1st April 2012 This is the first place I’d be heading on my next trip to NY. These guys are so well known for their vintage frames and hand picked selection of contemporary styles, and their store showcases their passion for superb eyewear. The shop is run by Erik Sacher, a licensed optician and Jordan Silver, an expert in vintage eyewear. We talked to Jordan about the store and the vintage particularly, which includes iconic sunglasses from the past (this is where Jennifer Aniston bought her vintage Persol Ratti’s last month) and a wide selection of carefully chosen pieces from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Asked to explain the ethos of the store, Jordan explained: “Silver Lining Opticians sells only independent, handmade, contemporary brands and vintage frames. We don’t carry anything with decorative rivets or spring hinges. This limits the frames we can carry, but we put quality and craftsmanship before all else. We are located in Soho and cater to a wide range of people including artists, business people, and celebrities.”
How long have you been specialists in vintage? Do you source your own vintage frames? “We’ve been sourcing vintage since before we opened in 2007. We do source our own frames. Customers see vintage frames as representing something that is rare, and not available for mass consumption and it usually represents better quality.”
You come across as very creative opticians. How do you ensure customers find what they want, vintage or otherwise? “It’s about education. Teaching people what luxury eyewear really is and isn’t. To us it isn’t a logo on the temple.”
Which are your favourite vintage sunglasses for this year? Persol, Vuarnet, Mikli, Balenciaga, and Ray-Ban.
Which trends in new collections are selling well in New York and why is that? “Collections that sell well for us have qualities similar to mid-century plastic frames. They are hand made, hand riveted, and hand polished.
Tell us about your own line and how that came about? “Our own line is a work in progress. We currently produce eight styles exclusive to Silver Lining Opticians. It’s a super fun experience to design based on our tastes in vintage. We have styles we’ve been saving for years to tweak and make our own. We’ll be ramping up production in the coming year to offer wholesale.”
What are your recommendations for buying vintage sunglasses? “Feel the frames. Go into a sunglass store and try on glasses, then try on some vintage, or high quality, non-licensed product. That’s usually all one needs.”
Silver Lining Opticians, 92 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012
For the online boutique, visit http://silverliningopticians.com