February 3, 2008
Pink Ribbon Readers on Global
October 18, 2007
Shop for the cure
By FRANCES SOMERS, Seattle PI
Published: Thursday October 18, 2007
Only a boob would let National Breast Cancer Awareness Month pass without donating some money to the fight. And it's never been easier -- just get online and shop. We like the Hot for a Cure travel mug on the Susan G. Komen site. The 14-ounce mug has a stainless interior and a hot-pink acrylic exterior. It has a spill-resistant lid and fits most car cup holders. It's $17.99 at www.komen.org. Also useful are the high-quality Pink Ribbon Readers from Claudia Alan. The reading glasses come in four styles and strengths, with a pink ribbon design positioned on the side arm. Each comes in a silky bag with the ribbon logo. They're $35, with $2 donated to the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound affiliate. Find them at claudiaalan.com.
October 5, 2007
N. Van designer has her eye on a cure
Joanna Habdank, North Shore News
Published: Friday, October 05, 2007
Social awareness campaigns and fashion seem like very different concepts, but increasingly the two have joined forces perhaps like never before.
From glamorous fundraising catwalk shows to special edition, affordable high-end T-shirts for causes, designers have embraced the need to contribute something back to society. But few have done so with the specific intent of weaving creativity and charity together.
For Carla D'Angelo Taylor the two were simply a natural match. With a strong background in marketing and an even stronger call to contribute to breast cancer research, a disease that has affected many people in her life, she tapped into a very specific niche: affordably priced, luxurious-looking, stylish reading glasses for women.
"Because my experience is in eyewear I saw the need in the market for fashionable reading glasses, (that demographic is in the over 40 population) and I also recognized the correlation between the number of women affected by breast cancer being over 40," she says.
The result are Pink Ribbon Readers (www.pinkribbonreaders.com), four styles of reading glasses silhouetted after higher-end brands retailing for $35, with $2 from the sale of every pair going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
She teamed up with Suntech Optics, a leading Canadian eyewear company that she has worked with for a number of years, and launched the fashionable readers at The Bay stores across the country in support of The Bay's Think Pink Campaign taking place this month. They're also available on the North Shore at Favourite, in Lonsdale Quay, and Giftworks, Edgemont Village.
The glasses will sell in four colours: black, crystal plum, crystal pink and crystal red, with a pink rhinestone ribbon on the side symbolizing the fundraising cause. Each pair, made out of Czechoslovakian crystal with scratch- and impact-resistant lenses, will retail in three powers (strong, medium and weak).
D'Angelo Taylor, who works under the name of her company Claudia Alan, will also retail a mini pocket reader selling at $14.95 with $1 towards breast cancer research initiatives.
Before venturing ahead with the readers and their mini version, she first did a fair bit of rigorous research to figure out exactly what women want. "I researched the optical market, I travelled to Italy, I went to optical shows in New York, I have a strong relationship with vendors throughout Asia. I (could) forecast what is strong and selling," she explains.
The trend has moved towards a lot more originality, calling attention to the face with strong colours, which is a significant shift from just a few years ago. "Ten years ago it was what I call very retro simple, small metal frames and now everything has become very bold with rhinestones and the bling so it allows for a lot more creative expression in eyewear," says D'Angelo Taylor.
She explains that these pairs work on two levels for women: they allow them to make an affordable fashion statement while making them feel really good because they are contributing and are supporting a cause. "Increasingly more and more people have been affected by this disease. And it's affecting younger and younger women. I turned 40 last night and it really resonates with me right now," she says.
Statistics show that there is cause for hope and optimism, but they also indicate how many people are affected by the disease, if not directly then likely through someone they know.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, the incidence of breast cancer in Canada has stabilized since 1999, while the number of people who die from breast cancer has declined. That is the good news.
The more troubling figures show that on average 429 women will be diagnosed with the disease each week across Canada in 2007. About 5,300 women and 50 men will die because of breast cancer this year. And one in nine women or about 11 per cent of women are expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime, meaning by age 90.
D'Angelo Taylor estimates that she can contribute about $30,000 towards the cause from the sale of her glasses. She says, "It's great to think about how much I can contribute back to research." She notes that she's had a number of health challenges over the last 10 years, so she has a lot of compassion for people who are undergoing this kind of suffering. "This (the launch) feels good, it brought everything together that I wanted it to. . . . It's very fulfilling and rewarding and motivating."
October 4, 2007
Savvymom.ca recently included a write-up on Pink Ribbon Readers in their monthly newsletter. Please click the link below to read more...
September 28, 2007
Claudia Alan Inc. Launches a New Line of Women's Reading Glasses, Pink Ribbon Readers, across the Pacific North West in Support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Vancouver, BC (September 21, 2007): On September 24, 2007, a newcomer to the market Claudia Alan Inc. is launching its first ever charity-driven eyewear collection in support of breast cancer research across North America. Claudia Alan's PINK RIBBON READERS premiered at the Seattle Gift Show in August and will be available at select retailers across North America October 1st, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Carla D'Angelo, Founder and President of Claudia Alan brings over 15 years of expertise and experience to this collection. "I wanted to find a way to express my creativity while at the same time making a contribution to a cause that I believe in."
The collection offers quality materials, scratch and impact resistant lenses and the latest, plastic fashionable frames in optical styling. The pink ribbon embellishment is discreetly positioned on the side arm temple, encrusted with Czechoslovakian crystals. This line of women's reading glasses will be available in 4 styles, (style names: Ava, Cheri, Jess and Dawna) 3 different color ways and diopter levels. Each pair includes an attractive microfiber pouch complete with pink ribbon. A mini pocket reader, which is a compact alternative to reading glasses is also available. This item is the size of a credit card and also has the attractive rhinestone embellishment.
Jan Engemoen, Executive Director Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region - said, "We're excited to see this product line unfold. This collection gives people the opportunity to support breast cancer research while feeling good about making a contribution when purchasing a pair of Pink Ribbon Readers".
Claudia Alan will be contributing $2 from the sale of the reading glasses that retail for $35.00 and a $1.00 from the $14.95 mini pocket reader to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation BC/Yukon Region.
Pink Ribbon Reading glasses will be available through specialty eyewear stores such as Readerware - Vancouver, Twenty Twenty - Kelowna and fine gift stores such as Giftworks in Edgemont Village - North Vancouver.
September 28, 2007
Pink Ribbon Readers on Kindermusik with Notable Kids Blog
