If you’ve been to our opticians in Manchester before you’ll already know that we’re not like those other big-name opticians you find on the high street. It’s like the Mancunian Patron Saint of Indie, Tony Wilson once said: We do things differently here. For us, that means starting with a team that delivers outstanding customer service and truly brilliant eyewear advice.
The Seen Team love what they do, you see. They love highly original, independent eyewear and they love helping you - our clients - find frames that fit your personalities like a… erm, a well-fitted pair of glasses. That’s what makes a trip to Seen much more than just an appointment at the opticians.
As Seen HQ’s doors are temporarily closed and the Seen shelves are currently devoid of all that delectable eyewear, the Seen Team haven't been able to flex their eyewear styling superpowers much lately. As they’ve got a bit of extra time on their hands at the mo, we thought we’d ask them to mull over their time styling Seen’s superb clientele, pick out a styling appointment they think went particularly well, and to tell us all about it over a couple of short paragraphs. Here’s what they came up with...
Lisa on styling Seb
Seb popped by when his parents were choosing their second lot of Seen specs. He quickly caught the bug and joined the Seen family. He wanted a crystal frame but was adamant one would never suit him.
He just needed some gentle persuasion from me about the different tones of crystal/clear frame glasses and how you should compliment skin tone. From then onwards, he was converted and fell in love with this crystal pair from Reiz. The frame is cool, chill and effortless. A great piece to start a Seen collection.
Michaela on styling Becky
Becky has been a bubbly Seen client for a while, but this was my first time having the pleasure of styling her which was an absolute delight. I already knew she was an Anne et Valentin fan, which meant she’s not afraid to wear something colourful & bold, however this time she wanted a crystal frame. Now crystal is very on-trend at the mo, but if not styled correctly it can be a bit washy & boring (and Becky is definitely not boring.) Challenge accepted! Straight away I had a frame in mind.
Now not to toot my own horn, but this was the first frame I pulled for Becky. It fitted the brief but it still said, ‘WOW!’ The Anne et Valentin Neon is a crystal frame with a twist. The shape was perfect for her, it lined up with her fringe but still dipped at the bridge to give a more feminine look. The frame was instantly Becky’s!
But wait, there was an added challenge too: Becky needed the frames sorted ASAP as she had an important business meeting in a week’s time… which we managed to sort. So Becky left a happy customer with another new Anne et Valentin to add to a now growing collection.
Erika on styling Geoffrey
Geoffrey stumbled on our website three years ago when he was searching for an opticians with an edge. He flew over from Algarve, Portugal, where he lived, and bagged himself a pair of electric blue Theo frames that he loved and wore every single day since. But in March this year, it was time for some new glasses, so our friend Geoffrey got on a flight to the UK once more and came to Seen to fulfil his glasses needs.
I knew Geoffrey loved interesting shapes and colourful glasses so Theo was very much at the forefront of my mind this time around. Again, he wanted the frames to be blue as he loved his current electric blue glasses. I found him a pair of blue, aluminium Theo frames which he loved straight away but we didn’t stop there. I bravely suggested Geoffrey tried the colour red. He was hesitant at first, but after trying on a pair of round-framed Anne et Valentine he quickly got on board with the suggestion and went for them instead.
After wearing them for a month, it turned out that the red frames were a big hit with everybody. He received so much attention that our friend stopped on the way back from Tasmania to treat himself to the Theo frames he’d first chosen in red. Geoff is now back in Algarve enjoying life with three beautiful pairs of glasses. Adeus e atè mais!
Neil on styling Matt
Matt is one very, very cool dude with awesome DJing skills and great taste in music. He runs a Goth/80s club in a church in Salford when he’s not doing his day job. It goes without saying that he has the BEST taste in Eyewear too!
Matt has an interesting and somewhat challenging prescription. He is a medium to high hyperope (where vision is better for distant objects than for near objects), with above-average astigmatism (where the eye doesn't focus light evenly onto the retina.) We recommended the thinnest lens on the planet - a 1.76 bi-aspheric by Tokai of Japan - to help his lenses look the absolute best. That coupled with the correct frame choice, would ensure the thinnest lens and best visual outcome for Matt.
The Theo frames I chose to style for Matt suits his style to a tee. They're dark, dramatic, and have oodles of character and charm... They're almost Gothic in a way! Not only do his specs Rock, they fit Matt superbly, with his eyes dead bang in the centre of the lens. Oh, and his partner Yvonne is styled here in an awesome Anne et Valentin making them a perfect pair of eyewear lovers!
We'll be back soon
As the nation begins to tentatively make steps towards emerging out of lockdown, it looks like we'll be reopening at some point in the not-so-distant future. To keep up to date and be one of the first through the door once we reopen, make sure you're signed up to our email or following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook where we'll be announcing developments as soon as we know them. Until then, please continue to get acquainted with our virtual shelves right here.
