10 questions – Daniel Brunson: Hicks Brunson Eyewear, Tulsa, Oklahoma

In a new conversation series with personalities in optics, we talked to Daniel Brunson, the owner of Hicks Brunson Eyewear in Tulsa – whose taste for great glasses and luxury brands we’ve come to enjoy @hicksbrunson and @daniel.g.brunson on Instagram. The store is located at 2020 Utica Square, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114. Above: Daniel wears Orion by Masunaga x Kenzo Takada

1/What’s your USP at Hicks Brunson? We carry a wide selection of independent eyewear that skews towards the high-end luxury segment, and we take opticianry seriously.  We take as much time as needed to style and fit our clients, and we get to know them on a personal level so we can understand their unique needs.

2/From where has your taste for luxury eyewear grown and evolved? I brought Tom Davies eyewear into my store in 2007, and at that point I realized the importance and the value of working with independent designers.  I met Tom in person a few years later at Vision Expo West in 2009, and I realized he was someone I wanted to continue to partner with.  I eventually carried his luxury horn and sterling silver frames.  I even carried two sunglasses he once made that had salmon skin on the frame fronts.  He and I reminisced about the salmon skin frames at Vision Expo East this year, and we both agreed that we don’t think anyone else has probably ever used salmon skin on a frame.  I eventually went on to carry luxury brands like Leisure Society known for 18K and 24k gold plating.  My most recent luxury brand acquisition was bringing in T Henri this year at Vision Expo East.  I am very excited about working with Tyler and his beautiful line all inspired by the world’s rarest performance vehicles.

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JISCO
BLACKFIN
VAVA Eyewear
ROLF Spectacles
NYC LOFT 2025
OGI Eyewear

3/What frame are you wearing today? Today I am wearing my newest frame, which is a model by Gotti Switzerland called Pieper.  It is actually a sunglasses frame that I converted to an optical by making Transitions XTRActive Brown lenses for it. It is a navigator shape in matte gold titanium.  The coolest feature is the Spin & Stow temples.  The hinges have a spin feature so you can rotate them 180 degrees before folding them so they lay perfectly flat against the wrapped frame front. This allows them to fold up in a more compact way so as to fit into a smaller case than would otherwise be possible.

Daniel wearing T Henri Continental in the color Vapor

4/ Do you have a go-to frame for special events and parties? That would my signature special event look, which is a frame by Masunaga. It is the model 000 in classic black. I love this frame for the bold and thick silhouette, the seven-barrel titanium hinge, and the fact that it has been made since the 1960s which makes it iconic in my mind. I have recently updated the lenses to the new Transitions XTRActive Polarized technology.

5/ What’s you best tip on finding a classic frame that REALLY suits the wearer (it’s not always easy finding THE ONE in a short space of time….) You have to ask questions to find out what they like and do not like about their current glasses.  Once you have a general idea of the direction to head in, then you starting trying things on.  I usually like to see two to four shapes on their face, and look at bridge fit to determine the best size, shape, and fit. This gets easier with practice. After enough fittings you come to recognize face shapes that look best in certain frame shapes, and you absolutely have to know your inventory.
 
6/ Color of 2022 (for you personally this year)? How do you choose just one?  I feel my best in black, especially when it’s a heavy statement frame like my Masunaga 000.
 
7/ Favorite frame silhouette and why? I love the navigator shape, whether as  sunglasses or an optical. It’s so classic, and not as commonly worn as the aviator.
 
8/ Most interesting fact about your store and its historic origins “since 1952″? Our founder Hicks G. Brunson, who was my great grandfather, was running an American Optical store in downtown Tulsa in the years before he founded Hicks Brunson Eyewear.  AO was going through a period of selling off many of their optical dispensaries and he bought the store he was managing and changed the name to Hicks Brunson.  So in that way we are connected to the quite old and iconic American Optical brand.
Hicks Brunson Eyewear in Oklahoma
9/ Next foreign trip, holiday or optical event for work and why? I’m sure by the time this feature has published it will have already happened, but shortly I am headed to Orlando, Florida for Transitions Academy.  This will be my seventh time attending and it is easily one of my favorite optical events.  I think it may be one of the industry’s best kept secrets.  I have seen fantastic speakers there.  The kind of speakers who give TED Talks. I have also connected with some of my best industry friends from whom I have been fortunate to learn much over the years.
10/ What’s next in the world of Hicks Brunson Eyewear?  I’m really excited about the new luxury brand T Henri that I picked up this year at Vision Expo East. The metal is all pure Japanese titanium from Sabae, and it is 18k gold plated.  Each frame is part of a limited-edition production, which means they only make from 40 to 99 pieces at most in any one colorway.  Each frame is engraved with the production number, and comes with a certificate corresponding to that number.  They are all really beautiful, and as I said before, Tyler Henri designed the frames by taking inspiration from the world’s rarest performance vehicles. The label has been doing really well with our clients, and we are excited to be one of the exclusive retailers to carry it.
For further details about Hicks Brunson Eyewear, visit www.HicksBrunson.com
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