By JILLIAN URCELAY

Experience, exclusivity and elegance. Three business partners from the West Coast can certainly attest that the key to success in high-end retail lies heavily within those three essential characteristics. Marvin Freeman, Cosmas Lykos and Joshua Pianko each have a tremendous amount of experience under their belts, accruing an impressive combination of luxury optical experience. When they decided to join their forces together last year, the union became unstoppable. In November 2015, the trio opened Vitra Eyewear, in Costa Mesa, Calif., and made it their mission to offer some of the world’s most unique eyewear collections from leading brands in both sunglass and ophthalmic styles.

The powerhouse co-founders met a few years back via shared eyewear experiences. Lykos previously worked for Oakley and later became a key player with Optical Shop of Aspen and Chrome Hearts Eyewear. Selling Chrome Hearts collections to Freeman, the two became friends. Freeman and Pianko were partners together owning Optica in Macao, China. Valuing Lykos’ opinion, they asked him to assist and advise on the store’s eventual sale to Luxottica. The trio was well aware there was a market opportunity in the U.S. to create a unique extreme edition of high-end optical boutiques. With the norm quickly becoming ownership by large private equity firms in the U.S., they were interested in creating something different on a more personal level. The partners eventually decided that with their particular knowledge and experience, they couldn’t let this individualized opportunity slip away. What they dreamed up was an ultra-luxury eyewear shop that has the potential breadth and depth of brands unlike anything else. The genesis of Vitra was born.

When opening a high-end luxury eyewear store in Orange County, Calif., there are some obvious expectations. Orange County is known for its well-to-do neighborhoods, beautiful beaches and sprawling hilltop mansions. Portrayed by television shows among the likes of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” “The O.C.” and “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” viewers around the world get an impression of the unique lifestyle inherent to these California beach burbs. It appears that the only thing that can steal someone’s attention more than the stunning California views are the stunning people and their lifestyles, looks and of course, accessories.

Vitra Eyewear established its home at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. It’s the premier mall on the West Coast and among the largest in the country. The upscale luxury goods shopping center reaches sales of over $1.5 billion annually, leading in the country, and its 250 retailers make up the highest concentration of fashion design retail in the U.S. Over 22 million shoppers visit annually allowing sales, measured by dollars-per-square-foot, to run more than twice the industry average. The partners behind Vitra are thus well-suited setting up shop in South Coast Plaza. “Our corporate ethos is to create the finest luxury experience possible for optical boutiques,” says Cosmas Lykos. “To do that you have to be in a place that’s consistent with high-end, ultra-luxury and exclusivity—it really is the epicenter of luxury on the West Coast. Tremendous brands and tremendous stores with a great history. So the first and only choice for us was South Coast Plaza, based on its status.”

The 2,200-square-foot retail store is airy, open and elegant. “We wanted to elevate the level of optical boutiques in the United States,” says Lykos. “We wanted to present and create a store that’s comfortable and approachable, but consistent with exclusivity and luxury.” Vitra stocks about 32 display cases with 25 different brands, showcasing product around the perimeter of the store. “I think we look like a fine jewelry store,” says Marvin Freeman. Vitra refrains from using manufacturer display units—brand names aren’t prominently shown throughout the store. But of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a plethora of luxury brands. “About 50 to 60 percent of our product has never even been shown in Orange County,” boasts Freeman. “So we offer what hasn’t been available, and we display it in a really special way.”

With a multitude of high-end retail stores, most of which sell eyewear just steps away, the owners of Vitra knew they needed something to stand out. By placing its full-service lab in the front window for all to see, they’ve done what no other eyewear store to their knowledge has done before. Shoppers and passersby can’t help but stop and stare as the board certified opticians create prescription lenses. “Customers walk by and it’s as if the optician is making candy,” says Freeman. “They look inside and watch her cutting, edging and tinting, and many can’t help but walk right into our store.” In the first two months of opening, Vitra has done more prescription work than its owners originally thought possible.

The front window lab itself has therefore created a competitive advantage positively impacting business. “There are some stores that have labs, but you don’t find it too often in the luxury optical setting,” says Lykos. “It enables our clients to essentially customize on an at-want basis, which I think is unique. Nowadays, that’s a part of luxury and exclusivity—people want customization, and they want it on a timely basis.”

Of course, Vitra owes its success to its top-notch team of employees. With Lykos’, Freeman’s and Pianko’s background in the eyewear industry, creating a highly qualified staff wasn’t a difficult feat. They were able to bring in people they’ve crossed paths with throughout the years, allowing for a team of six employees with over a decade or more of eyewear experience each. Vitra’s team is working with product that range in price from $250 to $35,000, with an average range of $900 to $1,200. With a huge stock and price range, their tactic to selling and servicing is anything but cookie-cutter. “Vitra is truly blessed to have such a wonderful team,” says Lykos. “Their approach is to get to know the customers and become stylists for them. We want them to be inviting and solicit feedback from customers, but to also bring to bear their experience and knowledge so they can help guide the customers to the right type of frame and brand for what they want.”

Vitra Eyewear also has its own house eyewear brand, Vitra. This brand was created to personify exclusivity and elegance, and only one of each frame exists. The team at Vitra, including Freeman, have a deft hand in the design of every detail of the frames from color to shine to embellishments. The pieces are handcrafted in Germany. “I think this really makes us special,” says Freeman. “The Vitra brand gives us that uniqueness. There’s about 80 to 90 pieces, and they are each one of a kind. It’s nice because it’s not on the Internet—they’re only sold at the Vitra Eyewear boutique.”

Freeman has a highly impressive resume with opening optical retail stores—between 50 and 60 under his belt (there’s been so many he’s lost count) so he knows a thing or two on what it takes to be both successful and evolve. Somehow, he always seems to come back bigger and better than ever—never skipping a beat. “It’s been exciting and really wonderful, and I like it as much now as I did 30 years ago,” he says. “It’s fascinating how eyewear is always reinventing itself—I think it keeps moving and getting better. It’s better now than ever before.”

As for the future of the still new Vitra, it’s definitely looking bright. The owners want Vitra to be a true destination for the eyewear luxury shopper. “Strategically as a group, we want to achieve economies of scale,” says Lykos. “We want to open other stores that will reflect our DNA and our corporate mission to really elevate the buying experience for optical boutiques.” They are hoping for possibly three or four more stores that would potentially include Las Vegas and other locations. Whatever the future may hold for Vitra, it’s clear that elegance, exclusivity and experience will be a constant.