'Tis the season!

Seasonally named eye conditions!

We're sure that you've come to recognise our optometrists, Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson, are eye geeks through and through.  So for this holiday season, our eye guys thought they'd share some seasonal naming quirks for eye conditions!

All of these are real eye conditions ... well ... almost all, for a bit of Christmas fun we're throwing in a fake one - let's see if you can pick out the fake one.

1- Christmas Tree Cataract

Usually cataracts are a haziness or discolouration of the natural lens inside the eye, which sits just

Christmas Tree Cataract - (image Medscape)

behind the iris.  They can look foggy or smokey to look at and can cause a similar effect on our vision.  Christmas Tree Cataracts are slightly different, this cataract tends to form highly reflective particles in the eye, which significantly bend the light or refract it.  These refractive and reflective properties give the cataract a highly coloured, iridescent and sparkly appearance which is where it gets its name from.

Similar to other cataracts, we would monitor this for its affect on your vision and look for associations with medical conditions.  While it is very pretty to look at, its affect on your vision would depend upon how significant it was in size and its location in the lens.

2 - Frosted Angiitis

This uncommon condition gives an distinct appearance to the blood vessels at the back of the eye and can unfortunately lead to significant degradation in the quality of vision.  Perhaps due to its rareness, the cause can sometimes be a mystery (idiopathic); however it is thought to be associated with an immune response from the body.

Frosted blood vessel appearance

3 - Rudolph Vasculature

A normal and healthy eye, which has a slightly unusual presentation in the blood vessels entering and

Classic Rudolph Vasculature presentation

leaving the optic disc at the back of the eye.  The optic disc is the natural blind spot at the back of the eye, where there are no light receptor cells.  At this point the optic nerve leaves the eye to carry the nerve pulse signals to the brain and where the blood vessels enter and leave the eye.

In Rudolph Vasculature the blood vessels all leave going upwards, giving the appearance likened to the antlers of a reindeer, and due to the twisting of the blood vessels there appears to be a "red nose" in the center of the optic nerve.  No known side effects are associated with this condition.

4 - Snowball Vitreous Floaters

Snowball floaters (bottom-left) - (image Optos.com)

Floaters are not an uncommon finding and often we can be aware of them in particular lighting conditions or against blank backgrounds - a white wall or a blue sky.  As floaters can also be a sign of activity in the eye, they definitely should not be ignored and if you experience new floaters always arrange an appointment for assessment without delay.

Snowball floaters are usually inflammatory cells, which are white in appearance, and occur in a condition called Pars Planitis.  The presence of floaters may actually be the only symptom of this condition, which is generally benign and may only cause a small effect on vision, if at all.

5 - Macular Star

Macular Star (yellow star to the right) - (photo EyeWiki)

The macula is the central part of the retina, which is the most sensitive area responsible for fine detail and colour vision.  When we talk about seeing 20/20 vision, it is this part of the retina which is working for us.

A Macular Star forms due to leakage of lipid rich fluid leaking from the blood vessels into the tissues of the retina, often forming a classic star pattern around the macula. 

If seen, it is important to try to identify the cause, although sometimes the cause is unknown.  It can be related to hypertension or to nerve inflammation.  The nerve inflammation, when caused by infection, is most commonly related to cat-scratch disease.

Thankfully, for most of these conditions, they are quite rare to see!

Click here to give your choice as to which condition is our "Christmas Cracker"

This will be our last blog until 2015, we do hope you are enjoying them.

Many thanks to all our friends, followers, supporters, customers, patients who have made 2014 such a fantastic year for Ocean Optometry - we can't wait for 2015!

Happy Holidays from all at Ocean!

What's scary about choosing eyewear?

We have many wonderful interactions with people coming in to Ocean Optometry to look for eyewear, but in the eighteen months since we have opened we have come to realise that perhaps we do things a little differently!  I'm not sure if it's right or wrong; better or worse ... it's just how we do things!

Then I remembered - we have a blog!  What a perfect vehicle to explain how we do things here at Ocean!

So here's some things to be aware of:

1 - We don't bite!

Seriously, we don't!  I know some people are concerned about asking for help - perhaps we will pounce on them?  We won't!

Mike, our optician, going through frame options with Stuart

We always try to make sure that when you come in to Ocean you are acknowledged, even if we are busy.  It's nice to be acknowledged.  We may even strike up a conversation, and that's just being polite.

If this is your first time visiting Ocean, we will explain a little about the collections of eyewear that we carry and give you a brief idea of the layout.  This lets you get a feel for the lie of the land.  Some people at this stage will want to then have a look unaccompanied, and we will always respect this.

It's fun to be able to try on different frames, without feeling that you are being watched.  One thing to be aware of, though, is we have hundreds of frames to choose from and it can all get somewhat overwhelming.  This is when having expert assistance in selecting eyewear comes in to its own, and that may not be the family or friends that are with you!

Hana falling in love with an Activist frame

At Ocean we are expert in choosing the right frames for you both in terms of form and function.

The frames have to look fantastic and be just what you are looking for, but they also have to work with your prescription.

Especially with frame ranges like TD Tom Davies where we can make a one-off frame completely from scratch just for you, having expert advice is invaluable.

We are sure you won't regret letting us help you choose your eyewear!

2 - There are no boys and girls!

We don't have our frames displayed by "gents" and "ladies" or male/female; boys/girls ... however you want phrase it!  These are collections of fine eyewear, not washroom selections!

The collections of eyewear that we carry all have unique characteristics - this is one of the advantages of working with independent eyewear manufacturers.

The frames selections that we have are not mass-produced homogenized product with a brand label stuck on it through a licensing agreement.  The eyewear collections are all hand made, often in small production runs, by artisan craftsmen with years of skill, knowledge and tradition.  They are producing styles created by designers who are the very cutting edge of eyewear fashion and the creators of the trends that others follow.

Eyewear by collection

Often you may hear terms like "designer eyewear" and it has become, in many ways, an overused and somewhat meaningless phrase.  What would perhaps be more correct would be "brand eyewear" or "label eyewear", where an eyewear manufacturing company has either bought a company for its brand, or has bought the licensing rights for a well known brand.

These frames are then designed in house, produced by that manufacturer and using the added strength of the brand attraction.  In many ways, what was originally attractive, inspirational or unique about a particular brand may no longer be true.  Eyewear brands such as Oakley and Ray-ban are no longer manufactured by the original makers, but produced by the same company.  If all that is important is the brand, and this may indeed be the key feature you are looking for, then you will be satisfied with your purchase.  At Ocean, however, we would rather pay for quality than a name!

Having definite collections to choose between allows you to really get a feel for the different eyewear ranges, so have fun exploring to find out what appeals to your senses.

3 - Is your eyewear exclusive or one-off?

Well, yes and no!

Hand made, embedded with French lace

If we design a Couture TD Tom Davies frame then it's definitely a one-off frame. Some of our frames are made from or incorporate natural materials, so they are definitely one-off frames, you will never find exactly the same colouration or patterning again.

When we choose our frame ranges, we like to offer something different.  Generally we are the only office within the Maritimes to carry any of the frame lines we do, in fact, there may not be anyone east of Toronto with the frame collection, perhaps even all of Canada!

SALT. are handcrafted in Japan

As the frame collections are hand made in limited production runs it is also important to remember that it may not be possible for us to order in a frame again.  When we do order eyewear, we don't like to repeat frames models and colours, we always like to have fresh and new selections to pick from.

We do advise people looking at our collections of this, and perhaps some think this is just a sales gimmick, but we can assure you it's not.  If someone comes back in and asks us for a frame which has already been chosen, there is nothing that we would love to do more than sell it again - that makes our lives so much easier!  There can be huge element of disappointment, though, to find out that the frame you set your heart upon last week has now gone.

Our best advice is if you find something you like, go for it!

This way you avoid any chance of disappointment.  It is not feasible for us to put frames aside, this would not be fair on other people coming in to look for their new eyewear.

Drift - handmade with reclaimed wood from sailing ships

If we are able to order in a frame which has gone, it is useful to remember there may be additional costs due to single piece shipping/customs charges.  With hand made products, we also find that there can be slight variations even when we receive the same model/colour again - this is part of their beauty.  If a patient has also requested that we do not re-order a particular frame we will also always respect that.

What's the take home message?

1. Choosing new eyewear should be a fun experience, let us help you and it definitely will be!
2. Find out about the different collections, knowing the history behind them make appreciating the design elements all the more significant.
3. Don't be a commitment-phobe!  If you find eyewear that you like, then make that decision and order them.

We will always give our honest opinion when you are choosing eyewear as we want people to love you in your new glasses - that way they will ask you where you got them from!  It's not all about you, after all ;-) !

Mark coming down to his final choice!

What exactly is a comprehensive eye examination?

When you schedule your eye examination at Ocean Optometry, you can be sure that we are going to take very good care of you and your eyes.  Many people may wonder what is involved in an eye examination and may even be a little nervous about it, so let's try to demystify it a little.

We have designed our comprehensive eye examination to be a flexible approach to gathering a range of baseline measurements to best assess the health of your eyes, the best focus for your eyesight and lifestyle and to provide an opportunity to address any concerns that you may have.

To begin with we will ensure all of the basic information that we have for you is correct, for example your address and contact information and then we will take preliminary assessments prior to your time with one of our optometrists.

There are three main instruments that we currently use for our preliminaries: auto-refractor/keratometer; non-contact tonometer and the digital retinal camera.  This gives a range of information which is useful to gather for most people.  We tend not to use the auto-refractor/keratometer and the non-contact tonometer on people less than 20 years of age as it is not the most reliable way to gather this information on younger eyes.

When we gather any information as part of our eye examinations we want to ensure that the information is good quality information and we want to ensure that there is a real need/reason to gather this information.  Perhaps this is a good example, at a simple level, of what we mean by having a flexible approach.  There is little benefit in doing tests for the sake of doing tests, we are not interested in merely performing the test, but in the information that we gain.

Once the preliminary assessments are carried out, you will be introduced to whichever optometrist is scheduled to see you.  Optometrists Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson are not only our optometrists, but also the owners of Ocean Optometry.  With over 30 years experience in the whole "testing eyes thing", they both have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw on, however, they are not your stuffy/bossy doctors, so feel free to call them Euan and John.  We're pretty relaxed here!

The first thing our docs will do is review all of the information so far and then have a chat about why you have come in for the eye examination, finding out if you had any specific issues needing addressed or have any specific goals that you'd like to achieve.

From here on in, things are really going to get personal!  We will generally ensure that we assess the quality of your vision and find the optimum focusing requirements for any spectacle lenses you may need. (refraction) We will assess the alignment of the eyes, the way they work individually and as a pair (binocular vision).  At times, however, this may not be appropriate to do at this visit and we will discuss this with you as well.

During your appointment we will also carefully assess the health of your eyes.  We will look at the front of the eyes under high magnification, all the time asking ourselves questions about how healthy they look? Are the eyelids working properly? Are the front tissues quiet and clear?

We will then carefully review the internal health of your eyes, looking at the crystalline lens, the fluids inside the eye and right back to the retina and the optic nerve head.  If this is your first eye examination with us we will be looking to establish baseline assessments for all of these features and considering if the appearance falls within the expected normal variations found within healthy eyes.

If it is not the first eye examination we will further consider how this compares to previous visits and look for any signs of change which could indicate any abnormalities with the eyes or even with your overall general health.  There are also indicators linked to neurological assessments which will be reviewed when we are examining your eyes - for example do the pupil reactions function normally?

Once we are satisfied with all of our findings, we will make appropriate notes and then discuss all of our findings with you, where possible sharing the findings with you when we can review it with our digital instrumentation.

We will make sure that any concerns that you came in with are addressed, that we have discussed any issues that we may have found during our examination and answered any questions which you may have.

Once we are sure that all of the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, all concerns and questions are covered we will then conclude the eye examination and advise when your next eye examination is recommended.  If it is within a reasonable time we will in fact schedule the appointment there and then, so we know that the clinical time has been set aside for you (don't worry, we can always re-schedule down the line if we need to).

What many find surprising, however, is that John and Euan will then accompany you either to help you choose frames, or to discuss your spectacle requirements with our optician, Mike, or to make sure all matters are taken care of with our front desk.

Even beyond this, though, if you go home and think "Oh, I wish I had asked this ..." then please send us an e-mail, contact us through our website, call us or drop in.

We like to consider that once you choose Ocean Optometry to take care of your eyes, then we're going to take care of them exceptionally well and for a long time.  It's not just about a quick "one/two"; "better/worse" rapid appointment every couple of years, or whenever you remember!  We'll be your go to resource for all things eyes and eye-related!

For further information about our eye examinations, please visit this section of our website: http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/the-collections/the-examinations

Dry Eye - an interview with our optometrists

Dry eye complaints are something both our optometrists, Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty are seeing more and more of in their day to day consultations.

With people spending more time doing visually intensive tasks, working on computer screens for extended periods and working in environments with controlled atmospheres which are often dry, it is perhaps not surprising that it is becoming an increasingly common complaint.

Therefore, we decided to quiz our doctors a little further about dry eyes.

"While the symptoms of dry eyes can be very frustrating", John says, "the clinical issues associated with it can be equally significant.  A dry eye can often be a compromised eye and therefore more vulnerable to infections or even scar tissue formation.  These both can further complicate the picture and early intervention to provide long term management really is key."

"If you suffer from dry eyes, which can often be recognised through its signs and symptoms, then it is important to have it properly assessed so that we can give you the correct advice specific to your condition."

"This is important", Euan adds, "not all dry eyes are the same.  From that point of view we often have people whose symptoms can range from a burning/gritty sensation, an itchy sensation, to just some discomfort.  What is surprising is we also have patients whose eyes are watering, they can find it strange when we start to talk about 'dry eyes'."

"Looking at the eyes, patients can present with red eyes or inflammation of the tissues of the eye and eyelids, at other times the eye looks quiet and healthy, but the symptoms are all there.  From this point of view dry eyes can be an incorrect label, really we are talking about the tear film not functioning properly."

"When we are performing a dry eye assessment we will be looking at all of these factors, taking into account the symptoms, the appearance of the eye and the tear film and the quality and quantity of tears present.  This will help us to arrive at a care plan which is individual and appropriate for each patient."

"I can't agree more", adds John.  "This really isn't a one-size-fits-all type condition.  With an appropriate manage plan, the condition can often be turned completely around.  It does take effort and commitment from both the patient and ourselves, especially in the early days and weeks.  When we review patients and compare their initial metrics to those after appropriate management, the improvements can be marked."

"This can translate into real world differences, not just in their comfort, but also in their quality of vision."

We asked, is there any general advice which could be helpful?

Euan replied, "It's hard to be general, but there are some things which I do keep going back to.
 Firstly, not all artificial tears are the same.  It is important to find one which works well for you, although I would say that preservative free artificial tears are generally all better than others."

"There may be an element of trial and error to begin with, however, my go-to artificial tear at the moment is one called "Hylo".  This contains an excellent agent for nourishing and protecting the eye, Sodium Hyaluronate, which is found naturally in the tear film.  It comes in unique bottle allowing it to be both preservative free and usable for up to six months from first opening."

We have found this to be so successful we have decided to stock it in our office to make it easier to find, it is available at pharmacies and drug stores, however, some patients did comment that it was difficult to find.

As Hylo is preservative free it is also suitable for contact lens wearers to use, even with their contact lenses in.  So if you find that your contact lenses dry out your eyes or have difficulty in handling your lenses at the end of the day, this may just be the solution you are looking for.

"There are two things I keep coming back to as well," responds John, "Omega-3 fish oils and an eye mask"

Dr. John Wilson using a Thera Pearl Eye Mask

"The Omega-3 supplements have been shown to be useful in helping manage dry eye conditions, it is important to choose the fish oil, however, and not the flax seed oil (which may have other benefits).  There are certain things to look for, so a little research is definitely useful to ensure it will fit in with your needs and lifestyle."

"Eye masks are a great resource for patients with dry eyes.  We recommend the Thera Pearl eye mask and again have decided to always have it available here at Ocean, as we were so impressed.  It can be used for both warm compresses, to help open up the meibomian glands and improve their function, and cold compresses, to help calm down an angry and inflamed eye.  I have been so impressed with this simple product that I have one at home for myself to use!"

John concludes, "While this advice may not be for every patient, it may be beneficial for many patients and, at times, I do wonder if we should all be performing eye-lid cleaning and warm compresses as part of our daily routine, like brushing and flossing our teeth."

One final piece of advice from both or our optometrists: Don't forget the 20/20/20 rule - for every 20 minutes you are using your computer (or tablet/smartphone) you need to look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

If you have any concerns about dry eye, please feel free to make an appointment.  The first step is a comprehensive eye examination to rule out other factors and then, if appropriate, we can schedule a dry eye assessment appointment.

Mental Health

This is going to be a slightly difficult blog post to create, it shouldn't be ... and that's part of the problem.

This week actor and comedian Robin Williams ended his battle with mental health issues by taking his own life.  At age 63 he was not going through some sort of growing pains or teenage angst, he was facing the challenges that he did and choose the avenue which seemed correct for him.

What has this got to do with Ocean Optometry?

What has this got to do with eyes?

You may ask these questions, and on a clinical sense vision is simply the neurological processing of data provided by the eyes - themselves, a simple tool for turning light radiation into an electrical signal.

Yet, your overall mental wellbeing may have a huge impact on your perception and therefore your vision.

and this is where the blog could end

but.

both Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson feel that mental wellbeing is much, much more important.

The cold hard facts are undeniable.  You may see stats saying 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from mental health problems, the reality is more like forty percent.  That's two in every five, look around you, how many people do you see?  Now consider that almost half of them face mental health challenges.

Consider this.

Recovery.

Recovery should not be a hope, a goal or an ideal.  Recovery should be the norm.  We should aim for recovery with every single person who suffers from mental health challenges.

If you are not sure ... ask us

Here's some resources:

Canadian Mental Health Association: http://www.cmha.ca/
Recovery: http://ontario.cmha.ca/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/recovery/

If you wish to talk, reach out to Ocean, we're here. info@oceanoptometry.ca  and (902) 446-4470 .  If you know someone with mental ill-health challenges, heck, forget that, if you know someone ... just send them a message to say "hey?".  We are there, you are there, let us move forward on this.

PS  the worst of it ... the very worst of it ... Robin wore some fabulous glasses, here are some of our favourites.

RIP Robin

Tints, mirrors, polarization and other sunwear technology

We've all become much more aware of the need to protect ourselves from the damage that the sun's UV rays can cause.  Powerful campaigns like Slip-Slap-Slop has helped to educate us to the need to make sure we take the necessary precautions.  The importance of the advice from these campaigns can not be ignored and another factor which they help raise is the need to protect our eyes as well.  When it comes to choosing sunglasses, though, the choices can seem a little bewildering.

Nikon's SunStyle lens selections

Standard tinted lenses work by absorbing a portion of the visible light going through a lens, the light allowed to pass through is what gives the colour of the tint we see.  When choosing a tint colour, there is not really a "correct" choice, it all comes down to personal preference and taking in to account when you will be wearing the glasses.

A few things to consider are that a very dark tint will be better for brighter conditions.  Coloured tints like brown, green and blue will alter the apparent colour of objects that you see, grey should not.  The darkness of the tint does not indicate the level of UV protection.

ic! berlin Boombox Noize

Slightly different from absorption tints, are mirror tints.  These tints reflect the light, rather than absorb it, and work by having a thin layer of a metal on the front surface of the lens, often combined with a standard absorption tint within the lens.  Again it is important to check for the UV protection as the reflective surface alone does not guarantee UV protection.

There are many options when it comes to mirror coatings and they can produce dramatically varying effects, dependent on the metals used and the thickness of the coatings. Sports eyewear often includes a subtle flash coating of just a minimal amount of reflectance, fashion ranges include fantastic colours to completement the frames.  Perhaps the current masters of this are ic berlin!

Another common consideration when it comes to sunglass lenses is decide if you would benefit from polarized lenses.  Polarized lenses work like standard sunglass tints, however, have a special filter in them to also remove light which is poloarized.  Sources of polarized light tend to be surfaces which reflect light, like water, snow.

Many outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the benefit of polarized lenses to help reduce distracting glare and have enhanced vision for their hobbies, however, polarized lenses are not always the best option.  Polarized lenses can create issues when trying to read the surface, for example in downhill skiing or golf.  They can also block out light from LED and LCD screens, making smartphones, tablets and even dashboard dials difficult to read.

One newer development with polarized lenses is a trend for lenses which also provide true or even enhanced colour perception.  Examples of this include the Nikon Radiance lens and the Smith Optics Chromapop lens:  

Smith Optics Chromapop

The choice between the different options can seem bewildering and it may not be easy to work out what is the best option for you.  Our best advice is to come in to Ocean and spends some time chatting with us about what you want and how you're going to use your glasses and we'll help guide you through the choices.  Then get outdoors and enjoy the summer!

New York / Vision East Expo ... The Revenge!

After so many wonderful days of eye geekery, it was definitely time to head home.  Day six was done, we had finished with the expo, safely hopped on board the shuttle bus headed to the airport and settled down.  We traversed Manhattan on the way out and managed a last fleeting glimpse of some of the sights, Macy's, The Empire State Building, a last look down Broadway.

Then we were headed through the suburbs and staring out on the rain soaked houses and businesses.  After so many days immersed in the eye world, there is always a sense of reflection at times like this.  Our chat turns to what we had seen, what had excited us.  We talk about the new frames that we had purchased, some of the new clinical instruments.  It also gives an opportunity to discuss what we had been interested in and would earmark as a item to watch for future shows.

Soon enough we arrive at the airport and negotiate our way through check-in, security and find ourselves a quite corner in which to settle for the next few hours until our flight is ready to depart.

Gazing out we are treated to a never ending stream of taxis slowly snaking their way through to pick up new passengers.  It really is a grey and miserable day.  Then again, we were headed home.  We had dodged the bullet of the snowstorm which slammed in to Nova Scotia, the worst of the winter.  Not long to go.

Except, while we are watching the rain slowly drip down the window there is something brewing further north - an ice storm!

We start to receive news about Halifax airport having cancellations and delays due to freezing rain ... you have to be joking!  Apparently not, but our flight looks good.  The time comes to make our way to the gate - "I'm sorry, your flight has been cancelled"!  Seriously?

So it seems like our mammoth trip is not over.  We are sent to a nearby hotel, well, when hotel would be a generous definition!  There are bars on the windows, the corridors slope at an alarming angle and there is a definite sense of not being alone in your room.  You're not!  With a couple of sightings of Porcellio scaber a quickly drawn conclusion of this not going to be the best night's sleep ever is made!  It's hard to believe that we have moved from the rather wonderful Yotel to this!

Ah, well, we all survive the night and get a flight home in the morning!  Phew! What a marathon trek, but it has been so worth it.  We have some fabulous new things to bring back to Ocean, we've full of enthusiasm and energy for the days and months ahead.  With the time spent with Tom Davis our skills with being able to Couture a frame are enhanced and we are sure that people will love the ability to have a custom made frame which fits perfectly.

I hope you've enjoyed this series of blogs about Vision East Expo, New York and adventures of these two optometrists and one optician - eye geeks to the core!

New York / Vision East Expo Day 6

Wow! Our sixth day in NYC, this trip has turned into quite some marathon!

With yet more appointments, though, it was time to dig deep and find the energy and enthusiasm to keep going.  All packed up, a quick coffee and muffin at the Yotel does the trick and we head off back to the Loft to meet with Claire Goldsmith.

Classic style - OG Sunglasses

You may have seen some of our previous blogs featuring Claire, or even our YouTube video from Paris last year.  Claire has an enviable heritage in eyewear design, being a fourth generation eyewear creator, but she is not one to rest on her laurels.  With celebrities like Lady Gaga wearing her pieces, you know that you really are working with some of the best contemporary eyewear design when reviewing her collection.  More than that, though, is she is a thoroughly lovely person with a great sense of joy and independent spirit!

More caffeine fuel is added, well it would be rude not to when they have a bean to cup espresso machine on hand, we sit down to first review the ophthalmic collection.  There are many beautiful pieces to choose from and throughout the collection there is an overall sense of consistency and design elegance which comes through in the individual pieces and adds to the sense of a collection as a whole.

Then the fun really begins as we review the Oliver Goldsmith sunglass collection.  Halifax definitely has fallen in love with our OG sunglasses, so adding to them is a simple decision.  They are fun, classic, stylish and, it has to be said, sexy!  When you want to feel glamorous, nothing is better than a pair of OG sunglasses.

Time very quickly passes and it's hard to believe that our moments in the Loft are now over.  We make a last round visiting the many friends that we've come to know and can't believe that in this one space there is such an international gathering of people who all have such a passion ... such a love ... for the eyewear business.

It's not over!

Lindberg Spirit

Back to the main convention centre, we head to the Lindberg stand.  Stylish elegant, minimalist, classic and many other words which seem to capture the essence Danish design.  Visiting their stand confirms this as Lindberg always has a very unique stand that they use at exhibitions and New York is no exception.  It is a bright stand, with crisp lines, integrating hi-tech displays and radiates a sense of calm and quiet in a sea of busy-ness.  It's a pleasure to arrive there!

It seems funny sitting down with Matt, from Lindberg, almost exactly a year on since we last met.  There has been so much activity over the last year and Matt has been a steady resource for us by e-mail and telephone ensuring that we are working well with Lindberg and that they are working well for us.  While there are many other rimless eyewear ranges available, none have the quality, history and elegance of Lindberg.

We quickly update ourselves with the new models and styles available and look at what other options are available within the Lindberg collection.  It's also an opportunity to review their precious metals collection.  Not something which we currently carry, however, it is lovely to see fine eyewear made from such fine materials.

And is that it?

We have another appointment to attend, which didn't lead to us purchasing.  When we review any collection there are many different factors we have to consider and this collection is one which is right on the wire when it comes to stocking it or not.  It is perhaps unfortunate, but coming at the end of such a good show, with so many wonderful orders, it is just not to be at this time.  We will re-visit it, though.

Quite exhausted, we head to the bus for the airport.  It feels very good to be finally heading home after such long days, but we are also a little sad.  To be able to immerse ourselves in a world of eye related products, information, technology, education and enthusiasm is really wonderful feeling.  To know that it will be the Fall before we do so again, in Paris, is just a little disappointing.  To know that it will be another whole year until the next New York is very disappointing!  The life of a true eye geek is a hard one ... so stay tuned to find out just how much harder it then gets! What could possibly go wrong?!

New York / Vision East Expo Day 5

Hard to believe that this is our fifth day in NYC, this is turning into quite the marathon event.  Looking at our schedule we knew that this was going to be a busy day, we had a lot of appointments, and quite a special day - we would only be spending half of it at the actual convention centre.

Visiting the stands at the convention centre brings many great things, you inevitably see new things across all of the different sectors that make up the optometric business.  You find some amazing unexpected finds, perhaps hidden away in a smaller booth or tucked away in a corner.  You also see some tremendous showboating by some of the industry giants as they try to prove that my stand is bigger than your stand.  We could go on at some length about how awful some of these are, but that's not why we're here.  When we see these monstrosities, though, it does reassure us that we are absolutely correct to continue to forge great relationship with independent manufacturers, designers and suppliers.

This mornings hidden gem was something that we have been looking for since before we opened, and today we found the solution - literally!  We have been looking for an eyeglass cleaner spray that we were happy with for a long time, we wanted something as environmentally friendly as possible, which did a great job of cleaning and protecting your lenses and fitted our general office philosophies.  Now we have it:

Our very own 'local' eyeglass cleaner

When you now pick up your new eyewear, be sure to pick up a bottle of this spray formulated with Nova Scotia water!  The great thing is, when you have this bottle you can come back any time to get it re-filled - we want you to keep your eyeglasses looking fabulous, after all!

So, where shall we start today? With our only appointment at the show, first thing.  We love working with this supplier who creates our very own line of "by Ocean" eyeglasses for us.  These offer a great value option with frames handmade in Germany in a clean and elegant style.  We updated our selection of shapes and also added in more sunglasses - we are so confident that this winter will end!

Now, with a few hours before our rendezvous in an Airstream, we go for an explore.  This is when we found our eyeglass cleaner.  It also gave us an opportunity to look at some of the eye exam equipment.  We admit it, we are eye geeks through and through and when we are presented with a range of eye-toys it's very difficult to resist.  So, we didn't!  Dr Wilson picked up a new lens for examining the back of the eyes in great detail and we also choose some new tools to help us in our day to day eye examinations and when we have an eye emergency of some foreign matter stuck in the eye.  All of these additional tools add to both the range and quality of services we can provide in the eye care/eye health factor of our business.

Activist Eyewear

With the exploring over, it was time to head out, cross the rainy street and find a polished Airstream.  Inside were our friends Activist Eyewear.  Anthony & Mark gave us a very warm welcome and there's no denying that this is a seriously cool place to come and meet with them.  It is slightly surreal inside with the polished, curved walls creating a funfair hall of mirrors type effect, but with some cool mood lighting and groovy tunes you can get away with anything!

We love how Activist have an exquisite level of attention to detail.  There are so many subtle touches throughout the whole range and within each product that let you know you really have something special.  It really was a simple decision for us to order in more of their ophthalmic frames which people have been loving in Halifax.  Once we are done with the ophthalmic collection, we move on to their sunglasses.  Wow!

These really are fabulous, combining a sense of classic style with modern functionality, you are sure to be choosing sunglasses that not only look great but perform superbly.  Make sure you follow our Twitter and Facebook posts as we'll definitely be announcing when these arrive in our office and we suspect that they're not going to hang around for long when they do!

We shoot the breeze for a while as Anthony & Mark really are lovely people to spend time with, but with our next appointment looming soon enough it's time to head out into a rainy March day in New York.

After a short walk we arrived at the Loft - this time to do business, rather than to party.  Mind you, what a place to do business!

The sparkliest business venue ever!

The exhibitors at the Loft are perhaps some of the most exclusive eyewear ranges available, the cream of the crop.  The Loft was originally started by Bevel to try to provide a better setting to choose eyewear in and to get away from the burden of dealing with the main venue's exhibition red tape.  In so many ways, they have succeeded.  The atmosphere is relaxed and laid back, there are a wonderful collection of exhibitors and you get the sense of both open-ness and intimacy at the same time.  There does not feel any pressure to choose your selection and move on, here.

We start with meeting with Bernhard Wolf, from Rolf.  Rolf are by far the best makers of natural product eyewear globally at the moment, bar none.  With frames made from wood, stone and buffalo horn their selection is exquisite.  When choosing to carry Rolf Spectacles we knew that having a good relationship with them would be important, as a family business Rolf completely get the importance of this.  We spend time with Bernhard, review their offerings and bring ourselves up to date with all of their activities.

We then spend some time with Bevel.  Bevel is a line which we have not reviewed before, however, as they are the innovators of the Loft, it would seem rude not to.  Firstly, they are thoroughly nice people ... thoroughly!  Creative, global, caring and most of all ... nice!  So it's already looking good from the relationship point of view.  In saying that, we already had quite a lot of stock organised and some more appointments to go.  We have good lines chosen for the office already that have been working well for us, do we really need another range?

We get down to the task in hand and start to go through the range - beautiful, simply, beautiful.  Hand made in Japan, their quality is superb.  Oh, go on then, let's chose some of these, they really are wonderful.

Then we go to our final appointment - SALT.  We've been looking forward to this for quite some time, they really are a range of eyeglasses which has become a firm favourite in our office.  After meeting with all the great people of SALT., including designer David who we'd last seen in Paris, it was time to catch up with Amy - our local agent from Ontario.  We went through the new collection, you feel very special seeing the models as they have just been launched and aren't even in the market yet.

What's new for this year for us?  Sunglasses from SALT. Having found their ophthalmic frames to be such a popular range and having found their quality to be exemplary, adding the sunglasses range was an easy decision.

Some of the models are available as both sunglasses and ophthalmic frames and some are just available as one or the other.  SALT. sunnies come with quality polarized lenses as standard and we are able to put prescription lenses in all of the.

Thankfully we also managed to find some wonderful models to help us choose the sunglasses that we wanted to showcase at Ocean.

Okay, maybe it wasn't all about modelling the sunglasses, maybe it was all about just shooting the breeze with a cool California vibe while looking fabulous and feeling 100% the absolute rockstar.  They're not just sunglasses, they're a lifestyle choice, and you know it!

Did we order some?

Absolutely!

We were in New York; we were there avoiding a storm that was burying Nova Scotia in snow; we were hiding from the rain lashing down outside - but we were wearing the coolest sunglasses and in our world the sun was most definitely shining.

Our sunglasses collection.

As a final note we are very thankful for the time that all of the companies give us.  We are fairly intensive about wanting to be completely knowledgeable about the products that we carry and some of our questions are challenging.  It is important to us to know the construction techniques inside out and back to front, we want to ensure that the glasses you  choose from Ocean are second to none.

For more information about these independent eyewear ranges please see:
Activist Eyewear - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/activist-eyewear
Rolf Spectacles - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/rolf-spectacles
Bevel Spectacles - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/bevel
SALT. Optics - http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/salt

The rainy day finished with a lovely Italian meal in an incredibly busy restaurant right on 7th Avenue near Central Park.  Kindly invited as guests of Allergan again, it is a great chance to catch up with both optometrist colleagues, especially from different provinces, and the professionals from Allergan.

New York / Vision East Expo Day 4

With our heads full of exciting ideas from yesterday's day long workshop and evening festivities, we got up early to prepare for our full first day at the Javits Center.  We already had a series of appointments set up for the day, with them carefully spaced out to ensure that we had time for browsing and finding new collections and interesting items which we may want to bring back to Ocean.

Cold, clear bright morning

To get us set up for the day we grab a coffee and muffin in the Yotel - seriously if you want a cool place to stay while in NYC, definitely check it out!  The big advantage for us is that it is only ten minutes walk from the Yotel to Javits Center.  Perhaps this is a draw back, though, as just as happened in Paris in the Fall we arrive too early and the exhibition isn't even open yet!  I guess we're just too keen!

Drift Eyewear

We had a nice way to ease ourself into our day with our first appointment - Drift Eyewear.  This has been a fabulous collection for us, handmade in Chicago by some really cool people.  Like, seriously cool, I wish I was them, people.

Their new collection adds to the range of classic shapes and adds in a new colour for 2014.  It may not sound a lot, but with the frames made from bio-acetate fronts and reclaimed wood temples, they really don't need to do a lot to them.  

After catching up with the good folk from Drift, it was time to further delve into the Galleria area - this is definitely one of the highlights of the trip, to spend time immersed with a myriad of designers and manufacturers from around the world.  In this one area there are the more exclusive brands like Oliver Peoples and Alain Mikli, small independent luxury brands like L.G.R. and Eye Respect and cutting edge eyewear fashionistas like ic! berlin and Mykita.

Colourful and stylish as only the Italians can

It would be tempting to choose something from everyone in this area, however, when we are considering collections we have to make sure that they are a good fit for us.  One of the things we've been looking for is to find the perfect children's range.  So many of the children's frames currently seem to be miniature versions of adult frames, rather than having been designed with children in mind.

We were excited to have found Chick Eyewear when we were in Paris and it was time to view their new range just launched a few weeks before.  WOW! They were absolutely perfect, colourful in a European way, great shapes and fabulous material and construction.  It's so nice when something falls in to place so well and these children's frames absolutely were a perfect fit.

Our next appointment was with Jason Kirk to view the Savile Row frames.  These classic frames have been handmade in London, England, since 1932.  Synonymous with Harry Potter, John Lennon, Elton John and many more celebrities, the timeless elegance and quality of the 14K gold frames is unparalleled.  We have had enquiries about these frames since the day we opened, so now was the time to make the commitment to having a selection available all the time.

Catching up with Jason is also always fun.  He has a wealth of experience in eyewear design and has been the inspiration behind leading brands for years.  He has been involved with Savile Row for almost a year, however, what is very exciting is the upcoming launch of Kirk & Kirk, his new company.  We can't wait to see these in Paris.

ic! berlin - providing gluten free glasses for the masses

Our day was almost over, but there was still more appointment, with ic! berlin.  With a DJ knocking our some great tunes and Ralph Anderl, the owner, looking splendid in red ski pants and yeti boots, you know that any visit to ic! berlin is going to be exciting!

It never disappoints.  Our patients love ic! berlin and we now have people coming from out of province to us just to choose them.  Eric is great at going through the vast collection with us, helping select the best shapes and colours to bring back to Halifax to further enhance the selection which we provide.

The day was ended with a short stroll back to the Yotel, a beautiful meal in their new restaurant where we enjoyed a tapas like approach, but with an East meets West fusion and then on to the Loft.  You'll find out all about the Loft in the next blog, but this was more like the night before the day after.  Each year the Loft holds a party, strictly by invitation and we were the lucky holders of some invitations!  The night wound down with a little light rain not spoiling the perfect New York rooftop view!

The perfect NYC rooftop skyline view - thanks to the Loft

New York / Vision East Expo Day 3

The day started bright and clear, but cold.  We shouldn't really complain, though, as we'd escaped the snow storm which had battered Nova Scotia over the last 24 hours so we were fortunate to be in New York.

This day was going to be a very special day - TD Tom Davies's Creative Lab.  We were invited to spend a whole day with Tom and his team to have further training in the creation, design and modification of spectacle frames.  We have carried the TD Tom Davies range since we opened and already felt very comfortable and confident with our abilities to bespoke the measurements for specific requirements and create unique colour combinations as one-off eyeglasses for our patients.  It is always good, however, to refresh our knowledge and we wondered what else the day would bring.

A short stroll from our hotel brought us to the very cool Ink 48 hotel, one of New York's fine boutique hotels.  In we went and straight up the elevator to the penthouse floor.  While this may seem lavish, the cost was a fraction compared to exhibiting at the main show and many of the frame companies we work with choose this option as it helps protect their concepts and designs from the prying eyes of those who would simply wish to copy them.

The Creative Lab awaits

As we come out of the elevator, at the end of the corridor an open door and sign beckons - this is kind of exciting, I have to say!

Wow!  We walk in to the suite and are greeted with 180° views of the Manhattan skyline and out over the Hudson River.  We meet with Tom and Nathan, it's great to quickly catch up with them since we last met in Paris.  While we chat regularly by phone and e-mail, there's nothing better than meeting face to face to really catch up.

One of the limited edition pieces

To start the day we review the collection of frames that Tom has with him.  This represents not only his full collection, but also some limited edition pieces and also some prototypes which are current works in progress. 

We were looking to choose five or more frames that we liked or inspired us to then work on.  This particular blue on blue titanium/acetate limited edition model definitely caught my eye.

Lots of choices

With the pieces chosen, the next thing was to download all of the CAD files from Tom's database.  With the CAD printed off we were then set to work.  Tom gave an introduction to designing and modifying frames from the drawings.

This is a very different experience to modifying a frame for a particular patient, here you are given a complete free reign - you can change a thickness here, an angle there, even modify the position of different components on the frame.  Whatever you can imagine can be achieved, of course, whether it will work or not is another matter!

CAD with modifications

It's almost overwhelming to begin with.  Perhaps inside every eye geek is an inner feeling that they could be an eyewear designer.  Now we were having a chance to try our hands at it, it's almost like being a kid in a candy store and being told you can pick anything ... everything!  Where to start!?

With a few swoops of a pencil, though, we started to get in to a groove.  I like how the frame is here, but I'd change the frame there.  I like the bridge from this frame, so I'll use it on that one.  All the time Tom, Nathan and Josh were coming around; checking how we were getting on, making gentle suggestions; explaining what would and wouldn't work.  We also started comparing each other's designs and it is amazing the variety of different options that you can come up with you start to look at this.

The setting was inspirational as well, with so many beautiful frames laid on every available surface we were never short of different designs to look at.  Even gazing around the skyline, though, you start to notice different elements from the architecture around and the colours of the city.  Could they be incorporated?  Why not.

When we were happy, Tom would review each individual design and if it was acceptable, it was photographed for e-mailing to his CAD designers to get new drawings made up.  All of this before lunch!  Amazing!

In the afternoon we worked with Tom on the next level of customisation available with the TD Tom Davies range - Couture.  With the Bespoke service we can make an adjustment of up to +/- 5mm on any measurement, with Couture we take it even further.  This opens up the possibility to complete re-design a frame for a customer.  To take the concepts of the morning's work of modifying CAD's and actually applying them for real.  By taking this next step we can be assured of an absolutely perfect fit when creating unique eyeglasses.  We take additional measurements of head dimensions and use a fitting set of frames to be sure that the nosebridge will fit perfectly.

Just as with the morning's exercise we will receive a CAD before production and have a software tool to use in office to modify the design as much as necessary while working with the design on picture.  This level of service ensures that at Ocean we are offering the very best eyewear options, bar none, so we are incredibly excited to be incorporating it into our office.

Buffalo Horn Plate

We also spent some time looking at the development of Tom's line of natural buffalo horn frames.  Buffalo horn is not a new material for eyewear, but there is definitely a growing interest in it.  Like many natural materials it is slightly unpredictable in its nature and has certain nuances or quirks which you have to respect when working with it and wearing it.

For all of these drawbacks, it is an incredible material - light, strong, comfortable and with wonderful colours.  Tom also has a wonderful take on it.  As with all his eyewear, the horn frames can be made to order, starting with the customer choosing the very two plates of horn which the frame will be cut out of - unbelievable!

It is amazing how the day passed, soon it was evening and our training day was over.  We had taken in so much information during the day and really covered so much ground, all of us were enthused with new ideas and a thoughts about how to share these with Ocean Optometry.  There's really not much more to add, the sun set, a few drinks were poured and we were reassured that by working with TD Tom Davies we were working in a relationship of mutual respect and friendship.


A few more thoughts from the day are best captured by pictures:

The finished CAD from Dr McG's design - looking forward to seeing him in this one!

The sun shining over the Hudson River

Prototypes and limited editions

The inspiring skyline

A special thanks to TD Tom Davies, Tom himself and Nathan for creating such an informative, enjoyable and fun day!