Need new high end designer lines for optical shop. Any suggestions?

[ilanh]

Our patients have complained that we do not carry enough designer lines. I'm going to Vision expo West in a few weeks and would love suggestions as to what is selling well? what are customer asking for? Which lines offer the best terms?

[SeaU2020]

IDK how high-end you are looking for but the ones that I have had success with is Fendi, Gucci, LaFont, Silhouette.
Oakley is not too high-end, but you will be amazed at how much new traffic it generates. It's one of those "cult-following" lines that people buy over and over.
Let us know what you pick!

[GokhanSF]

IDK how high-end you are looking for but the ones that I have had success with is Fendi, Gucci, LaFont, Silhouette.
Oakley is not too high-end, but you will be amazed at how much new traffic it generates. It's one of those "cult-following" lines that people buy over and over.
Let us know what you pick!

Fendi and Gucci are not high-end either. They are just over priced brand name frames with low quality....

My high-end recommendations would be: Face a Face, Lafont, ic!berlin, Mykita, Francis Klein, Theo, Anne et Valentin, Activist Eyewear, Kirk Originals, Alain Mikli, Starck, Barton Perreira, and Sama.

[Psychobablr7]

If you are looking for high-end retro-chic, friezeframes has vintage styles that do well for us.

[AngeHamm]

Sounds like they're looking for names. IMHO, you can't go wrong with having a few recognized names in a few different price points. Marchon's Nine West line is a rock star in my office, as are Safilo's Kate Spade and Kenmark's Vera Wang.

[SharonB]

If you are looking for high-end retro-chic, friezeframes has vintage styles that do well for us.

Ditto on that - they have some of the most "fun" frames around!

[NCspecs]

If they are brand-centric I think Marchon's Valentino is gorgeous; Kate Spade by Safilo and Vera Wang by Kenmark do well in our office. Lesser known but high quality lines such as Ogi, Alan Mikli, Salt, Lafont, etc would be a great addition if your main demographic supports it.

[normuck]

for men the OGA is super! with newer materials , wood and aluminum and carbon fibers attract men of all ages. The wood temples are border line luxury items but still sell surprisingly well. Chanel is a must if u can get it. Oliver peoples, chrome hearts, and I agree with oakley. Fendi, Pucci, Robert Marc, Lafont, Koali, and Ray Ban(not high end) flush out my core sellers that generate traffic. I do like Etnia Barcelona as a lower priced Lafont style brand ;)

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

+1 for OGA. I've got a few from the line. Their plastics are very lightweight and their woods are beautiful.

[Chris Ryser]

As their are no more Genuine Turtle shell frames on the offical market there are still Buffalo Horn frames made that could be the real high class frame you can not get through on-line opticals..................but nobody talks about them.

[johnnyocook]

My high-end recommendations would be: Face a Face, Lafont, ic!berlin, Mykita, Francis Klein, Theo, Anne et Valentin, Activist Eyewear, Kirk Originals, Alain Mikli, Starck, Barton Perreira, and Sama.

I took this list and looked into Activist Eyewear for a shop I'm planning on opening soon. I'm really impressed! I called the number on the website and spoke directly to the business director...after hours! Great vibe, and great-looking product. I can't wait to see it in person. Anyone else have any experience with them? I'm also going to contact Freize Frame as well. They look really fun.

[AngeHamm]

I'm wearing one of my two Oga frames right now. Love love love them.

NYC's Morgenthal Frederics in the Village sells some lovely buffalo horn frames for about $2200 retail and zyl versions of the same designs for $300ish. They are GORGEOUS, Chris; you are 100% right. I can't get them to sell some to my practice, unfortunately...

[Jamelina]

Fendi and Gucci are not high-end either. They are just over priced brand name frames with low quality....

My high-end recommendations would be: Face a Face, Lafont, ic!berlin, Mykita, Francis Klein, Theo, Anne et Valentin, Activist Eyewear, Kirk Originals, Alain Mikli, Starck, Barton Perreira, and Sama.

I love the Fendi line. I have never had quality issues with them...and personally have well, way too many :)...

Lafont is gorgeous. I've also had good luck with Tag, a great alternative to Silhouette. Oh and Prodesign!

[GokhanSF]

I took this list and looked into Activist Eyewear for a shop I'm planning on opening soon. I'm really impressed! I called the number on the website and spoke directly to the business director...after hours! Great vibe, and great-looking product. I can't wait to see it in person. Anyone else have any experience with them? I'm also going to contact Freize Frame as well. They look really fun.

Hi Johnny, I am glad to hear you are impressed. Will you be attending VEW? If so please PM me. I would like to meet you in person and maybe we can look at some lines together. I do have great connections and would be happy to help in anyway.

[Chris Ryser]

I'm wearing one of my two Oga frames right now. Love love love them.

NYC's Morgenthal Frederics in the Village sells some lovely buffalo horn frames for about $2200 retail and zyl versions of the same designs for $300ish. They are GORGEOUS, Chris; you are 100% right. I can't get them to sell some to my practice, unfortunately...

AngeHam...........back in the 1960s and 70s when I was still in the frame business I did sell a lot of turtle shell frames from dark to blonde, the most expensive ones. They are expensive and exclusive because the are cut out of plates that are fused together pieces which is a lot of hand work. The lighter the color the more single pieces a plate consists of. The same applies to Buffalo Horn with the exception, that it is not a protected material as is Turtle Shell. The manufacturing process is the same. Working nearly every day on my close to a thousand optical companies website listing, ( http://optochemicals.com/web_listing.htm) I found the only Buffalo Horn manufacturer of Eyeglass Frames and hundreds of other items in the same material, I know of. They actually were and maybe still are OB members and did some postings some years ago. They are selling the plates to cut out the frames and also some finished frames. As far as I know they will sell you any small quantity, so here you could have a direct manufacturer -supplier. Check them out at --------------> http://www.handicraft-vn.com/shop/na...c-157_125.html Any optician that has a niche for higher priced luxury frames should go into this material as it will not be found among the on-line opticals. Having been on my website I came across a site that makes and sells wooden frames right in the USA and here it is ---------> http://www.urbanspectacles.com/

[Lynx]

Definitely check out Lafont and Mykita.

[tbyrdman03]

Freudenhaus, Hausmark, Robert Marc, Chanel, Fendi, Prodesign (not high end but very fun and colorful), Oakley (not high end but will sell), Cartier.

[acar]

Make sure you visit all of the eyewear pavilions including the Suites on the 34th & 35th floors of the Venetian Hotel. Bring your Vision Expo badge to access the levels.

[SailorEd]

Here's one to go to. You'll deal with the actual designer. He's out of Canada and his frames are excellent. Reflections by Traff ... He's usually at Vegas for the expo. If not, you can view his frames here ... http://reflectionsbytraff.com/ We do very well with them.

[ilanh]

Thanks for the great recommendations. Currently, we carry Tura, Fendi, Eschenbach, Cazal, BCBG, Coach and a lot of knock-offs. We did not do well with LaFont in the past (eventually we had to "give away" the last 10 pieces). We seem to do well with Fendi and Cazal. Our clientelle tends to be older so we are always looking for frames that are progressive friendly. This eliminates a lot of the small frame options that we often see at the shows. We also have a lot of Asian and Indian clients (near large Chinese, Korean and Indian communities in Orange county, CA). We are thinking of using an approach that many have advised on this forum ie: having a pricey high end line ($800-1000 retail) so as to encourage clients to move their choices up one or two levels (people tend to pick a middle ground between your most inexpensive and most expensive lines).

[Browneyes1208]

Fendi and Gucci are not high-end either. They are just over priced brand name frames with low quality....

My high-end recommendations would be: Face a Face, Lafont, ic!berlin, Mykita, Francis Klein, Theo, Anne et Valentin, Activist Eyewear, Kirk Originals, Alain Mikli, Starck, Barton Perreira, and Sama.

Although those are beautiful frames, some people may not be familiar with the names, so shy away from them. That has been the case in our office.

[NeaOptikiSA]

ilanh,

from the first post i understand that your clients need more recognized names, rather than more expensivem as i notice that you have expensive. I am not able to propose as i have the picture of Greece, not USA! Here in Greece the high end names are considered Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Valentino, Versace and the most recognized are Ray Ban, Carrera, Tom Ford.

I suppose the European market is different than the USA. Generally we focus in European Design Groups.

If you attend Vision Expo West i would be glad to meet you in my booth #14108. I do not have high end in the means of recognized names, i produce my own frames but i have high end in the means of production quality, as we make handmade optical frames and sunglasses with the finest raw material all made in Greece.

[DSOOK]

Thanks for the great recommendations. Currently, we carry Tura, Fendi, Eschenbach, Cazal, BCBG, Coach and a lot of knock-offs. We did not do well with LaFont in the past (eventually we had to "give away" the last 10 pieces). We seem to do well with Fendi and Cazal. Our clientelle tends to be older so we are always looking for frames that are progressive friendly. This eliminates a lot of the small frame options that we often see at the shows. We also have a lot of Asian and Indian clients (near large Chinese, Korean and Indian communities in Orange county, CA). We are thinking of using an approach that many have advised on this forum ie: having a pricey high end line ($800-1000 retail) so as to encourage clients to move their choices up one or two levels (people tend to pick a middle ground between your most inexpensive and most expensive lines).

We carry lines such as Linberg (retail approx 480) Oliver Peoples & Paul Smith (retail approx 250-400) Also, Sama (350 range for retail) , Tag (450 range for retail) Pro Design (low end, but great colors) For frames with stones we carry Bvgalri & Beausouliel (sp) (our older customers like stones, 400+ range) We are more for durability... these lines last! Let me know what you pick up... we are looking for some new additions as well.

Stephanie

[wearegood]

Oga of course.

[aboss3]

I would suggest Mykita or Undostrial. But it takes a while to get people used to them, as they won't sell instantly. They get the "WOW" effect, but at first, it all depends on your client base.