Beautiful Ladies of Caroline

Faces of Siberian models in new marketing campaign of Caroline Abram eyewear brand

Faces of Siberian models in the new marketing campaign of Caroline Abram’s eyewear brand

Caroline Abram is a French eyewear designer and founder of the brand “Caroline Abram”. Abram has five international Silmo d’Or awards — 2006, 2008, 2014, 2015 and a nomination in 2017 .

For the past two years, the renowned designer has come to niveous Novosibirsk, a large city in the heart of Siberia (Russia) to photo shoot her new eyewear collection. Caroline explains that she admires the inner strength, subtle beauty and delicacy of Russian women. In two days of shooting, 2,543 photo frames were taken and the models changed their clothes 24 times.

Caroline Abram, photo shoot in Russia for her new campaign

Abram herself directed the models and the photo shoot in general

“Exaggerate, play and provoke”

“Girls! It’s your time to realize the Wonder Woman inside of you.”

We were privileged to chat with Caroline Abram at the Moscow International Optical Fair (MIOF) in February, 2019

Here is a story Caroline told:

“You go to work or to a restaurant. You wear a beautiful coat, shoes  and you have a beautiful handbag. Yet, you sit down at your work desk or at a restaurant table. You put your coat and a purse away and no-one sees your feet :(. What’s left? Your glasses. They tell everything about you. Who you are, what mood you have, what attitude. That’s why, I think, a desire to get new glasses should come first. I want to convince all women that they look amazing in glasses. For me, eyewear is makeup. We play with makeup to change our looks by changing lipstick, blush and eyeshadow colors. With makeup, we convey our mood; sometimes matching clothes, sometimes contrasting, blending or accenting…A woman should wear eyewear according to her mood. 

I also believe that eyewear should empower women, although I don’t consider myself  a feminist, I believe in women’s strength and confidence and eyewear is just the right tool to show that. ”

Caroline Abram and Onega Astaltsova in Moscow, February, 2019

Caroline_Abram_photo shoot SiberiaCaroline_Abram_Novosibirsk photo shoot

 

Caroline Abram collection will be available at Providence Optical in May 2019.

Singapore Salutes Essilor

Aerial view of Singapore's Gardens by the Bay

Aerial view of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay (photo from SkyPark Observation Deck by Onega)

Last week, the Sustainable Business Awards, organized by the third time in Singapore chose lens manufacturer Essilor as the award winner in the new category, “UN Sustainable Development Goals” in recognition of its contributions to 13 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  Specifically, Essilor received praise for reducing its environmental footprint, caring for its employees’ health and safety, promoting diversity, supporting education and ensuring responsible consumption and production.

To understand why this award is so significant, you have to understand a bit about Singapore and its values.  Singapore is the capital of the country with the same name and it lies at the southern tip of a peninsula that juts into the South China Sea just north of the equator.  Its tropical location is a big plus, but what makes the city unique is the way its green policies have transformed this densely populated urban local.  It could be a typical dirty, crowded big city, but instead, it is graced by parks and gardens that provide a home for exquisite tropical flora.  The city has instituted policies to support the environment, including beefing up public transportation, installing systems to catch and use rain water and retrofitting thousands of buildings to meet green standards.

Tree sculptures that harvest solar energy

Tree sculptures that collect solar energy

A stunning example of how artistic design and eco-innovation come together in this city is the “Supertree Grove” located within the Gardens by the Bay.  The “trees” are playful sculptures that support photovoltaic cells (informally called “solar panels”) and the “grove” is accessible to visitors via an elevated walkway that provides breathtaking views of the park and surrounding area.  The energy collected by the cells lights the gardens at night while captured rainwater irrigates the gardens – a veritable beacon of green design.

Providence Optical's Onega enjoying the view from the elevated walkway in Singapore's solar grove

Providence Optical’s Onega Astaltsova enjoying the view from the elevated walkway in Singapore’s solar grove, August 2017

If that’s not enough to make you fall in love with the city, consider the fact that it is gaining a reputation – second only to Japan – as a “design destination”.  This is not serendipity.  The city leadership actively promotes design innovation by encouraging enterprise in this sector and sponsoring events like Singapore Design Week and Sustainable Business Awards, Singapore.

In accepting the award, Essilor executives pointed out that they see their mission as addressing the most widespread disability in the world:  poor vision.  Shockingly, 80% of impaired vision is treatable and yet this remains the greatest disability globally.  Essilor’s efforts to address the issue through The Essilor Vision Foundation include vision screening events, donations of lenses and frames, and media campaigns to raise awareness, as well as support to local nonprofits with similar programs.

When you choose which lenses to purchase for your glasses, of course you want crystal-clear vision, but wouldn’t it be great if your purchase also could contribute to protecting the environment and helping people who live below the poverty line?  Well, with Essilor, you can have it all!

Supertree Grove

Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Providence Optical proudly offers Essilor products to suit all our clients’ vision needs.

About Essilor International :

The world leading ophthalmic optics company, Essilor designs and manufactures a wide range of lenses to improve and protect eyesight. Its mission is to improve lives by improving sight. Its the most known brands are Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, Xperio®, Foster Grant®. It employs 64,000 people and worldwide, markets its products in more than a 100 countries and has 33 plants, 5 research and development centers (including Essilor Innovation and Technology Center in Singapore), 490 prescriptions laboratories.

On August 23′ 2017 Essilor was named by Forbes as one of 100 of the world’s “Most Innovative Companies” for 2017.Essilor has first earned a spot in this prestigious list in 2010 and has been ranked every year ever since among the world 100 publicly traded companies identified by investors featuring the best innovation potential now and in the future.

Greenery as part of architectural design, Singapore

Greenery as part of architectural design, Singapore

“Mr.Leight” : new capsule collection by father-son duo Larry and Garrett Leight

Larry Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples, and son Garrett Leight pose for a portrait at his home in Santa Monica, Calif.  Larry Leight has left Oliver Peoples after 30 years to join his son Garrett's company, Garrett Leight California Optical (Photo:Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

Larry Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples, and son Garrett Leight pose for a portrait at his home in Santa Monica, Calif.
Larry Leight has left Oliver Peoples after 30 years to join his son Garrett’s company, Garrett Leight California Optical (Photo:Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

The father-son duo Larry and Garrett Leight will launch a new capsule collection.

Here is an article by Mellissa Magsaysay for Los Angeles Times on June 18′ 2016:

On a May afternoon at eyewear design guru Larry Leight’s Santa Monica home, Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples, and his son, Garrett, founder of Garrett Leight California Optical, took a break from actual work to consider how they each created successful eyewear labels that have captured the cool, in-the-know crowd of their respective generations.

“I didn’t really realize what he did for a living until I went to work for him,” says Garrett, 32. “I saw that not only did he design eyewear, but he really led that team, that environment and that company – and that’s when I was like, ‘Wow, now I really know what he does.’”

Aside from similarities such as profession, stature and surname, father and son finish each other’s thoughts and have a similar magnetism for attracting a cult-like following of loyal fans and talented employees. Together, they have joined forces to create a capsule collection of luxury eyewear called Mr. Leight.

Eyewear wasn’t always the clear choice for Garrett as a profession.

In 2006, however, the younger Leight (the family name is pronounced “light”), who was focused on tennis and studied journalism, went to work at Oliver Peoples at the suggestion of his father to gain work experience. Garrett eventually left Oliver Peoples, and went into business for himself.

“I think he was absorbing and gathering all these things that formulated his desire to do something different,” says Larry, 65. “He felt that there was a better way to do things that inspired him to see different areas of the business that he felt he could do differently or better.”

In November 2009, Garrett opened A. Kinney Court on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a lifestyle concept store in Venice with opticians, eyewear, footwear, apparel, books and music.

Garrett soon became inspired to create his own collection and created his namesake business in 2011.

“I felt most comfortable in doing what my dad was doing,” says Garrett. “Being an entrepreneur wasn’t really a word that I understood before that time, but I think I just wanted to be a leader and wanted to build my own culture and environment. It was also being around great people that inspire you. That’s what I loved about Oliver Peoples.”

Today, Garrett Leight California Optical eyewear is available through about 800 wholesale accounts worldwide as well as four stand-alone GLCO stores. The eyewear has framed the famous faces of January Jones, Kristen Stewart, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kendall Jenner and spawned collaborations with Clare Vivier, Want Les Essentiels and Mark McNairy.

“You have to kind of pinch yourself,” says Larry about Garrett’s success. “The similar thing between us is, ‘How the hell did he come along and grab that young cult of today?’”

Harding GLCO

Harding GLCO

Hampton GLCO

Hampton GLCO

Cabrillo GLCO

Cabrillo GLCO

In 2006, Larry sold Oliver Peoples to Oakley, and the following year, Italian eyewear brand Luxottica acquired California-based Oakley. Larry retained his creative role until his departure at the end of 2015.

Larry says he spent months after leaving Oliver Peoples trying to decided what he’d do next. “I realized that even if I didn’t know Garrett, his is the company I want to work for,” he says.

Inspired by his son’s business and brand, the veteran eyewear designer and accessory brand icon was brought on earlier this year as a design consultant at GLCO and to collaborate on the Mr. Leight collection.

“Mr. Leight is a name I’ve had in my pocket for a while,” says Garrett. “And I always dreamed that maybe we’d have the opportunity to do something together and that name would obviously make sense.”

While in the design phase, the Mr. Leight collection will have frames made in Japan with a starting cost of $700, and, going forward, the eyewear will skirt traditional fashion cycles.

“It’s more limited, exclusive and still simple and beautiful,” says Larry about the concept for Mr. Leight, which is set to bow in Spring 2017. “It’s more technical, and there are more moving parts to some of the frames – but not gimmicky.”

In his new role, Larry lends his decades of design experience to Garrett and his team, and he defers to Garrett’s strength for sales and marketing for building a strong brand.

Sunglasses by Father Larry Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples, and son Garrett Leight (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
Using their design and production prowess, the Leights’ team also has their sights set on making Mr. Leight a design house with the idea of collaborating with select like-minded brands to consult with and create eyewear for those brands.

“For sure we have that same entrepreneurial spirit,” the father says of the son. “We’re taking this exciting journey [with Mr. Leight], and it’s different, fresh and desirable.”

An exciting collaborative journey that, because it bears the name they both share, has the potential to pay a humorous dividend next time someone addresses Garrett as “Mr. Leight.” He could respond that he’s Garrett – Mr. Leight is his dad, and their brand.

Copyright © 2016, Los Angeles Times

Garrett and Larry Leight

 

Garrett Leight California Optical collection is available at Providence Optical. Watch our exclusive interview with Garrett in Munich.

MIOF – Moscow International Optical Fair

MIOFFeb 16, 2016
MIOF ( 18th Moscow International Optical Fair)

Providence Optical Video Clip  Onega Astaltsova and Olga Mosheyeva (editor-in-chief of ОПТИЧЕСКИЙ Magazine, Moscow, Russia) presented an award in Category PRIVATE LABEL for eyewear collection at Golden Lorgnette National Award ceremony. Mosheyeva said: ” You are a paradigm for the other companies. You proof that you are able to create  beautiful collections that have success in Russia and abroad. ” The winner is the company SCOLANI with brand RUSOMANIA from the city of Ekaterinburg.

Scolani_eyewear_3

     Scolani_eyewear_4Screen Shot 2016-02-26 at 3.16.55 AM

Golden Lorgnette is an annual award of optical industry in numerous categories that honors eyecare professionals. Onega Astaltsova was invited to Committee of Experts for the award.

Opti Munich 2016 – Highlights from the vision show

Opti Munich is an annual trade show in the eyewear industry. For the first time this year, we choose to attend this show. A total of 576 exhibitors from 37 countries were present and visitors from 81 countries. This year’s exhibition highlights ranges from a new lens technology for safe driving to the glasses frames made out from pepper or chili and dill to the work of art frames made of paper.

The focus was on quality, creative spirit and incomparably family-like atmosphere. Opti triggers new trends, as the trade fair is flexible in meeting the needs of the market, and setting off new impulses.

Kinto Eyewear – Belgian indépendant Eyewear since 1978. Specialized in petite faces and known for repairable spring hinges.

Thomsen Eyewear – Danish brand, original and contemporary frames made in titanium with classical shape with a bit of color.

748fd254-1335-4d9b-a159-36b8bdcae8eaBarriqule – Born in 2014 in Italy from the idea of Lorenzo Del Tufo. Unisex glasses and sunglasses collections characterized by cellulose acetate fronts and temples in oak recycled from exhausted barrels. Barriqule video

 

 

Paul Hueman – Korean eyewear company specialized in the Asian Fit.

Projekt Samsem – Founded in 2015 in Berlin, the focus of PROJEKT SAMSEN is to create timeless and remarkable goods for everyday life. 3D printed glasses with innovative hinge,
PROJEKT SAMSEN combines new ideas and technologies with timeless aesthetics and values.

All these lines will be soon available at Providence Optical and also in addition new products from existing lines Garrett Leight, Etnia, Lunettes Kollektion, Woow, Dutz Eyewear and Intrigue.

 

 

Benchmarks: Eyewear Decor

Our aviator eyeglasses mirror was mentioned in the article of November-December 2015 edition of INVISION by CORRIE PELC

ART SMART

Eyewear-inspired elements create just the right professional atmosphere
Art can be a tricky thing. What one person loves, another may not. And it’s always very personal — you can tell a lot about someone by the art hanging in his home.

The same is true for your business. The artwork and decor you choose for your eyecare practice or optical shop will be a direct reflection of who you are, the sort of clientele you want to attract and the type of atmosphere you are trying to create.
The six examples here all show how art can be used to make a business more memorable and reflect what the owner wants the business to be. People with artistic skills may decide to go the DIY route and create their own office decor, while others may look to the work of outsiders. Whichever way you go, aim for a look that speaks to both the uniqueness and professionalism of your businesses.

Onega Astaltsova, an artist who is also managing optician of Providence Optical in Providence, RI, says good art will help elevate your business. “As ECPs, we have a professional obligation and the art has to be professional too,” she explains. “You still need to follow the rules of business and not just your personal taste. Good art will help you look professional.”

Need some more inspiration for your space? You’ll find lots of good resources online. TheOpticalVisionSite.com and Pinterest are great resources for decorating ideas, as are Facebook groups such as Opticians on Facebook. You might also work with a local artist, gallery owner or art consultant to help you find or create the look you seek.

DSC_0340

MIRROR, MIRROR
Providence Optical, Providence, RI

➤ With a background in art, it’s no wonder why Onega Astaltsova decided to design an eyewear wall mirror for Providence Optical. Astaltsova says she chose a metal aviator-shaped frame design for the mirror to complement the shop’s large selection of vintage frames. She created a hand drawing of the frame she wanted to depict, then transformed that into a vector computer rendering from which polycarbonate and PVC plastic parts were cut and put together. The finished product is set off by large quotations from literature that help reinforce the idea of Providence Optical as a place that celebrates all the arts.

“Golden Lorgnette” 2015 Awards Ceremony at MIOF, Moscow

Our Onega Astaltsova had an honor to attend the first National Awards Ceremony “Golden Lorgnette” for Russian Optical Industry, holded in Moscow on February 17, 2015 as a guest judge. The event took place at 16th Moscow International Optical Fair (MIOF).

The event in 9 categories is designed to recognize the most important  individuals and companies in the optical industry for providing excellent service, fostering innovation and spreading awareness of the optical industry. Among nominations were: debut in Russian market and new best product of the year, best marketing project and campaign in wholesale and retail, best local optical chain and independent optical store, innovation, person of the year. The guests of the evening were treated with a concert of finalists of TV show “Golos”, which equivalent to USA show “VOICE”.

At an event Onega wears dress by Karolina Zmarlak, polish-american designer and our own Providence Optical 3-D printed eyewear.

Salon ALMAZ-Optic from a small town of metallugists in Ural mountains region is a winner in the Best Independent Optical Shop category.

Elena Pedashenko of Almaz-Optic is getting an award

Alexander Zhurbin, a well-known composer, is a guest perfomer at an event

Providence Optical Inspires Russian Eyecare Professionals… again!

As some of you might know, we were named as one of the Top 10 Independent Optical Retail of USA 2014 by INVISION, a magazine for eyecare professionals. Following the news, we were invited to share some essential advices and tips with optical professionals of Russia by ОПТИЧЕСКИЙ Magazine (OpticMagazine). The story appeared in September issue of 2014 publication. 

 

 

Focus on: Providence Optical

We would like to share a blog, written by  on July 28, 2014 for InDowncity Providence website. Thank you, Erick.

Nestled between the bright pastel window displays of Craftland’s new location and the artfully ad-hoc presentation of RISD’s student-run gallery, it might be a bit of a challenge to spot Providence Optical—if it weren’t for the beautifully massive wire-rimmed glasses that hang above the shop’s Westminster Street entrance.

Stepping inside on a steamy summer morning, one might be surprised to find a quiet bustling throughout the air-conditioned store. Customers’ eyes slowly move from spectacle to spectacle, closely examining the hundreds of varieties in materials, accents, shapes, and colors. Other patrons sit patiently in the comfy lounge chairs, taking in the array of glass specimens.

Welcomed in, we were given a crash course on the summer and fall’s hottest trends: Augusto Valentini spectacles paired a matte finish with an elegant gold trim, while Providence Optical’s latest creations sparkled with stainless steel rivets.

Colors seemed to be en vogue, with every glass display boasting a number of bright neon greens, oranges, electric blues, or other captivating colors. Men’s pairs took to the colors with a dignified sort of diffidence, choosing to display the fluorescent colors along the tamer inside rims of the glasses rather than the outsides.

More and more pairs were brought out, carefully detailed to us, and ushered back onto their display cases while the grand finale neared in the form of vintage ’80′s eyewear. Absurdly large (in that perfectly quirky way) frames approached, showing off beautiful real enamel detailing flush with clean metal skeletons. The unworn finds—$75—were certainly a show-stopper.

And just like that, our exclusive crash course was over. The spectacles sat neatly on their display cases or safely in their shelves, and as we grabbed our bags to head out we couldn’t help but feel as if it would be impossible to choose just one pair from the many we saw that day.

From the cases upon cases of unique and downright beautiful spectacles, though, we knew that many would visit and find their perfect pair of glasses that day, and hoped many others would continue to find their glass-soulmates, right inside that little shop.