It was my sophomore year in high school when I started having trouble seeing the chalkboard. My Mom took me to an optometrist, and I was prescribed my first pair of glasses. I still remember trying on different pairs and settled on a bright red round shaped frame from popular ’90s apparel brand Benetton. I wasn’t known to favor bright colors at the time, but I thought if I had to wear glasses, why not make a statement and wear something that made me stand out? My classmates teased me for looking like then popular talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael, who was known for her trademark red glasses. I brushed them off and said, “And that’s what makes her memorable.”
A decade later, I began my career in the optical industry. My eyes were opened to the world of eyecare and eyewear—I had no idea this whole industry existed when I was just a high schooler wearing glasses. I was impressed by all the magazines and products offered under the Jobson Optical umbrella, but I immediately gravitated toward 20/20. I remember falling in love with the magazine for the beautiful way it portrayed eyewear—from the fashion covers and style feature pages to the product pages highlighting new eyewear styles. As I cultivated my career with 20/20, I grew obsessed with eyewear and became super passionate about our magazine and the role we play in our industry. Whether it’s sitting on my desk or on display at Vision Expo, I feel proud every time I see a copy of 20/20. In an increasingly digitized media space, there’s still nothing like touching and leafing through the pages of a printed piece.
Many years later, my team has published countless issues of 20/20. Each one is special to me, but certain issues are extra close to my heart. There are too many to list here but there are some issues I’ve made sure to save copies of: February 2003, when I made my modeling debut in our Real Women in Eyewear style feature; September 15 2013, my first cover feature with Oakland A’s baseball star Eric Sogard; and December 2011, our Musicians in Eyewear photo shoot where some musician friends of mine were the stars of our style feature. Over the years, I have met many of our readers who have shared with me how much they love 20/20 and consider our issues as keepers. I would love to know if you are one of them, and even better, if you have any photos of them, please share them with us. 20/20 is celebrating our 50th anniversary next year, and perhaps you may even have the chance to be featured in our year long celebration. More details to come but in the meantime, find your favorite issues and shoot me an email at [email protected].
—Christine Yeh
Executive Editor
[email protected]
