Trendy Gallery Offers More than an Eyeful
By Chris Manson August 11, 2005 Issue

When the Eye Gallery opened in Destin Commons last winter, visitors from Atlanta must have breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with recognition. Ivan and Sue Samuels opened their first store in Atlanta 15 years ago—specifically, in the affluent suburb of Sandy Springs. Since then, the Eye Gallery has built up a reputation for carrying the highest fashion eyewear available. Like the six Atlanta locations, the Destin Eye Gallery has an optician in house along with a fully equipped lab for making eyeglass lenses.

“We use the latest computerized equipment for exams and making glasses,” Ivan says. In fact, computers are one of his passions. “I use the very latest technology to keep the stores on the leading edge of the optical field.” The Eye Gallery has developed its own software to manage the stores as well as creating the only internet-based records access program for optical retail stores.

Ivan’s optical experience began in the early 1970s. At one time he served as CEO of Ciba Vision, the world’s second largest contact lens company, where he developed important relationships with researchers around the world. Under Ivan’s direction, the company brought the first tinted contact lenses to the United States in 1981. “We did a lot of new things in those days,” he says.

In the mid-‘80s, Ivan decided to start his own retail business in Atlanta. This fall, Ivan and Sue will oversee the opening of their newest store in Atlantic Station, the city’s huge retail project. “It’s three times the size of Destin Commons with 300 condos above it. It’s like building a whole new city north of Atlanta,” Ivan says.

As for Destin Commons, Ivan says, “the developers did a beautiful job. They didn’t want the typical chain stores everyone can find in their hometown. They pursued Eye Gallery because of our uniqueness and our ability to bring products to the Panhandle that have never been here before.” Products like Chanel and Prada, many of which are exclusively sold in this area by Eye Gallery.

But the boutique is not just dedicated to pleasing its customers’ fashion needs. Sunglass aficionados will find plenty to like, too, with Oakley, Maui Jim and Costa del Mar among the 30-odd brands in stock. “We have a separate entrance for sunglasses. And when we carry something, we carry everything. People are amazed by the product range and really enjoy the huge amount of choices we offer.”

Ivan and Sue have been visiting the Emerald Coast for the past five years—they spend their summers in Seagrove Beach--and people often asked why they didn’t open a store here. When they finally did make the leap, they tailored their concept for the beach. Noted Atlanta architect Robert Ross designed the beach-friendly store with light colors and a rounded wall that creates a “wave” mood. “The store is very original,” Ivan says. “Many retailers buy standard fixtures, but we like to do things that haven’t been done before.”

His 30 years in the business have enabled Ivan to maintain relationships with eyeglass and sunglass design firms all over the world. “We always seem to be at the front end of any new things coming out. We like to bring things out at an early stage and give customers the opportunity to see them first.” Sue spends an exhaustive amount of time visiting and speaking on the phone with leading manufacturers.

“We have to check the best 50 to 100 out of thousands,” Ivan explains. “Each of those may make 500 models, from which we try to extract the best hundred. You’re looking at the top fashion picks in each line—the best of the best.

“One secret of retail success is to have great products all the time. Chanel is a good example of an ‘exclusive’ boutique. We worked for years to get their line, and we are the only authorized dealer in the Panhandle.”

The Eye Gallery employs just a handful of staff members who prove to be much more experienced than most folks would expect. “The average person here has 10 to 20 years of experience,” Ivan says.

Sue is especially knowledgeable about the many brands sold by Eye Gallery, and owns more than a few pairs herself. “She is the Imelda Marcos of the sunglass/eyeglass world,” Ivan says. “She has a pair for every outfit. Her collection is amazing. We’re going to put it in a time capsule.”

“Or a museum,” Sue adds.

One particularly popular line is Sheila Vance’s Sama collection. Los Angeles-based Vance often creates custom eyewear for movies, notably Terminator 3. “She produced a frame called ‘The Kiss’ for Catherine Zeta-Jones for the movie Intolerable Cruelty. The frame was such a major success that (Vance) released it to her very special eyewear boutiques in maybe 50 places around the country. It’s one of our favorites,” Ivan says. He notes that ‘The Kiss’ has been one of the most sought after frames for the past two summers.

Sue notes the fashion industry has been a little slow to recognize that this market wants polarized lenses. Every pair of sunglasses sold at the Eye Gallery offers UV protection, but only polarized lenses block glare. Sama was one of the first collections to incorporate polarization especially for Eye Gallery.

Hot. Cool. Hip. Chic. You can find it all at Eye Gallery, along with plenty of happy customers. You can reach them by calling 650-4370.

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