Beauty & Style | Thursday 27 October, 2016 1:03 pm |

Unique retro designs featuring angular shaped frames made from acetate, were showcased by French designer Dzmitry Samal, taking centre stage during the 17th edition of Vision-X.

Aiming to capture the UAE market with their avant-garde spectacles and sunglasses range, Henri Courment, Marketing Manager at Dzmitry Samal said: “In our designs, we take a lot of inspiration from past periods and we consider our sunglasses to have a special ‘feel good’ aspect to them.

“While our concepts can appear quite niche, we really want to appeal to everyone regardless of age or gender. Some customers have been a bit apprehensive when trying the frames on, but when they look at themselves in the mirror their faces light up with a big smile.

The three-day exhibition, running until Thursday 27 October at Dubai world Trade Centre, welcomed recognised industry brand names including Emporio Armani, Gucci, Ted Baker and Ray-Ban in addition to more than 250 brands represented on the show floor

With more than 4,000 buyers from 70 countries registered to attend, sales are expected to be strong amid forecasts that the optical industry in the Middle East is growing, as demand for contact lenses and spectacles rises.

Courment added: “Inspired by retro 80s games, we introduced our first model around five years ago. The virtual 8-bit pixelated style had never been seen before in the market, and when we first pitched the concept online there was an overwhelming positive response from people wanting to buy it.

“The response from delegates has been really positive so far and we think that the unique designs for our frames will appeal to the market out here.”

The Vision-X Opticare Conference ran alongside the three day exhibition and was held in cooperation with the International Association of Contact Lens Educators and the European Academy of Optometry and Optics. This year, the Conference delegates offered a valuable opportunity to earn CPD points for their practices as well as provided insightful workshops that showcased the latest techniques for fitting lenses and diagnosing patients.

International presence at the three-day trade show has been steady in recent years and Vision-X organisers are reporting an increase globally this year.  The Turkish pavilion saw its number of exhibitors doubled, while there was strong representation from Germany, Italy, and South Korea showcasing a range of products. Additionally, many of the major brands and luxury names that dominate the industry displayed their latest designs.

Visitors were exposed to the very latest in cutting-edge design, technology and innovation at Vision-X, with dedicated areas such as the Future in Focus and Retail Theatre for business owners and managers to improve their operations. 

Vision-X will return to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 17-19 October 2017. For more information on the event, visit www.vision-x.ae.