frame by frame
Rose in Nelson
T
ucked away in the mountains of southeastern
British Columbia is the city of Nelson, a rural
hub of 10,000 souls known around the world as
a funky mountain town with deep roots in counterculture
and a thriving arts scene. It’s a place where people love to
sport a unique look, and glasses are definitely no exception.
Located amidst the quaint old heritage buildings
of downtown Nelson and surrounded by peaks of the
Selkirk Mountains from whence its name comes is Selkirk
Eyecare, an optometry clinic and dispensary that supplies
many Nelson and area residents with the fashionable
frames they seek.
“Most sales reps who come here have what they call
‘Nelson trays’ because we’re in such a different category,”
explains Selkirk Eyecare Dispensary Manager, Laura
White. “We have such an artsy community in Nelson
that we have lots of different styles that wouldn’t go well
elsewhere.”
When it comes to matching up customers with the
right frames for them, White says it’s always a mix of
practicality and style but the most important part is how
the glasses make people feel.
I was lucky to spend some
time while Rose Ware while
she tried on frames with Laura
at Selkirk Eyecare. With seven
pairs of glasses to her name
already, including a vintage
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Lafont frame from 1962 that she saw in the movie 8 ½ and
just had to have, Ware is a lady who is serious about her
style and her glasses.
“You can always find the comfort because most glasses
are made for comfort,” Rose explains. “So for me, style is
most important.”
Her penchant for style came through clearly in the
frames she chose. After a flurry of activity that saw Rose
sample a wide variety of frames – all funky and bold – she
landed on a few designs that stood out above the rest.
Rose considered a hip round tortoise shell number the Concerto from Lafont - but when she put on a pair of
hand-painted black and gold Lafont Ivy frames it was clear
she loves the Lafont look and her heart was set.
She kept going anyhow and donned a bold, colourful
pair for striped green Etnia Barcelona Berns that gave her
a long pause for consideration, along with a brown OGI
4300 and a sleek pair of grey JF Rey 2491s that were her
second favourite. But in the end the Lafont Ivys won the
day as Rose’s favourite frames.
– Colin Payne
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OPTICAL PRISM | APRIL 2014
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Etnia Barcelona Bern 7599
JF Rey 2491–7610
Lafont Concerto 7616
Lafont IVY 7589
OGI 4300–7602