Happy Holidays 🎄 New Frames & Christmas Trading Hours
As 2023 draws to a close, we’d like to wish you the very best for Christmas and the holidays. May it be a relaxing time and a great opportunity to catch up with friends and family.
Please note…
We’ll be closed from 3pm Saturday 23rd December, reopening 9am Monday 8th January.
Messages can be left on the office number, which will be attended to when we re-open.
Eye emergencies are best dealt with by visiting
Sydney Eye Hospital, Macquarie Street
(Richard’s emergency contact number is 0400 172 280)
Don’t forget most health funds’ claiming cycle is calendar year.
If you haven’t claimed this year, please place orders for glasses or contact lenses before we close, so you can receive the rebate you’re entitled to.
With best wishes,
Richard, Graeme and Josie
This year we saw some exciting developments in spectacle lens technology, and also some beautiful new spectacle frames being launched at this year’s Paris SILMO Optical Fair.
So make a cuppa, or something stronger, grab a seat, get comfy and enjoy our latest news from our tiny slice of paradise in the world of optics.
To multifocal or not?
Our preferred choice in lens laboratory, HOYA Lens, not only because of service but because of product quality and reliability, recently launched new technology in multifocal design.
We see some hesitation in patients when considering making the switch to multifocal lenses because of horror stories bandied about by the bad experiences of friends and relatives. These usually relate to the feeling of vertigo brought about by distortions throughout the lens. This occurs much more with the use of old- technology lenses, often poorly setup within the frame, and the patient being told that “you just have to get used to it!”
Lens manufacturers are constantly coming up with new ways of designing lenses in order to reduce these unfortunate effects. We live in a fast paced, multi-faceted world. Our reliance on the digital world has us needing correction at all distances, all the time. So it just makes sense that everyone at some stage will need to make an optical and lifestyle decision and have a pair of spectacles that meets most of these requirements. Like a new phone or appliance, we are more likely to choose the model that has the most functions.
Hoya’s new Hoyalux iD MySelf progressive lenses enable wearers to switch their vision from near to far and back again with ease because each lens is tailored to each unique patient, prescription and frame fit. The digital design also allows us to reduce peripheral distortion and customise where the optimal point of clarity should lie.
We realise that not every tailor-made product works first time around though. That’s why, in conjunction with our laboratory, we offer a satisfaction guarantee, which allows us to change the lens type within the first few months, at no additional charge to you, if you are not satisfied with your new lenses.
What’s hot on the block
Although we are by no means the fashionista gurus and influencers that saturate your socials, we are always very passionate about making sure we dress the faces of our patients in frames that make people sit up and ask where they got their specs from.
For Her
For the ladies this year we, here are two brands that have stood out for us. And they couldn’t be more different. Because we stock unusual and independent labels, we like to think that you’ll walk out looking like the individual you are.
EXCLUSIVE to us, is an eyewear brand founded by two creative individuals with design and manufacturing expertise. The brand's handcrafted eyewear was initially created for friends and family, but quickly gained popularity among fashion insiders. MIGA STUDIO combines Italian design flair with Japanese craftsmanship to create unique, futuristic designs that blend different materials and push the boundaries of traditional eyewear. The brand has a strong focus on individualism and innovation, and has collaborated with other innovative brands like HOET to create expressive and individualistic eyewear.
THIS STORY BEGINS IN 1974, WHEN TV WAS ONLY WATCHED IN BLACK-AND-WHITE.
It all starts by using ancient tools to refine and retouch, and then to mount the hinges with shot peened rivets, to perfect the fit. The front and temples are smoothed with a scraper to remove sharp edges, then thousands of small wooden chips in a rotating drum polish the frames for the best high-gloss finish.
Working by hand, Dandy’s realise the personal satisfaction and admiration achieved through the hours spent creating a work of art.
The crown jewel of Dandy’s collection are frames produced from acetate sheets that have been left unrefined, just as they come from the supplier. The material is hand-finished using milling and a scraping blade to highlight the inherent qualities of the material. The Dandy’s ‘Rough’ line came about from the desire to demonstrate the raw manufacturing process.
For Him
Choosing spectacles for men is often a practical & functional decision. But there’s no reason why you can’t add style and colour. Again, from 2 completely different stables, Akoni and Ørgreen, one being clean and crisp, the other offering subtle shapes with some very creative colours.
Ørgreen is an international designer eyewear brand from Copenhagen which makes premium eyewear using high-end materials. Known for its dynamic designs and technical precision, Ørgreen sculpts handmade frames with unique colour combinations.
Designed in-house, the studio’s aim is to communicate the brand’s core traits: innovative aesthetics, top customer care, and, of course, quality. To achieve this, they have utilised artisanal perfection that is typical Japanese craftsmanship.
All Ørgreen products are made in Japan, known for its proud tradition of superior eyewear manufacturing by applying the highest standard to every step of the process.
Combining this manufacturing ethos with the Danish design culture of precision and excellence delivers a product that is characterized by a love of detail, and longevity.
Akoni’s resilient frames are designed for a lifetime of use. Utilising the finest materials such as lightweight and hypoallergic ceramics for nose pads, as well as Japanese Cellulose Acetate and Titanium. All these are blended together with a single-minded dedication to quality and craft. At every stage Akoni makes clear its unwavering commitment to true excellence and its guiding belief in the singular importance of a well-designed frame. Akoni frames avoid unnecessary logos and monograms—allowing the eye to focus instead on our sleek silhouettes and the finely crafted details traditionally associated with the world’s finest luxury accessories.
For Everyone
“BLAST FROM THE PAST”
We are SUPER excited to welcome CAZAL back to the practice.
Cari Zalloni was a visionary who revolutionised eyewear design and created a style that was way ahead of time. Cazal, founded in 1975, and affectionately known as “Cazzy’s” by its fans, became the undisputed eyewear of choice for the 80s hip hop generation. This phenomenon was unintended by their German creator and left him feeling a little uncomfortable with the fame. Cazal smashed the pop world of bling, and to this day continues to excite the vintage-inspired eyewear market.
And finally, a little something for under the Christmas Tree…
FOX AND LEO
At a recent Melbourne design fair, Richard’s wife Chrissie, stumbled across a very cool concept for a spectacle case. We regularly get feedback, especially from ladies, on how bulky cases don’t fit in their handbag let alone a small evening clutch purse. Beautifully designed and made from real leather.
As featured in…..
