The Brass Monocle
A Year of Vision
When he set out to open his first optical shop, The Brass Monocle, 29 years ago, Garry Hapton knew what he wanted: an independent store dispensing unique eyewear designs.
And today the Brass Monocle is stronger than ever as Garry and his wife Sharon have teamed to become the leading edge for Calgary's optical scene. This insightful pair introduced the concept of fashion eyewear to Calgary and have since maintained the highest of standards in continually striving to give to Calgary the best the industry has to offer.
The first Brass Monocle store opened its doors along with the reputable Mount Royal Village complex in the city's center back in 1980. After eight years' experience in the eyewear business, first as an optician for Imperial Optical in Toronto and then as a sales rep for a frame vendor, Hapton moved back to his hometown of Calgary to establish Calgary's premiere optical boutique. Shortly after Sharon joined Garry and together this dynamic duo initiated an interest in unique and in vogue eyewear by discovering and being the first to introduce lines such as Face a Face, LA Eyeworks, Alain Mikli and Theo to the country!
Attending optical shows in Milan, Paris and New York over the years has allowed Garry and Sharon to scrutinize only the highest quality product for their customers and they have developed a reputation in the optical industry that labels them as one of the finest and most fashion forward optical boutiques in Canada.
The Brass Monocle is constantly striving to be better through continued education in lens technology and product knowledge for all the staff. Many of the staff have been with the Brass Monocle for more than 10 -15 years and are an integral part of the Brass Monocle's extended family. Attending seminars and enhancing current fundamentals in their optics so that they may provide exceptional expertise to their clientele at all times is how the team stays ahead and on top of the competition.
A Look Forward
Today the Brass Monocle's two Calgary stores are joined with a Vancouver-based store, Bruce Eyewear (recently moved to 219 Abbott Street). After watching customers grow and adapt to new ideals in eyewear, branching out into a new demographic was the next step. In July of 2000, bruce exploited itself in the Vancouver market (with a 500 square foot spread for Brass Monocle specs alone).