Tag Archives: designer eyewear

Filed under: EVENTS!, Theo

Crazy Colorful Theo Trunk Show!

Written by on April 29th 2017

Who loves Theo? You do! So join us for the most colorful Theo trunk show yet on May 20 from 12-5pm!

2017_Theo_trunk_show_Blue

Theo is really bringing it this year with all of the great new shapes and vibrant colors that eyewear lovers have come to expect! 

terpomo,pyra and patatas colorful

From show stopping acetates and to interlocking metals, there really is something for everyone. Come try on all of the new shapes and colors and pick out one…or two…or three for yourself!

kamasutra white/gold

Continue Reading >

Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Francis Klein

Customer of the Week!

Written by on December 30th 2016

Congrats to our Customer of The Week, Melissa!

DOUBLEDAY_MELISSA

Melissa popped into the shop and picked out a custom Francis Klein frame this summer, as you can tell from her outfit! The color is neutral…with a subtle detail of stripes peeking through the front. This striped material is a middle layer of acetate within the frame, but can only be seen by carving away the top layers of the acetate.

Each pair of Francis Klein frames in our stock is made exclusively for Eye Spy! Much of their collection is laden with Swarovski crystals, but since everything is made-to-order, it’s up to you!

CROQUANT-C38.N19

 

Let’s Get to know Melissa Doubleday!

  1. What do you do for a living? I am a residential real estate broker for Berkshire Hathaway – http://www.berkshirehathawayhs.com/melissa-doubleday-real-estate-agent
  2. How many glasses do you have? I have 3 pairs!!
  3. What is your astrological sign? I am a Leo
  4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Oh wow…tough question!  I think it would be Coca Wheats. Old school hot cereal that my mom used to make for me when I was a kid.  It is still my go to comfort food! 
  5. What is your beverage of choice? This is a tie between Jim Beam & Diet with a lime & La Colombe’s Cold Brew coffee over ice with Splenda and half-n-half
  6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! Yes!  I love puzzles & paper crafts, although I work a lot so these hobbies are not regular activities in my life anymore.
  7. What is your secret talent? I size people up very quickly based on their behavior I can usually tag their personality before really knowing them.
  8. How long have you been wearing glasses? Since 4th grade
  9. Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time? Definitely forward in time- I feel what is in the past is in the past and we should only look forward.
  10. What is your guilty pleasure song? Al Green and “Let’s Stay Together”
  11. What is your favorite place on earth? I have traveled a lot, but for me there is no place like home, Michigan;  Pretty much anywhere along the beach in Southwest Michigan.
  12. What is one book, movie or TV show you think everyone should know about? The Rules of Work”  By Richard Templar. This book changed my outlook towards my career and helped me achieve the success that I have with my career and business.
  13. What is podcasts do you listen to on the regular? Serial!  Love this series on NPR!  
  14. What is your favorite thing about living in Chicago? This is a big city with a small city feel. I see people I know all the time when I am out and about.

 

 

Continue Reading >

Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Rapp

Customer Of The Week!!! Spectacular Stylist!

Written by on June 30th 2016

She’s got style, she’s got grace, she’s a winner…

Kate is a lady who knows what’s up and when it was time for a new pair of specs, she boogied on over to Eye Spy Optical for a new sassy look.
Kate_J
Kate is the Stylist and lady in charge at Chroma K8 Beautique on Lincoln Ave, a green salon that specializes in making women look their best, so she has an appreciation for all things gorgeous and glamorous with just the right hint of fun.
Kate tried on a few gorgeous frames, but the one that caught her eye was a sparkly candy colored Rapp Eyewear cat-eye named Maeve. Vintage inspired Maeve is a as pretty as Kate and look so good with her blonde ringlets.
chromak8
Stay tuned for our new lookbook – Kate did hair and makeup for our models and they look AMAZING! Here is a little sneak peek of our model Compton – after Kate did her magic.
Compton

Let’s get to know Kate!!!!

1. What do you do for a living? I’m a hair colorist & Stylist, I’ve owned my salon for almost 3 years
2. How many glasses do you have? Hmm, Probably 6 or so, but I don’t wear most of them anymore.
3. What is your astrological sign? Aquarius
4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? If weight wasn’t an issue, Carol’s Cookieschocolate-chip
5. What is your beverage of choice? Water/Coffee/Vodka & 7UP depends on the time of day :)
6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I collect vintage Chalkware, banks, salt & pepper shakers, planters…to name a few.chalkware
7. What is your secret talent? I know sign language fairly well, I was in interpreter school for almost 2 years
8. How long have you been wearing glasses? 30 Years
9. Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time? One that goes back
10. What is your guilty pleasure song? System Of A Down – Chop Suey
11. What is your favorite place on earth? Santorini, Greece SantoriniPartialPano
12. What is one book, movie or tv show you think everyone should know about? Tuesdays with Morrie
13. What is podcasts do you listen to on the regular? Entreleadership, it’s for business owners
14. What is your favorite thing about living in Chicago? My family & our city’s diversity
ChromaK8logo
If you are looking for a new do, head on over to Kate’s website at WWW.CHROMAK8.COM or her facebook page WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CHROMAK8. She’d love to hear from you!
Continue Reading >

Filed under: Caroline Abram, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!

Customer Of The Week…Throw Back Edition!

Written by on June 12th 2016

Customer of the Week: New glasses, new look!

Ladies and Gentlemen…I don’t know if you are prepared for this week’s Customer of the Week. Really, you may want to take a seat because I am about to blow your minds….

You ready? Ok! Help me welcome Clint and his amazing new specs to the COTW club!

CLINT_P (765x1024)

Isn’t he handsome in his new frames? I know – you need to catch your breath. But wait! There is more…

This is a picture of him in 2009!!!!

 

CLINT PROSS

What a transformation! While Clint’s LaFont frames were a great pick back then, we think that his new Jeremi frame from Caroline Abram is a great update and looks amazing with his new devil-may-care look. :)

JEREMI - CAROLINE ABRAM

The tortoise details on the front of the frame and the temples soften the black and make this frame anything but boring!

If you are feeling inspired by Clint’s makeover, get over here and we will be happy to help you find a great new frame for your fabulous face!

Continue Reading >

Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Francis Klein, RES/REI

Customer of the Week! BOGO Edition!

Written by on May 31st 2016

We have a Two-For-One Special on Customer of the Week in Aisle 4!

Seth and his lovely wife Minglei wandered into Eye Spy a few weeks ago to select some new frames and we were completely charmed. We knew they just HAD to be featured as our Customers of the Week! Put your hands in the air and wiggle those jazz hands for Seth and Minglei!

MINGLEI AND SETH_B AND  (765x1024)

Minglei needed a couple of frames – one for her distance vision and one for her reading. She loves cat-eye frames, so she got a beautiful tortoise Francis Klein Aries frame that really shows off her eyes and is a beautiful shape on her. We love the sexy secretary look of her Res/Rei Giulia frame – perfect for reading!

 

ARIES A85 529 Res Rei S.r.l

 

Seth picked out one of Anne et Valentin’s newer frames, On The Wave in a shade of green that perfectly complements his eyes.

av on the wave

 

Let’s Get to Know Minglei and Seth! 

Ladies first…Minglei:

  1. What do you do for a living? I work for a charitable foundation. I also manage Chicago Art Deco Society’s Facebook page.
  1. How many glasses do you have? Three
  1. What is your astrological sign? LibraLibra2
  1. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Noodle soups!Eat, Dough, Soup, Kazakh, Plate, Food, Liquid, Noodles
  1. What is your beverage of choice? Just water
  1. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I study fashion and architecture, and I love to read mystery novels.
  1. What is your secret talent? I can do some ballet.
  1. How long have you been wearing glasses? About 20 years.
  1. Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Tap!
  1. What is your guilty pleasure song? “Beat It” by Michael Jackson
  1. What is your favorite place on earth? Chicago
  1. What is your favorite moment? The first warm day after my first winter in Chicago.

You can find some of Minglei’s posts for the Chicago Art Deco Society on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chicagodeco/

art deco flapper

 

And now Seth!

  1. What do you do for a living? I’m a health care policy expert working in the big data space.
  2. How many glasses do you have? Two pairs.
  3. What is your astrological sign? Tiger 2015-tiger
  4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Chinese noodle soup
  5. What is your beverage of choice? Dark Matter coffee dark matter
  6. Do you have a hobby? I’m active in community service as a director of Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR), a downtown neighborhood association serving the residents and businesses of Streeterville since 1975.
  7. What is your secret talent? I am a certificated pilot, but I usually just take the bus.
  8. How long have you been wearing glasses? Ever since all overhead projectors started going out of focus at the same time – I wonder why?
  9. Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Prefer something lazier
  10. What is your guilty pleasure song? “Fat” by “Weird Al” Yankovic.
  11. What is your favorite place on earth? Downtown Chicago (when ambulance sirens aren’t blaring too loud)
  12. What is your favorite moment? The first time I stepped on a brand new, totally clean L car

Check out all of the latest and greatest going on in Streeterville at soarchicago.org :) 

Skyline_Banner

Continue Reading >

Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Theo

Customer Of The Week: Technicolor Dream Glasses!

Written by on March 2nd 2016

Say hi to Lizzie everyone! She is our most colorful Customer of the Week yet!

Seriously…Rainbow Brite’s got nothin’ on this girl!

ELIZABETH_S

Lizzie is a breath of fresh air…if air were rainbow-colored with a touch of acid. Just think Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat…with more Technicolor.

technicolor-dreamcoat-1280jpg-8f0028_1280w

Lizzie was looking for some new specs to go with her already amazing rainbow wardrobe and heard that the Queen of Specs would have just what she needed at Eye Spy Optical.  Dazzled by all the amazing shapes and colors, Lizzie was in heaven the minute she walked in the door.  She looked around a bit and something caught her eye…but the Queen of Specs knew exactly what to show Lizzie: A neon yellow and pink limited edition Theo Mille+-4 frame.
Yellow Mille

It was almost as if that frame had been waiting for Lizzie to visit the shop. As Lizzie put the glowing glasses on, the Queen was not surprised…they were a perfect fit!

Lizzie declared that Eye Spy is “THE greatest optic shop I’ve ever known of. I’m a total convert; there’s no better place that suits my style” and the rest is history!

Let’s get to know Lizzie!

  1. What do you do for a living? I’m a college student (Biology major,) writer, fashion blogger, and multimedia artist. I’m preparing to enter a pre-med program at UICscience!
  2. How many glasses do you have? Only one Rx pair, but I want to expand my eyeglass wardrobe so I can coordinate with all of my outfits! I love my current pair; they fit so well into my style! I am eyeing a nice pair of custom Frances Klein glasses, however; luckily I know where to go! :)
  3. What is your astrological sign? I’m a Libra! I’ve interpreted my birth chart for fun and I have a lot of Aquarius influence as well! I suppose that accounts for the eccentricity.
  4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Vegan ice cream! At least I won’t run out of flavors. Though it would be nice to have french fries to dip in them…
  5. What is your beverage of choice? Every Slurpee flavor layered in a rainbow. None of the sugar-free flavors though; gotta keep the dentist in business!rainbow slurpee
  6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I absolutely love making or altering my clothing or accessories, skateboarding, drawing, studying medicine and psychology, playing music, and singing. I’ve had a DIY philosophy ever since I was little; I even dye and cut my own rainbow hair!
  7. What is your secret talent? I’m extremely observant, and I can keenly read people down to the smallest detail, despite being quite shy (even though I’m neon, I’m rather quiet!) I also have a great knowledge base of music, movies, TV, and fashion from decades before I was even born. It’s great because I can track cultural influences and origins down very quickly, and I’m certainly never bored! It also impresses people who are years my senior, who I often find I share more in common with than my peers!
  8. How long have you been wearing glasses? Ever since I was 10, so about 14 years. I went through contact lens phases, but mostly because I wanted 50 pairs of fashion glasses to swap out whenever I wanted. I think glasses look great, and rarely have I been seen without them since adulthood. (She is our kinda gal!)
  9. Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? I’d love to swim for a whole day! That was all summer for me as a kid. My mom and grandma used to say I was “just like a fish,” because it was near-impossible to get me out of the water. I’m still the same, as long as the water’s warm enough.
  10. What is your guilty pleasure song? I’m very open and honest about the immense variety of music I listen to, but I’d say “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sayer or “Holiday Road” by Lyndsay Buckingham. They may be a bit cheesy, but those harmonies get me every time.
  11. What is your favorite place on earth? San Francisco. I’m just another eccentric there, and I love it. It always reminds me of Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” quote in reference to this: ‘just another freak in the freak kingdom.’ It’s comforting.
  12. What is your favorite moment? Taking the subway to the Cook County Courthouse on Halloween to marry my husband, the only person I’ve ever fallen in love with. We wanted to do things in our own casual, offbeat way. My mom made a beautiful rainbow bouquet for me by hand, and our whole ceremony is on tape! Easily the most incredible event in my entire life. neon-brooch-bouquet-www-etsy-comshoplionsgatedesigns

Lizzie has a Tumblr blog where she posts fashion, videos, art and anything that inspires her: trashylvania.tumblr.com. 

Continue Reading >

Filed under: Anne et Valentin, CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!

CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK! Feelin’ the Love!

Written by on February 17th 2016

Valentine’s Day was Sunday, so we declare that this is the week of LOVE and I am deeply IN LOVE with our Customer of the Week’s glasses. Give yourself a little hug in honor of Karen!!!

Karen in Anne et Valentin Kodex

Doesn’t Karen look fabulous in her new glasses?!? This is her first pair of Eye Spy specs, and wow! She chose such a unique and bold frame that fits her to a T.

Anne et Valentin KODEX

Anne et Valentin’s Kodex frame is part of a new series that they premiered at the trade show in Paris back in Sept. When the Queen of Specs and the Specs Wrangler saw these beauties, they gasped! The colors, the shapes, the polka dots! It is like they were made for Eye Spy…and they were definitely made for Karen, ’cause when she put them on, it was obvious that she had to take them home.

 

Let’s Get to Know Karen!!!

  1. What do you do for a living? I work for Georgetown University in Qatar (that’s just north of Saudi Arabia).  I’m their Associate Director of Talent Management.
  2. How many glasses do you have? How many do I have or how many do I wear?  I have three pair now–four, if you count my prescription sunglasses–but I tend to wear the same pair day after day (indoors anyway!).
  3. What is your astrological sign? I’m an Aries with a Cancer moon.  Fire and water, which pretty much equals ash.
  4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? A gooey, hot cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting. cinnamon-buns
  5. What is your beverage of choice? Skinny lattes during the day.  Sidecars (with a sugar rim, please) in the evening.
  6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! I like to write fiction for fun.
  7. What is your secret talent? My friends at work call me the Proofreading Nazi, because I catch flaws in everything (and now I’m praying to God I haven’t mucked anything up with this questionnaire…).
  8. How long have you been wearing glasses? Since I was 9 years old.  A very, very long time.
  9. Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Tap!  I was a Theatre major and took my fair share of dance classes.  It’s fun and you get the added bonuses of music and an audience (with any luck at all).
  10. What is your guilty pleasure song? Anything by P!nk.  Though I’m not very guilty about it.
  11. What is your favorite place on earth? Cornwall, UK

    Cornwall looks LOVELY!!!

    Cornwall looks LOVELY!!!

12. What is your favorite moment? When I get off the elevator, coming home from work, and I hear my dog, Oliver, barking with joy from behind my apartment door.

 

Karen is as interesting as her glasses and we can’t wait for her to visit us again so we can chat all about her travels, her dog Oliver and her next daring pair of glasses. :)

Continue Reading >

Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Francis Klein

Customer of The Week…Glasses that are Party Perfect!!!

Written by on January 26th 2016

Put your dancin’ shoes on ’cause Meghan got some new glasses AND she is our Customer of the Week!

MEGHAN_R

Meghan and her husband come in to shop for glasses about once a year and let me tell you – this lady is a complete delight! She likes to try on frames that are a little unexpected and was not finding anything that felt perfect on her last visit…that is until Patsy picked out the ever so sweet Chou frame by Francis Klein for her to try on.

Glitter, leopard print, Swarovski crystals, gold hand painting…what else could a girl want?!? Meghan has a petite face and Chou is a great fit. Her eyes really pop and the color is divine with her ginger hair.

cat eye glasses, eye glasses, leopard glasses, leopare print glasses
Chou in another pretty color – but is it as pretty as Meghan’s glasses?

These beauties came back from the lab just in time for Meghan to wear them to a work party she was throwing for Revolution Brewing, and from what we hear, she was the belle of the ball! She also told us she was planning on wearing them with a horse dress…and this is pretty much what I imagine she looked like at her party :)

Is this Meghan's horse dress? I sure hope so. :)

Is this Meghan’s horse dress? I sure hope so. :)

Let’s get to know Meghan!!!

  1. What do you do for a living? Event Planner at Revolution Brewing  

    She planned the fiesta themed employee party...and even had Beer Serapes!!!

    She planned the fiesta themed employee party…and even had Beer Serapes!!!

  2. How many glasses do you have? 3
  3. What is your astrological sign? Gemini
  4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be? Pizza
  5. What is your beverage of choice? Beer (Duh, I work in a brewery.)
  6. Do you have a hobby? Tell me about it! Reading. I can drink beer while I do it, and it keeps me off my feet.
  7. What is your secret talent? I play saxophone, specifically the baritone sax (like Lisa Simpson) The_Simpsons_3G02
  8. How long have you been wearing glasses? Full time for 6 years, off & on for 20
  9. Would you rather: tap or swim for a whole day? Swim. I was a lifeguard for many years, and had my first swim lesson when I was 9 days old.
  10. What is your guilty pleasure song? I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift
  11. What is your favorite place on earth? Anywhere with a beautiful view of nature and no cell reception.
  12. What is your favorite moment? Having a beer with my husband at the end of the day

Congrats to Meghan and her new specs!!! She looks fantastic in her fabulous new frames. And if you are thinkin’ about having a party of your own, get in touch with Meghan and you may get a chance to be dazzled by her new glasses yourself!

Continue Reading >

Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, FASHION!, Francis Klein, Unique Frame Lines

Customer of the Week! Jen and her new Francis Klein Glasses!

Written by on January 18th 2016

Jump for joy for Jen, our new Customer of the Week!

JENNIFER_VOUDRIE (2)

Jen came into the store a couple years ago for her first pair of Eye Spy specs and chose a beautiful classic tortoise Caroline Abram cat-eye frame that was neutral and easy to wear with anything. She wore them for 2 years, loving them every minute but needed to update her prescription. This time around she decided she wanted something a little more fun, something with a little more punch so she came back to Eye Spy and Sara, our Design Maven, knew just what would make her heart sing. Together they created her very own personalized pair of Francis Klein frames.

Francis Klein frames are a favorite of so many people for a reason. They are very customizable – with hundreds of combinations of shapes, colors and decor options to choose from. The result? Dream Glasses!!!!

FK_macaron_custom

We think Jen wins the frame game…these are the perfect shape and hot pink is a most amazing color with her complexion and her hair!

This process could be overwhelming for some, but Sara made it easy. They started by selecting a shape.  Jen has a rounded face and high cheeks, so cat-eye frames are a natural fit.  The angles balance her face and the uplifted shape make her look even happier than she already is. The color choices were probably the hardest part but there was something about that hot pink that just felt right for the front.  They balanced this out with a soft jade green on the temples. Finally they looked at the decor choices and decided on one that features hand-painted flowers with glittery Swarovski crystal centers.  So sweet!

pretty-in-pink-67

Pretty sure she needs to wear these at Pretty in Pink when it is in the theaters on Valentine’s day!

 

Lets get to know Jennifer!!!

1. What do you do for a living? I make hand-crafted herbal tinctures and essential oils at an integrative health clinic. You can call me a potion master (Oh…WE WILL!)

potion
2. How many glasses do you have? 2 with my current prescription, but altogether, about 15
3. What is your astrological sign? Scorpio, of course
4. What is your beverage of choice? This week it’s the Moscow Mule.
5 What is your secret talent? I play the French Horn (38 years) and the Mandolin (3 years)
6. How long have you been wearing glasses? 34 years
7. What is your guilty pleasure song? Mr. Blue Sky, but This Corrosion runs a very close second.
8. What is your favorite place on earth? Any place that has trees or water as far as they eye can see, which is pretty far with my awesome glasses!

JENNIFER_VOUDRIE

Jen’s new frame is as unique as she is and we can’t wait to see her again. If you are feeling a little bit envious, you should come in and ask about designing your own custom frame. We’ll make sure the process is fun and easy and that you get a frame that is perfect for you.

Continue Reading >

Filed under: CUSTOMER OF THE WEEK!, Theo

Green Cat-Eye Glasses for our Customer of the Week!

Written by on January 13th 2016

New Year, New Unique Glasses!

Get ready to do the wave (yes people still do that!) in celebration of Karen, our Customer of the Week! Karen’s new specs are winners and so is she!!!

Karen in her colorful green Theo eyeglasses frames

New Glasses, Oh JOY!!!

It is a new year and we are happy to ring it in with a face you may recognize.  Karen has been a customer for ten years and is now a two time Customer of the Week winner! (Last time she got a particularly cool pair of  Gentle Monster frames.)

eye spy optical glasses, gentle monster frames

Karen is one smart cookie. She is a a businesswoman – she is the Founder and Executive Director at the Chicago Mosaic School, a teacher  – check out all the amazing classes over at CMS – you need a new hobby right?!? – and an amazing mosaic artist who has shown internationally in Italy, Japan and France (just to name just a few.)

chicago mosaic art by Karen Ami

Onward, 2015

Don’t let her impressive resume intimidate you…she is full of sass and you will probably find yourself laughing your face off if you spend any time with her.

Anne et Valentin and Theo eyeglasses frames. Custom colorful handmade

Karen has a love for funky eyeglasses and with the help of her trusted friend and optician, Patsy the Spex Wrangler, she always manages to leave Eye Spy Optical with a frame that fits her personality to a T.

green cat-eye glasses

 

This gorgeous Theo Mille+12 is the newest addition to her eyewear collection. We think they are a perfect pair for her frame wardrobe. Theo makes bold and chunky acetate glasses that make a statement.  The Mille+12’s structured cat-eye shape is modern and has all the right angles – and the color of this frame is to die for!

If you see Karen out and about ask her for her secret to winning COTW twice and find out where she is headed next. We guarantee you will love her as much as we do!

Continue Reading >