Where This Photographer Shops for Rare Specs in Studio City

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Los Angeles has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around LA that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Image via Yelp

André Vippolis is a commercial and celebrity photographer who lives in Atwater Village with his wife, Barrett Prendergast. Together, they own a line of women's accessories called Sud de Sur. On any given day, you might find him at one of the local farmers markets, hanging out at Silverlake Wine, or in Monrovia eating soup dumplings. Here, Vippolis shares his favorite Studio City spot for specs, frames and more.

"If you want to find the best selection of new and obscure dead stock glasses, the only place to hit is Paris Optique on Ventura. It is the only place I will buy eyeglasses or sunglasses from. If you've ever watched any movie and thought someone was wearing a pair of really cool glasses, chances are they came from shop owner Haig Chorbajian. He is like the Nozawa of glasses. Haig is the go-to guy for rare specs, as he flies to other continents seeking out dead stock glasses. And if you're lucky and he likes you, he'll share some of his current favorites that are hidden away from the casual shopper, and he might even sell them to you, too! Haig is also a mad scientist when it comes to lenses and tints. Your new favorite pair of glasses will be found here and you'll never want to buy glasses from anywhere else again."

· Andre Vippolis [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked LA]

Paris Optique

11946 Ventura Blvd Studio City, CA 91604