The Optique
#B1-23, Ion Orchard
Tel: 6737-5665

BEAUTY may be in the eye of the beholder, but what happens if the beholder is short-sighted? The myopic in search of a new pair of glasses will be familiar with this drill: half blind, trying on one frame after the other and thinking they all look good on you. Without any help from an impartial/patient spouse or friend, you're at the mercy of a sales assistant who could not care if you look like an educated hooker or bad-tempered raccoon, so long as you make up your mind quickly. One week later, you go back to collect your new glasses and it's too late - they don't suit you at all.

It's a situation that Alexandre Steiger became familiar with in the eight months or so that he has lived in Singapore - polite but non-committal service that's limited to taking out the frames you want to try, a token attempt at making approving sounds, and a disappointed face when you walk out without buying.

Things would be different if you were shopping for glasses in a high-end eyewear boutique in Paris, where Steiger comes from. Over there, it's the salesperson's job to know what suits you, how you can wear it, where and for what purpose. He is your one-man-optician-cum-personal-fashion-stylist.

It's a new way of thinking - and selling - that Steiger hopes to bring to Capitol Optical's latest venture at the spanking new Ion Orchard. The Optique aims to give a couture spin to eyewear by featuring brands like Prada, Dior, Versace and more, with the X-factor supplied by Steiger, the store's resident French principal eyewear consultant. Steiger, who is an optometrist by training but much prefers the fashion side of the business, has chosen eyewear for Parisian celebrities like Thierry Mugler and Danny Sanz - the founder of Make Up Forever. After 12 years in the business, a fascination with Asia led him and his wife to Singapore, where he scouted for a similar-minded partner and found it in Francis Wong, managing director of Capitol Optical. With his penchant for seeking out retail concepts that would set his stores apart from the competition, Wong had a view to opening a high-end store amid the fashion labels in Ion Orchard, so meeting with Steiger was pretty much a match made in catwalk heaven.

So don't be surprised when you walk in, and instead of being shown a few frames, you're asked all kinds of questions like what lifestyle you lead, what job you have, what your wardrobe looks like, not unlike a personal shopper.

'The French approach to eye wear is - it's an accessory, like a handbag,' says Steiger. 'The men, for example, want different frames for sports, work, going out, for casual wear or sunglasses.' That's why he needs to ask so many questions, so that he can understand his clients and then make his recommendations. It's not something that Singaporeans are used to, that's for sure. But it's something he's pretty sure that they will get used to, and even seek out before long.

'On the second day we opened, a couple walked in and they didn't look at anyone, just at the shop,' he says. 'So I tried to engage them, and find out what they were looking for - they wanted advice, and in the end, we built up a relationship, and they bought the frames I recommended.' Besides just recommending frames, he will even take photos of customers so they can see what they look like and choose their favourite pair. But you can be sure that, unlike any eager sales assistant, he won't hesitate to tell you if you're making a wrong choice.

On top of that, his technical training comes into play as the store also makes use of state-of-the-art computerised testing equipment made by Nikon. Without the need to manually flip lenses on those makeshift spectacles, the Nikon Vision Suite instantly reads your prescription which Steiger also meticulously double checks to make sure everything is perfect.

He reckons that it's high time Singaporeans learned that eyewear isn't just for those unfortunate enough to be short-sighted and aren't comfortable with contact lenses.

'I have a neighbour in my condo who always wears contacts - and long-term wearing of lenses is not good for the eyes,' says Steiger. 'But she refuses to wear glasses because she only has one very old, ugly pair. But I showed her how glasses can make her look good, and now she loves them - she's not afraid of going out without her lenses anymore.'

Of course, he's well aware of the consequences of such a service even if he doesn't charge for it. When you earn the confidence of people, and you invest so much time trying to find the best frames for them - people will happily spend. Which is the ultimate objective, but at least customers can really see what they're paying for.

Club 21 Style Services
www.club21card.com
Tel: 6304-1333

Taking the concept of service one notch higher, multi-label retailer Club 21 has launched Club 21 Style Services - a new personal and private by-appointment only service providing style advisory and consultation sessions.

'If you look at all the big department stores in cities like New York and London such as Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods, they all provide personal styling services,' remarks Club 21's director of style services May Kong. 'We've been meaning to implement such a service for quite a while because it adds an extra dimension to the whole shopping experience and I think that it was about time that a high-end retailer brought such a world-class shopping experience to Singapore.'

Seeking to provide a more effortless shopping platform, the new service provides customers with anything from dedicated style advisers to tag alongside shoppers for immediate fit and style consultation across the entire collection of Club 21's over 30 luxury labels, to customers having the ability to request that Style Services pre-shop for them for an in-boutique fitting session.

In addition, if an element of pampering and indulgence is a concern, style advisers are also able to arrange a private, consultative session with a selection of wardrobe ensembles, hosted at the Club 21 Suite (Four Seasons Singapore) over tea and refreshments.

Ms Kong reveals that her team sees anything from three to 10 customers a day and adds that the convenience of having an adviser pre-select outfits for you makes it a big hit among working professionals and in particular among men who appreciate the ability to have a fuss-free shopping experience.

'Having to go around all the boutiques searching for what you want, be it an outfit or accessories to match, can be a tiring experience and there are those who would rather just tell us what they want so they can come in, have a fitting and leave without the hassle of looking high and low for items,' she says.

That said, with the plethora of personal stylists in the market these days, how does Club 21's Style Services match up?

'As a retailer with more than 30 luxury brands within our portfolio, what we can offer that these personal stylists can't, is the ability to give our customers first dibs on the newest and most exclusive items in the store, such as new collections or limited edition bags,' concludes an unfazed Ms Kong. 'And as we all know very well, everyone wants to be the first to get their hands on the best and newest things on offer.'

Club 21 Style Services is available at $300 per hour and is currently exclusive to Club 21 card members and preferred partners only. For more information, please visit www.club21card.com.