Wow, where does the time go? We realised today that it's almost been six months that we've been getting our Catch of the Days!
This is a fun way for us to use Instagram to share our love of wonderful people wearing fabulous eyewear.
To keep up to date with all of our fun on Instagram, be sure to go to www.instagram.com/oceanoptometry.
Many thanks to all of our Catches!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Win what you wish!
One of our hopes when choosing our location was that we would be involved in an active community and this couldn't have turned out to be truer for Downtown Halifax - it's a great location! There are many lovely local business all around us, offering great services, people with lots of knowledge and expertise and prices which compare well globally.
We obviously try to choose local suppliers when we can, but what we have also found rewarding is that the local businesses have embraced us in Downtown and we have many good folks from the local Downtown business coming in to see us as well.
Two things that have been particularly fun to be involved in is the I Love Local Hfx movement and the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. Both have proven to be great resources for information, activities and ideas to help establish our business. The fun thing about having been involved with both of these organisations is that they too believe in the importance of local businesses and can see why they benefit the local economy and community much more than faceless corporations do. To keep up to date with all of these we'd really recommend that you follow both organisations on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/downtownhalifax/ and http://twitter.com/ILOVELOCALHFX.
So ... what are you waiting for? Get out there, get snapping and get sharing it on the internet! To get some ideas as to what's out there, have a look at www.winwhatyouwish.ca.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Interviews with a designer ... David Rose - designer at SALT. Optics
At any of the international exhibitions we attend one of the greatest joys is in the discovery of new companies and those hidden gems which you were not aware of before. SALT. were exactly one of those discoveries, we first met them at New York in April 2013 - Wow!
SALT.'s mission really sums up our feeling about their eyewear perfectly, "SALT. Optics is an independent
lifestyle company that creates premium handcrafted eyewear for people who like simple things made well." To say that SALT. eyeglasses are made well is a huge understatement, quite simply their quality is unsurpassed.
In Paris this year we met with SALT. again to see their new collections and to find out even more about their company. Designer David Rose was attending Silmo and it was too good an opportunity to miss, therefore, we are pleased that our next interview in this series is with David.
Here's our interview with David:
What was your inspiration to become an eyewear designer?
Good question, while my surfing career was coming to an end, I picked up a warehouse gig with OSA (Optical Shop Aspen). After about a week it was apparent that I was falling in love with eyewear. I was surrounded by amazing brands and an array of different frame shapes, sizes, materials and applications. Seeing all this was super positive and for years I just soaked everything up like a sponge. Then in 2002 I was lucky enough to spend sometime working at Oliver Peoples and handle their production and manufacturing. Although I never designed anything at OP, it was an exciting time to work closely with Larry and Patty in their design studio to find out whats coming up next, listen to their ideas about fashion and trend, as well as picking up on valuable reference points on why a DBL or temple length should be shortened or lengthened. Then in 2006 I connected with Salt Optics through and old relationship with Ron Smith and have since been handling all their design and manufacturing. Its been a fun and exhausting 16 years, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Do you have an all time favourite frame that you designed?
Probably my favorite frame right now is Harlan. I love the profile and
the use of Acetate and Titanium. The vintage "line" detailing on the bridge gives the frame legacy but you can still dress this frame up or down. I also think the color pallet and matte finishings have some staying power.
Which city would like to travel to next?
Halifax of course!
Is there a particular material that you would like working with or that you would like to work with?
Its so easy to think about using different materials or taking frames elsewhere but I really love the tradition of making hand made acetate frames in Japan. The touch each craftsperson puts into a frame is so refreshing and authentic. The attention to detail is an investment in quality that will benefit for years to come. Now that’s something special!
How long does the process take from initial design to finished eyewear?
It takes anywhere from 12-24 months. Some designs kinda just cross through waiting for a slot to open in the collection, like staple piece. While other might be excel excelerated because of fashion or trend.
What influences do you draw on when creating your ranges?
I love shopping for vintage frames, especially in Japan. I get a lot of inspiration from old catalogues of frames that aren't really made anymore. But I feel like I get most my inspiration from experiencing the ocean, mountains and desert around southern & northern California. Some of the culture that surrounds this area is really cool.
Thank you David for taking the time to answer those questions.
More information about SALT. Optics can be found out here:
Website
Facebook Twitter
And of course ... by coming in to Ocean Optometry!
lifestyle company that creates premium handcrafted eyewear for people who like simple things made well." To say that SALT. eyeglasses are made well is a huge understatement, quite simply their quality is unsurpassed.
In Paris this year we met with SALT. again to see their new collections and to find out even more about their company. Designer David Rose was attending Silmo and it was too good an opportunity to miss, therefore, we are pleased that our next interview in this series is with David.
Here's our interview with David:
What was your inspiration to become an eyewear designer?
Good question, while my surfing career was coming to an end, I picked up a warehouse gig with OSA (Optical Shop Aspen). After about a week it was apparent that I was falling in love with eyewear. I was surrounded by amazing brands and an array of different frame shapes, sizes, materials and applications. Seeing all this was super positive and for years I just soaked everything up like a sponge. Then in 2002 I was lucky enough to spend sometime working at Oliver Peoples and handle their production and manufacturing. Although I never designed anything at OP, it was an exciting time to work closely with Larry and Patty in their design studio to find out whats coming up next, listen to their ideas about fashion and trend, as well as picking up on valuable reference points on why a DBL or temple length should be shortened or lengthened. Then in 2006 I connected with Salt Optics through and old relationship with Ron Smith and have since been handling all their design and manufacturing. Its been a fun and exhausting 16 years, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
 |
| Harlan |
Probably my favorite frame right now is Harlan. I love the profile and
the use of Acetate and Titanium. The vintage "line" detailing on the bridge gives the frame legacy but you can still dress this frame up or down. I also think the color pallet and matte finishings have some staying power.
Which city would like to travel to next?
Halifax of course!
Is there a particular material that you would like working with or that you would like to work with?
Its so easy to think about using different materials or taking frames elsewhere but I really love the tradition of making hand made acetate frames in Japan. The touch each craftsperson puts into a frame is so refreshing and authentic. The attention to detail is an investment in quality that will benefit for years to come. Now that’s something special!
How long does the process take from initial design to finished eyewear?
It takes anywhere from 12-24 months. Some designs kinda just cross through waiting for a slot to open in the collection, like staple piece. While other might be excel excelerated because of fashion or trend.
What influences do you draw on when creating your ranges?
I love shopping for vintage frames, especially in Japan. I get a lot of inspiration from old catalogues of frames that aren't really made anymore. But I feel like I get most my inspiration from experiencing the ocean, mountains and desert around southern & northern California. Some of the culture that surrounds this area is really cool.
Thank you David for taking the time to answer those questions.
More information about SALT. Optics can be found out here:
Website
Facebook Twitter
And of course ... by coming in to Ocean Optometry!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Silmo 2013 - Part 3
Our third and last full day in Paris. We are up early, keen to maximise our time there and really get the most from the show possible. We travel to the show using the RER rail system, we feel that we've become quite the experts in this (or at least for the small section of it that we travel), but this morning it is different. It is a Saturday and instead of being surrounded by smart commuters and office workers we are accompanied by families heading in to the city to enjoy all that Paris has to offer. Unfortunately, this is not for us, we're headed to a big hall full of eye stuff ... I think I know what we'd rather be doing ... eye stuff!!
We were at the exhibition so early that only the exhibitors were allowed to enter, ah well, time to grab a double espresso and prepare ourselves for the day's appointments. We were scheduled to meet with Bellinger, Claire Goldsmith and Salt - all wonderful collections which offer something unique and special to the world of eyeglasses.
Finally nine o'clock comes around and we head for our first appointment with Bellinger. Bellinger has a completely different approach to manufacturing eyewear, the acetate materials they use are completely unique to themselves and they have developed different ways of working the material (almost like kneading dough) which creates lively, flowing and dynamic colour patterns throughout their ranges. As well as viewing the latest collections it was wonderful to spend some time with Claus Bellinger as he talks us through the various manufacturing processes involved. It all seems to be a wonderful mix of engineering, science, art and creativity; the thought process applied to each frame in every collection makes sure that Bellinger is anything but a cookie cutter product.
We now have a little time before meeting with David, one of the designers with Salt, and this window of opportunity makes for an ideal time to go and organise our second find of the show. Another great eyewear range, which we will again tease you with by not telling you who! Let's just say that this collection really Rocks!
Salt Optics was next on our agenda and we really do love Salt frames at Ocean Optometry, in fact, not only do we love them but our patients do too. We have been blown away by the positive feedback about this range and it was great to go and sit with one of their designers and to be able to pass back so many good comments. It was also great to find out more about David, similar to our own Dr John Wilson, his path into optics has not been the most straight forward. In saying that, John was never a pro-surfer, like David, so perhaps there the comparison ends!
The new Salt pieces are quite simply beautiful. We put together a great collection to bring back to Halifax really showcasing the best shapes and colours available. Then it is an easy switch to our next appointment - Salt Optics had shared some of the Claire Goldsmith stand space! So we moved one table over and lost ourselves in a world of classic, vintage and incredibly chic eyewear.
Claire is a great character and it was lovely to catch up with her again.
Given Claire's family history in eyewear design it would be far too easy to talk about things in terms of vintage and retro, however, the collection really would be better as being described as stylish, elegant, modern and classic. However you want to describe them, these frames are fab!
 |
| Espresso to start the day |
Finally nine o'clock comes around and we head for our first appointment with Bellinger. Bellinger has a completely different approach to manufacturing eyewear, the acetate materials they use are completely unique to themselves and they have developed different ways of working the material (almost like kneading dough) which creates lively, flowing and dynamic colour patterns throughout their ranges. As well as viewing the latest collections it was wonderful to spend some time with Claus Bellinger as he talks us through the various manufacturing processes involved. It all seems to be a wonderful mix of engineering, science, art and creativity; the thought process applied to each frame in every collection makes sure that Bellinger is anything but a cookie cutter product.
 |
| Bellinger demonstration box showing different states of acetate right from cotton! |
Salt Optics was next on our agenda and we really do love Salt frames at Ocean Optometry, in fact, not only do we love them but our patients do too. We have been blown away by the positive feedback about this range and it was great to go and sit with one of their designers and to be able to pass back so many good comments. It was also great to find out more about David, similar to our own Dr John Wilson, his path into optics has not been the most straight forward. In saying that, John was never a pro-surfer, like David, so perhaps there the comparison ends!
The new Salt pieces are quite simply beautiful. We put together a great collection to bring back to Halifax really showcasing the best shapes and colours available. Then it is an easy switch to our next appointment - Salt Optics had shared some of the Claire Goldsmith stand space! So we moved one table over and lost ourselves in a world of classic, vintage and incredibly chic eyewear.
Claire is a great character and it was lovely to catch up with her again.
 |
| John, Claire Goldsmith, Euan |
We are done!
We walk around the show for another few hours, but with the appointments taken care of and some new finds in the bag both of us are starting to flag and the last few days are starting to catch up with us. We head away from the show. On our way back to hotel we decide to break the journey at Gare Nord and poke our heads above ground to catch a glimpse of Paris. It was busy, with plenty of hustle and bustle, but we manage to grab a café and watch the street scene for a while. A great time to go over all of the sights and experiences of the show for the two of us and consider how we want to bring back our own little bit of Paris to share with Nova Scotia!
 |
| Corn roaster on a busy street |
One last inspiring sight was a street seller selling corn using a brazier in a shopping cart to roast it. I couldn't help but think it would be lovely to have some fresh corn from the Valley to cook just in this style!
We knew that our time in Paris was drawing to a close, tomorrow morning we had an early transfer to the airport and then we would have to leave this European city behind. It had been a great few days, very focused on the business of Ocean Optometry, selecting eyewear, being inspired, gaining knowledge and just generally immersing ourselves in all things eye geekery. It left us wanting more and perhaps just regretting a little bit that we hadn't managed to do any of the great sights of the city while we were there.
We hope you've enjoyed reading all about our travels and sharing our visit to Silmo Paris. For videos from the show, you can also visit: https://www.youtube.com/user/OceanOptom.
One final comment ... that night the dinner was French!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Silmo 2013 - Part 2
We were now getting in to the swing of things and gearing up for a busy show. Taking our time over the first day to explore the halls, find the locations for our appointments already scheduled and start to find out any new and exciting suppliers was time well spent. We had business to do, however, and now was the time to do it!
Moving on from Rolf, we headed to the ic! berlin stand. As an innovative and imaginative company, visiting ic! berlin is always an exciting experience. When we had spent time with them in New York there had been a live DJ provided a great soundtrack to the experience. Paris is closer to their home in Berlin, so what was going to await us here?
We were not disappointed!
At the back of the stand was a massive food truck in a very retro camper, shiny, bright and turning out quite amazing food! The things they were doing with goats cheese was quite incredible. Over at the other corner sat a car completely shrouded in black cloth - why? Well you have to park it somewhere! It was Ralph's own car (the owner and founder of ic! berlin) and he had driven it down to Paris for the show.
Moving on from Rolf, we headed to the ic! berlin stand. As an innovative and imaginative company, visiting ic! berlin is always an exciting experience. When we had spent time with them in New York there had been a live DJ provided a great soundtrack to the experience. Paris is closer to their home in Berlin, so what was going to await us here?
We were not disappointed!
 |
| ic! berlin Stand at Silmo |
While the energy on the stand is excellent, the great thing with ic! berlin is that you know it is backed up by a great selection of eyewear. Their ranges are unique, well designed, fabulously manufactured and manage to straddle the fine line between cutting edge and perfectly wearable exceptionally well. The new electric colours available in the ranges were beautiful and selecting pieces to add to our collection in Halifax was easy, these frames won't hang around long!
What about the music? There was no DJ this time, instead we were entertained by Friederich Liechenstein. He's a German entertainer (apparently) and a bit of a YouTube celebrity, great fun to listen to and certainly knows how to entertain a crowd! He's easy to find on YouTube:
After enjoying some wonderful German hospitality, we moved on to our next appointment. This was one of our Silmo finds from the previous day and right now we are going to tease you a little and keep this one a secret. We are hoping to have this range with us in early 2014, we have put together a fabulous selection and you know that they are going to bring something new to Nova Scotia if we have selected them, so please don't get all activist like on us and be patient!
Day two was almost complete, however, we had one last appointment to go to - TD Tom Davies. When we had met with Nathan from TD at New York, twice we ended up leaving the show after the show had closed! This time we had allowed plenty of time! It was great to meet up with Nathan and Tom again and to also meet some of the other representatives who cover different parts of the world. Meetings like this provide a great opportunity to share ideas with some very creative people.
When it comes to frame design and manufacture, there is no denying that Tom Davies has added something completely new and unique to the market. Being able to say that we are the only company east of Toronto being able to offer this bespoke service really helps to set Ocean apart. Choosing eyewear should be like choosing a tailored garment, we are all unique after all. The meetings, though, are a great opportunity for a two-way dialogue and we were able to share a little of our knowledge and enthusiasm for lens technology with Tom as he is working through the process of developing a completely new line of sports eyewear.
A couple of hours later we were all done, new frames ordered, new sample colours organised, the show was closing and it was time to head back to the hotel. It was a good day, a productive day, but a long day.
Tonight's dinner was in a Japanese restaurant!
Tonight's dinner was in a Japanese restaurant!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Silmo 2013 - Part 1
Dr John Wilson and Dr Euan McGinty headed to Paris at the end of September to visit the Silmo 2013 exhibition. Silmo is one of the eye events in the calendar each year and is a real destination event, alongside Mido in Milan and Vision Expo East in New York. It was a big commitment to decide to take the time out of our diary to go and not something that John or Euan decided to do lightly, so, was it worth it?
While it might sound glamorous to say that we head to these shows, unfortunately the truth is quite different. Travelling east to Europe invariably involves an overnight flight and our routing was even more frustrating as we had to first travel west for a couple of hours to connect via the big TO! We were on our way, though!
The morning that we arrived, we quickly cleared through French customs and immigration and headed directly to the show from the plane, there really is no time to lose. Thankfully we had decided to keep our appointments to the minimum for the very first day, using the time to get our bearings and get adjust for the time zone.
In saying that we were looking at a range of beautiful hand crafted Japanese frames within forty minutes of arriving! Choosing the eyewear ranges that we stock is a bit of a strange blend of business sense, science in manufacture, the art of the frame design and I guess it would only be right to say je ne sais quoi! These frames weren't for us.
We continued to explore the exhibition halls, looking at frame collections, examining instrument and
technology developments and immersing ourselves in an atmosphere which is definitely an eye geek's heaven. With great delight on the first day we also met with Jason and Karen Kirk who have moved on from twenty years of Kirk Originals to create Kirk & Kirk. This definitely looks to be an exciting development by these eyewear innovators and something we are going to be keeping a very keen eye on.
With day one done, we were both flagging and it was time to find our hotel! We both felt that the first day had been a great way to start our visit, we had discovered some exhibitors that we knew we wanted to re-visit and were excited for our upcoming appointments.
Tonight's dinner was in an Indian restaurant!
Day two started bright and early, well set up by a lovely French breakfast we ventured on to the Paris light rail system and navigated our way to the show. Our first appointment was not until 11 am, so with a couple of hours to spare we set about exploring an area of the halls that we didn't get to the day before. It may sound strange but with almost a thousand exhibitors in 80,000 square metres of floor space, this is quite the show.
The appointed hour came and we met with Bernhard from Rolf Eyewear. We are incredibly excited to be working with Rolf Eyewear. They are the masters of eyewear made from natural products and there is quite simply nothing that comes close to their frames. We had ordered frames from Rolf when we met with them in March in New York (honestly, it only sounds glamorous!) and as of yet we had not received a single item from them. So why were we meeting with them?
The initial frames we are stocking are made completely from wood, including the spring joint! Manufacturing the frames is a lengthy process and this was something we were aware of from the outset. So we had arranged our meeting with a view to finding out what was also available, what was in development and also to look at ordering stock for the following six months. We were not disappointed! Rolf has mastered the art of eyewear in materials not just including wood, but also stone and buffalo horn. While there may be other buffalo horn and wooden frame ranges available (one of our other favourites is Drift Eyewear) there simply is nothing like Rolf Eyewear's take on it. You'll be amazed when you see them!
That took us through to beyond mid-day on the second day, so that's a perfect place to stop. Find out more in Part 2!
While it might sound glamorous to say that we head to these shows, unfortunately the truth is quite different. Travelling east to Europe invariably involves an overnight flight and our routing was even more frustrating as we had to first travel west for a couple of hours to connect via the big TO! We were on our way, though!
 |
| On our way to Paris! |
In saying that we were looking at a range of beautiful hand crafted Japanese frames within forty minutes of arriving! Choosing the eyewear ranges that we stock is a bit of a strange blend of business sense, science in manufacture, the art of the frame design and I guess it would only be right to say je ne sais quoi! These frames weren't for us.
 |
| Jason & Karen Kirk |
technology developments and immersing ourselves in an atmosphere which is definitely an eye geek's heaven. With great delight on the first day we also met with Jason and Karen Kirk who have moved on from twenty years of Kirk Originals to create Kirk & Kirk. This definitely looks to be an exciting development by these eyewear innovators and something we are going to be keeping a very keen eye on.
With day one done, we were both flagging and it was time to find our hotel! We both felt that the first day had been a great way to start our visit, we had discovered some exhibitors that we knew we wanted to re-visit and were excited for our upcoming appointments.
Tonight's dinner was in an Indian restaurant!
Day two started bright and early, well set up by a lovely French breakfast we ventured on to the Paris light rail system and navigated our way to the show. Our first appointment was not until 11 am, so with a couple of hours to spare we set about exploring an area of the halls that we didn't get to the day before. It may sound strange but with almost a thousand exhibitors in 80,000 square metres of floor space, this is quite the show.
 |
| Bernhard - Rolf Eyewear |
The initial frames we are stocking are made completely from wood, including the spring joint! Manufacturing the frames is a lengthy process and this was something we were aware of from the outset. So we had arranged our meeting with a view to finding out what was also available, what was in development and also to look at ordering stock for the following six months. We were not disappointed! Rolf has mastered the art of eyewear in materials not just including wood, but also stone and buffalo horn. While there may be other buffalo horn and wooden frame ranges available (one of our other favourites is Drift Eyewear) there simply is nothing like Rolf Eyewear's take on it. You'll be amazed when you see them!
That took us through to beyond mid-day on the second day, so that's a perfect place to stop. Find out more in Part 2!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
October is Children's Vision Month
We love seeing children at Ocean Optometry, and we love helping children to be able to see!
This month is Children's Vision Month, so if you need to make an appointment for a child or children you know then please give us a call or send us an e-mail!
This month is Children's Vision Month, so if you need to make an appointment for a child or children you know then please give us a call or send us an e-mail!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Fall into Paris!
September has been a real roller coaster month for us!
I guess in many ways September is a real transitional month. You know that summer is coming to an end, you start to get in to the various tasks getting ready for winter. The city is buzzing with the sudden arrival of thousands of students, so although the leaves are beginning to fall, there is also an air of excitement and new beginnings.
Five months in and things have been going better at Ocean than we could have dared to imagine, opening up any new business from a cold start is always going to be a challenge. Doing it during a global recession surely is economic suicide and who in their right minds would open a business when you are just about to go into its annual quiet spell! Well, that's us, Ocean Optometry! Doing things by the book would be so boring!!
We knew that when we opened in April we would face an uphill battle to begin with. We were a brand new clinic, people didn't know who we were and we didn't have a list of current patients to get us going with. Part of our reasoning, though, was that this would give us time to tease out some of the issues that every new business faces. We've got on top of our computer systems, we've settled into our examination routines, all of our equipment is working perfectly and completely integrated.
The best thing about September ... it's starting to get busy, busy, busy! In the optometry world Fall has always been our busiest time of the year.
The other really exciting event in September is Silmo.
Silmo is one of THE eyewear expos that happens each year which is a real must for any eyewear geeks. First held in 1967, it is a perfect occasion for many companies to launch their Fall/Winter collections and for us to meet with designers and manufacturers to find out what's hot and upcoming in the world of eyewear.
Understanding the collections and only choosing ranges which inspire and excite us is something which really distinguishes Ocean Optometry.
At a busy time of the year, it is a real leap of faith to take a week out of our schedule to go to France for this exhibition. Many people may think of these trips as being like this:
I guess in many ways September is a real transitional month. You know that summer is coming to an end, you start to get in to the various tasks getting ready for winter. The city is buzzing with the sudden arrival of thousands of students, so although the leaves are beginning to fall, there is also an air of excitement and new beginnings.
Five months in and things have been going better at Ocean than we could have dared to imagine, opening up any new business from a cold start is always going to be a challenge. Doing it during a global recession surely is economic suicide and who in their right minds would open a business when you are just about to go into its annual quiet spell! Well, that's us, Ocean Optometry! Doing things by the book would be so boring!!
We knew that when we opened in April we would face an uphill battle to begin with. We were a brand new clinic, people didn't know who we were and we didn't have a list of current patients to get us going with. Part of our reasoning, though, was that this would give us time to tease out some of the issues that every new business faces. We've got on top of our computer systems, we've settled into our examination routines, all of our equipment is working perfectly and completely integrated.
The best thing about September ... it's starting to get busy, busy, busy! In the optometry world Fall has always been our busiest time of the year.
The other really exciting event in September is Silmo.
Understanding the collections and only choosing ranges which inspire and excite us is something which really distinguishes Ocean Optometry.
At a busy time of the year, it is a real leap of faith to take a week out of our schedule to go to France for this exhibition. Many people may think of these trips as being like this:
or this:
For us, Paris will be:
and
and
and you know what ... we can't wait!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Students - change your underwear!
At this time of year we have many students filling the streets of our fair city. The sense of excitement the arrive with is almost visible in the air, their heads are filled with big thoughts, big dreams, great plans and (hopefully) a thirst for knowledge.
It can also be a somewhat scary time for the young students. Taking their first real steps towards adulthood and independence and starting to make their way in the world. Amazing opportunities will be open to them, the ability to create their own rules, the fun of making new friends and bundled along with this comes the boring bits of life - the responsibilities.
We all have these day-to-day mundane tasks put upon us. They are chores, every day necessities, perhaps even the drudgery of life, but without them life's a whole lot less pleasant. To some of the students it's perhaps a bit of a shock to the system that these items just don't seem to magically take care of themselves, a recent conversation on our twitter feed was a perfect example!
What's this got do with optometry, you may wonder. One of our challenges in the office, though, is in making sure when we are discussing contact lenses we make sure we share our feelings about the importance of a good contact lens wear regime.
Contact lenses bring many advantages over glasses and many people enjoy wearing their contact lenses, either as an almost full time alternative or as an option for sports or social occasions. One of the main drawbacks of contact lenses, though, is that you are placing a foreign object on to perhaps the most important and sensitive organ of the body. If our vision becomes compromised the results can be devastating, and yet the approach that some people take to contact lens wear can often be shocking.
When we start chatting about contact lens wear we often ask current wearers simple questions about how often they change their lenses, their lens cases, do they always use fresh cleaning solution. Many wearers follow good care with their lenses, however, there are unfortunately those that don't. People may answer that they wash their hands before handling the lenses ... but then they're putting the lenses in to week old stale solution in a case which is several years old! Worst still, people maybe try to get away with saline or some other solution!
As eye-geeks we're fairly protective towards people's peepers and this kind of thing just fills us with dread! There are some really simple rules about safe contact lens wear:
1 - always wash and dry your hands before handling your contacts;
2 - always replace your lenses as per their proper schedule (most lenses are now either monthly, two weekly or single use daily lenses);
3 - always use fresh solution to disinfect your lenses overnight, allow for the minimum disinfection times necessary and swap out your case as per the solution recommendations;
4 - if you have a problem seek advice as soon as possible.
When we talk to people, reminding them of the basic rules they probably knew at the beginning of their contact lens wearing life, they often admit that they know they've just got in to bad habits, but they haven't had a problem yet. The important word is the last one ... "yet". Unfortunately, we have seen what happens when problems arise and they can take hold very rapidly without much warning.
A good contact lens regime can not guarantee that there will never be any adverse problems, but it will greatly reduce the risk of complications. Just like changing your underwear and doing your laundry (students) will greatly enhance your general quality of life!
I know we've posted this elsewhere, but we do love this video from Acuvue also showing why regular replacement is important:
It can also be a somewhat scary time for the young students. Taking their first real steps towards adulthood and independence and starting to make their way in the world. Amazing opportunities will be open to them, the ability to create their own rules, the fun of making new friends and bundled along with this comes the boring bits of life - the responsibilities.
We all have these day-to-day mundane tasks put upon us. They are chores, every day necessities, perhaps even the drudgery of life, but without them life's a whole lot less pleasant. To some of the students it's perhaps a bit of a shock to the system that these items just don't seem to magically take care of themselves, a recent conversation on our twitter feed was a perfect example!
@OceanOptometry @ILOVELOCALHFX Awesome! My 1st yr Uni student just phoned in a panic- 2 weeks of dirty laundry & no coins for the machine :)Ah, bless them, the little darlings!
— ScaryReads (@skodejs) September 4, 2013
What's this got do with optometry, you may wonder. One of our challenges in the office, though, is in making sure when we are discussing contact lenses we make sure we share our feelings about the importance of a good contact lens wear regime.
Contact lenses bring many advantages over glasses and many people enjoy wearing their contact lenses, either as an almost full time alternative or as an option for sports or social occasions. One of the main drawbacks of contact lenses, though, is that you are placing a foreign object on to perhaps the most important and sensitive organ of the body. If our vision becomes compromised the results can be devastating, and yet the approach that some people take to contact lens wear can often be shocking.
When we start chatting about contact lens wear we often ask current wearers simple questions about how often they change their lenses, their lens cases, do they always use fresh cleaning solution. Many wearers follow good care with their lenses, however, there are unfortunately those that don't. People may answer that they wash their hands before handling the lenses ... but then they're putting the lenses in to week old stale solution in a case which is several years old! Worst still, people maybe try to get away with saline or some other solution!
As eye-geeks we're fairly protective towards people's peepers and this kind of thing just fills us with dread! There are some really simple rules about safe contact lens wear:
1 - always wash and dry your hands before handling your contacts;
2 - always replace your lenses as per their proper schedule (most lenses are now either monthly, two weekly or single use daily lenses);
3 - always use fresh solution to disinfect your lenses overnight, allow for the minimum disinfection times necessary and swap out your case as per the solution recommendations;
4 - if you have a problem seek advice as soon as possible.
When we talk to people, reminding them of the basic rules they probably knew at the beginning of their contact lens wearing life, they often admit that they know they've just got in to bad habits, but they haven't had a problem yet. The important word is the last one ... "yet". Unfortunately, we have seen what happens when problems arise and they can take hold very rapidly without much warning.
A good contact lens regime can not guarantee that there will never be any adverse problems, but it will greatly reduce the risk of complications. Just like changing your underwear and doing your laundry (students) will greatly enhance your general quality of life!
I know we've posted this elsewhere, but we do love this video from Acuvue also showing why regular replacement is important:
Friday, August 16, 2013
Interviews with a designer ... Claire Goldsmith
Here's our interview with Claire:
What was your inspiration to become an eyewear designer?
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| 1966 Press Cutting |
With three generations of eyewear designers in my family, and the heritage that comes with the Oliver Goldsmith brand, it was a vocation that was hard to ignore! But aside from that, I love design and the beauty in well-designed products, whether it glasses, cars or architecture. I work alongside a fantastic design partner, Jesse Stevens, who has worked with me on the Goldsmith collections for the past 5 years. We make a good team. We tend to be on the same page with stuff and agree on the majority of things. I guess you could say we are a design team pair! I think that our healthy partnership is visible in the collection itself. I love the collaborative process of designing the way Jesse and I do.
Do you have an all-time favourite frame that you designed?
It’s hard to say – sometimes it’s hard to separate your emotions between popularity and passion, it sounds a little fickle, but if a certain frame is selling well and everyone is gushing about it, it soon becomes your favourite! It like always supporting the winning team!
That aside, I have always been enamoured with the Carters and Irwin, they seem to encapsulate the ‘future vintage’ aesthetic I wanted to create.
Which city would like to travel to next?
I travel to a lot of cities for work – which is great fun. But I would love the time to escape from cities and explore remote islands in Asia! I've also never been to South America so that is on the ol’ bucket list too!
Is there a particular material that you like working with or that you would like to work with?
OG was made predominately only from acetate, in fact, they were one of the first (if not THE first) companies to use it for making eyewear. In acknowledgement to this, we have always worked exclusively with acetate. This year is the first time that we have introduced metals, and it’s nice to have a contrasting material to add a new dimension to the collection. There are many wonderful materials out there, and who knows what we may start producing in the future, but whatever the material we work with, I want to be confident that we are always producing the best quality frame, and to do so, I need to trust the material and the factory who produces it and this takes time.
How long does the process take from initial design to finished eyewear?
The time can vary, but I would say an average of 6 months. The production side of eyewear is a tough job! The devil is in the detail and that it always the hard bit to get perfect!
What influences do you draw on when creating your ranges?
I always struggle to answer this question in interviews, not because of lack on inspiration, simply because it’s never one thing, or the same thing(s). The market obviously has an initial input; what has been selling well, what hasn’t etc., but as we all know, trends, style, what’s hot, what’s not changes on such a regular basis that I often go with my gut. Living in London (and travelling as much as I do) I am surrounded by so many beautiful influences; art, architecture and design. I find looking back incredibly inspirational – looking at what worked in the past and looking for ways on how I can improve on it!
Thank you Claire for taking the time to answer these questions!
More details about Claire Goldsmith eyewear can be found here:
www.clairegoldsmith.com
Facebook Twitter
and of course ... by coming in to Ocean Optometry!
More details about Claire Goldsmith eyewear can be found here:
www.clairegoldsmith.com
Facebook Twitter
and of course ... by coming in to Ocean Optometry!
Interviews with a designer
One of the great things about being a completely independent office is that we get to pick and choose who we wish to work with and what ranges and products we wish to carry. Being knowledgeable and excited about a range of frames is incredibly important to us. It allows us to share our enthusiasm for the range with everyone and while we may be slightly geeky in our thirst for this knowledge, we are sure you will love the energy and passion with which we can discuss any of our products.
Attending the leading global eyewear exhibitions gives us an opportunity to not only find some fabulous eyewear, but also to meet the creative people who are responsible for it. What we would love to be able to do is also enable all of our followers who are also passionate about eyewear to also meet these people, but that is unfortunately not possible. Therefore, we are hoping to do the next best thing!
Having come up with a series of six questions, we are going to ask our favourite eyewear companies these questions and let's see how they answer!
Here are the six questions we've asked:
What was your inspiration to become an eyewear designer?
Do you have an all-time favourite frame that you designed?
Which city would like to travel to next?
Is there a particular material that you like working with or that you would like to work with?
How long does the process take from initial design to finished eyewear?
Attending the leading global eyewear exhibitions gives us an opportunity to not only find some fabulous eyewear, but also to meet the creative people who are responsible for it. What we would love to be able to do is also enable all of our followers who are also passionate about eyewear to also meet these people, but that is unfortunately not possible. Therefore, we are hoping to do the next best thing!
Having come up with a series of six questions, we are going to ask our favourite eyewear companies these questions and let's see how they answer!
Here are the six questions we've asked:
What was your inspiration to become an eyewear designer?
Do you have an all-time favourite frame that you designed?
Which city would like to travel to next?
Is there a particular material that you like working with or that you would like to work with?
How long does the process take from initial design to finished eyewear?
What influences do you draw on
when creating your ranges?
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Knowing what you are looking for ...
Sometimes people looking for new glasses already have an idea in mind about the type of glasses they would like. It perhaps has come about through what are the current 'hot styles' in frames being sold, or it could be that they have seen a celebrity in a photograph wearing a particular frame. There are even websites out there dedicated to telling you what glasses are being worn by which celebrities!
Having inspiration in your glasses selection can often be a good thing, but sometimes it can perhaps also be a restriction.
I was recently watching a television documentary and towards the end the producers had used the most wonderful incidental music to help capture the mood of the programme. It was a simple series of about five chords, played on the piano. It was melancholic, almost haunting, it was simple, elegant, beautiful ... and it was somehow familiar. This was annoying - I thought that I knew the piece of music, but I couldn't remember where from, so the hunt was on.
I initially began to look for it having been used on some other television programmes, I searched all through all sorts of online forums relating to TV programmes and their incidental music (who'd have thought such a thing even existed!). I was getting quite frustrated ... and quite distracted, but in a good way!
As I was searching for the source of the music I was finding many recommendations for other pieces by other composers and performers. It is amazing how with only a few clicks of a mouse you can stumble on to something completely unknown to you. To my delight I found a whole discography of albums that five minutes before were completely off of my radar. I found out more about this music and was amazed at some of the performances on YouTube. I was definitely going to have to find out more about this new discovery.
So what has this got to do with choosing new glasses? Well it got me thinking ... and being an eye geek that means thinking about glasses! While it's great to have an idea in mind as to what you may like, but it's also good to be adventurous and open minded in your search. Try on lots of different frames, look for styles around a particular theme, perhaps even try on something daring and different. Whatever you do when you are choosing glasses, bear in mind that it is a tactile and a emotive decision, let your passion take over and enjoy the process!
Oh ... and that music ... well it was the piano chord progression from the song This Endless Rain, from the album Never Said Goodbye by Cerrys Matthews.
Yes, I did know it, we have that album on our music server at work!
Having inspiration in your glasses selection can often be a good thing, but sometimes it can perhaps also be a restriction.
I was recently watching a television documentary and towards the end the producers had used the most wonderful incidental music to help capture the mood of the programme. It was a simple series of about five chords, played on the piano. It was melancholic, almost haunting, it was simple, elegant, beautiful ... and it was somehow familiar. This was annoying - I thought that I knew the piece of music, but I couldn't remember where from, so the hunt was on.
I initially began to look for it having been used on some other television programmes, I searched all through all sorts of online forums relating to TV programmes and their incidental music (who'd have thought such a thing even existed!). I was getting quite frustrated ... and quite distracted, but in a good way!
As I was searching for the source of the music I was finding many recommendations for other pieces by other composers and performers. It is amazing how with only a few clicks of a mouse you can stumble on to something completely unknown to you. To my delight I found a whole discography of albums that five minutes before were completely off of my radar. I found out more about this music and was amazed at some of the performances on YouTube. I was definitely going to have to find out more about this new discovery.
So what has this got to do with choosing new glasses? Well it got me thinking ... and being an eye geek that means thinking about glasses! While it's great to have an idea in mind as to what you may like, but it's also good to be adventurous and open minded in your search. Try on lots of different frames, look for styles around a particular theme, perhaps even try on something daring and different. Whatever you do when you are choosing glasses, bear in mind that it is a tactile and a emotive decision, let your passion take over and enjoy the process!
Oh ... and that music ... well it was the piano chord progression from the song This Endless Rain, from the album Never Said Goodbye by Cerrys Matthews.Yes, I did know it, we have that album on our music server at work!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
New longer opening hours
It's been a great first four months here at Ocean Optometry, the time has really flown by. We've had lots of lovely people come in and see us, with so many of them being incredibly flattering and gracious in their feedback about our office and about the frame ranges we carry. It's all quite humbling to feel that we are doing something rather special and that it is being appreciated.
It is with great excitement, then, that we want to share the news about our new longer opening hours. This will make it even easier for folks to come in and share in their little bit of Ocean!
Our new hours are:
- Mon - 9:00 - 5:30
- Tues - 9:00 - 5:30
- Wed - 9:00 - 5:30
- Thur - 9:00 - 8:00
- Fri - 9:00 - 5:30
- Sat - 10:00 - 4:00
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Great Review of SALT. Optic's Lodin sunglasses
Here at Ocean Optometry we love working with SALT. Optics, their range is designed for people who like simple things well made.
A great example of this is their Lodin sunglasses:
It's great to see that we aren't the only ones to think that SALT. make beautiful and trendy glasses, Men's Journal also agrees.
A great example of this is their Lodin sunglasses:
Dog Days of Summer
We're pleased to be part of the Dog Days of Summer event in Halifax.
The CNIB is coming in with a guide dog to provide information and also show some of the low vision aids available.
Leading up to and at the event we will happily minor adjustments, repairs, servicing and cleaning of glasses for a donation to CNIB.
We are also pleased to be a donation location for Litters 'N' Critters, so bring in some dog food and accessories.
The event takes place on Saturday 10th August and downtown will be a great place for your dog on that day!
For more information about this event, check out Downtown Halifax's website here.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Choosing your new glasses
Sometimes choosing new glasses can seem like a major task, there are all sorts of "rules" and style guides available to help you.
A really good example of one such style guide is available on the Salt. Optics website, http://www.saltoptics.com/fit-guide.php.
For many people this is a great way to start looking for new glasses, it gets you thinking about the shape of your face, about your own style and can also get you to think about things like colours - what colours do you wear, what is your skin tone like, what colours work well for you and which colours do you avoid. What is a little worrying, though, is that some people in the eye industry use these guides as a method of almost choosing someone's new glasses by formula.At Ocean Optometry, though, we like to think that life is not all about rules and guides.
So how would we recommend choosing your new glasses?
A lot has to do with what we do day to day in our office in Halifax. Firstly we ask questions and, importantly, we listen to the answers.
Some questions we may ask can include:
- Are you currently a glasses wearer? If so, what do you like about your current glasses and what do you not;
- What are you wanting to use your new glasses for? For example are they for all day every day; for a bold statement to change things up a little; perhaps just in the evening when watching TV.
- Do you have any comfort preferences - some people like acetate frames or keyhole bridges, some prefer titanium or love nose pads.
- Do you use them for any specific tasks ...
So throw away the rule book ... come on in ... and let's chat!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Featured in fashion
It was a real treat to be asked to take part in a Summer fashion feature for Halifax's Line Magazine.
We are all fans of the magazine here in the office, the photography is stunning and articles are always worth a read, so we were wowed when we were asked to be involved. A few Smith Optics sunglasses later ... well you can see for yourself!
Choosing quality sunglasses is good for your eyes for so many reasons. Cutting through the glare and harsh conditions created by bright sunlight enhances vision and provides extra clarity, vital for such things as driving or simply enjoying our wonderful scenery. Even during the winter months, when the sun is low in the sky and wet or snow covered ground conditions tend to reflect more glare, sunglasses can be an essential aid to vision.
The quality of crisp optics really stands out when you are looking for the most from your sunglasses, but sometimes the biggest effect is on the light we don't see - Ultra-Violet. The damage that this high-energy light can do is well known and we are all much better at slapping on the SPF sun cream to protect our skin. The damage that UV does to the eyes is also well documented, but perhaps less well known.
So sunglasses enhance how we see and protect our eyes from what we can't see, but when it comes to vision, there is another element to consider - do the sunglasses enhance how you look?
Here's a link to Line's article, enjoy the styles!
Line Magazine, Summer 2013
We are all fans of the magazine here in the office, the photography is stunning and articles are always worth a read, so we were wowed when we were asked to be involved. A few Smith Optics sunglasses later ... well you can see for yourself!
Choosing quality sunglasses is good for your eyes for so many reasons. Cutting through the glare and harsh conditions created by bright sunlight enhances vision and provides extra clarity, vital for such things as driving or simply enjoying our wonderful scenery. Even during the winter months, when the sun is low in the sky and wet or snow covered ground conditions tend to reflect more glare, sunglasses can be an essential aid to vision.
The quality of crisp optics really stands out when you are looking for the most from your sunglasses, but sometimes the biggest effect is on the light we don't see - Ultra-Violet. The damage that this high-energy light can do is well known and we are all much better at slapping on the SPF sun cream to protect our skin. The damage that UV does to the eyes is also well documented, but perhaps less well known.
So sunglasses enhance how we see and protect our eyes from what we can't see, but when it comes to vision, there is another element to consider - do the sunglasses enhance how you look?
Here's a link to Line's article, enjoy the styles!
Line Magazine, Summer 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Reviewed in Halifax Magazine!
Is this a little surreal? We are blogging about featuring in a blog!!
Halifax Magazine's shopping blogger, Nicole Trask, recently came to visit when a friend was looking for new glasses. Although she was just there to help her friend, she couldn't resist an opportunity to review Halifax's newest optometry office.
Here's a link to her article: http://halifaxmag.com/2013/07/blog/an-ocean-view/
Thanks for the review, we were incredibly proud of it!
Halifax Magazine's shopping blogger, Nicole Trask, recently came to visit when a friend was looking for new glasses. Although she was just there to help her friend, she couldn't resist an opportunity to review Halifax's newest optometry office.
Here's a link to her article: http://halifaxmag.com/2013/07/blog/an-ocean-view/
Thanks for the review, we were incredibly proud of it!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Paint What Matters - Scientific Significance
Title: Paint What Matters – A Blowers Street Flashbulb moment.
Abstract:
The excitement caused by the Paint What Matters win for Halifax has led to some interesting research into the thought process and outcome of voting for local voters.
It is often considered a flashbulb moment of society when a single event causes the mutual coming together of a large network of thought processes, emotions and lives around a single occurrence. With the support for Paint What Matters generated by the videos by Mayor Mike Savage, which attained a viral status on YouTube and social media, and the subsequent win for Halifax for a streetscape makeover the potential for such a flashbulb moment was upon us.
The further decision by Halifax Regional Municipality to further the contest fever by adding in a new vote to decide which street would benefit from the makeover then our flashbulb moment was truly created. It was at this point that our researchers choose a random location within the HRM to ask a random group of people to undertake both a short survey and also to ask them some further open ended questions. The results quite clearly show that the consensus over a single winning street has been achieved and that those who share the consensus gain within their lives.
Method:
A random location was chosen (for this experiment we chose Ocean Optometry’s office on Blowers Street, Halifax).
A random group of people were subject to investigation, n=4.
Results:
Section 1 – Survey results
The results of the survey questions are shown as below:
1 – Question: Have you voted daily in the HRM “Paint What Matters survey”?
Results: Yes 100% No 0%
Results: Yes 100% No 0%
2 – Question: Did you vote for Blowers Street?
Results: Yes 100% No 0%
3 – Question: Do you feel that your vote for Blowers Street has made you a better person within yourself?
Results: Yes 100% No 0%
4 – Question: Do you feel that your vote for Blowers Street has made you a more admirable person to people you meet?
Results: Yes 100% No 0%
5 – Question: Would you recommend everyone else to also vote for Blowers Street?
Results: Yes 100% No 0%
Section 2 – open question responses, a selection of responses are quoted
1 – Question: Has anything positive happened in your life since you started to vote for Blowers Street?
Responses:
-
- “Since voting for Blowers Street, I really feel like my life has turned around and I have the ability to win friends and influence people”
- “I have noted that since voting for Blowers Street my hair has been glossier and easier to manage”
- “Nothing really, however, I do know that my friend who didn’t vote has just been deserted by their dog. It was almost as though the animal knew and was embarrassed; I’m not taking that risk!”
- “I can’t really say that it is necessarily connected, but the Ferrari parked outside wasn’t there before I started voting for Blowers Street, just saying”
2 – Question: Would you recommend for other people to also vote for Blowers Street?
Responses:
-
- “With this kind of positive energy, people would have to be mad to not vote for Blowers Street!”
- “If they want to look beautiful and attractive, then YES!”
- “I don’t think that we could categorically say that not voting for Blowers Street would necessarily mean that something bad would happen to them, however, I would caution them that if they did not choose to vote for Blowers Street they may want to make sure that their affairs were in order.”
- “Feeling the love, voting for Blowers, it’s where it’s at”
It is quite obvious to perceive the positive outcomes from voting for Blowers Street in HRM Paint What Matters street selection. While individual benefits from voting may vary compared to the results seen in this research, the only conclusion that we can draw is that to vote for any other location would appear to be quite perilous.
While trying to understand the decision making process better, we asked a forensic artist to interpret the vision of our subjects while on the HRM’s Paint What Matter’s website, here are the images:
 Image 1 |
 Image 2 |
 Image 3 |
 Image 4 |
So, in conclusion, vote daily and vote for Blowers Street! http://www.halifax.ca/surveys/paintwhatmatters.html
We would also like to apologise to anyone who has been upset by the forensic artist’s images!
We would also like to reassure people that this scientific article has no bearing on real science at all!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Main Street Matters
It is great news that Halifax is one of the twenty winners in North
America to get a three block makeover thanks to Benjamin Moore. The
campaign to help win in this competition was no doubt helped by Mayor
Mike Savage starring in some YouTube videos which gained the cult status
of "going viral" and spreading the word about the competition and
Halifax's desire to win. You can see one of the videos here:
Well done!
Winning the competition gets us past the first hurdle, but now the streets to benefit from the makeover have to be decided and we are really excited to see our very own Blowers Street listed as one of the possibilities. So it is time to vote again and, here at Ocean, we'd be really grateful if you would vote for Blowers Street.
The Halifax website for voting is here: http://www.halifax.ca/surveys/paintwhatmatters.html and you can vote once a day until the 19th of July.
So, come on, let's make this happen for Blowers Street!!
Well done!
Winning the competition gets us past the first hurdle, but now the streets to benefit from the makeover have to be decided and we are really excited to see our very own Blowers Street listed as one of the possibilities. So it is time to vote again and, here at Ocean, we'd be really grateful if you would vote for Blowers Street.
The Halifax website for voting is here: http://www.halifax.ca/surveys/paintwhatmatters.html and you can vote once a day until the 19th of July.
So, come on, let's make this happen for Blowers Street!!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Press Release - Slow Food Eyeglasses come to Halifax
Ocean Optometry, Halifax (July 02, 2013) -
Eyeglasses, like many other products, can often travel thousands of
miles before arriving at the final retailer for sale. A more
environmentally responsible alternative has arrived at Ocean Optometry.
“When we first met with Drift Eyewear and were introduced to the range, we were blown away by the ethos of the company and the ingenious design solutions at which they have arrived,” commented Dr. Euan McGinty. Drift Eyewear’s hand-made frames have created a unique solution in eyeglasses combining a natural acetate front and timber sides. The frames take their design ingenuity from the architectural world as well as from nature.
“While wooden frames aren’t new”, optician Michael Bonang added, “Drift’s solution has allowed for the combining of more fragile reclaimed or sustainably sourced woods with perfectly managed weight distribution throughout the frames. This makes the frames comfortable and well-fitting”.
Drift Eyewear frames have an acetate front, definitely the look of the season, and timber sides. “We felt that these frames also provided a great connection with the Maritimes”, said Dr. John Wilson, “There are several different options for the temples. I t was great to see a maple wood option and we were incredibly excited by the range called 12 Meter which uses reclaimed boat timbers”.
Ocean
Optometry is an independent optometry office recently opened on Blowers
Street in downtown Halifax. Working with other independent companies
is incredibly important to their business and Drift Eyewear is a perfect
fit for this philosophy. Being pioneers in eyewear fashion, Ocean
Optometry is delivering options which have never before been available,
not just within the HRM, but the across the whole of Atlantic Canada.
Assistant Erin Hensler explained, “Drift Eyewear supplies only a few
retailers in the whole of Canada and none east of Ontario. From initial
order to arrival, we have waited almost three months for these frames,
but when you are selecting a hand-made, small-run speciality product it
is definitely worth the wait.”
The range is available to view at:
Ocean Optometry
5240 Blowers Street
Halifax
Tel: (902) 446-4470
ww.oceanoptometry.ca
“When we first met with Drift Eyewear and were introduced to the range, we were blown away by the ethos of the company and the ingenious design solutions at which they have arrived,” commented Dr. Euan McGinty. Drift Eyewear’s hand-made frames have created a unique solution in eyeglasses combining a natural acetate front and timber sides. The frames take their design ingenuity from the architectural world as well as from nature.
“While wooden frames aren’t new”, optician Michael Bonang added, “Drift’s solution has allowed for the combining of more fragile reclaimed or sustainably sourced woods with perfectly managed weight distribution throughout the frames. This makes the frames comfortable and well-fitting”.
Drift Eyewear frames have an acetate front, definitely the look of the season, and timber sides. “We felt that these frames also provided a great connection with the Maritimes”, said Dr. John Wilson, “There are several different options for the temples. I t was great to see a maple wood option and we were incredibly excited by the range called 12 Meter which uses reclaimed boat timbers”.
Ocean
Optometry is an independent optometry office recently opened on Blowers
Street in downtown Halifax. Working with other independent companies
is incredibly important to their business and Drift Eyewear is a perfect
fit for this philosophy. Being pioneers in eyewear fashion, Ocean
Optometry is delivering options which have never before been available,
not just within the HRM, but the across the whole of Atlantic Canada.
Assistant Erin Hensler explained, “Drift Eyewear supplies only a few
retailers in the whole of Canada and none east of Ontario. From initial
order to arrival, we have waited almost three months for these frames,
but when you are selecting a hand-made, small-run speciality product it
is definitely worth the wait.”The range is available to view at:
Ocean Optometry
5240 Blowers Street
Halifax
Tel: (902) 446-4470
ww.oceanoptometry.ca
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Do you stock Ray-Ban?
This is a question that we hear in Ocean Optometry a couple of times a week and the simple answer is "No".
Of course, there is a great more detail to the answer than just those two letters and perhaps it would be best to give the complicated answer, rather than just the simple answer.
It is undoubtable that Ray-Ban is a popular eyewear brand, just as D&G, Prada, Versace and others have become. Compared to some other fashion brands, likes those others mentioned, Ray-Ban is slightly different in that it has a heritage in eyewear and ophthalmic optics. It has long been associated with fashion since its launch in 1939 and Ray-Ban classics like the Wayfarer, the Clubmaster and the Aviator have been popular with celebrities of music and screen throughout the decades. It would be difficult to imagine the Blues Brothers poster without the classic sunglasses in it!
Ray-Ban was sold by its founding company, Bausch & Lomb, to the Italian Luxottica Group in 1999 and the brand has since been successfully re-launched and expanded to include ophthalmic frames as well as sunglass frames. The success of having the power of the huge parent company behind them has been undoubtable and if you simply look around at any current eyeglass wearers you are sure to see a good number of them will have the Ray-Ban italicised logo on the side of their frames.
So being a trendy and stylish office you may think that we would be excited to have a hugely popular and current brand amongst the frames that we stock, not to mention that it would be a commercially obvious choice, but we are not.
If you go into virtually any eyewear office you can choose from a selection of Ray-Ban glasses, surf to many websites and the choice seems to be endless. To our eyes, Ray-Ban has become somewhat generic and perhaps lacking in any sense of style, fashion or individualism.
So, if we get asked the question "Do you stock Ray-Bans?" our reply is, "Did you have a particular shape or style of frame in mind?". More often than not, when someone is looking for Ray-Bans they have a particular image in their mind of a style of frame or a particular look. Taking some time to find out what is the perfect solution for any individual is the only sure-fire way to achieve this and produce a beautiful pair of glasses that surpass the original desire of the Ray-ban seeker; surpass it with a sense of style, flair, elegance and most importantly individualism.
Of course, there is a great more detail to the answer than just those two letters and perhaps it would be best to give the complicated answer, rather than just the simple answer.
It is undoubtable that Ray-Ban is a popular eyewear brand, just as D&G, Prada, Versace and others have become. Compared to some other fashion brands, likes those others mentioned, Ray-Ban is slightly different in that it has a heritage in eyewear and ophthalmic optics. It has long been associated with fashion since its launch in 1939 and Ray-Ban classics like the Wayfarer, the Clubmaster and the Aviator have been popular with celebrities of music and screen throughout the decades. It would be difficult to imagine the Blues Brothers poster without the classic sunglasses in it!
Ray-Ban was sold by its founding company, Bausch & Lomb, to the Italian Luxottica Group in 1999 and the brand has since been successfully re-launched and expanded to include ophthalmic frames as well as sunglass frames. The success of having the power of the huge parent company behind them has been undoubtable and if you simply look around at any current eyeglass wearers you are sure to see a good number of them will have the Ray-Ban italicised logo on the side of their frames.
So being a trendy and stylish office you may think that we would be excited to have a hugely popular and current brand amongst the frames that we stock, not to mention that it would be a commercially obvious choice, but we are not.
If you go into virtually any eyewear office you can choose from a selection of Ray-Ban glasses, surf to many websites and the choice seems to be endless. To our eyes, Ray-Ban has become somewhat generic and perhaps lacking in any sense of style, fashion or individualism.
So, if we get asked the question "Do you stock Ray-Bans?" our reply is, "Did you have a particular shape or style of frame in mind?". More often than not, when someone is looking for Ray-Bans they have a particular image in their mind of a style of frame or a particular look. Taking some time to find out what is the perfect solution for any individual is the only sure-fire way to achieve this and produce a beautiful pair of glasses that surpass the original desire of the Ray-ban seeker; surpass it with a sense of style, flair, elegance and most importantly individualism.
Be yourself, not a brand.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Our local outlook
It may seem a strange thought to hear Ocean Optometry talking about loving things local, especially when you hear our accents!
Although it is true that Dr John Wilson and Dr Euan McGinty are "from away", they bring with them a global perspective and a broad reaching level of experience and importantly a deep rooted understanding of why local is so important.
One of the main reasons that using local businesses is vital for any community can be seen from cold hard statistics. Recent studies have demonstrated that generates 3.5 times more wealth for the local economy compared to chain owned business. What does this mean beyond the statistics? That the money spent within the community stays within the community - it is used in other local businesses, it is used to support local community projects and activities, it creates jobs and opportunities within the community and it enables the community to grow and flourish. With chain owned business a good proportion of the same money is syphoned off to support the very existence of the chain itself, it's corporate needs and offices, the corporate staff and perhaps on activities such as national advertising, etc.
What may be thinly hidden from the general public, however, is where the ownership of an office lies. At times offices can be owned by national or multi-national chains.
This is one of the reasons that Ocean Optometry takes its responsibility as a local business seriously, we try to work with other local businesses first and foremost. We recognise that this isn't always possible and we also need to consider where the ethos of local is. So we very much look at our local responsibility on a global scale. Having a desire to bring the best products to the local community we have ensured that we look at the companies we work with and, where possible, will choose a company with a local ethos similar to our own. We like to work with independent companies who share the same ideals and principles as ourself.
We encourage you to share our love of local, consider where you make your purchase and take on a local outlook, with a global twist (funny accents optional).
A great source for all things local in Halifax is I love local Halifax:
Keep up to date with their website and follow them on twitter, you'll be amazed as to how busy the local scene is.
More info on local V's chains can be found here:
Although it is true that Dr John Wilson and Dr Euan McGinty are "from away", they bring with them a global perspective and a broad reaching level of experience and importantly a deep rooted understanding of why local is so important.
One of the main reasons that using local businesses is vital for any community can be seen from cold hard statistics. Recent studies have demonstrated that generates 3.5 times more wealth for the local economy compared to chain owned business. What does this mean beyond the statistics? That the money spent within the community stays within the community - it is used in other local businesses, it is used to support local community projects and activities, it creates jobs and opportunities within the community and it enables the community to grow and flourish. With chain owned business a good proportion of the same money is syphoned off to support the very existence of the chain itself, it's corporate needs and offices, the corporate staff and perhaps on activities such as national advertising, etc.
What may be thinly hidden from the general public, however, is where the ownership of an office lies. At times offices can be owned by national or multi-national chains.
This is one of the reasons that Ocean Optometry takes its responsibility as a local business seriously, we try to work with other local businesses first and foremost. We recognise that this isn't always possible and we also need to consider where the ethos of local is. So we very much look at our local responsibility on a global scale. Having a desire to bring the best products to the local community we have ensured that we look at the companies we work with and, where possible, will choose a company with a local ethos similar to our own. We like to work with independent companies who share the same ideals and principles as ourself.
We encourage you to share our love of local, consider where you make your purchase and take on a local outlook, with a global twist (funny accents optional).
A great source for all things local in Halifax is I love local Halifax:
Keep up to date with their website and follow them on twitter, you'll be amazed as to how busy the local scene is.
More info on local V's chains can be found here:
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Spin & Stow
One of the things that we loved about the götti range was a clever feature, designed by Sven Götti, called Spin & Stow. This allows for the temples to be reversed 180° and then fit snugly into the natural curve of the frame front. The result is a frame that is bowed, but quite flat and slim. These unique frames come with a case to easily slip into and can then be carried in a suit or jacket pocket without spoiling the line of the clothes.
This picture shows both a frame from the range and the case for the frames:
Pictures are all well enough, though, what we need to really demonstrate it is a video demonstrating the system (which, of course, has beautiful people in a beautiful setting with some beautiful weather - perhaps it's just a coincidence!):
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Six Weekiversary
Victoria Day – our six weekiversary!
What an amazing 43 days!
Ocean Optometry officially opened its doors for business six weeks ago on Victoria Day. In that time we have now performed many more eye examinations than we dared to anticipate and we’ve helped people choose some beautiful eyeglasses. We’ve worked with our lens suppliers to bring crystal clear vision in the optically and cosmetically best way possible. We’ve even fitted people with contact lenses for their very first time.
We are amazed by the response that we’ve had and also quite humbled. We’ve had complete strangers tweet to us that our store looks great as they’ve walked past. We’ve heard comments that it is “glasses heaven” and that we have “too many nice glasses”.
Since our earliest plans were being laid, John and Euan wanted to create a truly unique optometry office. From the interior design, to the eyewear ranges, through the advanced IT infrastructure to our engagement via social media. We wanted to be dynamic, vibrant, on trend and urban. Most of all we wanted to have fun while we did it. This is the reason that four friends have chosen to work together and even though, like all good friends, we have had disagreements and ‘heated debates’ we’ve stayed true to our core principle and loved every moment of it.
This Victoria Day weekend we closed on the Monday, to get a chance to spend time with our loved ones and recharge our batteries. We've come back refreshed and hungry for success.
This is where we now need your help. Our office is very much in a David and Goliath situation. We are a small local office, competing in an industry worth billions of dollars. We are creating our own space against competitors with years of trading history and incredibly deep pockets for advertising budgets. We are also competing against offices who you may imagine are local and yet are owned by national corporations with hundreds of offices.
You can help, though, by spreading the word.
We would love if you tell people about Ocean Optometry, perhaps someone needs an eye examination or you feel they could do with new eyewear. Perhaps someone has a red eye and needs immediate attention. Whatever the reason, we would be incredibly grateful if you could tell people about Ocean Optometry and your experience with us.
We would love for you to follow us on Twitter, like us on facebook or review us on Yelp!
If you’ve just picked up your new glasses, tweet us a picture of them, or post a picture to our facebook wall.
Whatever you can do, however you can spread the word, we would be honoured and grateful.
We too hope that you had a great Victoria Day weekend and, most of all, are having fun,
Euan & John
Dr Euan McGinty & Dr John Wilson
co-owners and eye-geeks to the core.
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