The Visionary

May 29, 2015 / by Natacha Riva

Most Hong Kong stores were selling licensed brands of optical wear, like Gucci, Prada, or Dior, but nobody was selling original optical brands,” says eyewear pioneer and Visual Culture owner Pazo Ho, on the city’s ocular offerings when he set up in 2008. 

But Hong Kong being one of the global cities with the highest per-capita glasses-wearing population, Ho saw room to cater to a different, more discerning market. “Many people appreciate the traditional handcrafting of frames and innovation in frame designs.  We wanted to introduce something completely different,” he says. 

And so he did.  Visual Culture, an iconic eyewear and lifestyle store for the chic and avant-garde - which counts film directors Peter Chan and Wilson Yip among its clientele - was the result.  Now with six stores in greater China, its cutting-edge artisanal eyewear collection, gallery-decor shop atmosphere, and experienced optical professionals, the brand provides a platform for eyewear lovers who share its passion and appreciation for arts, design, culture, and 500 years of optical history. 

With 25 years of merchandising experience, Ho, a registered optometrist who started as a trainee in an optical store in 1990, always wanted to push his career to a higher stage. He worked his way up, across a selection of the city’s optical shops, and became manger of an Optical 88 branch in Macau.  Optical 88 are the largest optical chain store in Hong Kong.  As a result, he knew the products and services customers needed and, just as importantly, appreciated what was lacking in the local optical market. 

“We searched the world looking for special eyeglass brands, but not the obvious names. We wanted those with limited production who were not seeking world renown, but who worked hard to make the best glasses in their respective cities.” 

That passion has seen the introduction of names like Japan’s Hakusan by Megane, America’s Moscot, and England’s Oliver Goldsmith, none of which had previously been available in the city, and all with a particular provenance. 

Hakusan, established in 1883, still makes all its frames by custom order. The Aoyama-based brand was a favourite of musician John Lennon, 

who, while on a trip to Tokyo with wife Yoko Ono, bought their ‘Mayfair’ model in 1979 and subsequently had nine pairs of bespoke frames made.  New York brand Moscot is an institution celebrating its 100th anniversary - five generations - this year. Its signature aesthetic - classic design mixed with downtown New York City culture - was the go-to brand for Hollywood films during much of the 20th century. 

Goldsmith is often credited as the man who invented ‘fashion eyewear’. He was the first to work with fashion houses to create one-off pieces for catwalks, the first to regard sunglasses as fashion accessories and his signature black spectacles were favoured by Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn among a host of 20th century icons.  “We want people who come to our stores to appreciate the history and culture of the brands,” says Ho. 

It would be easy for Ho to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labours, but ever the game-changer, he’s making new moves again.  Ho’s latest venture is new concept store Cult, an extension of the Visual Culture brand with stores in both Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. Targeting younger, more savvy customers, Cult drives the store concept in a more imaginative and energetic way, directly appealing to the next generation of art and fashion conscious eyewear devotees. Brands like Yohji Yamamoto, ill.i Optics by will.i.am, Anderne, Boston Club and Ush will be the pick of the bunch. He has also discussed opening stores in Japan and Taiwan.