Japanese titanium, 18-karat gold, meteorite, buffalo horn, hand-carved acetate and digitized ski goggles line the shelves at a new luxury eyewear shop in downtown Whitefish.
All frames at Eyes on Central are independently designed and typically special edition, and are selected by Heather Bruner, optical director.
“It’s artwork for your face. It’s collectors’ items that last a lifetime,” Bruner said.
Some frames are fashioned in the style of old model cars. One frame, the “Flight 006” is the frame Robert Downey Jr. wears in Avengers movies.
Brunder said they are pairing the fashionable frames with a quality lens manufacturing process to bring an elevated eyeglass option to the valley. Prices for the frames range from $350 to over $3,000.
“There’s lots of budget-friendly box stores that have optical. But then you’re limited to frames made in China, and frames of lower quality. That fits a niche, but it’s not necessarily what everyone wants,” Bruner said.
With a bit of research, Bruner came across an Austrian company, SK-X Solutions, that can glaze prescriptions onto the outside of ski goggle lenses, instead of a more commonly seen clip-inside lens. Bruner said the company supplied their lab with the materials to make the goggles in the U.S. The only other place in the country that makes the prescription goggles is in Aspen, Colorado.
Eyes on Central also offers Rekkie goggles, which have an electronic display that can tell you information like vertical feet skied, what run you’re on and phone notifications.
Eyes on Central also offers an eye spa. An IPL laser can treat dry eye as well as other aesthetic treatments. The spa is also equipped with a tri-lift machine which provides “dynamic muscle stimulation,” Bruner said.
The new shop is a project by four of the 11 doctors at Kalispell’s Glacier Eye Clinic. The shop is not directly affiliated, although Glacier’s doctors can refer patients if it’s a good fit.
There are no doctors at Eyes on Central, so customers must bring a prescription or referral for both lens and eye treatments.
Bruner has been an optical director for Glacier Eye for over 20 years and was brought on to run Eyes on Central. Born and raised in Flathead Valley, Bruner never envisioned this as her career, which she described as fascinating.
“It’s a jack-of-all-trades job. There’s the fashion element to it… but then there’s also the medical side to it, and the math in making sure their prescription works. And then we have to be able to fix and fit the frames. It’s an interesting job, never the same each day.”
Eyes on Central is located at 237 Central Ave., which formerly housed Central Avenue Bakery and Deli with an apartment above. The remodel took about six months and removed the second floor. The new high ceiling creates a vastly different appearance from the former restaurant. Facing the street is all glass, giving a polished look. Running over the glass is a thin “X” frame of metal, providing structural reinforcement. Completing the new look is a colorful mural by local artist Mallory Dawn.
“It’s kind of an engineering feat,” Brunder said of the remodel done by Swank Enterprises.
Eyes on Central is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Editor Kelsey Evans can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.
Eyes on Central in Whitefish. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
People walk past large glass windows at Eyes on Central in downtown Whitefish. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
These luxury glasses at Eyes on Central have meteorite in them. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)