EYE EYE CAPTAIN.

(From The Dominion Post)

Byline: WALKER Kylie

"SPECS, four-eyes, nerd." Remember those horrible playground taunts? Crying over the names the other kids called you but unable to see the blackboard without your new eye furniture. Adulthood wasn't much better. Just ask American socialite Dorothy Parker, who once quipped that "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses". These days, wearing spectacles no longer carries the same social stigma. Visually challenged persons can carry their heads high. Eyewear - like sunglasses - has become a multi-million dollar industry. Gone are the inch-thick lenses and Nana Mouskouri frames. Actually that's not true but Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci are among the fashion houses keeping a close eye on the market, as they monitor how well their "haute optic" collections sell. There's even a Harry Potter range …