Daas Optique becomes exclusive partner for Céline in SD

Daas Optique by Alexander Daas is downtown’s go-to luxury eyewear boutique featuring designer brands and curated sunglass and eyeglass collections from around the world.

Now, Alexander Daas has been selected as the exclusive partner for Céline eyewear in San Diego. Known for bold, geometric glasses, Céline is a French fashion force with a massive following and influential name.

The entire Céline fall and winter 2015 collection will preview at Daas Optique on Saturday, Nov. 7. You can sip up champagne and enjoy cupcakes while trying on the new Céline shades from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 431 J St., downtown. Reserve a one-on-one consultation with a Céline specialist at daasoptique.com.

To prep for the event, we asked the man himself, Alexander Daas, about his business and partnership with Celine.

Tell me about your background. How did you get started in eyewear?

I am a second generation optician and ran my family business, “San Francisco Optics,” in San Francisco for many years. My entire career has been focused on mastering optics: understanding lenses and how to fit eyewear properly based on a customer’s needs. The other side of the business that’s most fun? Constantly scouring the globe for unique, high-quality eyewear and making it accessible to SoCal residents.

In the Bay Area, I had the honor of styling many politicians and athletes alike and worked first-hand with thousands of customers. From this experience, I learned about the gaps in the luxury marketplace, including a need for eyewear for small pupillary distance (pd), which led to the creation of Alexander Daas eyewear. My personal brand features eyeglasses and sunglasses for smaller faces, providing a solution for those with small pds, and has recently expanded into product for all types of face shapes and sizes.

How many luxury eyewear boutiques do you have?

While San Diego is headquarters for the Alexander Daas distribution, we also feature a showroom with a selection of different eyewear brands. We also feature concierge services where we style customers at their homes or offices, usually for those that prefer privacy or are too swamped to come in.

I also have a boutique in L.A.’s Larchmont Village, a quaint neighborhood in mid-L.A. This location is home to many celebrities where the paparazzi are friendlier than other areas in town, finally giving actors the privacy they crave. We are in the heart of where many production studios are based, so spend quite a bit of time styling actors, singers, etc..

What do you currently offer at the Gaslamp location?

While we are opticians by trade, we are optical stylists at heart. We pride ourselves on not only knowing optics, but understanding the science behind perfectly fitting a face into a frame, ensuring it’s medically sound with the proper measurements (something you should be very careful about when ordering online as many issues can arise). Layer on our styling services, and you have a fashionable frame that ensures your eyes are healthy and safe.

What does it mean to you to be the exclusive partner for Céline in San Diego?

As you may know, Céline is a global fashion brand. The Céline brand can be identified as utility chic, following a few core values: modern elegance, sophisticated nonchalance and minimalism with a twist.

The product itself is edgy and bold, made of unexpected lines and outstanding geometries. The brand expression is?comprised through elements such as exaggerated proportions, daring combinations and surreal accessories.

We are honored to announce that we are the only optical store in San Diego County to carry their sunglass and eyeglass collections. We will carry a vast selection and have first access to various color and lens types, too.

What can guests expect now from Alexander Daas?

I focus on bringing the best quality craftsmanship to San Diego, reflected in the sun and eyewear we feature at our Gaslamp showroom. From a design standpoint, I continue to design new Alexander Daas products released throughout the year. Our showroom gives locals a first glance before collections ship nationwide to other luxury boutiques.

What can we expect at the Nov. 7 “Céline Shades, Sweets and Champagne” party?

The Nov.7 event is a first access trunk show launching the beginning of our Céline exclusivity in San Diego. We will have the brand’s eyewear specialist on site that day, and will have the entire fall and winter 2015 selection for locals to peruse. And yes, we will be taking orders that day. We are not just an optical museum!

Source: DiscoverSD