If you've been paying attention to our Instagram or Facebook, you've probably noticed post after post of happy customers in their new Sabine Be frames. We started carrying this line 8 months ago, and it absolutely flies off our shelves! After only 5 years, Sabine has succeeded in building her own, independently owned brand, producing surrealist glasses made entirely in France.
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| Our customers in their snazzy new Sabine Be! |
As a young girl in France, Sabine Vagner knew she wanted to be an artist, designer and stylist. This desire followed her into her young adulthood, so she applied (and was accepted) to design too. Her father had other plans for her though, and did not allow her to follow this path. She was born into a family opticians and doctors, so her artistic tendencies were not understood or encouraged.
Sabine worked as an optician for 33 years, and 25 of those years were spent working in her family's shop. However, her outlook on life changed when she lost her mother in 2009. "I realized life goes by really fast and thought, it's time to do what I've always dreamed of doing." She confessed her dreams of designing and launching her own line of eyewear to her husband and son, and was met with so much encouragement and support that at 49, Sabine decided to turn her childhood dream into a reality. And we're glad she did! Her blend of expert optical experience and love for vibrant colors, unique materials, and playful shapes resulted in an exciting new line of eyewear that has enthralled opticians around the globe.
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| Be Cat's Slim in Satin Neon pink! |
Her frames are each an exquisite piece of art. What resonates most with me as a small business owner though are her focus on quality, and her fierce independence- all of which happens behind the scenes. After she designs the frames, they are constructed out of a durable hypoallergenic, plant based bio-plastic called cellulose acetate. They are then assembled by hand in a well known French factory. Not only does Sabine Be design each frame, she also designed the glasses cases, chains, logo, and the displays that showcased her new line. She thinks about every minor detail and is considered a perfectionist, but she still manages to keep her line playful and full of her personality.
Her viewpoint of independent opticians and small businesses warms my heart, and aligns perfectly with our mission statement here at Carytown Optical. I feel like we are kindred spirits:
“..the consumer comes back to true values and starts to like products that have a real history, where there are hands that make them. That sign of real personality, because the glasses of today are not just a prostheses but a useful accessory. Eyewear is the first thing you see on a face, as much as it signs its own identity. Independent opticians fully understand the journey of creators and the new desires of consumers.”
It's truly an honor to be carrying Sabine Be frames in the shoppe. As of now, we are one of only two optical shops that carry Sabine Be in Virginia, so top by the shoppe to see these beauties in person. We look forward to seeing what else Sabine Vagner designs. She's enjoyed exploring her destiny as a designer so much that she's going to start designing things like accessories, jewelry, tableware and clothing. Sign me up!
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| Sabine Vagner showing off her funky frames! |
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