June 2012

Cheerful Parisian Optical Boutique

1st June 2012 A lovely friend visiting from Switzerland introduced me to this delightful Parisian boutique – it’s always fun to discover something wonderful virtually on your own doorstep! L’Artisan du Regard is located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, on a totally charming street, with the atmosphere and tempting shops of a little village. “I adore the 9th arrondissement, and la rue des Martyrs has the true spirit of the artisan,” explains optician and boutique owner Grègory Vissac, “and there are very few franchises in the street – which is more and more rare”. L’Artisan du Regard opened in 2008, and the architecture was created by Fréderi Tabary from Nantes, on the West coast of France. The environment is stylish and very personal with a warm ambience – uplifting orange, green plants – and most of all, gorgeous frames. To feel really at home, Socrate, Grègory’s four-footed friend, waits at the front door to welcome visitors.

Vissac’s philosophy is that glasses are something you carry with you and usually wear all day long, so it is important that frames permit the wearer to express their individual style. “We offer a large selection of frames with a variety of materials that are ‘avant-gardiste’. We feature Anne et Valentin, Thierry Lasry, Caroline Abram, Thierry Lasry, Masunaga, Design Natural, Paul Frank, Mikli and Starck, Pierre Eyewear, and Michel Klein. We truly want frames to be a pleasure, and for the client to really fall in love with something.”. L’Artisan du Regard, 35 rue Martyrs, 75009 Paris.  www.artisanduregard.com JG