South Florida Eyewear Chain Makes “Jewelry for the Face”

Edward Beiner is guided by a jeweler’s aesthetic.

When Edward Beiner decided to open his first eyewear shop in South Miami in 1981, he was guided by the aesthetics of his father, a jeweler in Brazil. The optical industry “lacked … finesse,” says Beiner. “Back then, eyeglasses were treated as a cheap commodity; people bought them because they were a medical device … I went out of my way to find better ways to package and deliver eyeglasses in a more luxurious way. I served food and coffee. There were trunk shows and that was basically unknown in the industry.” With a dozen stores in the region now, Beiner continues to push the envelope in luxury merchandising. Recently, he added what he calls “Ottica Su Misura” – custom optic – services at his Worth Avenue shop in Palm Beach. Staff designers, who rotate in and out of Beiner’s other stores for consultations as well – work with customers by appointment to create one-of-a-kind frames: “Jewelry for your face,” he calls it.

Read more and see images at Palm Beach Daily News |

Miami Racked