Puyi Optical CEO Jeffery Yau On The Art Of Finding The Right Pair of Glasses

CONTENT: Michelle Ng

Puyi Optical was born about two decades ago when Jeffery Yau found a gap in the luxury eyewear market as he traveled all over the world as the founder of Europe Watch Company. Instead of trying to be exclusive, Jeffery recognizes that there are other brands who are just as good and he wants to offer only the best eyewear and make them more accessible to China.

Today, luxury eyewear has come a long way. With brands like Linda Farrow, Masunaga, and Gentle Monster releasing bold and eccentric contemporary sunglasses that has now become a fashion statement in their own right, as well as the development of optometry equipment and technology has ensured that custom-made glasses are made precisely for each customer.

And as with every other luxury commodity, Puyi’s customers are willing to spend to get the best sunglasses and spectacles in the market. While everyone else is playing catchup now, Jeffery Yau has since solidified Puyi Optical as the destination for top-notch, luxurious eyewear in China and now Singapore with his foresight and passion.

We caught up with Jeffery at the opening launch of Puyi’s first branch in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, where he shares more about his philosophy behind the brand and the Puyi experience.

On the latest eyewear trends. I personally don’t really believe in trend, but different styles suit different people. When we talk about the style, in terms of eye shape, it’s becoming more extreme, either bigger or smaller. Bigger frames are actually doing quite well at all my shop, but younger people, like something really small. There’s still a lot of vintage in the market that’s doing very well; the Aviator style still is one of our best-sellers. I also noticed that many brands are putting more resources into the craftsmanship and design, trying to play around with materials like leather, sterling silver, and even horn.

On how Puyi has incorporated technology with aesthetics and functionality. We work very closely with Carl Zeiss from Germany, who are very good at making high-quality lens. We have a Zeiss lab equipment that collects data from customers and sends them straight to Germany to make the custom-made lens. The ZEISS VISUFIT 1000 is a centration device that has 9 cameras to scan and analyse the glasses you picked or the lens we have made perfectly fits your face. The same pair of glasses for two people will be different because you have different heights, different ear shapes, everything is different when it comes to precise vision.

On helping customers choose the right fit and frame. Choosing the right frame is also very important because each customer has different needs – we’re talking about comfort, perfect fit, the style, craftsmanship, materials – it’s a combination of many, many things. So finding the right pair of spectacles is already an art and my team, they are trained to share what we have chosen for the customers because everything you see at my shops has been curated by our merchandising team.

On the Puyi Optical experience. I try to bring the best of everything of Puyi to Singapore. Some brands already exist in the market, but may be new here. For example, Mykita is from Germany, but we carry an exclusive collaboration collection Mykita for Puyi, where we designed the frames and fit for our customers. I’m also very involved in the design of the shop and the experience, which includes customer service and the professional eye examination service to build relationships with our customers. But I’m not trying to be exclusive on everything because there are some products that you can find elsewhere, but they are still very good.

On his eyewear collection. I don’t know exactly how many I have, at least a few thousand pieces. I’m buying antique glasses and new glasses, and I keep them in the office, home, everywhere. I love eyewear, and I think this is important, that if I want to be successful, you have to be passionate. And I’m always thinking from the customer perspective, and when you do that, you would know what is good, what is bad, what is right, what is wrong. I’m a customer myself, and all my team, they know when I go to the shop, they try to sell me things.

*Interview is edited and shortened for clarity

Puyi Optical is located at B2M-234, 2 Bayfront Ave, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018972.