Shopping Guide

Making Four Eyes cool

October 31, 2014 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - E, F, P, T, O, Z...I remember my first visit to an ophthalmologist. I was just 11 years old. I had my starting grade of -.50 and it quickly snowballed to a regular progression of blurrier sights, thicker lenses, and more frequent visits to the eye doctor.

Designer Rajo Laurel’s experience was the opposite. “I was the kid who didn’t need glasses, but I wanted glasses. I wanted it so much that I actually faked it until I actually needed it.” Now that the hipster trend of #geekchic and smart-looking specs has skyrocketed a billion selfies. Wearing glasses has gained an off-beat sense of cool.

Naturally, the optical shops had to keep up. That is exactly what Four Eyes did: bring optical retail to the digital realms. Four Eyes pioneered the way we choose, order, and have your eyewear delivered, all with a swipe or a click on their www.foureyes.com.ph website.

“We’re revolutionizing the way you shop eyewear,” enthused Four Eyes founder Pavan Challa. “Even before you understand how we’re fixing it, you have to understand the problem in the market today.”

With one-third of children having problems with their eyesight that negatively impacts their health, school work, and play, and with 33 percent of working adults having impaired vision, which results to a drastic 20 percent drop on their productivity levels, finding the right pair of glasses has gone from nerdy to an utter necessity.

“That’s why we call it Four Eyes — we’re trying to change the negative connotation. Now, being four eyes is a cool thing,” Challa said.

“When Pavan (Challa) met me, the first thing he asked was, ‘How many glasses do you have?’ I only have one. And it’s funny because I didn’t realize that I only had one. Then, he went on to ask me, “How many shoes do you have?” And of course, I didn’t exactly say how many shoes I have, my imeldific side! With Four Eyes, it’s easy to have more,” recalled Laurel of his chance encounter with the net-trepreneur.

“With hundreds of eyewear in stock, ranging from materials, frame shapes, to colors and functions, the Four Eyes website serves like a virtual mall for your eyes all with the ease of a double-click.

Yet, for those traditional consumers who opt for a more tactile retail experience, Four Eyes goes as far as letting you sample them in the comforts of your own home. “We can send the glasses to your house, you can try them on for a week. And then you can send it back to us, we fit it with the prescription lenses, and we send it back to you, all free of shipping,” Challa promised.

Each prescription eyewear offered by the brand starts at a very reasonable price of P1,995, and comes with a free delivery of up to five days.

With 10 million indigent people in the country with little or no access to optical health and implements, it is certainly a cause for national concern. Four Eyes’ ‘A Pair for a Pair’ campaign addresses this issue. “We donate one pair for each one sold. World Vision is our official partner. They help us mobilize our donations in various parts of the Philippines. And we’re trying to reach as deep as we can in the provincial areas where there is little access for everything,” revealed Challa.