Daniel and I are freshly back from New York, and a VERY successful Vision Expo! We started Thursday evening with a party at the Cartier mansion at 52nd street and 5th Ave for a viewing of the newest releases and a few glasses of champagne. We couldn’t take pictures, but I can tell you that the “Panthere Wilde” sunglasses are a beautiful piece of art, and there is a new design with diamond solitaires in the temples that are unlike anything Cartier has done before. Then we were off to an after-party where we mingled from friends and colleagues in the optical business from around the globe. We finished off the night with a slice of genuine New York Pizza!
Our first appointment on Friday morning was with Lindberg, and they always have something special to show us. This time it was a collection of hand-selected buffalo horn frames with beautiful, unique colorations. Each of these frames is truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Since we were the first appointment of the show, we got our pick of the collection, and chose four frames with the most interesting patterns. These should arrive in our store within two weeks!
For me, as usual, the real highlight of the show was théo. New collections, amazing new colors and phenomenal new sunglasses—but the real showstopper was the “Divas” collection. This “frame-in-frame” idea that you see Jessica and me wearing is the coolest, most clever concept I have seen, and the realization of the concept is nothing short of astounding. I can’t WAIT to be able to show these pieces to some of you in person.
The cold weather in New York kept the théo/Face a Face rooftop party Friday night indoors in the Loft studio, but we got to meet and socialize with retailers, reps and designers from all over the world. It is always an opportunity to exchange ideas and gather new information about how we can bring you the best optical products and the best service.
Saturday morning brought us first to Robert Marc. His latest is the “City Garden” collection, and features some beautiful new colors and classic Robert Marc styling. The beautiful frames you see in the picture will be available in late spring/early summer!
The creativity and innovation of designer Elizabeth from LaLoop is always evident, and she is one of the most interesting people you will ever meet, too! Each piece she makes has a story, and I would love to share some of her stories with you. You need a LaLoop, the patented necklace for eyewear, and the new collection has something for all tastes.
Sunday was St. Patrick’s Day, and we spent time viewing some new collections, researching new lens technology and finishing up the business of the weekend—I did get to capture this photo of the Empire State Building dressed up for the day before we left. Then it was a great dinner, and off to Newark to sleep before an early-morning flight back to Houston and straight in to the office!
This is just a small sampling of all the great stuff we got to see. We can’t wait to show all of it to you in person!
Tim