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| Fashion
Frames Practice Of The Year - 2008 Winner! |
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 Having
been short listed for the 2008 Fashion Frames Practice of the Year
Award, an annual award given by the industry’s trade journal
Optician and open to all opticians’ practices in the UK, we
are really pleased to announce WE WON !
So it’s
official, we are the UK’s premier stockists of fashionable frames
and sunglasses.
The award ceremony was on Saturday 19 April at a dazzling masked ball
held at the swanky Hilton in Park Lane, London. We joined finalists
from all categories waiting anxiously for the results to be announced
by Ardal O’Hanlon, star of TV’s Father Ted and My Hero.
In our category we were up against four other finalists. When it was
time for the results to be read, the tension was nail-biting and it
seemed like an age before the winner was announced. But when it was,
those nerves turned to sheer elation – we’d won!
We were all ecstatic and once the news actually sank in and the initial
shock faded, we were on cloud nine for the rest of the evening.
We have been truly bowled over by the goodwill and best wishes expressed
by our customers, both before and after the announcement. We’d
like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who wished us good luck
and has since sent their congratulations. Thank you! |
| Posted: April 2008 |
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| Frames:
choosing the right style to suit your face |
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 Have
you ever wondered why some people look fantastic in their eyewear,
whilst others look awkward and unsuited?
Selecting frames can be a challenging exercise, not to mention laborious.
With such a wide range to choose from, where do you start? Get it
right, and you will find your spectacles or sunglasses will complement
the shape and size of your face, adding balance to your features and
making you look attractive. Choose the wrong style however, and you
could end up with a clumsy look that is far from flattering.
Here are some guidelines to help you in your quest for choosing the
perfect eyeglass frames to suit your face:
The
Eyes
Always try and make sure that your eyes are approximately centred
within the lenses, no matter what the frame shape. This helps open
up the eyes and minimises the appearance of close set eyes and squints.
The Brow Line
The top of the frame should not be prominent above or below the brow
line. Choose a chunkier, more solid frame to balance thicker eyebrows.
The Lenses
Careful lens selection is as important as choosing the right frames
and some lenses can change the overall appearance of the eyewear.
Thin & light lenses with an anti-reflective coating are considered
to offer the most appealing look. They make the lenses seem more invisible,
thus drawing greater attention to the eyes themselves.
Skin & Hair Colouring
Generally the colours of clothes that best suit you are also the colours
you should aim for when choosing a frame. You can be bold or subtle
as long as the colour complements. If you’re not sure what colours
you think do suit you, it’s worth having a professional Colour
Analysis Consultation. These trained experts can work with you to
select the correct palette for your whole wardrobe.
The
Face Shape
Ideally, your frames should subtly balance your face shape. The frame
choice ultimately depends on whether you have a round, oval, triangle,
diamond, square or oblong shaped face. Tempted as you may be, never
choose a frame that matches the shape of your face because all that
will do is exaggerate the feature.
Always remember that balance is the name of the game and you should
use your eyewear to enhance your look, rather than spoil it. Here
are some brief guidelines for choosing the right frames to suit your
face shape, but don’t forget to take the rest of the points
above into consideration too when making your final selection:
- Round faces
Try to lengthen your face by selecting wide, rectangular shaped
frames that fall low on the cheekbones.
- Oval faces
Choose frames that stretch slightly further than the broadest
part of your face.
- Oblong faces
Embellished and colourful frames can help broaden an oblong shaped
face, and a round shape shortens the length of the face, balancing
the features perfectly.
- Square faces
Angular or oval styles can make a square face look more rounded
and above eye-level hinges can help to lengthen the face.
- Diamond-shaped faces
Choose frames designed with understated curves that don’t
reach past your cheekbones. Square shaped frames are a good option,
as well as those combining a flat top and curved bottom.
- Triangle faces
A cat’s eye shape can really flatter a female triangular
face and men could benefit from selecting square frames. Rimless
bottoms and high temples, and anything that sweeps upwards and
out towards the top corners, will generally balance this shape.
Taking all these points into consideration could make a real difference
to your overall look. Whether you are choosing frames for everyday
wear or special occasions, as work wear or sunglasses, stick by these
guidelines and you’ll find your features will appear more balanced
and your eyewear will enhance your look just as well as any outfit
or fashion accessory. |
| Posted: April 2008 |
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| Can
Exposure To Light In The First Few Months Of Life Lead To Short-Sightedness
In Adulthood? |
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 A
report in the April 2008 edition of clinical journal Ophthalmology
indicates that babies born in June and July are more likely to become
short sighted in later life than those born during the darker winter
months.
Whilst the long-term scientific belief has been that short-sightedness,
or myopia, is caused by genetic factors, these new studies appear
to show that exposure to natural light in the earliest months of life
can increase the chances of the condition being developed.
The research was led by Dr Yossi Mandel at Tel Aviv University who
studied the records of 276,911 Israeli military candidates evaluated
for service between 2000 and 2004.
The results showed that babies born in the months of June and July
were 24% more likely to become severely myopic, that is, to the point
where they would need to wear very thick glasses unless they wore
contact lenses or had laser surgery. The least percentage of severely
short-sighted individuals came from the group of candidates born in
the months of December and January.
Dr Mandel’s co-researcher, Professor Michael Belkin of Tel Aviv
University’s Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, said "We
know that sunlight affects the pineal gland and we have indications
that melatonin, through other compounds, is involved in regulating
eye length. More sun equals less melatonin, equals a longer eye which
is short-sighted." |
| Posted: April 2008 |
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| Chanel
Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2008 Paris Fashion Show |
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 As
a premiere Chanel stockist, The Eye Academy were privileged to be
invited recently to attend an exclusive preview of Chanel's Haute
Couture Spring 2008 collection. Invites to the shows are very hard
to come by and are usually limited to fashion press, major buyers
and celebrities.
The event was held in February during Paris Fashion Week at the historic
Grand Palais, just off the Champs de Elysee. The show was mesmerizing
with a revolving circular catwalk set around a towering 75 foot fiberglass
statue of the famous Chanel cardigan jacket. The models entered the
runway through a flap in the jacket.
The clothes themselves were inspired by seashells, according to Karl
Lagerfeld. The pinks were the pinks of shells and there were spirals,
scallops, folds, spurs and feathery detailing in both the day and
evening wear. The collection was breathtakingly beautiful.
Our front row seats afforded great views and we even got fabulous
close up shots of Karl Lagerfeld himself in the finale.
The show was preceded by a tour of "Paris Through the Eyes of
Chanel." In the evening we had dinner at the exclusive Jardins
de Tuilleries - a beautiful glass restaurant illuminated with ice
blue lights. There the CEO of Luxottica, the current Chanel Eyewear
licence holders and the Executive of Chanel gave us an inspirational
speech about the brand.
The whole event jointly organized by Luxottica and Chanel gave us
a real sense of the essence of Chanel: beauty, luxury and exclusivity.
To maintain the brand values, this year Chanel Eyewear will become
more exclusive with fewer stockists. The Eye Academy are pleased to
report that we will be one of the few remaining authorized dealers
and will continue stocking the full Chanel sunglasses and spectacle
range. |
| Posted: February 2008 |
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| Fashion
Frames Practice Of The Year - 2008 Finalists |
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 We
are pleased to announce that The Eye Academy has been shortlisted
for the 2008 Fashion Frames Practice of the Year award. This is an
annual award given by the industrys trade journal Optician
.
The Optician Awards are held annually to celebrate the best in optical
practice and is open to all opticians in the UK. We are one of five
national finalists and are now through to the final judging, which
will take place on 25th February. The results will be announced at
an awards ceremony on 19th April, so we'll keep you all posted. Thank
you to all those who've wished us luck and written such lovely comments
in support. |
| Posted: February 2008 |
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| New
Practice Opens In Guildford |
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 We
are pleased to announce the opening of our new practice in Guildford.
It launched at the end of December 07 and is now fully operational
and ready to offer the full range of services and products available
in the Windsor practice.
The store is sited on the High Street near Marks & Spencer and
has easy access with plenty of car parks near by and even on road
parking right outside.
It is fitted out in our new store design with a full pre-screening
suite with the latest technology including a retinal camera, corneal
topographer and ocular visual fields and pressure equipment.
In the examination room we have the latest slit lamp video camera,
to enable photography of the surface of the eyes. This will facilitate
accurate recording and monitoring of corneal and contact lens conditions
and complications.
Our frames and sunglass range is set to match that of Windsor and
will be the biggest and best in Guildford, with exclusive stockist
status on collections from Tag Heuer, Tom Ford, Oliver Peoples, Bolle,
Mykita, Orgreen, JF Rey and La Font. Alongside these will be all the
usual ranges from Chanel, Prada, Bulgari, Gucci, Lindberg, Mikli,
Police, Rayban and many more.
We’ll be bringing you regular updates on the progress of the
store and any developments, but please feel free to contact us if
there’s anything you’d like to know.
Opening
Hours
Monday - Friday 10.00 - 5.30
Saturday 9.00 - 5.30
Sunday & Bank Holidays 11.00 - 4.30
45 High St, Guildford GU1 3DY
Tel: 01483 57 79 57
Email: info@theeyeacademy.com |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| www.SUNGLASS
STUDIO.co.uk |
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 This
is our dedicated online sunglass store, which we launched a few months
ago.
We’ve got our whole range on there and more ! Very often we
run out of space to display everything in the shop and so now you
can view our whole collection at once and browse and buy at your leisure.
The site is categorized into mens, womens & childrens sections
as well as by designer brand. You can search by colour, style, price
and lens type making it easy to locate whatever you’re looking
for.
We’re still here to help though, just call us on our usual number
01753 62 22 22 if you need any advice.
BUY
ONLINE & RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT ON YOUR FIRST PURCHASE |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Something
Different |
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 Many
of our customers want to stand out from the crowd and want something
a bit or even a lot different. For them we’ve been scouring
the collections at trade shows in Milan, Las Vegas and Paris.
The new ranges we’ve introduced this year include:
Bellinger
– colourful funky frames with hand carvings on the sides, for
both the young and the young at heart.
Orgreen
– respect for simple features and high quality materials, produce
cool urban styles but with warmth and character from this Danish brand.
Lafont
- Parisian elegance and opulent detailing combine to make these frames
chic and quintessentially classy.
Mykita
– Screwless frames made from 0.5mm strip cut Surgical Stainless
Steel make these German frames ultralight and the brand ubercool.
The brands have all had a fantastic reception from our customers,
so much so that we’ll be introducing even more new ranges throughout
2008 . |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| LIMITED
EDITION- Dior Grandsalon |
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 Dior
have launched an exclusive limited edition sunglass for the festive
season. Encrusted with Swarovski Crystals in a beautiful flower pattern,
the visor is a real stunner.
With only 1500 available worldwide this is a seriously collectible
item.
We’re one of the few stockists in the country, and you can buy
it on our online shop or instore.
As
seen on Gwen Stefani. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Frame
Trends In 2008 |
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For both men and women
in the coming year COLOUR is predicted to be BIG. The trade shows
were full of collections in the most vibrant colours from reds to
yellows, to greens to blue. In fact any colour even black !
Frame styles are also going slightly bigger, which is great news for
those who wear varifocals. For both young and old the message is ‘if
you’ve got it flaunt it !’ |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Man
Appeal |
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 Tag
Heuer has been a runaway favourite with both men and their wives and
partners who have to look at them !!
It arrived in the store in the summer and it’s been one of our
best selling collections. Both sunglasses and glasses exude cutting
edge styling, technology and comfort.
The clean lines give the collection both contemporary and timeless
appeal.
The range encompasses both rimless and full frames and includes a
unique wrapped sunglass model which is available as prescription. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| In Brief |
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Lindberg, the multiple
award winning Danish brand has launched the Precious Metals collection
in its rimless range. Available in solid yellow or white gold and
complemented with either diamonds, horn or simple plate, the collection
exudes pure luxury and class. Like all Lindberg frames, each piece
is custom made by special order and can be engraved to produce a truly
personal product.
In the New Year we will be stocking exclusive pieces from the Alain
Mikli ‘Pocket Shop’ range. The Pocket Shop range is only
available to selected stockists and they represent the cream of the
Mikli collection. The bold colours, unusual lamination and distinctive
shapes allow wearers to stand out from the crowd and their exclusivity
means you can be sure you won't find too many others wearing the same
frame.
The Eye Academy were recently invited by global frame manufacturers,
Luxottica, to become one of their first Elite clients. Luxottica are
the worlds largest optical retailer & manufacturer. They own Sunglass
Hut, Rayban and produce the Chanel, Bvlgari, Prada, Burberry, Versace,
Dolce & Gabbana eyewear collections to name but a few. Their Elite
programme was launched in Lake Como and we were invited to attend,
as we are one of their prestigious accounts. Having Elite status means
that we will get exclusives on selected models and brands, such as
Tiffany which is being launched next year. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Watery
& Dry Eyes |
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 At
this time of year we get an increase in people complaining of watery
and dry eyes. The cold, wind and central heating are some of the common
causes of the symptoms, and while the problem probably can’t
be eliminated altogether, the following tips can help to reduce them:
When out, wear glasses or sunglasses to protect eyes from the wind.
Wind blowing in to the eyes can dry out the surface and it also carries
dust and grit into them, which will make them water.
Don’t sit near heaters where the heat or hot air directly blows
or radiates near the face, as this will quickly evaporate the tear
layer.
Use artificial tear drops and ointments throughout the day to keep
the surface moist. It’s when the surface dries out that the
gritty feeling starts and the eyes will then counteract by producing
an excess of tears.
Take Omega 3 & 6 oil supplements. These can help to improve the
quality of the tears and prevent them from evaporating away so quickly.
Place small bowls of water near radiators to increase the humidity
indoors. The water will gradually evaporate and the air will be less
dry.
Massage the eyelids with clean fingertips through a hot compress.
This will express some of the oil from the oil glands in the lids,
into the tear film |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Snow
Blindness |
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 If
you’re going skiing this winter, remember to protect your eyes
from the extreme UV rays found at high altitudes and off reflective
surfaces such as snow.
Inadequate protection can result in photokeratoconjuctivitis, more
commonly known as snow blindness.
This is literally a burn to the surface of the eye, and while it usually
heals with no lasting damage, it’s very painful and distressing
for a few days.
The eyes become swollen, red, gritty, very sore, watery and vision
is blurry.
To prevent it and protect the eyes, always wear sunglasses or goggles
with 100% UV filters. These should ideally be large and wrap around
to stop any incidental rays that may enter from the side.
The range of both prescription and non-prescription goggles and masks
for adults and children increases every year. Bolle’s
new collection is in store and online
now. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Night
Vision |
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As the days draw in
earlier, so the number of people experiencing problems with glare
and difficulty with night vision goes up. Head lamps can be dazzling
to some in the dusky evenings, while others find it harder just to
focus as well as they did during the summer. Some of the most common
underlying causes are:
Cataracts:
These cause glare, dazzle and halos around lights. Cataracts can start
forming at any age and although they don't normally cause any symptoms
until they're of a certain size, even a tiny one can be very troublesome
if it's of a particular type or in certain positions. Nowadays even
small cataracts are removed, if they're causing symptoms that affect
driving or quality of life.
Night Myopia:
This is when normal short sightedness increases a little bit in low
light conditions. It affects only a small number of people and is
easily corrected by wearing a slightly stronger prescription for tasks
such as night driving.
Uncorrected Focusing Errors:
During the summer it's easy to not notice that vision is not quite
as sharp as it should be, because good light compensates and masks
it. However when the light falls in the winter, the blur usually becomes
apparent.
Uncoated Spectacle Lenses: Light is reflected
from the surface of lenses, causing dazzling of headlights and street
lamps. An anti reflection coating will significantly help to reduce
the glare |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| See
More With Seemax |
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 Nikon
have launched their Seemax technology, which significantly reduces
the distortion in the periphery that wearers get with varifocals and
high-powered single vision lenses.
Each lens is custom made for the wearer and takes into account the
frame size and shape and the exact positioning of the lens in the
frame, in relation to the eye. The lens is then custom designed to
optimise the different zones to give up to a 60% wider field of view.
Feedback from customers who’ve had it has been very positive
with 95% of them noticing a significant improvement compared to their
last lenses. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| High
Oxygen Delivery For High Prescriptions |
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 The
new Air Optix Individual contact lens from Ciba Vision contains silicone,
which increases the oxygen flow through the lens, delivering approximately
5x as much to the eye as conventional soft lenses.
Lenses containing silicone have been available for some time now,
but not in high prescriptions or in non standard sizes. The Air Optix
Individual is custom made
and so can be ordered in any size and power up to + /- 20.00.
The lenses are particularly suitable for those with long wearing schedules
and also those whose lenses dry out quickly, as lenses with silicone
don’t dehydrate as fast within the eye. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| All
In One Peroxide Solution |
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 A
new solution, Regard, brings together the disinfecting power of peroxide
with the convenience of a single bottle and single step.
Peroxide solutions are recognized as being the best, as they are effective
against a wider range of pathogens and have a faster kill rate. However
they're usually more cumbersome to use, requiring a separate neutralizing
step. Regard however brings together convenience and superior disinfecting,
with a single bottle that you just pour and leave. It's even better
however as it's Preservative Free, which means there's less likelihood
of developing allergies to it.
If you'd like to try out Regard just book in for a suitabilty check
and a free trial bottle. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Smudge
Free Spectacle Lenses |
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| Anti
reflection coatings are great for improving the appearance
and reducing glare, but they’ve always been difficult to keep
clean. The new generation of antireflection coatings however have
an oleophobic finish, making them much more resistant to smudges and
fingerprints. |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| Necklace
Chains |
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 Our
new range of spectacle chains from Filao Paris have beautiful glass
beads and Swarovski crystals.
Available in many different colours and designs from subtle to bold,
they can be worn as necklaces too. The full range can be seen on our
new website sunglassstudio.co.uk |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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| New
Staff |
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We thought we'd let you
know that we've had more staff join us, as some of our regular customers
get worried that we've changed hands every time they see a new face
! Don't worry we haven't. We're happy to report it's just because
we're busier. The old team are still there and they're joined by:
Katherine Roe, our new full time Optometrist.
Katherine obtained a first class honours degree from Aston University
and finished her training at St James Hospital, Leeds. She has a special
interest in Low Vision and Complex Contact Lenses.
Jamie
Shuttleworth, our newest Dispensing Optician. Jamie gained
a Diploma in Ophthalmic Dispensing from City & Islington College.
He's knowledgeable about all aspects of lenses and frames and has
specific interests in Sports and Occupational Dispensing.
Both Katherine & Jamie have settled in really well and look forward
to also becoming long standing familiar faces ! |
| Posted: January 2008 |
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