Boutiques

Parisian Haven for Vintage Eyewear

1st February 2012 The Marais district of Paris has a long, aristocratic history with beautiful 18th and 19th century architectural gems- some of the most elegant in the city. On cosy rue Vieille du Temple, a newer gem in the heart of the Marais opened in 1996 – Selima Optique. The original Selima boutique opened in New York City in 1992, but Selima admits she loves Paris. So this chic little haven was opened, run by Selima’s sister and business partner, Aida Abdelouahab, who offers a warm ‘bienvenue’ to the constant stream of vintage eyewear enthusiasts who flock through the doors. The shop is vintage eyewear paradise – original frames share space with fabulous photos, furniture, artefacts and accessories, along with vintage inspired glasses created by Selima. The girls love accesories, so they have designed a collection of great hats, also available in the shop.

“I travel a lot, and I’m always looking and looking,” says Aida, “we like old, new and the future – so do our customers.” ‘Old’ is the original designs sought throughout voyages; ‘new’ is the Selima vintage-inspired creations handmade in France; and the ‘future’ is in combining retro with a few distinctive brands that hold to the high standards of Selima Optique – so you’ll find frame highlights from LGR, Cutler & Gross, Bottega Veneta, RVS by V, and Vic from Switzerland. Selima Optique 46, rue du Vieille Temple 75004 Paris www.selimaoptique.com JG

1st January 2012 Opened in April 2011, Klar has been mentioned and recommended to Eyestylist on a number of occasions in the last months. The shop is, for me, representative of a new wave of independent eyewear shops in Europe, run by opticians who are passionate about the collections they sell, choosing handcrafted collections and small labels to propose to their customers.

Owner of Klar (meaning “clear” in German) Akram Husseini explains how he came to set up the shop: “Darmstadt is my hometown with about 150,000 citizens, just near Frankfurt. I have worked for 14 years as an optician, but it was my dream to have a small independent shop with a selection of frames from all over the world.”

These include, at present, Lunettes Kollektion, L.G.R., Robert La Roche, Kilsgaard, Oliver Goldsmith, Graz, 141 Eyewear, Garrett Leight, Reiz, and the silver aviator with grey lenses and gold aviator with green lenses (very specifically) by military frame specialists, Randolph Engineering.

“The store is like a vintage living room with a warm atmosphere. We reconstructed the whole interior, to create a shop that moves away from the traditional stark and cold optical environment. I chose furniture and a living space that is a reflection of my own taste. I like Danish classics such as Wegner, Juhl and Jalk. The seats are from Grete Jalk (1961), and we have industrial German lighting from E.Bolich The floor is covered in old-school linoleum, which adds a vintage edge and is similar to that used in old-fashioned classrooms. We had a tie display unit from the 1950s converted to display some of the glasses. We designed table tennis racket mirrors which hang on the wall”.

What is your philosophy for how you select frames? “A frame should not disguise a person. A good collection will grow bit by bit …it has to develop slowly. I only buy brands which I really like because that is the best way to offer them to my customers. I prefer the small, independent labels which specialize in glasses. (more…)

Tom Davies Exclusive in Swiss Boutique

9th December 2011 A beautiful river, alpine splendour, a history that dates back to the Neolithic age, and a majestic castle all contribute to the Swiss charm of Thun. The region has exciting 21st century developments too, including the first state-of-the-art optical shop to offer, exclusively, the couture eyewear collection of British designer Tom Davies. The concept is a collaboration between Davies, and Matthias Thomas, owner of Optik Thoma and the Zeiss Vision System Store. “My idea started with the imagination of combining the highest standards in optics, which includes Zeiss devices and lenses, with very high level, well designed, luxury, bespoke frames. I also wanted a stylish décor and furniture. With Tom Davies and Zeiss, we have the most perfect product combination for the high-level customer. The imagination became a reality. We have almost every TD ‘ready-to-wear frames’ plus the Limited Edition collection, the Bespoke Service, and the TD Couture and Natural Horn frames.”

The three level boutique includes a Design Room where customers select the material and style for their frame. When the frame is ready, clients meet in the Portfolio Room to see the design, and discuss any changes or details. All of these service are offered in luxurious surroundings of oak floors and leather chairs, while the wood furniture was made in Hungary, and painted seven times to get a super shine.”The gold mirror (visible in the photo below) we found in Germany and it’s dated 1883.

“We also offer classes for customers who are interested in the whole aspect of frame design and who want to be more involved. There are classes for three to five people, and sometimes these workshops are very funny. (more…)

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