By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, March 31, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—It was 1981 when Congress officially passed Pub. L. 97-28, which both authorized and requested that the President proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” As The Library of Congress reports on
www.womenshistorymonth.gov, the month grew over the next five years, and in 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 declaring March Women’s History Month. Each year, the sitting President issues their own proclamation in March, once again declaring Women’s History Month.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 23, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Last week, thousands of members of the optical community arrived at New York City's Javits Center to attend Vision Expo East 2023. From some of the biggest companies in the world to mom-and-pop shops in small towns, Vision Expo offered something for everyone—and indies were well represented at this year’s show. Here, we’re taking a look at social media to see how Vision Expo East shaped up for some of the visiting independent ECPs.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 9, 2023 2:45 PM
NEW YORK—On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, billions of people around the world took the time to celebrate International Women’s Day in their own way. First officially
recognized by the UN in 1977, International Women’s Day recognizes the achievements and struggles of all women around the world. From protests to parties and everything in between, there are countless ways to celebrate and honor International Women’s Day. This week, we’re taking a look at how the optical community honored women this International Women’s Day.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 2, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, knew she wanted to be an ophthalmologist from a young age—but she had no idea that she wanted to be the founder of a makeup brand called
twenty/twenty beauty. Her father, neuroradiologist Sadek Hilal, MD, influenced her desire to enter the medical field in some way, but, as she tells
VM, “it was as a young girl, when I first visited ophthalmologist Dr. Stephen Trokel, one of the inventors of the excimer laser that is used to perform Lasik, that I became fascinated by ocular health. He prescribed me my first pair of glasses, and being able to see the beauty of the world with such clarity changed my life.”
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, February 26, 2023 1:27 AM
Long known as an international show that draws attendance from all over the world, this year’s Mido was no different. Mido reported that show attendance peaked at 35,000 industry professionals, a 60 percent increase over 2022 visitor numbers. Eighty percent of this year’s visitors were from Europe, while 20 percent visited from the rest of the world. Thousands of ECPs, retailers, scientists, designers and executives gathered in Milan for this year’s show—here are just a few.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, February 26, 2023 1:26 AM
As always, Milan transformed into the global hub for eyewear trends over Mido weekend. With the show’s early positioning at the beginning of the year, its international attendance and its location in one of the fashion capitals of the world, Mido is the perfect place to spot trends and get a glimpse of what everyone will be wearing this coming year.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, February 17, 2023 8:30 AM
MILAN—
Mido reestablished its place as a firmly international show this year, one not to be missed if you can help it. And with its return to an early February time slot (this year’s show ran from Saturday, February 4 through Monday, February 6), the show has also solidified its place in the trend cycle. Many will see the coming year’s trends fully fleshed out for the first time at Mido, creating a landscape of what the year ahead will have in store. From international business meetings to trend spotting, there’s no denying that Milan becomes the center of the eyewear world for a few days each February.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, February 9, 2023 1:00 AM
NEW YORK—The past few years have seen massive, sometimes unpredictable, change in consumer behavior. From a pandemic none of us expected to social media-driven shopping trends that change at the drop of a hat, it can feel almost impossible to predict what consumers will want, or need, next.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—On January 22, billions of people around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, saying goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and ringing in the Year of the Rabbit. The holiday, which is celebrated by about 2 billion people worldwide, will last until February 5 in some countries—a full cycle from one new moon to the next full moon,
USA Today reported.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:59 AM
We’ve heard a lot about Gen Z and their cultural and economic power in the past few years, but, while these young adults retain a massive influence on culture, they are no longer the newest kids on the block. Generation Alpha follows Gen Z—
Shopify defines it as “all children born in or after 2010—the same year the iPad was born.” This means the oldest members of Generation Alpha have become teenagers this past year, and have mostly lived a life marked by the massive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:58 AM
It might be easy to think of Gen Z as kids, but this powerful generation is growing up.
Pew Research marks those born after 1996 as Gen Z, meaning the oldest members of the generation are now in their mid-twenties. As Pew Research reports, “Unlike the Millennials—who came of age during the Great Recession—this new generation was in line to inherit a strong economy with record-low unemployment. That has all changed now, as COVID-19 has reshaped the country’s social, political and economic landscape. Instead of looking ahead to a world of opportunities, Gen Z now peers into an uncertain future.”
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:56 AM
Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980, have just about reached their prime spending years. Many have careers, homes and families now,
Forbes reported, and slowly but surely the group is beginning to use more technology in their everyday lives. While they do use the internet and social media, they’re not quite as reliant on it as younger generations—and it should not be the only place brands work to connect with Gen X consumers. Forbes noted that TikTok isn’t necessarily the main market for Gen Xers—instead, many spend time on YouTube and Facebook, connecting with friends and family on those platforms instead.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:55 AM
Long one of the most influential and powerful generations in our culture and economy, Baby Boomers are those born between about 1946 and 1964. They still maintain a massive impact on consumer power, writes The Shelf, “Not only do Boomers have control of their own $7 billion of annual online spending, but they are also critical influencers in the lives of their adult children, young adult grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.” They, like Gen Xers, are often part of multi-generational households, and are investing in younger generations, too, as they help their children and grandchildren get through college, buy their first homes and more.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:54 AM
Born before 1945, the Silent Generation have lived through an ever-changing world. This generation tends to be loyal to the businesses they patronize,
TechTarget reported, and “wants respect and value relationships with those they do business with.” This is a group with strong morals;
image.works wrote, “The Silent Generation was shaped by both World War II and the Great Depression, so it’s no wonder they tend to be a disciplined, loyal and hard-working group.” Like Gen Xers and Baby Boomers, members of the Silent Generation value their families and multi-generation living.