GSO Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

The GSO Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

It’s just under three weeks until the big day and Newcastle is busier than ever with the mad dash of Christmas shoppers. If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for your loved one, then allow us to take the pressure off with our Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Whether your loved one is a GSO regular or new to the world of eyewear, we have something for everyone.

Surprise them with something from their Christmas wishlist

Did you know that we keep records of our frame fanatics’ wish lists throughout the year? If you love someone who loves GSO, chances are we know what they want for Christmas! Come in for a chat with our eyewear experts and we’ll help you find the perfect gift.

 

Need a little bit more inspiration? Read on to find out our recommendations in our Holiday Gift Guide

For The Fashionista

Ahlem sunglass frames

For a fashion-lover seeking the celebrity look, we have just the thing! How about a beautiful pair of Ahlem sunspecs? Adored by Natalie Portman to LeBron James.

GLCO frames

For a more laidback vibe, look no further than Garrett Leight. Worn by Brad Pitt, Kendall Jenner and pretty much anyone else you can think of!

For The Art Lover

Theo POP ART

If art’s your thing, why not adorn yourself with a beautiful piece of wearable art?
Theo’s Pop Art series is inspired by the artists of the pop art era and their iconic subjects: Think Debby Harry as portraited by Andy Warhol. With the bold contours, colours and geometry of Roy Lichtenstein.

For the Outdoors-obsessed

Perfect for the great outdoors

For those who love nothing more than spending time in the great outdoors, some colour changing lenses are a must-have. Either ready-to-wear or fully-customisable, we have a huge range of colours to choose from. Our lenses are complete with a hydrophobic layer for those drizzly days too.

custom tints

For the Sports-fanatic

Whether it’s golf, skiing, swimming, or something more niche, we have eyewear to suit every sporting endeavour. Book a frame consulation with one of our experts and we’ll help find the solution for you!

Ask us about our sports eyewear options

For the Aspiring Eyewear Aficionado

Junior frame options

Know a youngster who’s looking to expand their eyewear collection? We have a great range of stylish junior optical and frames! For under 16s, all eyewear needs to be dispensed by a registered optician. Why not book your teen in for a frame consultation with one of our experts and treat them to the full GSO experience?

For Winter Sun Seekers

Our sunglass collection

There’s no better time to treat yourself or a loved one to a new pair of sunglasses. We have hundreds of incredible sunglass frames in our collection! Either ready-to-wear or with fully-customised prescription lenses.

*please allow up to 3 weeks depending on custom lens type

Gift Voucher

Christmas Voucher

If your loved one prefers to choose their own, why not request a custom gift voucher? We can provide a voucher for any amount and with a personalised message

*2 days notice required

To make it extra special, our gift vouchers will include a personal Frame Consultation appointment with one of our eyewear experts. Allow us to give your loved one the VIP treatment!

 

Stocking Fillers

For the person who has everything, we have a great selection of care kits and accessory items, priced from £10 – £40

Our eyewear accessories and care kits

 

  • Large cloth
  • Slim case
  • Care kit
  • Collectors Case

 

To make an appointment for a frame consultation for yourself or a loved one, get in touch

We hope to see you soon!

Grey St. Optician Presents: AHLEM ATELIER

AHLEM ATELIER

Join us 2nd and 3rd November for a very special event: Ahlem Atelier

 

All about Ahlem

 

AHLEM is a luxury eyewear brand Renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, timeless designs, and commitment to sustainable production.

Founder Ahlem Manai Platt has a remarkable background in the fashion industry.

Ahlem Manai Platt

After studying art history, she gained experience at prestigious fashion houses such as Acne Studios and Prada. She founded her eponymous brand after a series of chance encounters…

 “We were with friends at a cafe in Paris, discussing goals, and I showed the group a sketch from my notebook,” she says. “The excitement they expressed gave me the guts; the loss of a beloved pair of vintage sunnies shortly thereafter gave me the final push.”

Ahlem went on to become a finalist in Vogue’s CFDA Fashion Fund and she founded AHLEM in 2014.

We added Ahlem to the Grey St. collection in 2017 as a capsule range of their metal styles. We quickly fell in love with their stunning acetate designs too, as well as the ethos of the brand. The rest is history.

Team GSO with Ahlem

Since then AHLEM has catapulted into worldwide success.  Not only is AHLEM a favourite of Grey St. followers, but they are also admired by famous faces and fashion icons:

 

Tom Holland in Ahlem

 

Seth Rogan in Ahlem
And our personal favourite: Will Young in AHLEM, styled by Grey St. Optician

AHLEM have recently collaborated with VOGUE to create a custom sunglass frame. They have also been featured in GQ, Elle, Financial Times, Mens Health, Monocole and many many more

The Process

AHLEM may be famous for their exquisite designs, but this attention to detail is also extended to their craftsmanship. AHLEM source materials from the most reputable and sustainable suppliers available to market. From plant-based acetate and naturally non-toxic titanium to recyclable, eco-friendly lenses, they firmly believe that honest, Earth-friendly ingredients make the best and longest-lasting products.

Each piece is handmade in France in small batches to achieve an unparalleled standard of quality.Their acetate temples are raw cut by hand, with a matte finish. They celebrate the imperfections that come from raw cuts of one-of-a-kind slabs and unique colourways.

“We are committed to delivering exceptional eyewear created with pure concepts, honest materials and heritage techniques. Our award-winning frames are handcrafted in France and Japan with uncompromising attention to detail and quality.”

The Paris Line

“The Paris Line” FW23 sees Ahlem return to her roots. It is the first collection entirely conceived and produced in France following the designer’s transatlantic move back to Paris. The lines running throughout the collection symbolise continuity and the certainty of being established in one place.

AHLEM’s organic shapes surpass trend. She believes that objects of timeless design and superior quality are always relevant. There truly is something for every face within this superb collection.

Ahlem FW23

GSO becomes AHLEM ATELIER

On 2nd and 3rd of November, we are honoured to host AHLEM ATELIER: A showcase of Ahlem’s FW2023 collection. For just two days we will be in possession of the ENTIRE collection from AHLEM. Every exquisite optical and sunglass, in every stunning colourway will be right here on Grey St. for guests to explore.

This will be our first Ahlem event on Grey Street so we are very excited! The champagne will be flowing and we’ll have some delicious treats lined up from local French bakery Le Mini Macaron!

Our in-store events are a great opportunity to discover ideas for your next frame. If you see something you love there will be special discounts available on the day.

This event is strictly by appointment only, so please click the link for more information, or to RSVP.

https://www.greyst.co.uk/appointments/

NEFempowerment Interview

 

Read all about it!

If you’re a follower of our socials, you’ve probably spotted our NEFempowerment interview! NEFempowerment is a creative corner of the internet dedicated to showcasing the inspiring people and businesses of the North East of England. It’s an honour to say that we’ve been included in that list!

NeFe shares our belief in the importance of community, and we really couldn’t be in better company.

Creator Charlotte has previously featured local entrepeneurs such as Sarah Taylor, founder of vegan skincare line Pajoma, and barista cafe owner Jo Peel of Regular Jo’s Coffee (both of whom just to happen to be friends of GSO too!)

As well as interviews with some fascinating folk, the site also features local guides on everything from the best brunch spots to smallbiz stocking fillers. NeFempowerment is our go-to blog for all things NE so when Charlotte reached out about our own feature we were thrilled!

Everyone who knows our team knows we’re an opinionated bunch with plenty to say! We decided we couldn’t just hear from one member of team GSO, so we got together and shared out the questions equally…

Charlotte asked us about our business approach, our brands, and our challenges and achievements. She also asked us what we love about the north east (hint: the people and the pastries!)

Finally we chatted about equality, community and how that links into everything we do here at Grey St. Optician.

The interview

Here’s a sneak peek:

NEFE: What is Grey St. Optician?
Nic: Grey St. optician is a glasses store with a difference. We have been sharing our passion for amazing eyewear in the centre of Newcastle since 2007

NEFE: What do you love most about living and working in the North East?
Frederike: There’s a good vibe in Newcastle at the moment with lots of cool, independent stores and of course the people are so friendly!

NEFE: Why is community so important to you?
Laura: We seek out brands who share our values and introduce their work t the people of the north east. The frames we sell are unique. We often hear of customers spotting each other “that looks like a Grey St. frame!” It inspires a little connection

NEFE: What does your average day look like?
Becks: No day is average at Grey St! We sprinkle fun, joy and passion into everything we do. We are a team of busy bees who like to do things differently.

To read the feature in full, click here:

NeFempowerment chats to Grey St. Optician

And we can confirm, Ruth does indeed say “lush” all the time! Honestly we think it sounds better in her Glaswegian accent!

 

 

Sunglasses Day – SAT 19th AUG

New Sunglasses?

Join us for a SUNGLASSES special this Saturday, 19th August

We will have extra sunglasses on display, one-off pieces, limited editions, and discounts available on the day!

If you haven’t updated your sunglasses this year, now is the perfect chance!

sunglasses day

Prescription lenses?

For prescription sunnies we have some new custom tints to make your sunglasses really special (and your vision amazing)!

If you would like to join us please hit the link and book your slot:

https://www.greyst.co.uk/appointments/

 

sunglasses day

Love THEO Training!

Theo Training Trip

Theo HQ

What a blast we had in Antwerp last week on our Theo training trip! We visited Theo headquarters in Belgium to explore inside the minds behind the weird, wonderful and beautiful things they do and create.

Theo Training

 

Theo Training

Theo Training

It was lovely to learn more about the history of Theo and how it all began. From the wild, creative eyewear force of father Wim, to the organisation and attention to detail instilled by his sons to turn this family business into a global force.

Theo Training

theo training trip

Feeling the love

There was time to explore the city of Antwerp and sample the Belgian beer, chocolate and food!

We LOVE having a close connection to the people behind the frames and sharing their stories with you.

http://www.theo.be

Antwerp

ANTWERP TRIP : MONDAY 10TH JULY

ANTWERP TRIP

ANTWERP TRIP

Grey St. Optician will be CLOSED on Monday 10th July. Our good friends from Belgium, THEO, have invited us over for a visit!

This was a trip no-one wanted to miss so the full GREY ST. team will be there. Normal service will resume from 10.30am on Tuesday 11th July with many tales to tell…

ANTWERP TRIP

STORIES

Theo are a brand with a story to tell and we have been telling their story for over ten years on Grey Street! They continue to surprise us with their latest offerings which are always bright, fun and completely original.

We are looking forward to discovering what they are dreaming up next, and how they bring it to life in their Antwerpen Entrepot.

ANTWERP TRIP

Unique eyewear

Theo release “families” of frames with exciting new themes. Each family of frames has 4 or 5 models with a variety of interesting shapes. Each shape has an assortment of amazing colours to blow your mind!

The family, shape and colour you choose will make your Theo glasses novel and unique to you. Glasses are an extension of your personality so why not make them bright, interesting and fun?!

THEO MONSTER

Introducing the families

Here’s a brief intro to some of Theo’s families, and the story behind them…

Perspective

Antwerp trip

Beck’s is wearing this stunner from the Perspective family which has channelled the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.
Becks wearing Theo eyewearHis famous one-point-perspective has already proven its use in painting, architecture
and engineering, but centuries after the Renaissance, it also works for eyewear
design! Bigger at the front, smaller at the back, that’s how Leonardo’s ‘illusion of
depth’ works on a flat canvas. Like a worthy apprentice, Theo has put their own spin on the
master’s rules, keeping the dimensions of the drawing, but freeing the design from
its flat surface. The result? Artistically asymmetrical frames! It’s like looking at an
intriguing piece of sculpture: when the angle changes, so does the illusion. Extreme
depth to extreme symmetry with a turn of the head.

 

Pop Art

pop art eyewear

If you have Theo’s Pop art glasses on then you have a nose for art!
pop art Antwerp Trip“Eye-catcher in this special broadcast: everywhere people reported seeing sixties
celebrities like Elvis P., Liz T., Jackie K. or Debbie H. on the street. Holograms,
lookalikes, mass history, fake news? On closer inspection, they were always ordinary
individuals with extraordinary glasses from the exclusive Pop art family of theo
eyewear.”
A. Warhol must be snickering somewhere in higher realms. The names of the 4 Pop art
models refer to his famous star portraits: Elvis, Liz, Jackie and Debbie. For the bold
contours, the colours and the printing dots, fashion godchild Tim Van Steenbergen and
home designer Serge Bracké found inspiration in Roy Liechtenstein.

 

Swings

swings

Like a child on a swing:
Antwerp spectaclesClose your eyes and dream away: you’re on the highest swing! Up and down, higher
and higher, reaching for the sky. The newest theo family makes you feel joyous like
a child on a swing. If pure fun can be expressed in acetate frames, this is what it
looks like: three colours in one design, a transparent curve and a playful pattern,
it doesn’t get much merrier than that. When you look at the world through these
cheerful spectacles, you forget about grownup restrictions. Just release that inner
child and play!

 

 

Look out for updates from our Antwerp trip in the next week or two https://www.greyst.co.uk/journal/

 

 

 

https://www.theo.be/

 

 

Going Green

Going Green

Bio Active Collection – GLCO

Garrett Leight is going green! Look out for the green BIO label on the arm. This means your frame is made with an innovative, sustainable material – a bio-acetate that is bio-based and biodegradable.

 

going green

 

BIO-Acetate

Bio-acetate is made from renewable resources present in nature, it is derived from partial plant matter and is recyclable, biodegradable and eco-friendly.

 

Going Green

Biodegradable and Compostable

Being classed as biodegradable means the material has to exceed 90% bio-degradation in 6months (it reaches this figure in under 115days). It is considered compostable which means it has no negative impact on the plants.

latest GLCO

Extra’s

It’s not just the frames which are going green! The cleaning cloth is made from 80% recycled plastic bottles, the case uses animal free suade and the case wrapper is made from FSC-certified recycled paper.

 

 

 

https://www.greyst.co.uk

 

 

 

https://garrettleight.eu/

aMAYzing!

aMAYzing

aMAYzing

aMAYzing

What an aMAYzing month!

We’ve had a really fun month at GREY ST.

Thanks to all our lovely clients. It’s been such a pleasure to help you on your eyewear journey!

 

What else happened in May…

aMAYzing

New Business Cards

We have some new card colours for the team… 👀

 

aMAYzing

New babies

Cooper and Coco paid us a visit ❤️

 

AKONI

New cases

Akoni sure know how to make a spectacle case!

 

aMAYzing

New Sunglasses

Check out Standiford. Large and in charge; a stretched rectangular shape with a strong and genuine 60’s look!

New glasses

New eyewear

Always!

New eyewear

New glasses

Handmade with love by HUG eyewear.

 

aMAYzing

 

Special thanks

To Abbie from https://www.instagram.com/enigmatap/?hl=en for this lovely photo she snapped on her glasses collection day!

 

 

We look forward to doing it all again in June!

 

 

Congratulations Fran…

DISPENSING OPTICIAN!

Fran has passed her final examinations with flying colours. She is now a fellow of British Dispensing Opticians! Well done Fran!

Fran Dispensing Optician

First Class

After achieving a 1st class honours degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing from Anglia Ruskin University, Fran gained experience at independent opticians in Cambridge and Darlington before joining the team at Grey Street. Here, she has completed her 5 years of training and taken her final exams to register as a fully qualified Dispensing Optician. We are very proud of her!

Fran Optician

Celebrations

What better way to celebrate, than with a new pair of glasses? Fran has chosen this stunning Jacques Marie Mage frame to mark her achievement. How fantastic does she look?!

 

 

 

 

 

AKONI

AKONI EYEWEAR

AKONI

Founded in 2019 by eyewear guru’s Salma Rachid and Rosario Toscano, AKONI are the new “must have” luxury eyewear brand. The name derives from the Latin word meaning Inestimable, priceless, worthy of admiration. This forms the ethos of the brand, it’s people and of course the frames themselves, which do not disappoint!

Akoni collection was created for those who appreciate timeless design, exceptional materials, and uncompromising craftsmanship – real differences that you can see and feel. We love that they are environmentally responsible, using planet-friendly materials and processes whenever possible. For example, their cellulose acetate is made from renewable woods and cotton. The packaging relies on recyled cardboard and is complete with a recycled microfibre cloth.

 

Akoni details

Japanese Craftsmanship

As founder and former designers at DITA eyewear, Salma and Rosario know a thing or two about high quality eyewear. They have a close partnership with the most respected artisans and producers in the Fukui region of Japan. Fukui has long been the home of the world’s finest eyewear creators, celebrated for their unmatched precision and skills. The regions craftsmen are very selective, choosing only to collaborate with those who closely align with their values and high standards.

The Japanese materials are unmatched in their quality. Akoni use the world’s finest lightweight titanium, built for a lifetime of use. They are hypoallergenic, and they will not tarnish or corrode. The Zyl acetate frames have unmatched density, strength, beauty, luster, and an incredible ability to always maintain its shape and resist shrinkage. Special attention was given to designing lightweight hypoallergenic ceramic nose pads, always cool to touch with ribbed lines to ensure a comfortable, non-slip fit. Akoni is intent on offering higher quality, longer lasting frames which will look new after years of use.

 

Zoom in

A closer look at an Akoni frame reveals an array of distinctive and intricate details. Tactile knurlings on temple fronts, rounded acetate temple tips and a threaded screw system to avoid the frustrating lost screw! We particularly like the adjustable temple, altering the side length allows us to perfectly tailor the frame fit.

 

No Need to Shout

At Grey Street we believe that good design doesn’t need to clamor for attention. Akoni embraces this ethos by avoiding large logos, allowing the eye to focus on sleek design and finely crafted details.

 

Out of this World

The Akoni eyewear collections are named after the wonders of astronomy and human explorations of the cosmos. Where our sense of curiosity was born, and our drive to reach the boundary of human capability was discovered to be infinite…

Etere

Inspired by the mysterious fifth element the ancient’s believed held our galaxy in place, Etere styles are crafted from eco-friendly cellulose acetate and named for the constellations.

AKONI Sagitta
Sagitta

 

Akoni Leo
Leo
AKONI Opticians
Hercules

 

Altitude

Altitude styles are modern interpretations of flight-inspired classics that take their names from the remarkable celestial objects comprising our galaxy.

AKONI spectacles
Europa

AKONI sunglasses

sunglasses AKONI
Eris

Horizon

Horizon artfully combines the thin profile and lightweight strength of titanium with the beauty and substance of eco-friendly cellulose acetate.

Akoni glasses
Galileo
Akoni glasses
Camera

 

Delta

With each of Delta’s wire-frame styles named for a legendary spaceflight program, we’re reminded that our dreams of the stars begin on terra firma.

Akoni spex
Genesis
Pioneer glasses
Pioneer

Optima

Borrowing its name from the Latin word for “best,” Optima styles are extraordinarily challenging to produce and often available in extremely limited supply.

 

limited edition eyewear
Sprint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://akoni.com/