Optical Prism March 2014 | Page 50

frame by frame Beautiful Eyewear in Burlington J ust back to work after having two kids, Optician and long-time employee Aida Rosales-Crespo getting back into the swing of things at Blur is Eyewear in Burlington. While she kept up with the latest trends in eyewear and the top brands the store carries (29 different designer brands, that is, everything from Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari and Oliver Peoples to Marc Jacobs, Dior and Theo), she’s still in love with some of the new frames she sees every day. Looking ahead to spring and thinking about her personal sunglass needs, Aida decided to try on a few pairs of frames. She popped on two versions of Thierry Lasry’s Sexxxy frames, the first in clear and the second in black. “Lots of celebrities wear these,” she says, and although the clear pair aren’t quite her style, she’d absolutely wear the black ones. Naturally, Aida leaned towards frames that fit her personal style—and that’s what she and the other members of the Blur team – Christine Brooks, owner and Optician and Daniela Tenace, Optician at Blur Eyewear in Dundas— try to do for everyone who walks through their doors. “Each person has their own style and needs. We try to promote exotic, more unique, good quality and not mass-produced products,” says Christine, “but we serve each customer individually. We like to build relationships.” Christine says cat eye and Wayfarer styles are huge in sunglasses this year, so she’s carrying a wide variety of frames that plays on those styles. But more important than the latest trends are timeless pieces, of which she has many as well. “We want to find something comfortable for everyone, regardless of trends,” she says. With that in mind, Aida tried on the Oliver Peoples Benedict frames, versatile aviators she says Bradley Cooper often wears. She also experimented with Tom Ford Ricki frames (“they fit so many face shapes,” says Aida) and Roberto Cavalli Kurumba frames, which have been quite popular with Blur customers. Aida had two more styles on her list to compare and contrast with the latest and greatest: Madison frames by Tom Ford and Starling sunnies by Dita, both of which come in a variety of colours. Aida quite likes both, but says she still leans towards the black Thierry Lasry frames she first donned. In terms of eyeglasses for herself, Aida favours Jodie1 frames by Face à Face, a brand she can’t get enough of. For something a bit different, she tried on Harriet frames by Mykita, which have no screws and are made of surgical stainless steel. Finally, Aida tried on a pair of Lindberg frames, the Spirit. Similar to the Mykita frames, these ones don’t have any screws, are made of titanium and are extremely light. Aida says Lindberg is her favourite brand. A colourful, imaginative mural at the back of Blur Eyewear in Burlington says it all: our eyewear tells a story—and Christine, Aida and Daniela are ready to help anyone tell their story as best they can. – Adrienne Brown 1 1. Face à Face, 2. Roberto Cavalli, 3. Tom Ford, and 4. Lindberg. 48 OPTICAL PRISM | MARCH 2014 2 3 4