The International Vision Expo West

The International Vision Expo West, held September 14-17 in Las Vegas, was four days of concentrated attention to and education in the eye care and eyewear industries. It was 180,000 square feet of exhibit space with more than 100 new fashion brands debuting fall lines, accessories and new eyewear trends.* And it was why, with a focus on bringing something new to Cincinnati, Dr. Laura and Kim closed up shop, hopped the Red Eye and flew off to focus on eyewear and see what frame styles would beckon more than a quick glance. The net gain for the MVC patient? Two new eyewear lines to grace the shelves as space becomes available.

 

Making the most of every opportunity at their first frame show, and operating on four hours sleep, they hit the convention floor at 10 am Friday. In a span of roughly 48 hours, 15 full lines of eyewear were examined, as well as networking with associates and frame representatives. A winning visit to the Craps table was also squeezed in.

Meeting Robert Marc

Eyewear designers who rented suites on two floors of the Venetian made a big impression. Visiting the suites and observing frames in that venue provided a unique environment to discuss business strategy with frame representatives. It also supplied the most surprising event of the trip: Meeting Robert Marc. Dr. Laura said he just blew them away. “He is the sweetest man and his new line, the stuff that he’s done, is absolutely gorgeous. He is absolutely, totally, 100% balls-in with his company. He is there and he meets everybody.”

 

Discussing the inspiration for his designs with the designer himself was an honor. “To stand there and in the few minutes that we talked to him to have him even tell us where he [received] his [inspiration], like the new line that just came out and they knew we were going on about his new, beautiful colors,” said Kim. “For him to say ‘I was raised in New York. I love glass and I wanted the colors to look like glass’.” Dr. Laura is from Corning, NY and also loves glass, so the comparison struck a chord.

Jimmy Crystal and Dita Eyewear lines come to MVC

Both are excited about the new lines of eyewear to be showcased at MVC: Jimmy Crystal is already available, and Dita will be coming in soon. Dita is an eyewear line Dr. Laura noticed in San Diego and Aspen. She loves it, and MVC will carry it exclusively in Cincinnati. “It’s absolutely, completely different. I think it’s real unique. It has a very cosmopolitan feel, and yet I think it’s accessible to Cincinnati. I think that Cincinnati is going to eat it up.”

Closeout Sale!

A Deluxe Closet Clean Out Sale is in the works for December to make room for the new inventory. Like MVC’s Facebook page and be on the lookout for more information coming soon.

Finding cool, different things for Cincinnatians

A whirlwind trip to be sure, but one in which the patient is definitely the beneficiary. Dr. Laura explains, “[At the expo] we see the entire line, and we talk to the reps and we get the feel of what the return policy is, we get the warranty, and how good are they at taking care of the patient. That’s the trickle down. The trickle down is finding the best quality for the money. We sell beautiful frames that we think are mid-priced because we know what high priced is. You can get frames for $2,000-3,000 easy. Our frames max out at about $500. We think that’s moderate. This is what drives us. It’s finding cool, different things for Cincinnatians who aren’t in the huge metropolitan areas or coastal areas. We are bringing it to the Midwest.”