Glasses are big business – hardly surprising given that sight is our dominant sense. And with research suggesting our eyes are getting worse, the global eyewear market – set to be worth $130 billion by 2018 – could be about to get even bigger. But what's causing our eyes to fail?

Glasses are officially en vogue; they’re on red carpets, catwalks and all over the high street. But who’s profiting from these prescriptions? Until recently, the answer would have been Italian giant Luxottica. But start-ups like Made Eyewear are now cutting out big brands and going direct to the public.

80% of the world's eyewear brands are designed and manufactured by a single company. In 2010, a start-up eyewear designer with a revolutionary e-commerce platform set out to disrupt the marketplace. Where is Warby Parker headed next?

Gen X women are often ignored by brands, who tend to target Boomers and Gen Yers. But they have a lot of spending power that isn't being tapped into. Enter The Midult, a site dedicated to giving these women a voice and defying stereotypes about what it means to be a Gen Xer today.