An independent optician that doubles as an art gallery is bringing a unique experience to eyewear that infuses fashion into optics.
The Optical Gallery in Twickenham is a family business run by three brothers who have changed London’s optical experience through unconventional designer eyewear where the glasses are the artwork.
Co-owner and head curator of eyewear, Nicos Antoniades said: “If we’re not having fun, how can we expect our clients to have fun?”
The gallery started as a standard optician owned by the Nicos’ parents in 1996.
But the brothers – Nicos, Antonios and Marios – took over in 2015 after Nicos travelled through Europe and discovered different attitudes around the fashion of eyewear, inspiring them to blend the business into an art gallery.
He said: “If you go to places like Belgium, Italy, Germany, eyewear is a completely different ballgame compared to the UK.
“The UK was so unbelievably boring in comparison, glasses are a functionality and not fashion.
“Abroad everyone wears different glasses, like you wear different shoes for different outfits and occasions.
“I found that quite exciting, I decided to bring that back to the UK and I’ve never looked back.”
This created a different experience, one that better retained clients as they couldn’t find the personal service and individuality of The Optical Gallery anywhere else.
The change also brought in clients not only from all over the UK, but also international clients that have made special trips to visit the gallery and the pieces it has to offer.
This year, it hosted exhibitions for TAVAT, an innovative eyewear designer from Northern Italy, and LA Eyeworks, who began challenging the norms of eyewear in California in the 1970s.
Nicos explained: “It’s all about the actual brands themselves.
“They’ll come with their entire collection in all their colourways and sizes, so there’s an evening where the clients can see the collection in its full capacity and sometimes a designer might come and do a talk.
“They’re free tickets, and we’ll have a barman here, and we just basically have a good time.”
The Optical Gallery has been shortlisted for Best Fashion Practice and Independent Practice of the Year at the Opticians Awards 2024, following its previous nomination in 2023.
International fashion magazine SPECTR has also acknowledged it as among the best opticians in the world.
Nicos said: “It’s a great accolade to have, it’s nice to have on your portfolio.”
He added that it gives the company credential, but they don’t rely on those sorts of accolades and it’s their dedicated customer service that keeps people coming back.
Another example of this excellence is the gallery’s online eyewear styling service, aiming to replicate the in-store experience for those who aren’t able to visit one of their three locations in Twickenham, Chessington and Cheam.
The Optical Gallery can be found online at https://opticalgallery.co.uk.
Featured image courtesy of The Optical Gallery with thanks
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First class write up, you have captured the essence of what the Optical Gallery are achieving and hopefully will continue to do so.