Boutiques

A space for art + a store for eyewear

Founded during 2019 by Stephen Lundquist in Utah’s Salt Lake City, Vis. is an optical boutique with a contemporary twist. The store specialises in independent, niche eyewear labels whilst simultaneously showcasing the work of both established and upcoming artists as 801 Salon, via special events every month.

“I grew up revering the arts and always considered artistic expressions as something divine and pure,” Lundquist told Eyestylist. “At the same time, I was too scared to take on something artistic as a profession, as I had only heard about the financial risks. I also didn’t see or have other people in my life taking those artistic chances. When it came time to choose a career, I found myself moving towards medicine: I always excelled at school and thought it would be a logical choice. So, because I’d heard about the healthy work-life balance in optometry, I moved forward with the hope of having time for creative endeavors on the side.

After I went to UC Berkeley, for optometry school, I worked for a few great practices in the Bay Area. It was from my experience in those jobs that I realized in order to be happy, I had to do things differently. I couldn’t work all day in a space or work with products that I didn’t find inspiring. Then I worked on cultivating relationships in the industry and researching product and design which allowed me to bring that creative right-brain approach into work.” After years of research, he opened Vis.

Lundquist grew up in a suburb of Salt Lake City and missed the mountains and a slower life. “My wife and I have a couple young kids and we wanted more time outdoors,” he explains. ” SLC often gets lumped in with the rest of Utah, but it is a counter-cultural oven in a way that Austin is for Texas.  It is growing immensely and there are some incredible creators doing unique things here.”

Working with a close friend, the identity of the store itself evolved quite naturally. “My friend is a designer and branding genius. We worked together on the identity of Vis. where he helped me realize that at its core, we are an experience that is informed by this concept of inspiration and exploration” says Lundquist. “Our goal is to allow a space for guests to reinvent or discover new aspects of themselves or the world around them. We wanted a physical space that allows for that.

His wife is a choreographer who was wanting to find a space to showcase local artists and performers which is exactly what I was wanting to host, so we created the 801 Salon (the local area code and our building address are both “801”) which is based on the older concept of an arts salon. With the Salon, we host monthly art events in which we showcase multidisciplinary artists.”

The mix of frames at Vis. is highly curated, focused on “niche and proven independent designers” – currently including VAVA, Lapima,  Kuboraum, Jean Philippe Joly and VADA eyewear from Austin Texas. “An odd optical climate in Utah led me to look for designers that can’t be found everywhere else, he explains when we ask about the selection process and criteria considered to stock a brand. “I knew that I wanted to work solely with independent designers from the get-go where quality is paramount and brand names can’t be relied on. From digging deep, I was able to find these niche corners where people are making beautiful product with beautiful stories. I care about design, quality, and stories. When those line up, there are fireworks.” Asked if the customer base crosses over between those who come for the art studio those who come to purchase eyewear, the answer is yes and no. “I don’t know how much business has come from the 801 Salon. There definitely has been some good business but I frankly don’t care too much about that – I want art here for art’s sake. We don’t show product during those Salon events – I don’t want artists to feel like they are acting as an advertisement. But, those people that do come by become aware of what it is that we do, and they’ll be back.” Address: 801 S. 800 E. Salt Lake City, Utah

Co-written by Clodagh Norton + Victoria Brunton – Eyestylist.com

Eyestylist Exclusive: KEOPS optiikka is a small chain of optical boutiques (three stores) in Finland that curates their collections based on a simple concept: “style is a whole that consists of various choices”, eyewear being one of those choices. This is why the KEOPS range extends from ultra-trendy pieces to more low-key, classic options – ensuring something which caters to every individual’s style. Eyestylist spoke to Kari Asikainen, Chain Manager.

KEOPS has become one of the most highly acclaimed opticians in Finland, with three stores nationwide. What are the origins of the brand? Keops optiikka is well established as it has been operating in the business of eyewear for over forty years. After it’s acquisition in 1995, KEOPS was re-born as the brand we know today. I say re-born as the concept of our chain was polished a few years back; we made the decision to begin bringing in more genuine / independent eyewear labels and we refurbished our stores. The word “KEOPS” refers to the top of the pyramid. We have always recognised our brand as a high-end concept, not only in the unique assortment of eyewear we collect, curate and sell – but also regarding the service we provide to our clients.

As the manager, how would you describe the identity of your brand and your clientele? Our slogan – “Others talk about eyeglasses – we talk about style” describes us well. We see eyewear as part of the individual’s personal style; eyeglasses are an accessory that is in line with the wearers´ identity. Wearing eyewear that you feel comfortable with is more important than whatever is on trend. However, we encourage our customers to have more than just one pair of frames so that they can play a little bit with different styles. Our customers appreciate personal service, impeccable style and good quality. Being able to provide services through different channels is of course important, but we see that personal service is becoming more and more important as a counterforce for online shopping. Appreciation of good personal service is not an important factor only for more mature clientele, but customers of all ages look for a professional and warm customer service experience – one which we strive to provide here.

“Skandi-style” had its moment in the spotlight last year and I think it’s safe to say that moment has made a lasting impact on clothing trends to date. Are you noticing any consumer buying trends? We find that customers tend to buy less but invest in better quality; they also want to invest in themselves more. Personal service is becoming more important. Moreover, consumers tend to study the collections online throughly before even coming to the store.

KEOPS recently collaborated with SALT. Optics – a brand inspired by ‘effortless beauty’ and ‘human connection’ – could you tell us a little about how this collaboration transpired, as well as about the collaboration itself? We have had a very good collaboration with SALT., ever since we started working together in 2016. SALT. ‘s customer service – as a brand –  is excellent, and they deliver promptly. They are also really fun to work with. The product is perfectly in line with our concept, and the brand has gained a solid customer base among our clientele. We do trunk shows and window campaigns twice a year and the recent collaboration was related to our autumn trunk show. The collaboration also partnered with a Christmas giveaway campaign wherein one SALT. customer from each KEOPS store would have a chance to win another pair of SALT. frames; this proved very successful.

The pandemic we have all endured over the past two years – and continue to do so – has made a lasting impact on all businesses in a multitude of ways. How did KEOPS navigate the extraordinary circumstances brought about by COVID-19? The pandemic has definitely had a substantial impact on our business, especially in the greater Helsinki area and in other larger cities in Finland. As a safety procedure, we closed all of our stores for a few weeks when the pandemic started; our employees’ safety was and still is the number one priority for us. Disinfecting frames after a customer has tried them on and sanitising the eye examination rooms before and after every examination has become a new normal procedure. We have noticed that many customers have had to postpone their purchase of new glasses, which has affected many customers’ eyesight. Thanks to our solid, loyal customer base we have been able to navigate the situation pretty well and have been able to continue planning and organising for next year. COVID-19 will most likely stay with us for quite some time; we just need to find solid tools to run the business and maintain our safety measures at a high level, in order to serve our customers and protect our staff in the best way possible.

It clearly states in KEOPS’ philosophy that style is paramount to the brand, and so I assume to its founder – do you / KEOPS plan on developing this passion for style into a line of ‘own-brand’ frames in the future?  That would be very intriguing. However, we have no such plans for the near future.

Sustainability is an issue that’s importance only continues to grow each day. To what extent, if any, does KEOPS implement environmentally friendly and / or sustainable practices into the business? Sustainability is very important for us, and we are constantly developing new ways to become more sustainable. Luckily, we are already doing many things relating to diversity and inclusion as well as some other endeavours regarding our environmental and social responsibilities. Taking care of peoples’ eyes with our thorough eye examination and being able to find early detections of possible eye diseases, may even save someone’s life – that is sustainability to us, in its simplest form.

We are also against throw-away culture and believe that buying a good quality product that lasts a long time is the key to sustainable living. We are, among other things, in the process of cutting down the number of brochures we produce in order to save paper and to avoid waste. We are also currently looking into an innovative way of recycling the old frames customers return to us. Even our lab – based in Tallinn – has been built based on sustainability, with many innovative systems such as waterless lens glazing and the reuse of waste heat generated from glazing machines. This feature was written by Victoria G. L. Brunton exclusively for Eyestylist.com – all rights reserved. To find out more about KEOPS optiikka, visit www.keops.fi – Special thanks to SALT. Optics and KEOPS optiikka for their collaboration in this feature.

A UK hotspot for original, fine frames

Owner/director Gerry Sondh is all for embracing unique design. His carefully curated collection of frames includes top-notch brands from around the world like Ørgreen Optics, Jacques Marie Mage and theo, and new arrival in the store from Berlin, Kuboraum. “We’re known for what we do,” he says, and that goes for the frames, the eyecare, the advice available, and the special events in-store. These are  just re-starting with a MYKITA + Kuboraum showcase for December.

Since launching his shop in 2007, Sondh has found fans across the Peterborough area and further afield who know they can rely on the selection of frames, and in the current climate, buy multiple pairs. “Our work is a bit different right now. There’s less browsing, but many more bookings and bookings ahead. More people who are working from home in this area are looking for eyewear to suit several needs. They like that we are here, with a top selection of frames, and that they don’t need to travel into London to find something new.”

Asked about how he started and with which collections, Sondh talks about having lots of great “family-like” connections with favourite, long-term brands. They include a strong relationship with Ørgreen whose collection is hugely popular at the store. “I’ve been working with Ørgreen Optics for 15 years. When we opened in 2007, we sold a load of the titanium Pussycats and Vildebeests and that was just a warm-up to what has been a really excellent relationship. Over the years, we have just continued to do really, really well with the collection, the electro-colours and combinations, and the consistency of small details like small hinges and screws suits us perfectly. I appreciate this type of close relationship with our brands and the travel to HQ to spend time with the team.”

Located in a small arcade of independent shops, just off Peterborough town centre and near the historic cathedral, the Oculist team – Gerry, Rob Gilbert and Hannah Castle – promise over 1000 frames and sunglasses to choose from at any one time in the store, and take a remarkable and keen interest in new and high-quality designs. “Our analysis on returns is taken very seriously, our collections really do get put under scrutiny,” says Sondh, “and we take detailed records of any problems. By doing that we know we are selling very high-level eyewear to our customers and that satisfaction will always remain high.”

Independent brands stocked at The Oculist include FACE A FACE, Kuboraum, LINDBERG, Maui Jim, Mykita, Ørgreen Optics, Oliver Peoples, and THEO.

Westgate Arcade, Peterborough, PE1 1PY – www.theoculist.com

Eyestylist visited The Oculist in November 2021 in person. If you have a unique store and would like to get in touch to tell us more, contact us at [email protected] – The feature above was written by Clodagh Norton for Eyestylist.com – all rights reserved.