Mood Eyewear Inc. announces the recent launch of the young and innovative eyewear collection, KOMONO, from Belgium. This collaboration brings together the distinct Belgian design aesthetic and Mood’s expertise in eyewear.
The collection showcases a fusion of youthful style and cutting-edge innovation, making a bold statement in the eyewear industry.
KOMONO was founded in 2009 by two snowboarder friends from Antwerp who got it into their heads to challenge the status quo in accessory land. Their vision to make fashionable accessories like sunglasses and watches more accessible came at just the right time, instantly propelling KOMONO to the world stage.
KOMONO is in high-profile concept stores, department stores, independent opticians and fashion boutiques in over 80 countries.
Their boundary-breaking designs have been worn by some of the world’s most recognizable faces. These collaborations have pushed the envelope with icons and provided a platform for genre-defying talent.
Starting to see patients in third year was incredibly intimidating, and the imposter syndrome was real. Sure, I’d been studying and practicing these techniques for two years, and I’d spent many hours shadowing, but was I really ready to prescribe for a full-grown adult?
By Shannon Hughes
First Steps in Real-Life Patient Care
Whether I was ready or not, there I was, wiping down my slit lamp with an alcohol swab and reading patient files, silently preparing myself to examine someone’s eyes and proclaim them healthy or not. Luckily, I had my little notebook full of step-by-step instructions for performing all sorts of ocular health, refractive, and binocular vision tests. My first cohort of patients included two women who were the right age for presbyopia, so my focus was definitely on how in the world I was going to prescribe an addition lens. My only practice had been on my fellow – definitely not presbyopic – students, and even dilated, I did not think the experience would be the same.
My supervisor suggested using the cross-cylinder technique in order to make sure we understood how it worked, so that if just using age wasn’t giving results that made sense, we knew other techniques. So my patient arrives, and I nervously work my way through the tests as they are laid out on Visual Eyes. I meticulously go through a step-by-step refraction (even balancing) and perform a slow cross-cylinder to determine the patient’s add.
Proud of myself for finishing, I take my results to my supervisor before dilating. He reviews my painstaking refraction and quickly, he rewrites it.
I am heartbroken. I have failed my first test in the real world. He is busy supervising three other students aside from myself, and I know we will review later, but I dejectedly take the new prescription in hand and return to my exam.
The second patient of the day goes very similarly. After a diligent refraction and an even more scrupulous add determination, I nervously show my supervisor the results. Again, he changes the prescription. He tells me “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. He asks if she was seeing well with her current pair of spectacles, including the current add. I review the file and say yes, she sees 0.4M. He asks me, then why am I increasing her add? I am shocked. I had gone through, step-by-step, the correct process for determining the addition, and yet, I hadn’t really put any thought into what I was doing. My supervisor encourages me to finish the exam and says we’ll review again afterwards.
When my patients are both finished and gone, I sit down with my supervisor to review the files and he hands me a stack of papers. It’s a research article he has found for me, explaining the problems with overplussing patients and the advantages of keeping a current Rx if it is working for them. He shows me how he changed the prescriptions to make more sense considering my visual acuity results and the preceding refractions. This experience was a pivotal moment in understanding the real-world implications of patient care in optometry.
While I learned a lot on my first day seeing patients, that experience stuck with me more than anything else.
Balancing Academic Knowledge with Patient Needs
We spend years in class, listening and studying, and then hours in lab, practicing and refining. But once we’re out there seeing real patients, they are what’s important. Don’t get me wrong, it is critical to have a base understanding of why we do certain tests and to perform them accurately. However, I learned that my focus has to be on the patient and their needs, and in doing so, I could actually avoid them returning with a problem with their glasses.
Our time as optometry students involves so much growing and learning. But looking ahead to our time as full-fledged optometrists, we need to be more than facts and figures. We need to be able to look at a table of results and say “Does this make sense?”. I had another supervisor at the beginning of my second term say that we were very good at collecting data but not good yet at using it. A patient-centered approach in which we can look beyond just our exam, but the connections between tests and their applications to our patients’ lives is essential to our futures as exceptional health care providers.
Bausch + Lomb and Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to curing glaucoma, have launched “Faces of Glaucoma,” a campaign that will highlight diverse patient stories and raise awareness of the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. The campaign will run through January, which is Glaucoma Awareness Month.
“This year’s campaign will showcase the resilience of individuals living with glaucoma and highlight that anyone, regardless of background, age or gender can be impacted by this potentially sight-threatening disease,” said Andrew Stewart, president, Global Pharmaceuticals and International Consumer, Bausch + Lomb.
Throughout the month of January, Bausch + Lomb and GRF will share educational resources and patient stories to empower individuals to take care of their eye health. In addition, for the third consecutive year, the campaign will feature a fundraising challenge that will match every dollar raised up to $20,000 in support of GRF research for a potential glaucoma cure.
“By casting a spotlight on the various faces of glaucoma, we hope to create a deeper understanding of the broad range of individuals impacted while reminding people that paying attention to their vision by visiting an eye care provider annually can help preserve their vision for life,” said Thomas M. Brunner, president & CEO, Glaucoma Research Foundation.
Etnia Barcelonaonce again demonstrates its connection with the world of art; this time, with the launch of Miscelánea, it revisits the concept of “Be Anartist“, a slogan that has accompanied the brand since 2017 and encourages rebellion through art as a form of individual expression.
The Miscelánea project explores the connections between Japanese and Mediterranean cultures in environments where tradition and innovation coexist.
Snake Eyes GRTarantula BLSakura RDPU
Fall-Winter 2023 Etnia Barcelona Eyewear Collection
Its new Fall-Winter 2023 collection depicts a world rich in symbolism where two cultures converge: Japanese and Mediterranean, set against uniquely surreal atmospheres with both traditional and modern objects.
This blend of influences is reflected in the design of the frames of the new women’s collection, thanks to the combination of natural acetates with textures and details inspired by Japan, and bold Mediterranean-inspired shapes.
Among the most interesting features are prints representing koi fish scales, the colours of cherry blossom flowers, or a circular detail on the temples symbolizing the rising sun.
The new campaign for the Miscelánea collection, photographed by Biel Capllonch, highlights the cultural and artistic legacy of two seemingly separate and distant worlds: the Mediterranean, a place that has inspired and witnessed the growth of the brand, and Japan, an ancient region rich in symbolism and mythological legends, captivating and very appealing to those who appreciate the aesthetic sensibility of Japanese culture.
Miscelánea portrays unique surrealistic atmospheres starring female characters, whose composition is a clear nod to classical pictorial art.
Nothing is what it seems at first glance. Take a deeper look.
The fantastic imagery features koi fish, which are an important symbol for courage and resilience in Japanese culture. These fish appear to fly through the air alongside imagery of Mediterranean foods, modern attire, and diverse animals, in scenes inspired by classic Japanese and Mediterranean artworks.
Miscelánea invites you to step into this world, where each new look reveals more than the previous one. A play of contrasts that challenges reality.
Three Generations of Glasses
In the 1950s, Fulgencio Ramo created his first eyewear factory. His children helped out at the factory and acquired the know-how of the business to take over the reins. The second generation designed, created, and distributed the glasses all over Spain. In 2001, Fulgencio’s grandson David Pellicer founded Etnia Barcelona and brought color to the eyewear line. His goal for Etnia Barcelona: embody the idea of being free, human, and respectful towards all ethnicities
Morel, recognized for its expertise, which has been refined since 1880, created the Klein concept which is intended to be light and comfortable. This concept stands out with the application of bright colours, such as an orange detail on the temple, all supported by an acetate front, enhanced with fine lines to add a design element that catches the eye!
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
