refine surgical procedures, and now are prepared to surgically implant the devices. During the clinical phase, the idea is to be able to test whether this device will provide study participants with an improved ability to navigate and perform basic orientation tasks.

Link to Original Article/ Source

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021

KODAK Lens Launches Canadian Campaign for the New Generations

The KODAK brand has a rich heritage, which has enabled generations around the world to capture moments in their lives and create memories. KODAK Lens products are sold on the optical market under a worldwide license in more than 60 countries.

Relying on nostalgia and the advent of vintage, the company recently revisited its image with its famous logo. Open your eyes: the classic KODAK “K” is back!

The ‘‘Happy Vision for a New Generation’’ campaign which was just launched in Canada aims to attract the interest of younger consumers and promote the brand as a specialist in glasses.

The new image of KODAK Lens is also displayed on the internet with a new website www.kodaklens.ca, which will soon allow each consumer to locate the eye care professional close to home.

This new campaign is the opportunity to launch two innovations in the KODAK Lens portfolio: the Silk AR enhancement and the KODAK Lens Powerup.

The new Silk AR enhancement is now available with the KODAK Clean&CleAR UV Lens. This treatment makes the surface of the glasses more resistant and smoother, for more durable cleanliness and clearer vision.

Another innovation is the addition of the KODAK PowerUp Lens to the portfolio. They allow people to stay connected throughout the day without tired eyes and to have a more comfortable visual experience.

Click HERE for the full press release.

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

IMAGINEM Goes Global with Four Languages

IMAGINEM, the eyewear media brand for independent eyewear, has now been launched in multi-language issues, including English, Italian, French and German.

IMAGINEM is the first and only eyewear magazine to reach its audience in multiple language versions, making it a global publication.

IMAGINEM was originally conceived as an international collaboration with partners in North America and Europe. The addition of multiple language versions is an extension of the founders’ international concept and reflects the global nature of the superior quality artisanal and fashionable independent eyewear market.

“IMAGINEM reflects superior aesthetics and original independent eyewear designs from the world over, so it’s only fitting that we celebrate independent eyewear design in different languages and cultures”, says Milan-based IMAGINEM Editorial Director. Alexandra Amico.

IMAGINEM content, originally created in English and Italian, has been expertly translated and edited into French and German.

According to publisher, David Pietrobon, “As a Canadian publisher we are accustomed to working in two languages. Providing the magazine in additional languages is a natural extension of our current processes. Our European partnership helped to make the transition to a global publisher seamless.”

In addition to text translation, each of the online articles is also narrated online with a single click. IMAGINEM’s magazine narration is powered by BlueToad and Amazon’s Polly’s Neural Text-to-Speech (NTTS) Newscaster style voice . Narration allows a enriched user experience in the readers native language.

Readers may view (and hear) IMAGINEM in their language of choice and can link to other languages from the drop-down menu of each language version. A global gateway landing page has been created to provide access to all the language issues of IMAGINEM.

Listen to and View IMAGINEM Magazine Online in Four Different languages.
English – Sp r ing 2021
French – Printemps 2021
Italian – Primavera 2021
German – Frühling 2021
IMAGINEM Global Gateway

Partners interested in languages other than the current four are invited to reach out to the publisher to discuss opportunities.

About IMAGINEM
IMAGINEM is a new optical omni-channel media brand that celebrates the world of independent eyewear by connecting eyewear designers, independent eye care professionals and eyewear fashionistas.

The IMAGINEM network consists of a premium quality print and digital replica magazines in four languages an exquisitely curated Instagram page, an interactive bold website and digital e-newsletter communications.

The North American print magazine will be delivered exclusively to highly targeted independent eyewear retailers. Complimentary subscriptions may be requested online at the website, www.IMAGINEMeye.com.

IMAGINEM invites the independent frame designers and their public relations collaborators to contribute editorial content to the IMAGINEM team at edit@IMAGINEMeye.com□

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

Compete in a LIVE Event for Awards to Support Your Research!

EOTC Application_Final

Fighting Blindness Canada is launching a new event, Eye on the Cure, to raise funds and awareness for vision research.

Think Dragon’s Den Meets TedTalk

Three finalists will be chosen to compete head-to-head for the chance to win up to $80,000 to support their research.

This competition is geared to early career vision researchers who are studying blinding eye diseases. The strongest applicants will be “pitching” a research project that is currently underway or for which there is preliminary data.

Eligibility Criteria:
You are a vision researcher and…

A PhD student or Postdoctoral fellow or/
Enrolled in a clinical doctoral degree (OD, MD), residency or fellowship program or/
An early-stage investigator, having held an academic position for less than 3 years

Learn more HERE