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!”
Asked to comment on the new designers they are following, Boris says: “As well as many independent designers we work with, we also love Garrett Leight, and also Graz, and we had the opportunity to meet them in Paris last year.” They say they like to work with straightforward people “without headaches”, who are open to many things.
Art is an integral part of the shop. “We made done five exhibitions, and some openings. We are not an art gallery, and we do not want to be one. But it is interesting and original to display art in a glasses store, and we enjoy this with our friends and customers. We are very open and I think that is the strength of our business; it is our aim to be varied on many things. ‘The world is beautiful because it is varied.'” CN
Les Lunettes de Marius, 1 Rue Marius Gonin, 69005 LYON
Opening times: Tuesday-Saturday 9 to 20hrs; Sunday-Monday from 14 to 19hrs. www.leslunettesdemarius.com