Boutiques

Unique Optical Boutique, Jewel in Vienna

1st May 2012 Centuries of history; Imperial families; the home to many famous musicians; fabulous winter balls; Lipizzaner horses; and Art Nouveau architecture are just a few of Vienna’s incredible treasures.  I found another –  just around the corner from the Stephansdom, Austria’s finest Gothic edifice – a gem of an eyewear boutique called Schau Schau. In this superb little shop, customers can select eyewear styles of their choice, which are then crafted by hand, just a few kilometers from the centre of Vienna. The creative force behind Schau Schau (German for Look Look) is owner and designer Peter Kozich, with his knowledge and understanding of colour and shape, and more importantly, translating the design process into a luxurious bespoke product. Schau Schau is the haute couture of eyewear – the acetate is beautiful and the colour selections amazing. Each frame is custom created – every detail from nose bridge size to the width of the temple to the ear is carefully measured – ensuring that each pair of glasses is one of a kind. Customers from all over the globe wear Schau Schau, including artists and entertainers, sporting figures and professionals. For the ultimate in bespoke sunglasses and ophthalmic frames, Schau Schau is a memorable eyewear experience for exquisite frames. www.schau-schau.at JG

Boutiques

Wilde Store, Barcelona

25th April 2012

25th April 2012 Barcelona is one place I know like the back of my hand. But that was in the 1990s, and these days stores and bars and boutiques there are changing all the time…for vintage, my first stop today would be Wilde Store (www.wildestore.com), a very cool little place (there are two branches) to find quality vintage frames, from brands like Cazal, Persol, Lacoste and Silhouette, from the 1950s through to the 90s. The frames have been sourced across the world over several years. I have found them by chance through my brother, and I’m delighted to see what they are doing.

As well as its vintage frames, Wilde is also dedicated to the handcrafting trend…the store is launching its own sunglasses label this season, made on the premises by Carlos Azuaje and colleague Tepo, who have a passion for the artisanal qualities of traditional eyewear. Carlos explains, “The first Wilde Sunglasses collection is made by hand from Mazzucchelli acetate with metal accents. We are revisiting the old techniques of the 1950s, and producing in very small quantities per colour. All our work is done exclusively in our workshop in Barcelona, we are making our ideas a reality!”

As if this were not enough, the store has also created WSkin by Wilde, handmade felt and leather cases and covers (for iPhones, iPads and eyewear)  made with love and attention to detail. Their videos of the work they put in are superb, I’m a fan! CN www.wildeskin.com/showcase/index.php/fabricacion

Wilde Store, c/Joaquin Costa, 2, Barcelona 08001, Spain

Wilde Store, c/ Avinyo, 21 Barcelona, 08002, Spain

http://wildestore.com/

Architectural Optical Gem Opens in Paris

16th April 2012 La Galerie de Lunettes is a delightful optical boutique find in the trendy Canal St. Martin area. Opened just two months ago, knowledgeable and charming opticians Marie-Charlotte and Jessica offer clients a warm welcome to the architecturally pleasing shop. The artistically thought out interior was created by the Parisian firm Dumazer-Lafallisee (www.dumazer-lafallisse.com), owned by Marie-Charlotte’s sister, so La Galerie is very much a family affair. Smooth, quality maple wood enhances the airy feeling of the boutique. There is a ‘gallery of mirrors’ on one wall – a beautiful collection of various shaped mirrors, found in markets and antique shops. A cornucopia of the most sought after designer frames are featured: LGR, Thierry Lasry, Prism, Graz, Lunettes Kollektion, Garrett Leight, l.a. eyeworks, Waiting for the Sun, and more. The very newest styles from these collections are available, and the selection is varied and vast. La Galerie de Lunettes is the perfect destination for personalised optical service, haute-style, and a charming atmosphere. www.lagaleriedelunettes.com JG

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