EYES on 8!

EYES on St Albans Celebrates 8 Years of Independent Style

EYES on St Albans is celebrating eight years of independent eyewear, eye care and creativity in Marshalswick.

Originally launched with the strapline “eyewear and eyecare of excellence”, EYES has spent the last eight years building a reputation for expert care, distinctive eyewear collections and a very different kind of opticians experience.

Since opening in 2018, the business has championed independent eyewear brands that focus on personality, craftsmanship and design-led fashion rather than mass-produced uniformity.

Collections including Kirk & Kirk, Moscot, Blake Kuwahara, TAVAT and VAVA have been part of the EYES journey throughout, helping shape the practice’s evolving style and reputation for leading-edge eyewear in St Albans.

Founder Jez Levy believes eyewear should always feel personal.

“We’ve never wanted EYES to feel clinical or corporate,” says Jez. “We wanted it to feel welcoming, expressive and human while still delivering exceptional eye care.”

That balance between professionalism and personality has become a defining part of the EYES identity.

Alongside independent styling and fashion-led collections, EYES has also become widely known for its work with EnChroma colour vision lenses.

Over the years, the team has helped customers with colour vision deficiency experience colours in a completely new way – often leading to emotional reactions that customers and families remember for years afterwards.

“Those moments are incredibly special,” says Jez. “Helping somebody see colours properly for the first time is something you never forget.”

The business has continued evolving with colourful ShadeShift lenses, carefully curated collections and the handcrafted JL Spex collection designed by Jez and made in Italy.

The famous black-and-yellow Vespa associated with EYES has even evolved into a black-and-yellow trike – reflecting the same quietly rebellious spirit that runs through the business itself.

National recognition has followed too.

In 2026, EYES on St Albans was shortlisted in the High Street Hero category at The Small Awards by Small Business Britain, reaching the final eight businesses nationally from thousands of entries.

The business was also shortlisted in the St Albans Retailer of the Year Awards.

Eight years after opening, EYES continues to evolve while staying true to the values it started with:

There we go – EYES on 8 years of: Exceptional eye care. Independent style. Human connection.

And, of course, spex, hugs and rock’n’roll.