Wednesday

New collections

Diane and Christine have just got back from Tokyo.
Lots of fabulous new eyewear will arrive in the Dioptics Studio.
There will be a mad rush so stay tuned so that you don't miss out.

Buzzzy

We are busy life is busy - some fashion is FAST so very fast. Fast fashion has a place but so does slow burning style.

A pair of frames that you invest in for a life time- we specialise in those.
But there is a place for fast fashion – something that is for a good time not long time.

We cater for both and we enjoy both.

Decisions DECISIONS DECISIONS....

Oh dear, how many decisions do you have to make in a day.

Do you enjoy making them??

Or does the weight of the “decision making” burden you???

Here at Dioptics we can help or even make the decision for you.

Choosing your latest piece of frame furniture is an event and we like to make it an event and an enjoyable successful time.

Let us take away one of those decisions WE LOVE IT

Thursday

Funk it UP BABY

FUNK EYEWEAR has arrived in the studio - and quite frankly there has been a stampede in the studio - This range is available exclusively at Dioptics.

Direct from Germany - this range has undertones and echoes of industrial retro GERMAN design.

Of particular interest is the Sashee Schuster range - created in the memory of Dieter Funk partners Father. It is a celebration to this man and his collection of spectacles. He had an extensive collection of eyewear and enjoyed wearing them. Quite unusual for a man of the early 19th century.

They reproduced the classic designs to suit the modernity of our times.

Be sure to make an appointment to see ALL the Funk collections before they have all left the studio.

Quote for the week "The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution that works is the family" Lee Lacocca

Welcome to the Dioptics Family.......

Wednesday

September is Funk Month

While Christine and her family were in Berlin, they visited her niece, Petra who has been living there for around two years with her German husband. Here she is a guest blogger for our Dioptics blog and shares with us one of her favourite places in Berlin.
If you have ever been to Berlin and did not pay a visit to Clärchen’s Ballhaus in the über cool suburb of Mitte, then either you were reading the wrong guide book or you are now in the process of booking your return plane trip there.
Clärchen’s Ballhaus is a Berlin institution. An original Ballhaus (dance hall) first built in 1913 in Augustraße, just across from the river Spree, going to Clärchens is like walking onto a film set: Parquet inlaid floors, waiters wearing black bow ties, wooden panelled walls, silvery tinsel décor draping off the art-deco lights. And not forgetting the kitschy candles melting over dusty chianti bottles which give a nod to a bygone era. Y
ou kind of expect to see Marlene Dietrich swoosh before you.
These days Clärchen’s quirky vibe attracts dance diehards of all ages to the weekly dance classes- fans shake their thing to Swing, have a tumble during the Tango or get wooed doing the Waltz. And the dancefloor is always packed. I remember taking a Swing class once and dancing with a 60 year old man, only to swap partners and end up opposite a twenty something young visitor from Paris. This bizarre mix of young hipsters and golden oldies somehow works, creating such a cheerful vibe that you just want to get your glad rags on and boogie.
Even during the fifty year division of Berlin, it was THE place to meet for East and West Berliners alike.
'Clärchens' is the diminutive of 'Clara', who was the original founder’s wife. When her husband died, she managed the premises until the start of the Cold War and then her step daughter took over the day to day running. While the street entry building (Vorderhaus) was completely destroyed through bombing during the Second World War, the new owners who took over from the Wolff family in 2004 converted the empty space into a delightful beer garden opening all day and until late. So if dancing is not your thing, then it is still possible enjoy Clärchen's excellent food- think wood fired Neapolitan pizzas, hearty soups and some traditional Berlin fare (Boulette - a meat rissole and
Berliner Blut- und Leberwurst auf Rieslingkraut mit Salzkartoffeln und Senf -
Berlin blood sausage with potato salad, sauerkraut and mustard) It is one of the last standing remnants of Berlin’s golden age of the “Roaring twenties” – imagine vagabonds, burlesque dancers and the decadence of its mobsters and millionaires. Fast forward to 2011, and not much has changed. Except that the Mobsters have gone and there's more mums dancing than millionaires.
Petra has made the move into the writing world after working as a lawyer in Sydney. Her love for Berlin has grown - the individuality of the Berliners, its hidden cafés and incredible artistic treats are just a few of the standouts. You can follow her blog about culture, travel and ideas at http://petrazlatevska.posterous.com/