A design-focused independent eyewear boutique, north of Dundee
“We do things differently here,” says Gary Clelland in his Instagram profile @clelland_and_co. The pictures posted on the account show just how far the store has come in a short space of time. Clelland bought the optical shop in February 2018 completely transforming it from a tired, old-fashioned traditional shop with run-of-the-mill frames into a treasure trove of modern independent eyewear, sourced from around the world. Above: a 1950s wood haberdashery cabinet – repurposed for storing the eyewear, takes pride of place in the shop
“I went to Silmo for the first time in 2017,” Gary Clelland told Eyestylist, “and I was blown away by the variety and quality of niche eyewear available, I knew then I had to bring some of that to Montrose.” In 2019, Clelland introduced Gotti Switzerland and SALT. Optics to the store and began a process of transformation which culminated in a wonderful redesign with the assistance of the stylist Pamela Taylor (@Pam_picks) from Aberdeen.
“For the interior, I didn’t want the shop to look like every other optician’s. Scotland is awash with ‘normal’ optical shops, and not many practices are brave enough to create a different experience for their customers.” The work on the refit was completed in February 2020, and by that time, more new collections had been selected for the store, including theo, Anne & Valentin and Lowercase, following buying trips to Opti Munich and 100% in London.
“Fast forward 2 years from the beginning and we are now selling far more stylish eyewear with much better lenses,” says Gary. “Our retail environment has been completely transformed with a view to improving the customer experience. From lighting, to paint colours, to the materials used on the seating, it has all been done to help the customer feel relaxed and at home. We now work with far less suppliers but have more depth in each collection. I am now confident that we can bring our clients a fantastic selection from some of the best eyewear manufacturers from around the globe. Anyway why not, we think our customers deserve it!”
Clelland & Co is offering a unique selection of over 450 frames including Rolf Spectacles (Austria), Anne & Valentin (France), Bruno Chaussignand (France), Gotti (Switzerland), la eyeworks (LA), Lowercase (NYC), THEO (Antwerp) and SALT. Optics (California). For more information visit www.clellandandco.com
Clelland & Co., 153 High Street, Montrose, Angus
