YOU MAY HAVE DRIVEN BY INDEPENDENT OPTICAL, LOCATED WITHIN Indigo Square in Mount Pleasant. Its blue facade trimmed in white with large windows, pergola-style awnings and a wooden sign reading “Eye Exams Craft Eyewear” is reminiscent of a bygone era when exemplary goods were the standard. Its cozy exterior belies its gracious interior, and upon entering, you not only see the difference but feel it.

“Our shop is a direct reflection of our own taste—a simpler time when quality mattered more than quantity,” says Chris Sunkin, the elder member of the team at Independent Optical. “We want people to come in and feel like they’re visiting someone’s home.”

Mission accomplished. And, what a home it is. Shelves lined with national and international bespoke eyewear sit atop wooden tables. Moody blue walls, warm-toned flooring and an authentic brick feature wall showcase open gray-blue cabinets, displaying more eyewear nestled among art, books and collectibles. Vintage cameras, typewriters, clocks and other noteworthy items create a curated flow. The result is a modern-day apothecary shop for the senses, including perfect vision.

The collection is indeed personal as the owner, optometrist and son of the team, Dr. Jake Sunkin, has an affinity for the mid-century era, aesthetically and for what he views as simpler and more elegant times. The Sunkins, father and son, built everything, from the displays to the cabinets. A wall of 18th-century Baltimore brick salvaged from row homes was crafted by the two, who perfected vintage mortar techniques.

“It’s a message,” Jake Sunkin explains. “I care so much about all this stuff, and that’s how we are going to care for you.”

Independent Optical, established in 2019, took a few decades to materialize—not only because of the professional pathways of the Sunkins, but because getting it just right, like all good things, takes time.

“My sister became an optometrist and bought an existing practice,” Chris Sunkin says. “I helped with the financing and marketing side, and Jake grew up in this environment, working for her on breaks when he was in college. He decided he wanted to pursue optometry as a profession.”

The elder Sunkin, formerly in the industrial equipment manufacturing business, developed an appreciation for quality and unique pieces and helped get Independent Optical off the ground, assisting with the build-out and startup. The younger Sunkin inherited his father’s passion. “After being an optometrist for a few years, I developed a different vision outside the mainstream,” he explains. “My focus became more on independently produced eyewear fashioned by expert artisans who appreciated quality.”

Quality from the likes of Ørgreen, Lindberg, Anne et Valentin, Lunor and others are constructed of superior materials, and optical manufacturer Zeiss is a pioneer in vision research and has the most advanced lenses ever made. “You’ve been coming into contact with Zeiss inventions and optics since the mid-19th century, and they’re so technologically advanced that, compared to everyone else, it’s not even close,” Jake Sunkin says. “You leave here with major improvements in what you see. Once people use these lenses, they want nothing else.”

Eye exams are another part of that dedication to quality. It’s not just a quick exam and refraction. It’s a focus on fulfilling the role as a learned and licensed practitioner and going far beyond statutory requirements, such as using Topcon Maestro technology to display a 3-D image of the interior of the eye. Recognized as the industry’s gold standard, the Sunkins knew that this was a necessity for their patients and customers.

“We’ve embraced becoming pioneers in this segment of our industry and have become renowned and nationally recognized for doing that,” Jake Sunkin explains. “An eye exam takes as long as it takes; we do sophisticated imaging of internal eye structures to find early warning signs of any potential issues.”

The Sunkins reveal that you can count originally designed eyewear on one hand today. “Big-box retailers, who are also the manufacturers of the eyewear and lenses, own the majority share of the eyewear business today, and that’s not what we carry,” Chris Sunkin says. “You won’t find designer brands here. Our eyewear is crafted by artisans in independent workshops. When you handle it and look at it, it’s readily apparent the effort that went into the design and construction. I tell customers that the person who made this did so as if it was the most important thing in the world to them. That’s what artistry is.”

It’s not just about quality materials and craftsmanship. It’s about how and where they are manufactured. Many retail eyewear brands stamp a designer name on frames, and those frames can be made where labor laws and quality aren’t up to the Sunkins’ standards.

Independent Optical carries eyewear constructed of the finest materials, yet some of its eyewear is priced competitively with big-box retailers. That’s not to say one can’t spend a considerable amount on an exclusive pair of specs made of exotic materials and personally designed—and many do. But, should you decide to pick up a pair for under $200, you’ll receive the same white-glove service and experience. Independent Optical’s notoriety has grown exponentially since its inception, with patrons coming from all over the Lowcountry, including Hilton Head and Kiawah, Myrtle Beach, and even Savannah.

“People drive an hour-plus because there’s nothing like Independent Optical,” Chris Sunkin proudly proclaims. “You’ve got to travel to a major city to find what we have.”

His son agrees, saying, “What we can do is make you stand out across the room in a group of a couple hundred people—and for the right reasons.”

Achieving the perfect fit isn’t what it’s all about. As Chris Sunkins explains: “Our store closes when you are done. I have absolutely no interest in selling you a pair of glasses. I want to sell you every pair of glasses you buy for the rest of your life and your family, your friends and your co-workers. And, those strangers that stop and ask you where you got your eyewear. I want everyone to know they’ve found that one place they wish every place they went was like.” *

Brigitte Surette is a freelance writer, editor and copywriter. Visit brigittesurette.com to learn more.