Focus Focus: Redefining Eyewear as Art in the Heart of Marseille

Tucked into Marseille’s antique-rich 6th arrondissement, Focus Focus is more than an optical shop—it’s a thoughtfully curated sensorial experience that champions slow luxury and artisan craftsmanship. Unlike mass-market eyewear stores, it offers a measured touchpoint where design, emotion and ethical responsibility converge.

Vision Rooted in Curation and Craftsmanship

Founded by optician Matthieu Astruc, who brings experience from France and New York, Focus Focus emerged in February 2024 just steps from Marseille’s quartier des antiquaires—not by accident, but by design. The space itself feels more like a warm living room or gallery than a traditional shop: artfully crafted, with luxurious materials and designed by architects Margaux Fritz and Lucie Toussaint to evoke the intimacy of a curated sanctuary  

Astruc’s guiding conviction: to present eyewear not as commoditized accessories, but as finely‑made, storied objects. He personally vets each creator—whether based in France, Italy, Japan, or Korea—favoring independent designers whose work embodies artistry and heritage.

Crafting Experience Through Personal Engagement

At Focus Focus, discovery isn’t driven by endless racks but by a “minimize to exist” philosophy: only a few frames are on display at any given moment, inviting clients to engage in a dialogue led by expert opticians who propose styles that may surprise and delight.

This model resembles the relationship-building found in high-end styling or personal merchandising, where thoughtful guidance elevates the purchase to a meaningful exchange.

The boutique offers more than aesthetics—it extends into optics: featuring cutting‑edge Leica lenses, a repair and restoration workshop employing polishing, sandblasting, welding and tinting to revive all sorts of frames, from acetate to wood and tortoiseshell.

Ethics Beyond Product: Repair, Recycle, Reuse

Focus Focus doesn’t only curate; it restores and reclaims. With in-house craftsmanship and links to artisan creators, the boutique repairs and renews old eyewear. Unused glasses—both prescription and sun—are collected and donated to Lunettes Sans Frontières, serving social organizations in Marseille and NGOs abroad. In doing so, Focus Focus positions itself at the intersection of luxury and social responsibility.

Crafted for the Connoisseur

A visit to Focus Focus unfolds like a journey rather than a transaction. From the discreetly curated frames to the atelier craftsmanship and socially conscious practices, the boutique offers an elevated alternative to optical retail. Refined, personable, and mindful of both beauty and sustainability, it sends a clear message: eyewear can—and should—be experienced as both functional object and form of self-expression.