Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Unique Frame Lines
Help welcome 0ur new Customer of the Week – Colleen!!!
Colleen has been buying her glasses from Eye Spy since 2011 and has collected a diverse wardrobe of frames to adorn her face.
Colleen’s newest eyeglasses frame is a gorgeous Anne et Valentin Griffin frame in a beautiful turquoise and chocolate brown. This frame is so great on her – it frames her eyes perfectly and the matte color is so rich and pretty. The turquoise really makes her eyes pop and the brown brings some warmth to her complexion. 
Take a look at some of her other gorgeous glasses:
Anne et Valentin Modern Love
Theo Sixteen
Anne et Valentin Fanzine
It is clear that Colleen likes to mix it up, switching between acetate and metal frames depending on her mood and her outfit for the day. She also has a great selection of colors! We think her newest frame brings a nice modern feeling to her collection.
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Filed under: NEWS!, Sabine Be., Unique Frame Lines
We have some new frames to entice and delight you from a wonderful new (to us) designer. Let me introduce you to our newest collection of french eyeglasses, Sabine Be! But first, some background…
The Queen of Specs had been seeing photos of Sabine Be for a over a year….so, when she made her wishlist for the buying show in Paris, Sabine Be was at the top of the list! The Queen likes to carry independent, small, colorful lines that are designed by opticians. In addition, independent optical designers are so nice to work with…and the quality & workmanship is amazing. Our appointment with Sabine Be was secured for the last day of the buying show. Each day that the Queen passed by the Sabine Be booth, she started drooling and the Specs Wrangler had to pull the Queen away!! Finally, the day arrived! And the clouds parted…..
Are you in LOVE yet? Everyone here at Eye Spy Optical have a bit of a crush, especially on this sassy little cat ear number.
Sabine grew up with a love of design, fashion and eyewear – both parents were involved in the optical world. She knew she would grow up to be a designer of some sort. So after years of work as an optician, Sabine started her own line of unique and colorful frames.
You may not know this but opticians make THE BEST eyewear designers. They pay attention to the little things – what will fit well, what will look good, what will feel comfortable in a frame. Sabine Be is comfortable and fun to wear. She uses beautiful colors and pairs them with fun and easy to wear shapes.
They are also beautifully made – Sabine has her frames made by hand at a small, well-known eyewear factory in France. Detail and quality have served as her guides she has been recognized by the eyewear design world for her talents, she was recently nominated for the prestegious Grand Prix Silmo d’Or 2015 in Paris.
We have a great selection of Sabine Be’s women’s and men’s frames as well as some fantastic accessories. Consider yourself warned…you may squeal with delight when you see them. 
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Francis Klein
It is your favorite time of the week…yes, time to annouce our Customer Of The Week – LaTonya!!!!
LaTonya is like many women who come to Eye Spy. She has had a prescription for a while, she even has glasses, but she doesn’t really like to wear them. Over the last year she has noticed that she is straining her eyes and when she got her last eye exam, her doctor told her that she needs to wear her glasses all the time. This is NOT what LaTonya wanted to hear, but she decided that if she found some glasses that she LOVES she will wear them. She even decided that for her, it makes the most sense to get a couple of frames so that she can switch it up depending on her style.
With the help of our Design Mave, Sara, she decided on a pair – a gorgeous deep blue Wing frame by Francis Klein.
We know this isn’t her exact frame…but Francis Klein frames are super customizable. You can choose your color, your decor style and your crystals!
We LOVE the way Wing fits LaTonya and how the color and pattern look with her complexion! Wing has just the right amount of fun and funky and will go with almost everything in her wardrobe.
LaTonya looks fab in her new frame and now she will also be able to see! Win win!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Mykita, Non-Profit of the Month, SpexWax, Theo
You may not know this but the Queen of Specs, Alissa, is a woman and a small business owner!!! Gasp! And all of the lovely folks workin’ at Eye Spy Optical these day are also women! So you might not be surprised to find out that Alissa is totally into supporting women’s businesses and issues. Each month we donate a portion of sales at one of our events to a local non-profit organization. This month we are excited to be working with Women Employed.
Women Employed is a fantastic organization and was founded in 1973 with the mission to “improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity.” They are focused on addressing issues that impact women in low paying jobs like paid sick-leave, fairness in the workplace, stable schedules, living wages etc.
This is a group of hard-working people who are dedicated to helping women succeed in life and removing major barriers that can get in the way of that.
Some of the awesome accomplishments that Women Employed have achieved in the last 5 years:
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As the leading advocate for state-funded tuition assistance in Illinois, WE prevents deep cuts to those investments in the face of the state’s fiscal crisis.
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WE leads a growing campaign to raise the minimum wage in Illinois and collaborates with national groups to win an increase at the federal level.
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WE wins commitments from state leaders to implement “bridge programs” that help low-skilled adults advance to college-level courses in their chosen career fields.
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WE works with community colleges across Illinois to improve support services that help students stay in school and graduate.
Help us support Women Employed’s mission to assure that “All women are treated fairly in the workplace, are able to attain the skills they need for the jobs they want, and are respected for the work they do.”
We will be donating a portion of our sales at our trunk shows this month, so stop in and check out our fabulous glasses and help suport a great Chicago oranization!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, EVENTS!, Mykita, SpexWax, Theo
Y’all it’s that magical time of year again! Trunk Show month at Eye Spy! It’s every Saturday all month long! We’ve got all of our favorite lines scheduled to make an appearance! Check out the line up below!
Anne et Valentin on November 7th
Anne et Valentin single handedly manages to give you just the right amount of color and grace in each of their lovely frames! And while their creations are original, colorful and lively, they are, above all, objects that combine ergonomics, technical requirements, and respect for those who wear them.
Spex Wax on November 14th
Spex Wax is the ultimate upcycle: art for your face! Rescuing unplayable records, recrafting them with love and artistry that is the very core of Spex Wax. Come and choose from one of their brilliant styles. If for some reason you can’t manage to find your dream pair, you can have one designed for you! Each pair is totally swoon worthy, but don’t take my word for it, come and see for yourself.
THEO on November 21st
Theo eyewear is a little bit like magic in the way that their frames are designed. If you are looking for metal or acetate they have got you covered in the smartest, dreamiest way possible. Their pairing of color and shape is on point. Don’t believe me? Come in and see every perfect pair in each incredible color. We will have booze and snacks to make your Saturday that much better.
Mykita on November 28th
Mykita has been ruling the the screwless hinge game since 2003! Laser cutting and the hand bending of each frame are just the start of Mykita’s effortless perfection. Clean lines and graceful shapes are where Mykita is at. Oh, and did we mention that they are dang near impossible to break?!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, Caroline Abram, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, KIDS!
Our customer of the week this week is another pint-sized person…say yay yay for Mary Morris!!!
She came in for her very first eye exam and was so so so excited to hear that she needed glasses. She has an eye for style and was very sure about what she liked and didn’t like when she tried on frames. Anne et Valentin just came out with a new line of eyewear for children earlier this year, so Mary Morris had a lot of cheerful frames to choose from. Anne et Valentine’s glasses come a bunch of fun candy colors, some of the shapes are new and some are mini versions of their existing frames. Mary Morris tried on a few and quickly decided on a pretty pair of Mia frames in red and blue.
Mary Morris wanted to add a little something fun to her glasses and picked out a little Bijounette accessory by Caroline Abram that is shaped like a slice of cake to dangel off her new specs. If you feel like you want a little goodie for your frames you should come by and see our other treat charms.
We think she is just the cutest and that her glasses are a perfect fit for her personality (she dressed up to match her glasses when she came in to pick them up – seriously, we can’t get enough of this kid!)
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Unique Frame Lines
Hey everyone! We have a new customer of the week! Say hi to Hawke!
Hawke came in needing help fixing an old pair of glasses that had fallen prey to the tiny hands of a grabby child – kids can’t seem to resist the siren song of a pair of glasses…before you know it SWOOP! they are off!
We were able to help him get his old frames back in order, but he realized that he might want to get a new pair since it had been a while since he had updated his glasses game.
Hawke has a low bridge and frames that come with nosepads tend to keep those specs where they need to be, but liked the bold look of plastic frames! Patsy, our Specs Wrangler, got right down to it select the always fantastic, Fame frame by Anne et Valentin. He liked it so much that he decided to get it in 2 colors!
The black and charcoal frame is a great alternative to a boring black frame. It still has the clean lines that you get from a black frame, but the matte plastic on the front add a textural element that keep this frame modern.
Tortoise plastic is classic and softens this grey metal frame bringinging elements of dimension and light.
It is amazing how different the same frame in two different colorways look!
Hawke is now rocking his new frames and feels like a million bucks. I hope he can keep those little kid fingers away from them!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Gentle Monster
Our uber-chic Customer Of The Week is Ruth!
Ruth has been a customer here at Eye Spy for a few years now and she always has wonderful taste. We love how these slightly oversized Anne et Valentin Modern Style frames look on her.
Everything comes together in this frame – the shape is a reimagined take on vintage eyeglass shapes, the little pops of red metal on the temples make this frame modern and the tortoise is a classic color that is crazy versatile.
Ruth’s Gentle Monster Magician frame is also an updated take on a traditional sunny and is a frame she will be able to wear for years.
Chocolate chip acetate and gold metal…how can you go wrong?
Ruth’s frames have all the right elements and she will be able to wear them long after the current fashion trends come and go. This is what classic style is all about!
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Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Francis Klein
Hi all! These truly are the dog days of summer, so we chose our wonderful customer Victoria and her cute pup, Splash, for our Customer Of The Week!
At Eye Spy Optical we LOVE glasses and we LOVE dogs, so when Victoria came in to pick up her new glasses and brought along her furry little friend, we were thrilled and HAD to have a picture of both of them!
Victoria has been a customer for a few years now and on her last trip here, she picked up 2 pairs – first, a gorgeous pair of claret red and minty green Anne et Valentin Minilook. The more traditional shape makes these are perfect for professional settings but have that gorgeous color that looks so great with Victoria’s coloring.
She also decided on a pair of Francis Klein Club frames with a floral silk print. We love how light and easy-going this pair is – perfect for summer garden parties and brunching outside!
Victoria is happy with her new summer frames and Splash gives her paw of approval to both pairs!
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Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Niloca, Theo
Help me welcome Robin to the Customer Of The Week Club!
Robin’s first visit to Eye Spy Optical was a little bit strange…the Queen of Specs and the Optical Oracle were on at the shop and just moments before Robin stepped in the door, the power had all gone out. This did not deter Robin. She had been sent by one of her fab friends to look at our unique frames and a little power outage wasn’t going to deter her.
She looked around for a bit, trying on frames in every color under the rainbow. A Theo frame caught her eye…part of a limited edition of flourescent Mille specs…in bright blue and green.
I know this is purple…but you can imagine this in blue and green can’t you?
Robin loves color and accessories, so she also wanted to look for something she could wear with her jewel-tone outfits. She tried on Niloca’s Fermie frame and knew she had found her frame-charming. The kalaidesope of amethyst, garnet and carnelian colors was gorgeous with her coloring and would match her hats!
So it was settled…Theo and Niloca frames in gorgeous limited edition colors were going home with her.
We love Robin’s bold choices and think she looks beautiful in both of her new specs!
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