Store Profile: Silver Lining Opticians
A focus on retro classic styling and vintage frames forges an entirely new direction at this New York City optical shop
By Erinn Morgan
Business partners Jordan Silver and Erik Sacher formed the concept for their SoHo New York optical shop after seeing what they perceived as a lack of personal service in the industry with one simple mantra: Old School. "We want to be like a tailor for eyewear, where someone comes in and says they need two pair, one for the office and one for the weekend, and we work with them on the right styling and precision optics," says Sacher.
The goal was to open a unique eyewear emporium with a focus on independently made vintage and vintage-inspired classic handmade eyewear while delivering the utmost in quality and service to the customer. "We felt like New York had a place for us in that we were trying to be an old-school, neighborhood optician that transcends the neighborhood to awareness around the globe," says Silver. "I think a lot of the big shops in Manhattan just don't have that small company feel anymore."
The goal for Silver Lining Opticians is to serve as an old-school, neighborhood optician with a global reach by providing a mix of new and retro styles with deeply personalized service
AN UNUSUAL MIX
The frame selection at Silver Lining also transcends the norm, with an ophthalmic eyewear assortment that consists of 80 percent new and 20 percent vintage frames. The sunwear mix's makeup is on the flip side, consisting of 80 percent vintage and 20 percent new frames. The styling of all Silver Lining's frames, whether new or vintage, gives a nod to retro-designed classic eyewear styling.
The vintage collection has been amassed by Silver, a collector and wholesaler of vintage frames over the last several years. "We have 1,000 one-of-a-kind pieces that are all branded, iconic frames relevant in the history of sunglasses," says Silver, "such as never-worn Persols from the 60s and 70s and vintage Balenciagas."
While Silver picks the vintage products from a variety of sources, he and Sacher also stock a handful of current eyewear lines that fall in line with the shop's retro logic. "We have 10 brands that are currently in production—like Kame Man Nen, Hamburg Eyewear, and the Sanford Hutton collection from Colors in Optics—and we keep changing these up to be fresh," says Silver.
The pricepoint range here is broad, but Silver says new eyewear is generally from $275 to $500 and vintage sunglasses range from $350 to $1,000.
Silver Lining's inventory is a mix of 80 percent new and 20 percent vintage eyewear and 20 percent new and 80 percent vintage sunwear. The mix is set in a scene that blends antique furniture and vintage optical displays
DEFINITIVE DESIGN
To compliment Silver Lining's unique product mix, Sacher and Silver handpicked antique furniture for the 600-square-foot space. "We wanted to make it all about the glasses, so we chose a very clean, mid-century modern look," says Silver.
The building's original tin ceilings remain in the shop, as does the pine wood floor. The walls are painted in two shades of silver and feature sections of exposed brick. Antique furniture pieces (except for a few, custom- made shelves) act as the frame displays. "We chose a former jeweler's cabinet with velvet-lined shelves for our main display piece; we also have a Danish modern credenza and an asymmetrical bar cart as a permanent display in the window." Other vintage items, such as two old Bausch and Lomb Ray-Ban displays and a Snellen chart, complement the optical shop's look.
| The Road to Retro |
|---|
| How was the concept for Silver Lining Opticians born? For starters, owners Erik Sacher and Jordan Silver have several years of avantgarde, upscale eyewear retailing under their respective belts. "I am from San Diego where I owned a small surf/skate clothing brand," explains Sacher. "I came to New York City to expand on that and I ended up working for an optical shop." He proceeded to go to become a New York state licensed, certified optician with a national contact lens certification. "I worked in luxury optical for many years, mostly as manager for a flagship store," he says. "Jordan and I met working there and we realized we had a great energy together, especially on the sales floor." The two started to develop a vision of an independent eyewear shop. Originally from Denver, Silver moved to New York for higher education. "While I was in grad school, I was buying vintage sunglasses from opticians and on the Internet because I had a love for glasses," he says. "I was able to sustain myself on a retail salary because I sold some of my collection wholesale to fashion retailers." This eventually grew into a lucrative business with upscale stores; it also spawned the concept for Silver Lining Opticians. What's next? "My long-range plans have been to take the best of my archive and use it to come up with our own eyewear collection," says Silver. "We have, in fact, just begun production. Currently handproduced in Germany, five styles are sold exclusively in our SoHo boutique." |
WHO GOES THERE?
The Silver Lining customer is decidedly fashion-focused. "We have a wide range of people, from boarding school girls and hip-hop kids to people in their 50s and families," says Silver. "Most people are very stylish and have a definite idea of what they want."
Silver notes they also work with a number of celebrities and fashion designers who appreciate the vast stock of unused, vintage eyewear. In addition, the shop doubles as a wholesale emporium for eyewear buyers from upscale retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman and Jeffrey New York. EB
Silver Lining attracts customers from many walks of life, from hipsters to seniors, all with a common love of stylish eyewear and sunwear
| Store Stats |
|---|
| Name: Silver Lining Opticians Location: 100 Thompson Street, New York, NY (in SoHo) Co-Owners: Jordan Silver and Erik Sacher, licensed optician Square Footage: 600 Pricepoint Range: New eyewear is from $275 to $500 generally, sunglass vintage from $350 to $800 to $1,000 Raison d'etre: "We strive to be a neighborhood optician; someone that people know whether they are in the neighborhood or coming in from across the globe," says Jordan Silver, co-owner. |
![]({"src":"/media/s2zbibmy/112009.jpg","focalPoint":null,"crops":[{"alias":"thumbnail","width":1110,"height":700,"coordinates":null}]})