Boutiques

Chic Parisian Boutique Opens in Nantes, France

1st December 2011 This elegant Parisian optical boutique has opened a new shop in Nantes, on the west coast of Brittany. The 6th largest city in France  – during the 18th century the largest port in the country – Nantes has had accolades heaped upon the region. In 2004, TIME magazine named Nantes “the most liveable city in all of Europe”, and in 2003, it was appointed “the greenest city in France”, so it’s an appealing location for a first shop outside Paris. Nantes also has the exquisite Château de Ducs de Bretagne – filled with many treasures.

The site of the store was chosen by the owner Vincent Carel, who formerly worked in the Paris shop, with the goal of eventually opening Les Plus Belles Lunettes in several cities in France. Sandrine Pereira, the creator of Les Plus Belles Lunettes, and interior decorator Ricardo Navarro designed the shop, that reflects the sleek, open atmosphere of the two Paris boutiques. Beautiful woods and pristine white ensure a crisp, smart atmosphere, very user-friendly for frame shopping – a real treat. The selection includes an international roster: Götti, Emmanuelle Khanh, Lindberg, Derome Brenner, Oliver Goldsmith, TD Tom Davies, Vera Wang, and Linda Farrow among others. Les Plus Belles Lunettes du Monde in Nantes brings optical glamour to the local scene. www.lesplusbelleslunettesdumonde.com JG

10th November 2011 Eyestylist.com’s Art Director Helen Bratby has just returned from a weekend in Madrid, and took some pictures for us of the very special Optica Toscana. It’s one of the stores in Europe that is always being mentioned  to us for its style and atmosphere and incredible selection of specs. The old-fashioned flagship shop (above) is a former seed store full of tiny old wooden drawers, bursting with exciting-looking frames. Blasts of colour are dotted around the wood displays.

The main shop is very buzzy and full of people (not just at weekends), and it’s in an atmospheric regenerated shopping area.

Owner Antonio Lopez, explains further: “Our shops are designed for those with an interest in design and aesthetics, who see spectacles as an important part of their identity, for themselves. We have a wide selection of collections; they include Anne et Valentin, Barton Perreira, Cutler and Gross, L.G.R., Francis Klein, Rapp and Leisure Society and many others. We do well also with the buffalo horn by Ralph Vaessen.”

Why is the store a trendsetter? “We are coherent, we stick to our preferences and tastes when choosing frames, and we work closely with our suppliers bringing a wide choice of complete collections, the best from around the world, to our customers.

“We have opened a second store in Ayala because we saw a demand for our frames in another part of Madrid! Designed by the architects Maroto and Ibañez, this shop is completely different and modern, but we believe it shares the essence of who we are.” CN

www.opticatoscana.com

Optica Toscana, Hortaleza 70, 28004 Madrid

Optica Toscana, Ayala 34 28001 Madrid 

Photography by Helen Bratby www.helenbratby.co.uk 

14th October 2011 I have come across Olga Ljutic-Trentin on my travels recently. Olga opened an optical store in Ontario in August this year. She has succeeded in designing a quirky “destination” store, with statement retro inspired fittings. The shop is stocking lots of brands that eyewear aficionados will love including Claire Goldsmith, Theo, Orgreen and Lindberg and the owner is a true fan of well-designed eyewear.

We were excited to see the sculpture in the shop which was created as an eyewear display, inspired by the orchid, a commission carried out by Jeremy Guy (http://www.jeremy-guy.com/).

Eyewear by Olga, 1 Hurontario Street, unit 5, Mississauga (Port Credit), Ontario, L5G-0A3, Canada

www.eyewearbyolga.com