History Of Eye Wear

Eye-wear; many of us use it, rely on it, and unfortunately take for granted. But this vital tool that helps us see the world didn’t just come out of thin air. Its humble beginnings are followed by a rich history. And today, eye-wear represents cutting edge style & technology. 

The beginnings of eye-wear are a bit ambiguous, though there are some beliefs that are largely accepted as accurate truths. The first origins of lenses are attributed to the monks in Italy. These ingenious people set lenses in bone, metal and other materials such as leather, way back in the 1200s. Their design used two magnifying glasses with inverted V-shaped handles that could be balanced on the bridge of the nose, much like modern eye-wear. 

This was followed by many landmarks in the world of eye-wear and its evolution and development has been constant since then. In 1784, Benjamin Franklin came upon his brilliant invention of bifocals that have enabled people with poor vision the convenience of a single pair of glasses for their reading & seeing needs. Franklin was also the champion for the classic round frames, later immortalized by the likes of John Lennon & Mahatma Gandhi. A further and noteworthy development in more modern times was in 1958, which saw the birth of the progressive-multifocal lens.

 

Interestingly, Lawrence & Mayo is a part of eye-wear history. The Lawrence and Mayo families set up operations all over the world, including London, Cairo, Spain, Portugal, the Indian subcontinent, Colombo, Rangoon and Singapore. And in India too, it was as early as 1877, that Lawrence & Mayo made its debut with a showroom in Calcutta. Then by 1925, Lawrence & Mayo, headquartered in New Oxford Street, London, boasted of showrooms in Alexandria, Bombay, Cairo, Calcutta (Kolkata), Delhi, Lucknow, Madras (Chennai), Rangoon and Simla.

 

Today, in their 117th year of operations, the company represents the absolute best in eye-wear, cutting edge designs & technology. It is an homage not only to the rich history of eye-wear, but also a matter of pride for millions of happy customers who can get their eye-wear needs at an optician that is truly a part of the history of eye-wear!

 

Image Courtesy:

Bifocals: http://bit.ly/nSdtal

Trends Set By Celebrities In Eye Wear

Popular culture is the one place where we find our inspiration for many things. Fashion is one aspect of our lives that is heavily influenced by the world of films. And what film stars wear on or off-screen, makes its way into our imaginations, and eventually on to our persons, very quickly.

Like everything else, eye-wear too is something that has always been influenced by celebrities. From way back in the 60’s to more modern times; both in India and abroad; film stars have always donned eye wear fashions that have caught the collective imagination of an entire people, and become massive trends in the process.

For us Indians, there are certain images from popular culture that remain indelibly imprinted in our minds. And be it our parents generation or the present young India, we have always been enamored with the eye wear musings of stars and celebrities. Think back and the trend will become obvious. John Lennon from the Beatles immortalized the small round frames, that were so famously always worn by the father of our nation, and in fact have since been called Gandhi glasses. Then there were the greats like Sophia Loren, whose stylish frames became a world-wide rage through decades.

Similarly, for an entire generation of people abroad and here, Tom Cruise wore the now staple Aviators in the film Top Gun, and so cataclysmic was the effect, that the entire world upped and ran to get themselves aviator sunglasses. Closer home too, there have been a number of celebrities who have influenced eye wear in a big way. Arshad Warsi’s red tinted glasses in the iconic Munnabhai film also became quite the rage, as did Preiti Zinta’s spectacles from Kal Ho Na Ho. Even now, and even off-screen, celebrities have taken wholeheartedly to wearing glasses, ones that are often mimicked by the public at large. There is Kiran Rao for instance, then there is designer Krsna Mehta, and scores of other celebrities including the badshah himself, who is never seen without his trademark rim-less red hand spectacles, making everyone run in a scurry to have the same pair as SRK

While it is great to be influenced by celebrities in eye-wear, it is also important to know which frame type will suit you. So keep watching this space because that’s what we’ll tell you about, next time! Until then, stay eye-fashionable!

Image Courtesy:

John Lennon: http://bit.ly/nPqZDx

Sophie Loren: http://bit.ly/qzgbq8

Tom Cruise: http://bit.ly/mUoY52

SRK: http://bit.ly/q5ibTE

Priety Zinta: http://bit.ly/n2zeww

Kiran Rao: http://bit.ly/q7GDYY