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A Hand in Brand
Mott Optical Group
Manhattan and Queens, N.Y.
Kenneth Ma, Manager

New York City’s Mott Optical Group spans five locations throughout Manhattan and Queens, but a common thread exists throughout: When selecting pieces, brand and marketing is always a concern.

“We coordinate closely with brands to select the right medium for our target customer to get their information,” said Kenneth Ma, business development manager of Mott Street Optical in Lower Manhattan. “For example, Tag Hauer and Mott Optical Group just worked on an advertising campaign. With Ray Ban and Dior Homme, we have chosen specific point of purchase posters and materials that feature the contemporary male in stylish or fun environments.”

 

Mott Street Optical in Lower Manhattan features brands with notable men’s collections. 


Keeping the young men’s market in mind, Mott Optical focuses on designs that are classic but current. “The brands that appeal to the young men in their 20s are, some can say, the hipster brands. Bold, acetate frames from companies like A|X and Ray Ban do very well. As men approach their 30s, they still have that 20s sensibility of being fashionable, but have more disposable income and are more quality conscious than price conscious. We look out for simple, sleek and classic, but not something that their fathers will wear,” Ma said.

What Ma sees as the biggest change in men’s eyewear over the past decade is the initiative of brands themselves to create pieces or collections that are more male-directed. “Brands specifically target the male demographic, or open specific lines dedicated to males. Tag Heuer and Mont Blanc are masculine brands that don’t have female frames. Also, Dior, a predominately feminine brand, has extended and designed their Homme brand very well.”

As far as what guys are looking for, Ma said that “they are mainly concerned about the style and design,” and that the contemporary crowd tends to be “impressed with certain technological or aesthetic designs.”