
Whether you’re near- or far-sighted, astigmatic or just need something to decorate your pretty face, your field of vision has never been broader. 2016 is shaping up to be the Year of the Affordable Designer Spectacle in Mitte, with cheap and stylish imports piling into a market once dominated by hometown brands Mykita and IC Berlin. Exhibit A: the formerly online-only Dutch company Ace & Tate, whose bookish, classically styled glasses start at just € 98 (including frames, lenses and a vision test). A year after their pop-up on Torstraße, they finally opened a branch by Hackescher Markt last December. Made of, yes, acetate, but also organic cellulose (as in their new “Black Is The New Green” collection), available as prescription specs or sunglasses, these frames are rapidly becoming de rigueur among the creative set. If you want to stand out, consider futuristic contender Yun. Combining the talents of fashion designer Ji-yoon Yun and her father, a lens specialist, the Korean company’s flagship store brings Asian minimalist design principles and cutting-edge tech to the table. It won’t break the bank, either: € 149 will get you an eye exam and a new pair of glasses, made in just 20 minutes. A machine winding through the showroom delicately sets the lenses into one of the 120 frames, from Morrissey-style horn-rims to funky leopard-print cat eyes. As chic as Mykita? Maybe not, but definitely enough to convince prospective Tinder dates you’ve read some Dostoyevsky.
Ace & Tate, Große Präsidentenstr. 10, Mitte, S-Bhf Hackescher Markt, Mon-Sat 11-20
YUN, Rosenthaler Str. 11, Mitte, U-Bhf Weinmeisterstr, Mon-Sat 11-20