Luxury eyewear is no longer about logos or price tags—it’s about meaning, intimacy, and the stories that shape each frame. Few players embody this shift more authentically than Eredità Eyewear, an agency-turned-culture that insists its role goes far beyond distribution.
While many players in the market still operate on catalogs and discounts, Eredità takes a more human approach. “You don’t build connection with discounts and catalogs. You build it by showing up for people. Listening. Sharing the grind.” they note. This philosophy has earned them the trust of boutiques seeking more than transactions—they seek allies who understand both the risks and the rewards of building independent luxury retail.
Curated Optics sat down with Chris Longstaff to explore the current state of the Canadian eyewear market, the latest trends shaping consumer behavior, and his perspective on where the industry is heading. With years of experience bridging brands and boutiques, Longstaff offers a candid view on how independent eyewear is redefining luxury through authenticity, storytelling, and experience.
1. Identity & Positioning
Could you tell us more about Eredita Eyewear and what differentiates you from other agents in the luxury eyewear market?
Eredità isn’t just an agency it’s a culture. Third generation, eyewear is in our bloodline. We were forged in fire with the loss of our father on one side, the pandemic on the other. From that, we came out sharper, hungrier and with a ton of passion. What sets us apart? Legacy, partnership, community. We see others selling frames, but not us. We live this craft, eyewear is our DNA.
How do you build that “real connection” between brands and boutiques, beyond the purely transactional side?
You don’t build connection with discounts and catalogs. You build it by showing up for people. Listening. Sharing the grind. We’ve felt the same risks, the same gut-punch moments, so when we talk, it’s real. That’s why boutiques build with us. We’re not here to push frames, we’re here to have their back.
2. The Luxury Market & New Dynamics
How would you describe the current state of the luxury eyewear market, and what major shifts do you see in buyer behavior?
The luxury eyewear market is shifting hard. Buyers aren’t chasing logos anymore; they’re chasing soul and meaning, found in the community that independent brands nourish. They want craft, story, function, and proof it’s worth the price. In a deeper perspective, they are looking for alignment in their values and a commitment that a brand will be authentic and true to this. While there is a path for recognition and accolade for brands that earn the spotlight, the new luxury market is course correcting for humility and intention. Sophisticated and unpretentious, both in buyer acquisition and positioning.
The idea that “experience is the new luxury” is gaining momentum. How does this translate into the way you curate and present brands to your clients?
For us, “experience as luxury” means every brand we champion becomes personified. The ideas/brand/the “value” needs to connect back to the origins. The love, passion and story that was at the beginning…lightning in a bottle! What was once and idea become a thread that many people had to nurture and support and ultimately encourage. It is this connection that we present. Either through shared experiences or raw moments, luxury is this personal, the intimate. When you sit eye to eye and this is the approach, the product, time spent, story becomes gold. We built this business the same way and that vulnerability or realness cannot be faked. So a sexy way to say it: we don’t just ship frames, we build the moments for brands to come alive…
3. The Relationship with Boutiques
What are the key things a boutique looks for when attending an Eredita Eyewear event?
I’m confident what they seek is the knowing that the relationship and familiarity comes before any product. Alignment on who we are as people, our goals, and ultimately the legacy we are building stack up. This bond in business unlocks success for our partners.
Why would a boutique choose to work with an agent and attend a curated event rather than buy directly from a brand?
We are the caretakers and champions for our brands. While we encourage a strong connection with the brands directly, we are able to “translate” the brands value much stronger being embedded in the local/domestic market. A bridge or conduit. A curated event is this manifestation and gives context to why brands might fit and how the story/experience should be told. This experience elevates the connection and will ultimately bring an energy to a brand/partnership that is hard to recreate otherwise. As they say, sales is the transfer of enthusiasm and a curated event really creates some magic!
How would you describe the profile of the boutiques you currently collaborate with, and what new expectations are you noticing from them?
The profile would be intentional and thoughtful, with a clear aesthetic identity. The convergence of experience and care with balance. The new boutiques understand the harmony with what they do and how they make people feel. Both in practice and their value proposition. Expectations are for much deeper collaboration. To show up as allies and share knowledge to reclaim their independence! There is a community mindset.
4. Portfolio Dynamics
On average, how often do your clients renew their portfolio within a year?
We are seeing a much tighter cycle as sell through is higher with our approach. We call it the EREDITÀ Effect. This is a mix of presence and building trust that allows us to share more insight and success stories from the trenches. We are consulting much more frequently -> earning trust and alignment -> increasing replenishment. This leads us to also building the category with complimentary brands because boutiques are seeing things with a wider aperture.
How many brands do you currently represent, and how many active boutiques are in your portfolio?
5 independently distributed brands, 5 agency represented brands. ~400 doors
What is the average order size placed by a boutique?
It’s not a one size fits all. The better metric would be how high is the turn rate. I would say that the assortment varies depending on the doors objective, where are partners are in their growth journey and how best we can tell the holistic story. Often, we will allow for flexibility to focus on building the category more broadly by adding more than one brand. Traditional 25-30pc.
5. Market Outlook & Strategy
From your perspective, how receptive is the Canadian market to new, independent eyewear brands?
There is a very high demand for independent brands and boutiques are actively replacing their commercial product with new, unique collections. This is a movement picking up momentum. Beyond what I shared above, boutiques are tired of consolidation, saturation and losing their identity to margin. They are seeing that shift in the end consumer as-well, where value is less materialistic, rather, placed on quality, brand story and overall experience. This has created a big shift in how boutiques curate their portfolio and design an elevated consumer journey.
How many events do you organize each year, and what role do these gatherings play in strengthening partnerships?
Admittedly, we are at the start of this journey and Visionary Toronto was our inaugural event. We are building the plane as we fly, knowing that we must get involved and curate this experience now, while this shift is happening. We aim to invest in more events with a quarterly cadence. We want to create a stronger community and deeper connection for the leaders in this space, outside traditional shows. These events are catalyst for stronger relationships because they get people out of their comfort zone and into a new and exciting environment – this broadens perspective and inspires change through conversation and peer-to-peer feedback. In summary, the events are an incubator for brand equity – both for product and professionals
With such a significant portfolio of brands, how do you ensure each one feels represented and satisfied?
It comes down to respect. We don’t treat brands like inventory, we treat them like family, getting to know the people behind the brands so we can really connect and make sure we are giving each brand its care. Being third generation we know legacy only survives when every brand gets it’s spotlight. So, we listen, we learn their story, and we find the right stage for it. Whether that’s a boutique, a trunk show, or a curated partnership. It’s not about volume; it’s about keeping each brand’s identity intact while building real longevity in the market.
6. Looking Ahead
How would you describe the evolution of curated eyewear retail today? What are boutiques really searching for in this moment?
Curated eyewear has evolved from stocking shelves to staging stories. Boutiques today aren’t just buying frames, they’re buying identity, culture, and differentiation. In a market crowded with sameness, they’re searching for partners who bring them fresh energy, brands with soul, and the kind of intimacy that reminds them why they opened their doors in the first place. They don’t want another transaction, they want meaning, momentum, and a way to stand apart. Our instinct was that the market was craving the human connection again. We saw this growing up in the eyewear game, with the old school agents that built this industry. Family, 30 year relationships, respect and ultimately showing up for one another.
In your view, what does the future of partnerships between agents, brands, and boutiques look like in the luxury independent eyewear space?
The next era of eyewear is about collaboration over competition. This is brand equity, stories amplified and legacies protected. The future is for those who are building a culture of unity to keep independents alive.
