Cool eyewear at the AICI Global conference

I spied great eyewear at the AICI Conference in Chicago

Attending the Association of Image Consultants International Global conference serves many purposes. It’s a chance to get 20 hours of education from trainers all over the world, keep your certification current, stay up late with friends new and old, and do plenty of fashion-watching. Had I not been so busy learning new things, I could have photographed fashion for all four days.

One thing I did capture, however, was eyewear. Have a look at some conference highlights.

Here’s Lyn Slater, the Accidental Icon. She was our keynote speaker and was on a panel as well discussing the direction of fashion. She often wears sunglasses and these have a great lift. Isn’t that color great?

Lyn Slater, the Accidental Icon

Lyn won the prestigious IMMIE Bravo Award. She wasn’t there Saturday night to accept the award but she did leave us a video acceptance speech. You get a front view of her frames here.

Lyn Slater wins the IMMIE Bravo Award

This is a longtime friend and colleague of mine, Carol Davidson from New York City. She’s an image and life coach, an image educator and a real force in our industry. I love how her frames bring us right to her yes. You know you’re in for something special with frames like that.

Carol Davidson in unique black and white frames

This is my bud, Helena Chenn. She’s an image consultant and does custom couture. She’s located in Silicon Valley. She rescued me the night of the gala when she basted the facing down on my sequined dress. I’ve known her at least since 1990. She’s always on the forefront of eyewear style. Now that her hair has turned gray mostly, I love how she’s incorporated that color in her metal frames. It’s so lovely.

Here’s my pal Imogen Lamport. She has the very popular Inside Out Style Blog. I think it was 2009 when we met in an elevator at an Irvine hotel where the conference was being held that year. She’d been a fan of my books and asked me to come to Sydney to do a training there for the Sydney AICI Chapter. By the time I got off on the sixth floor, I’d said yes! We’ve had great times together and I admire her so much.

She’s had darker hair before and now that it’s lighter, I love how she chose white frames. She’s a very direct, smart person and her frames say that about her.

Imogen writes the Inside Out Style Blog

This is a new friend, Yelena Jackson from the Washington, DC Chapter. Her business is called The School of Fabulous. We made a great connection. She’s so dynamic.  I love how she’s going all out for red. Red hair, glasses, lipstick, and dress.

Believe me, she’s going places! She’s got great projects in the works. I’ll be sharing more about when it’s ready.

Yelena Jackson nails the color red

Yelena carries off this color so well.

Here’s another new friend. We’d chatted on the phone but never met until now. Her name is Marilyn Neel and her business is called Expressive Image Solutions. She’s from Louisville, Kentucky. I so enjoyed visiting with her. She’s been an active member of the American Sewing Guild since 2001. She’s a true fit expert.

Do you know how I write a lot about shopping your closet? Well, she is an expert at “shopping your stash.” She said. “The best place to get fabric is from my stash.” That’s a sustainable sewing practice.  She helps others do the same thing. Isn’t that innovative?

Marilyn Neel from Louisville.

I was smitten by the detail on her frames and the color is so unique. She wears these greens and blues so well.

Marilyn wears creative eyewear that’s great with her coloring.

Another new buddy, this is Liz Klebba from Atlanta, Georgia. I think I have to go there and visit her! She’s got style galore. I thought these frames offered a great accent to her classic with a twist outfit. She’s energetic and positive and must be a ton of fun to work with.

Hello, pop of color!

Do you want to read more about eyewear? Here’s a post about choosing colorful eyewear over 50. And here’s a post about how others have used their style to express themselves in eyewear.

I get comments now and then from some of you who are daring to go bolder in eyewear. Is that still true? Are you considering new eyewear? Do share your latest thoughts on eyewear, would you?

XO