Boutiques

Beijing, China

1st March 2013 David Leung from Coterie in Beijing shares with Eyestylist the history and direction of his glamorous boutique.

Please give a background of the boutique. “Three of us, all fashion addicts, came together in late 2011 and started the Coterie project. For us, it is exciting to be the first to introduce many top eyewear designers and their collections to China. We strongly believe when consumers are offered more choices, they will start to understand that good eyewear is more than just a luxury name tagged onto the temple of an average product. We created the interior space design ourselves. We believe the best background to frame eyewear is white. It is the only colour that allows the subtle colour differences – both the lens and the frame – to be fully revealed. And since we are so into originality and the beauty of vintage, it came to us naturally that the space would have no option but to be European-style inspired – and all-white.

“One of our boutiques sits in a very interesting mall in Beijing called Parkviewgreen. The entire mall is covered with glass walls from top to bottom – like a greenhouse. Abundant sunlight penetrates the mall, and makes you feel like you are walking outdoors. Since the mall owner is also the biggest art collector in Hong Kong, he displays lots of his interesting and stunning collections – including Salvador Dali – in the mall. When people walk in, it is not only about shopping, but also an experience that resembles going to an exhibition.”

You stock European/North American labels – are your customers inspired by fashion from these countries? “To us, there are two major reasons why we are more inclined to labels from Europe and North America. First of all, these countries are also where most of the world’s fashion ideas come from. We can see breakthrough new attempts every season, and that’s inspiring! Amazingly, while innovation is there, we also see a lot of brands that have a long history successfully keeping their craftsmanship and spirit in their collections. It is heritage and it is not replaceable.”

..”not only about shopping..also an experience that resembles going to an exhibition.” David Leung – Coterie

Your customer profile? “Most of our consumers come from the fashion world. They are celebrities, actresses/actors, fashion editors, models and trend lovers.”

For Spring/Sumer 2013 – what are customers looking  in eyewear? “We believe black/gold, with acetate plus metal parts will be still on the spot. Slowly, we see metal as a material (or partially metal) coming back on stage as a trend. Green/dark green will become a colour to go for this season. Mirrored lenses and frames and lenses in the same colour are options to many who are bored with normal gradient grey/brown lenses. Wellington styles, oversize, cat-eye, flat-top and vintage revamps will be some of the most favourable shapes in 2013.”

Do you have events in the boutique? “We love modern artwork, and therefore we regularly invite artists to have their exhibition in our stores. We had Chenman – the photographer – create a series of images for us when we launched the project. And it was followed by ceramic artist Nutz Luk, and Graffiti artist Hurricane from Oops in May and November last year. In 2013, we will have Casper from Disiniok, creating special fashion illustrations and an exhibit in Coterie in March. Besides artist collaborations, we also create special edition products with brands. Last year, we did projects with EK Paris, Neighborhood Eyewear, Graz Eyewear and Dita Legend. We are now working on a few special limited edition projects, hoping that will help draw more and more attention from consumers in China.

“In April we will have Mik Somers from theo coming to China and we will have interviews with the media. We are also working on a pop-up store project with a brand, and if everything goes smoothly, it should land in Beijing this summer.” www.coterie.cn JG

1st February 2013 One of the leading spectacle stores in Lyon, Les Lunettes de Marius is run by school friends, Boris Vicard and Simon Lauzier. The first time I came across pictures of the shop I admired the thoughtful mix of furniture, from old and new, to retro and reclaimed. Their interior concept, the mix of labels – which include Claire Goldsmith, Isson, Lafont, L.G.R., Masunaga, and Vera Wang  -  and their use of the store as a gallery space are inspiring.

Simon explains: “The design of the store is by Colette De Jong. We were inspired by tea and living room. We wanted guests to feel at home in a convivial place to break the notion of time. Optical shops can have a very medical look and we wanted to break this reputation.”

“Our customers are varied, and mainly between 18 and 40 years. A large portion of our products are handmade in Europe or Japan and we rely on this to justify the quality, and its history. We have returned to a time in which the client needs to be reassured about the quality and origin of the product. We like to to discuss this over tea or coffee!”

 

Le Labo Sets the Pace for Fashion Accessories

1st January 2013 Followers of Eyestylist know that I really love Switzerland, and I have found yet another reason to be enchanted – a delightful Concept Store in Geneva – Le Labo. The boutique is the creation of Leila Krir, an optician with fashion flair, optical expertise and unbounded enthusiasm. “I worked in the luxury eyewear sector for more than ten years,” explains Leila, “and I acquired great experience and know how in high-end client relationships. I met a lot of opticians and eyewear designers, and I fell in love with many concept stores that I visited during my different journeys. That’s where the idea of combining both the fashion and eyewear aspects originated.”

The boutique opened in September 2011 and the shop features an impressive roster of eyewear designers: L.G.R., Lotho, Andy Wolf, Prism, Strada del Sole, Retrospecs, Marma London, La Loop and Linda Farrow among others. In addition, Le Labo has a variety of unusual accessories that include scarves from Yarnz, hats from Inverni and cuff links by Samuel Gassmann. Leila is also researching other accessories to introduce into the boutique for next summer.

Eyewear and Accessories unite fashionably at Le Labo Geneva

The fashion and optical profile is further highlighted with monthly events held in the boutique. “We could have a designer appearance – like Italia Independent, or have a vintage theme, or a Christmas motif, perhaps combining with other stores in Geneva who have the same philosophy,” says Leila, “as our typical customer is trendy and demanding – looking for the ‘rare pearl’.” If Geneva or somewhere in the region is your destination, do include Le Labo on your ‘must see’ list – it’s a wonderful celebration of fashion eyewear and accessories. www.lelabo-geneva.com JG