As Vision-X Dubai 2012 draws to a close today, exhibitors have showcased the latest trends and technologies in the optical retail industry. Among them are Arabic-inspired gold contact lenses developed specially for the Middle East, patented fogless glasses, interchangeable fashion frames and 18-carat gold reading glasses.

Golden eye
The next time you see a twinkle in someone’s eyes, it’s probably due to the gold contact lenses they’re wearing.
The contact lenses are the latest eyewear trend to reach the Middle East and the product was launched at the Vision-X Dubai exhibition this week.
Containing particles of real gold, these contact lenses were developed by South Korean company InnoVision based in Seoul.
What make the lenses unique are the traditional Arabic-inspired designs that are embedded in them. “We designed this product just for the Middle East market,” said Lena Lee, marketing manager at InnoVision.
“We met a lot of buyers from here and almost every country has shown interest from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, Iran and Turkey. I was really amazed at how much interest people have shown in our gold lenses,” said Lee.
She added that the product was very comfortable and could be worn for long periods of time without irritating the eye. “A lot of doctors who came to our booth checked my eyes and they commented that there was no redness or irritation in them.”
InnoVison also produces a range of diamond fashion lenses, which sparkle in the same way that diamonds do.

Fog no more
Gone are the days of your glasses fogging up as soon as you step out into the UAE’s humid weather as fogless glasses have now been developed by French ophthalmic lens company Essilor.
The patented Optifog Lens has recently been developed by researchers at Essilor and is now being manufactured in Dubai.
The lens is coated with a patented material, which prevents fog from gathering. It is used in conjunction with an Optifog activator liquid which is applied to the entire lens.
Speaking at Vision-X Dubai, Essilor Group marketing director for the Middle East and Africa Matthieu Ruatti said the Opitfog Lens was a brand new lens category and particularly useful in the Middle East as people’s glasses tend to quickly go foggy when they leave air-conditioned spaces and enter the humid outdoors.
“We have found a totally brand new solution in to a problem that had no solution before,” said Ruatti.
Ruatti said the lenses were also useful indoors when drinking steaming beverages, eating hot food or cooking on the stovetop.
Customers also have the choice to add features to their lenses including glare reduction, dust repellence, scratch resistance and smudge resistance.

Optical jewellery
CliC eyewear inventor Ron Lando and eyewear designer Hugh Power have boldly gone into an area of fashion – eyewear as jewellery - that other designers were afraid to venture into.
At the Vision-X Dubai exhibition this week they launched their 18-carat gold reading glasses, which include a sapphire and diamond, that is worth Dh275,000.
Only 300 pairs have been made available in the world and some are available for sale in the GCC, said Lando. The glasses are a unique design and clip at the bridge of the nose using magnets.
“We felt that Vision-X was the right place to launch our CliC Gold magnetic eyewear because of the interest level we have been receiving on our website from the UAE,” said Lando.
“Very few people, especially designers, have taken a risk in going into the optical jewellery world because it’s a category that people haven’t tapped into. It’s a difficult one and there’s not been a market for optical jewellery before,” said Power.

Fashion forward eyewear
Glasses are no longer just functional as you can now tailor them to your mood and personal taste. 
Paris-based eyewear company Minima Lunettes Minimalistes has launched a range of eyeglasses that have interchangeable temples with a range of colours and designs.
“Women like their shoes to match their bags and now they can have their glasses frames do the same. You can have your red shoes match your red frames and they are interchangeable,” said area manager and Vision-X exhibitor Amar Bellal.
“We are in Paris, the city of fashion, so we have created fashion frames with more colours and designs and new materials such as titanium and rubber,” he said.