Optrafair presents practice frame buyers with the perfect opportunity to see some of the eyewear that has already made waves at international trade shows in the first half of this year.
An increasing range of materials has been evident so far this year, with manufacturing experimentation in leather, marble and gold seen at recent events. Stocking luxury eyewear where the emphasis is placed on the quality of materials rather than a brand name emblazoned on the temples is a great way for an independent practice to stand out in an increasingly congested marketplace.
On show in the Optrafair aisles will be frames constructed from 18k solid gold, fine acetates from Italy and Japan, and flexible beta titanium to offer supreme comfort for the patient.
This year’s event also sees the addition of a children’s eyewear section, something which visitor feedback asked for and the wider optical market trends demanded.
In the last five years, the children’s eyewear market has developed significantly. Children are increasingly aware of today’s fashions, and are now much more insistent on being on trend. Children once saw wearing glasses as a real stigma, but thanks to the development of fashion and forward thinking brands which proudly display children’s football club loyalty on their glasses to increase acceptance, kids are now happier to wear spectacles. For ECPs, this can pay dividends in clinical matters too, with the likelihood of non-tolerance reduced.
Older children and young teenagers want their glasses to mimic adult styles and brands have to been keen to accommodate them. However, it isn’t just a case of reducing the eye size. The best children’s eyewear will take into account the different anatomical relationships the faces of young patients. Even the younger patients attracted to franchises such as Minions, Frozen and Star Wars, will want silhouettes that are more ‘grown up’ and on trend.
See the Optrafair preview in this week’s journal, giving practitioners ample reason to bring in some cover for the weekend and visit the UK’s leading optical trade fair.
For more information and to register for Optrafair (April 9-11 at Birmingham NEC) visit www.optrafair.co.uk