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Oct
31
Company Profiles: Serengeti & Alexander McQueen
Filed Under Eyewear Knowledge, Designer Sunglasses, Designer Eyeglasses | Leave a Comment
Serengeti: the ultimate driving eyewear
Serengeti eyewear is high class. It is the James Bond of eyewear, and classifies any rugged outdoorsmen as a diamond in the rough. The designs are sleek, clean and traditional, with a very old-fashioned British racing and exploration feel. The brand itself attracts only the wealthy (or aspiring) adventurer and therefore retains high prestige among the posh elites and emerging corporate outdoorsmen.
The company’s advertising scheme is reminiscent of Dunhill, another high class company with a brilliant marketing scheme that uses Jude Law as their spokesmen. Serengeti, likewise, has Patrick Dempsey at the helm, a rising Hollywood star and man of George Clooney’s like good looks and charm.
Serengeti has issued a flex series of frames that automatically adjust to the shape of your head for better, form-fitting comfort. The technology has been patented by the Bushnell Group (which owns the Serengeti brand) and has received favourable feedback. The design is such to make the wearer feel as if he or she is not wearing sunglasses at all; a very custom-design feeling.
Serengeti focuses on driving glasses, specially designed to react to sunlight, and ideal for convertibles or other high-speed or long distance commutes or driving/racing adventures. All frames are inspected one-by-one to ensure the highest quality product. Indeed, Serengeti sunglasses are a balance of technology, fashion and comfort.
Alexander McQueen: high fashion and fancy
On the opposite spectrum, Alexander McQueen’s high-fashion designs are edgy, new and bold– and a stark contrast to the aforementioned Serengeti brand. McQueen was trained as a fashion designer beginning at age 16, and has had a very distinguished career in high fashion. After a series of successful apprenticeships in the UK, McQueen relocated to Milan and then later relocated again when the brand bearing his name was bought (51% interest) by the Gucci Group, where McQueen is currently the creative director.
His designs are a blend of the old and the new, with very contemporary colours and designs applied across tried-and-true shapes and silhouettes. His eyewear collection is somewhat futuristic, and distinctly couture. Both revered and coveted by Hollywood elites and fashion forerunners, the Alexander McQueen look is ideal for emerging artists or those with a creative or defiant flare. His work is hailed as original and bold, and a pair of McQueen shades would bring a distinctly high-fashion look to any outfit.
In addition to numerous other fashion awards, McQueen has been the British designer of the year four times, and international designer of the year in 2003. He has been commemorated by the Queen and his designs have been picked up by Puma, Gucci and individually for ready-to-wear fashion and accessories, though widely acknowledged as an innovative designer, his looks are approachable and can complete any fashionable wardrobe collection by adding a touch of spark and high-fashion flare.
Eye related issues in the news:
As part of our commitment to our Eye Pod readers, we have collected and summarized recent news stories pertaining to the eyewear industry.
Sight-restoring gel
Human trials will begin late next year on an Australian designed gel that scientists say could replace the need for contacts and glasses. The gel is inserted in a minor (15 minute) surgery that is similar to cataract surgery. The gel is intended for those suffering from eye degeneration due to age, and not genetic or induced eye illnesses like near or far sightedness, per say.
Contact lenses harbouring amoebae
According to a recent Spanish study, wearers of contact lenses should be aware that heightened amounts of amoeba are living on the surface of the eye, and normal contact lens solution does not kill these pathogenic amoebae acanthamoeba, and in fact exacerbate rather than solve the problem.
Special glasses for long-distance drivers released
New eyewear technology created for drivers who spend more than 15 hours a week driving (the majority of American drivers exceed this number) has been released. The glasses differ in that they can darken or lighten based on outside light. Previous self-darkening lenses were not reliable through a windshield. This new design is highly sensitive and reacts quickly to changes in outside light while ignoring inside light (like dashboard lights, etc).
Permanent contacts
The blind or those with severely limited sight can now have contact lenses permanently imbedded in their eyes. This surgical implant can cost up to US$2000 per eye. The surgery is still in the experimental stages, and should only be seriously considered by patients with severe cases.
New swimwear design with imbedded timer
A new design of swimming goggles has been released in the UK. One lens displays the number of laps swam with a countdown clock above it. The wearer can easily see through the clock and counter to concentrate on the swim, or can focus on the clock in order to better time his or her performance. Imagine what good a self-timer like this would have done for those training against the all mighty Michael Phelps in the recent 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Contact lenses that fight myopia
University scientists have released preliminary results on recently designed contact lens technology for near-sightedness (myopia). The lenses can be given to children who are doctors determine are likely to suffer from myopia later in life, and thus decrease the likelihood of degeneration later in life. It is, scientists admit, difficult to encourage pre-emptive and preventative healthcare. Preliminary findings on children aged 4-14 indicate mixed results.
Causes of short-sightedness studied
Scientists in the UK have determined that there is a possibly genetic link to near-sightedness, the PAX6 gene, which can make it more likely that a child with these gene will suffer from near-sightedness as an adult. In addition to genetic causes, recent changes in lifestyles have led to the highest rates of eye problems in human history. Causes: constantly looking at a computer screen, TV, video games, lack of Vitamin D (sunlight) and poorer overall health from bad eating habits.
Oct
28
Elton John’s Many Shades of Cool
Filed Under Fun with Eyewear, Celebrity Watch, Blogroll | Leave a Comment
Elton John is easily one of the most influential songwriters/musicians in the past fifty years. Rolling Stone magazine ranks him 49th in their top 100, with Billboard listing him as number 3, after only Madonna and the Beatles. John has been knighted, has entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has over 50 songs on the top 40 list, and many more career highlights, not the least of which has been the sale of over 200 million records. But it was not his musical skills alone that made him so memorable and adored, it was a mixture of his sense of unique fashion and flare, his talent and his radically optimistic and anarchistic political views and community involvement.
John’s style is epitomized by overly-flashy colours and cubist, bold designs that are simple in their complexity. He is especially well known for his fashion style in the realm of eyewear, and has worn such a vast array of custom shades that his collection likely fills a whole room.
Having begun his illustrious career at the early age of 15, playing piano in a locally crowded pub/restaurant, Elton would retain a knack from those early days for writing lyrics that were easy to sing along with, but complex in their creation. He was easily forgotten as a youngster, and learned quickly that talent alone would not float a career in music.
Like the Beatles, Elton John understood the importance of creating an imagine of the self; and idea of the self that could be emulated but never attained by others. Elton John undertook to create an image for himself after the failed release of his first album, which was deemed ‘uninspired.’ He was turned down by several bands when he auditioned for lead singing roles because he was not edgy or interesting enough. In retaliation, Elton John went to the extreme to market himself as a unique voice (though in fact his vocal skills and song writing traits were a derivative of blues/country and traditional British pub music).
His eyewear is characteristic of his need to define and separate himself from his competition, and in that regard they succeed it setting him apart. The white, Jackie O shades with yellow tinted lenses have become almost more synonymous with Elton John than with Jackie herself, for all the stir he caused when first wearing women’s shades.
There is, perhaps, some validity to the theory that Elton John’s latent homosexuality caused him to continuously create masks for himself in order to appear fun-loving and open when in fact he was struggling internally. His flashy clothes and bright shades covered dark eyes as he played love songs for women he was not attracted to.
In all, there is no other musician quite like Elton John, a statement he would be only too happy to hear given the intense effort he put into creating a unique image of himself for the public, not the least of which was crafted with his particular, and sometimes peculiar, taste in eyewear.
Oct
20
A Medley of Style: Designer Eyewear in Hancock
Filed Under Fun with Eyewear, Designer Sunglasses, Blogroll | 3 Comments
When Will Smith first stumbles across the big screen in the recent Hollywood blockbuster Hancock, he is seen in a pair of bold and original Christian Dior, Mist Sunglasses from the 2007 collection. Though originally designed for women, Smith wears them with masculinity and pride, and they dominate his appearance in the opening scenes of the film. Since the release of the action-packed movie, sales of Dior: Mist sunglasses have increased, presumably by customers of both genders.
Searches abound across the internet for other sunglasses from the film, including extensive searches for the yellow-striped shades Smith wears with his Eagle costume. Those classy yet bold frames were of custom design for Smith by Oliver People’s Virtuoso, but similar shades are available by Dior and Ray Ban. These shades serve to make Smith appear more like an authority figure and a superhero and less like an ordinary citizen.
Smith also appears in a pair of shades that are reminiscent of black safety glasses. These were Jon Paul Navigator Fitovers, designed to be worn above one’s prescription glasses. Smith looks stylish and bold in these shades, despite having no eyewear beneath them. He wears this as he is reforming his life, and they shield his eyes (and emotions) as he plays the tough guy throughout his rehabilitation.
It is curious that the creators/wardrobe artists for the film chose to cover such a large amount of Smith’s face with these large and bulky sunglasses. Perhaps it is to make his face more angular, which indeed it succeeds in doing. Perhaps also it is to give him something distinctive that other super heroes on the silver screens have so far lacked. It is a bit ironic that in the opening scene Smith is seen in Dior glasses, though he is supposed to be a penniless drunk bum with little more than a few dollars to his name.
Charlize Theron reveals a startling twist mid-film, when she flashes across the screen in all-black attire and less motherly makeup. Mid fight she obliterates Hancock (Smith) and then grabs a pair of Paul Smith PS_833s from a street stall before resuming the epic battle with Smith. The Paul Smith’s are a dual-gender design similar to the Ray Ban aviators of old. The style is common in Hollywood both on and off the silver screen, and is especially characteristic of edginess and sex appeal, both traits Theron’s character in the film had not, until the point of slapping on the shades, revealed.
Indeed, sunglasses dominate the wardrobes of the two heroes in the film, and become somewhat of a very noticeable reoccurrence. Though Smith’s character lives in a trailer, and Theron’s character is living off her struggling husband’s meagre salary, the two are decked out in designer gear. It is a very curious choice, but obviously one that proved successful as online searches for all shades worn in the film have increased the sales of these specific shades, and also boosted interest in the film.
Oct
17
The Many Eyes of Paris Hilton
Filed Under Celebrity Watch, Designer Sunglasses, Blogroll | Leave a Comment
Paris Hilton’s wardrobe is a like a bizarre fantasy for most girls who idolize the heiresses ability to appear beautiful, classy and stylish 24 hours a day. Her shoe and purse collections alone could rival the most elaborate of female fantasies, yet her sunglasses collection is perhaps the most prominent of her wardrobe’s assets. I imagine a giant walk-in closet full of bodiless mannequins sporting sunglasses of every style and shape, with row after row of plastic heads with colorful shades.
Her collection has several defining characteristics. The majority of her shades are large and cover most of her upper face. They are also usually bright and bold in color and design. Quite possibly stating the obvious, her collection only contains the mot notoriously classy of fashion label shades, including Bvlgari, Versace, Ray Ban, Prada, D&G, Dior and more. She pays special attention to the latest trends and then confronts them head-on with her own flamboyant twist.
Hilton’s facial shape is drastically square. Her appearance could be quite rugged and haggard if she did not spend such a great amount of time and effort combating the squareness of her face. She does so in several ways. Firstly, she wears her hair full of volume or else wears rounded caps, which both act to conflict with her square jaw. Secondly, she wears large sunglasses that giver her face something to contrast the jaw line, but also serve top give her an almost cartoon-like innocence.
Though some may label her a dumb blond, or the but of her own joke, I have a great amount of respect for Paris Hilton, who is a self made woman. Though born an heiress (her father owns the hotel Chain with bearing the family name) Paris has created an image around herself that has drawn in Hollywood as well as the fashion world. She plashed onto the scene in style, but was largely ignored in favor of the more drunken and scantly clad of Hollywood’s finest. Nothing sells a tabloid like a scandal, or a beautiful woman misbehaving and avoiding all consequences. Learning from this, Hilton began exposing herself in public, acting drunk and playing the roll of the ditsy teenage troublemaker.
She emerged full-throttle in her self-made roll in the series The Simple Life. Though some of her act can be attributed to a sheltered life of high society, it is more notable that she managed to sign a deal for a multi-season show that aired around prime time. Moving on, she penned a book, has modeled and made a cameo in Hollywood films, and recently campaigned against John McCain after the candidate released an ad with her in one of the snippets. Her response was to release her own political commercial (online). She appeared in a bikini sunbathing while she delivered her own campaign speech. Not surprisingly, her political ideas were quite advanced, and showed a side of Hilton she had so far managed to hide from the public, an entrepreneurial and political, highly confident and capable woman.
Whatever your opinion of the woman, you have to admit that behind her Prada shades, she hides an intelligence apt enough to earn her a fortune of her very own, and one she achieved will looking gorgeous, stylish and playing the final joke on the tabloids themselves- manipulating their headlines from drunken heiress to political entrepreneur.
Oct
17
Ray Bans- the Celebrity’s Choice for Style and Shade
Filed Under Brand Wave, Celebrity Watch, Designer Sunglasses | 1 Comment
One of the hottest fashions of 2008 has been one of the most tried and true in sunglasses fashion in Hollywood since their debut after WWII—the Ray Ban Wayfarer. Ray Ban’s have been sighted recently on young, powerful and gorgeous women across California, including Lindsey Lohan, Renee Zellweger, Kate Hudson and Natalie Portman. This is not a new trend, but a long-faring Hollywood tradition. James Dean, JFK, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Roy Orbison and Andy Warhol all wore the Wayfarer style of Ray Bans in the 1950s and 1960s. The style seems to move cyclically, having lost popularity in the 70’s and 90s, the Wayfarer has reemerged in popular Hollywood (and American) style in 2000 and beyond.
But Ray Bans have long been on the silver screen, in quite prominently so. I am speaking, of course, of the most classy of Hollywood ladies, Audrey Hepburn, who wore the shades in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. More recently, a film notorious for its Ray Ban appearances was (one of my favorites) a 1992 Quentin Tarantino film, Reservoir Dogs wherein both Mr. White and Mr. Orange are in the famed glasses. Harvey Keitel (Mr. White) was seen in his Ray Ban Wayfarer frames while Tim Roth (Mr. Orange) sported Ray Ban Clubmasters.
Hottie Johnny Depp was depicted in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas wearing Ray Ban Sharpshooters, and would you believe that Clint Eastwood, in his fame-making film Dirty Harry, wore Ray Ban Balorama frames while Robert De Niro, a Hollywood god, wore Ray Ban Caravans in Taxi Driver, the movie. Ray Ban Wayfarers were Tom Cruise’s style in Risky Business while Kevin Costner preferred Ray Ban Clubmasters in his portrayal of the fallen president in, JFK. Ray Bans are the most popular shades in Hollywood films, I cite, as another example, the epic laugh-fest Blues Brothers, wherein the giants of Jazz wore Ray Ban wayfarerers. More recently, Will Smith made Ray Ban’s cool again in Men in Black alongside Tommy Lee Jones.
Here Angelina Jolie and live-in lover and father to her adopted and parented children, Brad Pitt are both caught on camera in Ray Ban Aviators as they traverse the globe adopting children, starring in multi million dollar films and raising funds for charities. Presidential nominee Barack Obama has also been sighted in Ray Bans, including on the cover of Ebony magazine.
Though originally made popular by General Douglas MacArthur, the shades, and especially the Aviators (which the general was known for) have become known as fashion forward and stylistically symbolic of dissent. MacArthur could not have known that the style he made popular would be worn by such names as Johnny Knoxville, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson.
Ray Bans have, since the early 1940s been a symbol of style and elegance, and have been the only clear and obvious dominating eyewear style of Hollywood’s elites. The style has been mimicked in the public, which has not in the least diminished its popularity among the stars and on the silver screen.
Oct
17
Lance Armstrong, others Sponsored by Oakley
Filed Under Brand Wave, Designer Sunglasses, Blogroll | 5 Comments
Lance Armstrong, seven time Tour de France winner, has become well known internationally for his public struggle against cancer.
At age 25 Armstrong won his first Tour de France. Though he did not know it at the time, his body was harvesting cancer. Ignoring the signs, he continued to train while cancer spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Had he caught the cancer sooner, the cure rate would have been near 90%. Having spread through his body, Armstrong’s chances were dim when he finally sought treatment.
It was because of his own harrowing experience with cancer that Armstrong set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation. As he underwent extensive treatment at Indiana University Medical Center he dedicated himself to two things: his bicycling career and building his cancer education foundation, and continued to win several more bicycle races along the route.
Oakley began sponsoring Armstrong after his first win, when it appeared likely that he could win a second Tour de France the following year. According to Armstrong, “For nearly 20 years, Oakley has been there for me on and off the bike. Now, together with your support, we are making a difference for the millions of people who are living with cancer.” Oakley recently released a special series of Armstrong sunglasses especially designed for bikers in the Armstrong yellow and black made famous by his Live Strong armbands. A percentage of the proceeds goes to Armstrong’s foundation.
Oakley has long sponsored athletes, including such prominent athletes as Amanda Beard (Olympic swimmer) and Grete Eliassen (pro-skier), though Armstrong has been the most visible. Oakley glasses and sunglasses are fully equipped for sporting, including some frames with ear sets connectable with your ipod and others with round-the-head straps for high-impact sports, making the athlete-Oakley union a highly fitting one.
In addition, the company has extensively researched aerodynamics and face-fitting techniques in order to allow athletes to perform at their highest levels. Indeed, the company released European-fit and Asian-fit sunglasses better adapted to various facial and nose bridge shapes. Though originally controversial, the facial fit glasses have begun to sell widely.
Special innovations in women’s eyewear also separate Oakley from other high-performance eyewear companies in their special designs that take into account higher cheek bones and slimmer faces. Oakley enjoys the support of dozens of athletes whom the company sponsors, the majority of which are women athletes.
Armstrong now represents several things, surviving cancer, excelling at athletics and doing so Oakley
Oct
14
Company Profile: Bolle
Filed Under Brand Wave, Eyewear Knowledge, Designer Sunglasses, Designer Eyeglasses | Leave a Comment
Bolle eyewear was established in 1888 and is owned by Bushnell Outdoor Products Group, which also owns Serengeti, Blackwater Gear and Stoney Point. Bolle eyewear is focused on providing the highest quality outdoor gear for hiking and climbing enthusiasts as well as military and law enforcement officers.
Their glasses are high-performance outdoor gear, and come with lightweight, shatterproof lenses and flexible, Hydralon frames that they labeled as ‘virtually indestructible.’ Additionally, all lenses and frames are designed with sport-specific requirements in mind, meaning advanced lens color options, polarization, stay-in-place frames and curved earpieces.
The company is focused on further innovating military and outdoor eyewear, and have invented and perfected high-performance goggles. Various designs allow for one to wear contact or prescription glasses under Bolle goggles, or to fit prescriptions into goggle lenses. Additional innovations include break away lenses for high impact sports, and advances in lens tinting and shaping.
Bolle lenses are high-performance, but can vary depending on which outdoor activity you need them for. Bolle supplies high contact lenses that are designed to enhance your performance outdoors. Specific lens colors and frame designs for skiing (Brown, reducing glare and sharpening contrast) will vary from a riflemen’s lenses and frames (yellow, enhancing contrast, provides depth perception). Meanwhile, their ski designs will include wrap around glare reducers and top-side sun blockers while the daily sport designs for softball, tennis and golf are aimed at reducing annoying glare while enhancing depth perception and contrast.
Currently the company offers some 400 separate products under nine focused collections of sunglasses, sport shields, and goggles. Additionally, the company provides safety glasses, face shields, laser eye protection devices and other tactical eyewear products for law enforcement and military consumption. The company currently distributed to over forty countries internationally.
Bolle military and tactical gear includes goggles specifically designed to fit under all NATO helmet designs, and are especially designed to withstand extreme desert conditions (the Defender series of this goggle is standard issue in the Dutch Army). Bole also designs SWAT gear in the form of the Attacker Goggle, which law enforcement use to combat fogging in crowd control situations. The company’s best selling goggles are the T800R design, which the US Navy SEALs and Rangers use because of the sharp peripheral vision capacity and helmet design accessories. They are also shatterproof and fragment resistant.
Oct
13
Company Profile: Arnette
Filed Under Brand Wave, Eyewear Knowledge, Designer Sunglasses | Leave a Comment
Like most well-known name brand eyewear companies, Arnette is now owned by the Luxottica Group, which acquired the brand in 1999.
In 1992 the Arnette company was founded in California by Greg Arnette as an eyewear design company focused on competitive board sporting designs, namely surf, skate and snowboarding eyewear and goggles, though it has branched out to include all major extreme sports. The designs are functional yet bold, bright and characteristic of the boarding lifestyle. The high-performance and sports-specific frames have earned the company rapport in the extreme sports community.
By 1996 the company had gained such prestige and brand quality that it was purchased by Bausch & Lomb in an effort for the company to reach a wider, more youthful clientele. Arnette remained under the management of Greg and his previous staff, and was run separately from Bausch & Lomb’s other optical holdings. Under new ownership the company had the funding to expand its design offerings, and hence, become more mainstream.
Because of Arnette’s successes in marketing to Generation X, the extreme sports gurus and surf and skating specialists, Luxoittica made an offer to Bausch & Lomb to acquire Arnette in 1999. With the addition of Arnette eyewear, Luxoittca held eyewear brands in every major genre, and truly became the most diverse and wide-spread eyewear company. The same transaction gave Ray band, Killer Loop and Revo to the Luxottica group.
Arnette sunglasses undergo extensive testing in order to ensure they can withstand the wear and tear of extreme sports. Snow sporting lenses are polarized for optimal vision and to reduce snow and ice glare, while summer eyewear are equipped with longer ear curves, to ensure they stay in place, and a multitude of lens varieties for each sport.
Arnette’s marketing scheme includes sponsoring some of the giants in the extreme sporting world like Sanoe Lake a world class surfer, whose favorite frames, the 3049 Lock Down design, have become a top seller for the company. Similarly, Randall Harris wears the 3050 Lustre design are ideal for wake boarding. Meanwhile, Daniel Pedrosa, the extreme motorcycle racer, wears nothing but Arnette Vision 4103 design shades, which increase contrast and therefore help him to see imperfections in the road.
Oct
13
Horn-rimmed Glasses from Hero
Filed Under Brand Wave, Fun with Eyewear, Inside SmartBuyGlasses, Designer Sunglasses | Leave a Comment
The man with the horn rimmed glasses in the hit NBC show Heroes lurks throughout the series as somewhat of a mysterious schizophrenic. Part father and part government company man, Noah Bennet is both the face of fear for the majority of the civilians with superpowers and a loving and protective father to his adopted daughter.
Bennet’s double life makes his characteristic eyewear somewhat of a costume necessity. Throughout the series the camera angle shows the world through these horn rimmed frames, as if showing the predicaments Bennet finds himself in through his own eyes. His adopted daughter, Claire, is also a mutant (in the sense that she has the ability to heal any wound) and in series one was labeled as the savior of the globe. Bennet was forced to decide between turning her over for experimentation by his mutant-tracking government gang, or escaping with her into the desert. He chooses the later course, but leaves his family on several occasions where he returns to his dark side (though for good reason).
The glasses are Demi-Amber/Gold Universal Country Squire brand glasses with tortoise shell coloring and gold accents, a very old fashioned style and color choice for a modern TV hit. Tim Kring, the creator and co producer/writer for the series claims that Bennet’s character wears this particular style and brand of glasses because he felt they were reminiscent of early CIA style frames, and looked “very company-man.”
It is noteworthy that Bennet’s features are somewhat remote and bland. His classic hairstyle, plain grey suits and unassuming shoes and accessories make him a fairly forgettable character. His calm but monotone voice paired with pale skin and a plain car also help to make Bennet disappear into the crowd. Yet the glasses themselves stand out in people’s memories in the series, and he becomes known to the mutants only as ‘the man with the horn rimmed glasses.’
He first acquired the glasses when shopping with his daughter, Claire. He was wearing grandpa-style thick, dark frames that shaded most of his face and added to his bland appearance. Claire picked up the horn rimmed glasses for her father and complemented him on the change they made to his appearance. Pleased with his daughter’s choice, and obviously infatuated with her, Bennet purchased the frames and is hardly seen without them. It is striking that his daughter heard of a dangerous man with horn rimmed glasses several times before connecting the super-villain to her father, whom she helped create the persona for.
Throughout the seasons, Bennet’s glasses have been broken several times, spit on, and have appeared in visions painted by a fortune telling artist. He is known around the globe as a killer and the lone assassin of a government program tagging and killing mutants. His glasses are symbol of his former life as a killer for The Company. Though he tries to flee with his family for a normal life and safety, he finds it hard to let go of his former self, and expertly plays the villain when needed, and the father when called upon. His glasses, then, are the most poignant throw-back to his company days, and to the internal battle that rages inside his character. This writer predicts that the glasses will vanish in later seasons when the character defeats the company.