Prada has long been a kingpin in the fashion industry, and there are undoubtedly thousands of reasons to love Prada. We’re offering you the top five reasons we think Prada is an amazing design house with creative, fresh takes on traditional products.

1.) For the Love of Heels. Prada’s innovations in shoe designs, especially in high feels and taking the simple black shoe from an elegant must-have, to a daring and sexual accessory no city woman’s wardrobe would be complete without.

2.) For the Love of Sunnies. Whenever you think of Prada you are likely thinking of a modern woman, probably a successful one, in dark sunglasses and fashionable attire. The Prada love of innovative, powerful and yet elegant eyewear is renown in the highest circles of the fashion world.

3.) For the Love of Handbags. There has been no major innovation in the handbag category as big as Prada’s. They brought high-quality, tough and durable fabric into high fashion. A Prada bag should last a lifetime, with Kevlar-like toughness, these bags can be dropped, scraped, banged around and drenched and still look perfect.

4.) Even Hollywood Loves Prada. In the hit film, “The Devil Wears Prada” we learned that success in the world of high fashion is beyond cut throat. Nevertheless, we come away from that film loving Prada as much as we did before we found out it was Satin’s clothing of choice.

5.) Finally, the Fit is Perfect. While Prada may make clothing, the real reason for their fame has long been their wonderful, perfect accessories. They fit into any outfit, and into any lifestyle.

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While European fashion is more tailored and proper, and American fashion more cliché and predictable, Australian fashion is rugged and yet casual. Even when wearing designer glasses, like Serengeti or Rudy Project, Aussies know how to make each look really shine. It combines a beautiful medley of international fabrics and concepts with Australian outback flare. For example, rich Chinese and Japanese silks, and Egyptian cottons draped in distinctly Aussie ways, trimmed with beads or studs, and distinctly form-fitting yet loose, like a beautiful woman who does not have to show off her curves for spectators to know they are there.

When it comes to eyewear fashion, Australians really take the gold. They know how to wear the right fashions for their face color and shape, and how to match the eyewear to a delightful wardrobe. One of the ways Aussie women make their look so unique is the mix of designer clothing and high-fashion fabrics and textures with simple yet rugged eyewear looks like Serengeti. A casual pair of sunglasses can really make an entire look more approachable and delightful. While many in the USA and Europe go too far with high fashion, Aussies know where to draw the line, and they tend to use brown or gold tinted eyewear to achieve that aim. Another classy and intriguing way Aussie women keep it casual yet beautiful is to braid their hair, or add a simple hat and sandals to their higher fashion clothing, or a sensual scarf or oversized ear rings.

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Have you ever wondered what sets some companies above others? Vision Direct works hard to ensure their customers are satisfied, and guarantees all of their designer products, and does as much as possible to make sure the customer is smiling at the end of the day. The Vision Direct team is working hard day after day to make their name synonymous with quality service, designer products and happy customers.

To add to their already impressive collection of awards for customer service, Vision Direct has recently become an ebay Power seller in the Australian Market. This is no easy feat. Anyone who has ever ordered on ebay knows that the customers have to continuously rank a distributor very highly in order to achieve even passing stars as an ebay seller. One mishap and the whole carefully and patiently earned ranking can shatter. So, when a seller reaches power status, it is truly something to take note of. It signifies that all customers leave happy with their product, and happy with the seller. Vision Direct has worked tirelessly to attain this status when customers buy directly on their website, and now they have earned the same renown through ebay.

In addition to their impressive and ongoing status in the Australian Market, Vision Direct has also been helping those in need around the globe. Their partnership with Orbis International in 2009 provided eyewear to needy folks, and their 2010 partnership with Unite for Sight Inc., which provides eye exams and eyewear to help eliminate preventable blindness. So, while they are working hard to make you a happy customer, they are also working hard to help those in need with their first rate products and excellent service.

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Now YOU can contribute to fighting blindness simply by shopping online at Vision Direct! For every pair of prescription eyewear sold on the site, Vision Direct will donate a pair to help eliminate preventable blindness around the globe. Unite for Sight is a charitable organization dedicated to leading the fight against preventable blindness, a curse that affects some 500 million people worldwide. All these people need are proper glasses, or simple medications and they could have their sight restored. Just imagine a world where you can’t work, can’t participate in your local community or help out at home—and it is all preventable and curable if only you had access to a simple eye exam and eyeglasses. Some parts of the developing world survive on crafts or farming, much of which sight is essential for. Lacking vision, a person not only suffers because they do not experience the world as fully, but they leave more work for those around them, which brings down their self worth. Vision Direct does not sit idly by! For every pair bought online, Vision Direct will now send a pair to a person in need through United for Sight, in the one-for-one campaign.

Here’s how it works. Simply check out all the amazing, designer prescription eyeglasses on the Vision Direct site, and when you and your friends need new glasses, simply buy them online here! Vision Direct automatically sends a pair of prescription glasses to United for Sight every time someone buys online! This is truly a win-win situation for everyone! Tell your friends about the one-for-one campaign and get them to buy their prescription eyeglasses online through Vision Direct now! Not only will they get the highest quality, designer eyeglasses, but an extra warm fuzzy feeling for helping out those in need!

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Many visually impaired people consider the choice between contact lenses and eyeglasses a difficult one. Perhaps this is because they associate several problems with applying or caring for contact lenses over the relative ease of eyeglasses. With brands like Focus and Air Optix in the contact lens business, rest assured that any problem you could imagine has been envisioned by design and optometry experts and solved prior to the lenses hitting the shelves.

For example, many early complaints about contact lenses revolved around the comfort of the lenses when applied. To solve this issue, designers have made softer, more flexible lenses that adhere to the shape of your eye thus decreasing friction and discomfort.

Another problem many worry about is the application of contact lenses. You’ll see people in cinema act out a harrowing ordeal attempting to insert a lens, when in reality they are designed to slip in and out of the eye only when confronted with a dry surface (aka, your application finger). Thus, lenses stay secure when they are meant to, and can easily be applied or removed.

A third problem many anticipate is the cost of contact lenses exceeding eyeglasses. This is also a misconception. Wile contact lenses can be expensive depending on the brand or prescription; by and large the cost is relative to eyeglasses, which also need to be replaced yearly. Basic lenses, solution and a storage case will run you roughly the same amount as a designer set of eyeglasses for a year. And while many people feel insecure in their glasses, you’ll hardly hear people complain about their insecurities with their contact lenses. In fact, do you have any friends who are disappointed with the choice they made to switch to contacts?

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Did you know that 75% of all visually impaired people worldwide could have their conditions corrected, and live a more comfortable and meaningful life as a result? That means 75% of all impairments are unnecessary. If you are in the giving spirit, there are many vision-related charities you could donate to. Over one billion people on the planet need eyewear and do not have them, either because of financial restraints or poor access to an optometrist. Below are some charities you might consider donating to, every bit helps lower the number of unnecessarily visually- impaired people worldwide.

Giving Sight (www.givingsight.org) is a charity that sends optometrists to underdeveloped countries, gives people eye exams and eyewear so they can get jobs and improve the quality of their lives. With the right eyewear, a child in a country without steady eye care could go from being technically blind, to having a chance at an education.

The Scojo Foundation (www.scojofoundation.com) is designed to help reading glasses be more accessible in developing countries by training locals in basic optometry skills so they can assess their local need and sell eyewear at a low cost in their community.

Orbis International (www.orbis.org) runs the Flying Eye Hospital, where doctors donate their time and fly to underprivileged areas to give proper eye exams and care to needy people worldwide.

The Fred Hollows Foundation (www.hollows.org.au) believes that indigenous Australians deserve the same health care and life expectancy as other Australians, and they run a vision program helping the needlessly blind of the outback.

The Lions Club International (www.lionsclub.org) collects, cleans, repairs and then sends reused and refurbished eyewear to needy people who could not otherwise afford eyewear. Donations centers exist internationally as well as online.

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If you are an outdoorsman or woman, then you’ll love the fact that many sunglasses designers are creating new looks especially for you, looks that are both fashionable and chic while durable and sports ready.

Oakley sunglasses are becoming more accessible. Instead of the somewhat unfashionable plastic frames that can cause a casual athlete to look like Lance Armstrong, you’ll find Oakley designs that are fashionable as well as functional, and made of the highest quality materials.

Arnette sunglasses are the perfect mix of fashion and fun as well as sporty functionality. You’ll love the sleek designs, looks you can wear with a suit to the office as well as parasailing off the gulf. For women who have never been fond of the Oakley look, Arnette sunglasses are a great alternative that offer amazing new looks yet don’t over-feminize their female line to the point of pink puke and faux diamonds, which is a mistake many design houses make when designing for women. Hey, not all women like to look like powder puffs!

For the casual enthusiast of a more slow-passed sport, Timberland sunglasses are a great way to stay fashionable and high brow while still looking slightly athletic and outdoors-like. For yachters, hikers and drivers these sunglasses offer comfort, lightweight durability and straight forward, Indiana Jones-style eyewear that won’t break your piggy bank or make you look like you try too hard, which is exactly what you want while outdoors.

Other great outdoor brands include: Bolle (especially for women who love the outdoors and athletics), Ray Ban, Diesel, Carrera. You’ll find that all of these brands offer something unique in terms of style, but the same level of craftsmanship and durability while exploring and enjoying the great outdoors.

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Torah Bright has stolen the hearts of Australians everywhere by bringing morality and femininity to the Oakley-infused Olympic events. With her strange boarding stance, amazing grace, and ability to rock the halfpipe like a true professional, Torah proves Aussies are a fighting force. Her recent gold medal win at the 2010 Winter Olympics has heralded her as the top female athlete in her sport. But Torah is much more than that at home.

Torah has helped Roxy, a goggle and outdoor fashion design company, to create a new line after her own name. Meanwhile, she has been sponsored by Roxy for some time, enjoying the girlish flare these goggles provide over their more serious counterparts like Oakley and Adidas. Torah hopes her designs, including her snowboard, goggles, jacket and accessories, will bring femininity to sport that is often perceived as masculine. We think she is making good progress so far.

Torah is trained by her brother, who was himself a boarder. Her sister, Rowena, competed in the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Games. She is engaged to American snowboarder, Jack Welch. Having been educated in New South Wales, Torah (meaning ‘bearer of great messages’) has indeed been primed for gold and has finally delivered her message – Australia’s winter athletes are a force to be reckoned with. And Torah is a great role model for kids back home. As a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Torah does not drink, smoke, or engage in other acts she considers immoral. Thus, not only is she brining femininity to snowboarding, she is brining a higher morality to this rough-edged sport.

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What began as a union of two star-crossed design assistants turned lovers has evolved into one of the most recognizable brands in modern fashion. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were young designers working as assistants when they met in 1980. After cultivating a relationship the two started their own business together in 1982. Four years later their first line of women’s wear emerged in Milan and earned instant acclaim, whereupon the two branched out into accessories and men’s wear. Three years later their first boutique was earning revenue in Tokyo, with several more in Asia and Milan before branching into the US and Canadian, European and Australian markets.

There is some confusion about the fashion house, which has two key brands. Dolce&Gabbana (without spaces) is a luxury, high-end brand that caters to the refined. It responds to tried-and-true trends rather than seasonal shifts, and sells accessories as well as clothing. The second line is D&G, which is a seasonal trend setter/follower that is more affordable and thus, more prevalent. They also recently launched a D&G children’s brand label which is influenced by pop culture.

The style is distinct in that it is at once classy and yet redundantly over jeweled. With the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Eva Mendes, and Rose McGowen—a barrage of beautiful and talented women from a broad range of cultures proving that Dolce and Gabbana have found a formula that works—across the board.

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Australian singing sensation Kylie Minogue has brought Madonna-like fashion and flare to the Outback. This startling beauty, made famous by her role on Neighbours and more recently her skyrocketing singing career, has since become not only a fashion icon, but also an avid figure in the battle against cancer and the fight for gay rights.

Kylie’s fashion is at once risky and bold and yet respectful and timeless—a perfect blend for this multifaceted female superstar. In high fashion clothing and designer sunglasses she puts on Ray Ban Wayfarers, a style that was popular fully thirty years ago. She is an icon to be emulated and respected.

Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and though she suspended her tour, post surgery and chemotherapy she resumed touring and currently has an international tour scheduled. Though originally misdiagnosed (while the cancer spread internally) the illness was spotted in time to battle the disease. The battle brought new elements to Minogue’s character and earned her widespread support and respect. Her children’s book, The Showgirl Princess (written while in hospital) was widely received—and even Prime Minister John Howard issued a statement of support for her cause.

Additionally, she has been an icon in the gay community – visiting Ellen Degenere’s talk show in the USA and using suggestively homosexual backup dances while citing her support for this underrepresented group.

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