Unique vision

Companies aim to create a unique product as a counterforce to the high-paced turnover of flashy replicas driven by online sales.

There is an appetite for carefully crafted items that stand apart from endless production lines and fleeting micro-trends.

Riding the crest of this sea change is David Green Eyewear – a company which showcased its ‘Unique by Nature’ frames at 100% Optical.

In each frame there are up to 40 leaves, the patterned veins forming an intricate network between a transparent cotton-based acetate. 

“Each piece is unique because it’s not a screen print. The real nature itself is inside the frame,” founder David Green told OT. 

Catering to the whims of the individual can help a business to stand apart in an increasingly competitive digital age. 

This desire to differentiate has extended from what products a practice stocks to the experience a patient or customer has from the moment they enter a practice. 

Founder of TD Tom Davies, Tom Davies, told OT: “If you look at the direction of retail in general, all of the big luxury brands are looking for experience sales, so it’s the added value, which is the experience when you purchase it – that’s what everyone’s crying out for.”

For the AOP, the power of the individual and the strength of banding together as a collective is at the heart of what the Association does. 

Individual members can have their say in the focus and direction of the Association through the AOP Council. 

For the Council to be effective, it is important to have representatives from a range of regions, career stages and areas of practice. 

Have you thought about putting your hand up to be involved? Half of the AOP's Council seats across the UK will be up for election in 2018.

The nomination period is 26 February to 19 March, with elections taking place in April. For more information, visit the website. 

Image credit: Getty