The latest trends in eyewear and optical technology will be on display at the 23rd HKTDC Hong Kong Optical Fair which starts in a fortnight.
The fair, which will run from November 4 to 6 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is described as a premier eyewear marketing and sourcing platform for the industry. Some 740 exhibitors will attend from 24 countries and regions, including the Chinese mainland, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the first-time participants from Macau and the Philippines.
The fair will display products from frames and lens, optometric instruments, equipment and machinery to finished spectacles, providing an effective one-stop sourcing platform for international buyers. The highlighted Brand Name Gallery will be located at the Grand Hall (HKCEC Level 3), housing about 220 international eyewear brands.
This year’s fair will host a number of smart eyewear brands. Hong Kong exhibitor Hong Kong Optical Lens Company will bring the Recon Jet from Canada, which is designed for outdoor lovers, especially cyclists and runners. Located at the bottom of the lens, the information display will not block vision of the wearer. The glasses are packed with fitness-tracking sensors, on-board GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. The exhibitor will also showcase Google Glass, which enables smartphone experience such as receiving phone calls, taking photos and recording video, simply by gestures and voice control.
Worldwide eyewear practitioners strive for adding creativity and new materials in a bid to produce stylish glasses. Japanese brand Eyes Cloud won Japan’s Good Design Award in 2013. Its optical frames are made of super engineering plastic (ultem) which is very light and tough. A French brand Natura uses eco-friendly materials such as bio-degradable components for glasses.
3D printing technology is widely used by different industries. A German brand ic! berlin will present plotic – 3D printed eyewear by selective laser sintering, which abandons the traditional manufacturing techniques. Another German brand Morgenrot also makes use of 3D printing technology to create spectacle frame with clip-on parts, providing various outlooks for sunglasses.
Eyewear has become an essential fashion accessory. Japanese on-trend brand A Bathing Ape incorporates its iconic apes and camouflage pattern, while a Korean exhibitor will bring along Seesun series, which was worn by the President of South Korea Park Guen-hye. It is produced by using extremely thin patented 0.8mm sheet and a supporter on the centre. This design concept won reddot award in 2014.
Sunglasses production shows the fastest growth among all sectors in spectacle industry. An Italian brand L.G.R is popular among male consumers. Famous movie star Tom Cruise wore its handmade “Comoros” sunglasses in the action movie “Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation”.
More brands available at the Brand Name Gallery, including Big Horn, Converse, Deep, Groover, Italia Independent, Jaeger, Lee Cooper, Mango, Masaki Matsushima, Minima, Moscot, Must by Grafix, Muzik, Mykita, and Y-Concept.