Selima Salaun is an opticienne-lunetiere and the creative vision behind Selima Optique, her trend-setting, luxury eyewear brand. Selima believes your eyewear is a reflection of your look — the personality you project (hint hint…it is). Your look is the mood you convey each and every day.
Selima operates 4 boutiques in Paris and New York and her edgy, innovative spectacles and sunnies have developed a loyal following. She's attracted the worldwide attention of media personalities, corporate CEOs, fashion designers...and people from all walks of life who want to see and be seen in a pair of Selima's eclectic frames (if you know, you know). In fact, Selima has crafted custom frames for the likes of Bono, Jay-Z, and Madonna. Her loyal clientele also includes Zendaya, EmRata, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Tom Ford, Camille Rowe, and June Ambrose, to name a few.
Selima was born along the Mediterranean Coast and the rhythm of the Riviera is in her soul. She embodies French sensibility, style and elegance. But her wit, whimsy, and avid curious mind are all her own, and they bring the brand to life.
She draws inspiration from the raw energy of New York and cannot imagine living anywhere else. With the confluence of passion, expertise, and inspiration, she creates her own luxury brand — a fusion of that French sensibility and the creativity that’s uniquely New York. Her discerning eye (pun intended) and love for art, fashion, design, and literature is eclectic and visionary.
Since Selima’s first boutique opened in SoHo, it quickly became a rendezvous for all sorts of creative personalities who appreciate the quality craftsmanship of Selima's works. Admittedly, they are also drawn to the designer's dynamic personality. Selima also designs collections of specialty frames for fashion brands like Ulla Johnson, Alex Mill, and Frances Valentine, and more.
Honestly? Customer service. I was an optometrist, then I was on the sales floor, then I opened my own boutique carrying other brands that I loved. And then, my friend Hubert wanted a pair of glasses in a color and shape he couldn’t find anywhere, so… because I believe in amazing customer service… I reached out to some French atelier contacts I had from my time in Paris and was able to make the frame (a bright red, circular frame called the “Hubert”—which we still carry to this day) for him.
After that, I started doing more and more customs for different friends and for fun. Next thing you know, I was suddenly having so much fun designing and making the exact kinds of glasses I wanted to make that we couldn’t find anywhere else. But, at the very start, I was drawn to design by wanting to help a friend express their personal style in exactly the way they wanted to.
I was also lucky to have started working (while in optometry school) in an incredibly luxurious optical store called Royal Optique that taught me the Art of Bespoke.
I was in touch with this Atelier in Paris and they produced all my first glasses.
I just really care about how pieces are made and what they’re made from because, quite simply, higher-quality pieces feel better and last longer. But, not only is quality important to comfort and sustainability, I also think it’s more cost-efficient. I like to think in terms of cost-per-wear because, when you look at it, a $100 item that lasts you 10 wears is more expensive than a $200 item that lasts 40 wears. You’re paying less in the moment, but you end up paying $10 per wear versus $5 per wear. So I feel like, especially with eyewear—which is an accessory that you put directly on your face, which has some of your most sensitive skin—quality is so important because it’s better for your skin, better for the environment, and, if you’re smart about buying things that fit your personal style long-term, better for your wallet, too.
Communities last longer than trends do. So, when you build something, try not to just think about the product right now, but try to think of the needs of the people that you’re building it for. That way, if you always stay aware of your community, you can continue providing something that helps them. You want to create for people, because when you focus on what they need and want, you’re able to evolve with them. And that’s what really matters.
First off, thank you for calling me successful ! But to answer your question…and I know it sounds cliche, but having fun. This year is the 30th anniversary of my brand and that’s crazy to me, but what’s even crazier is that still, every day, even on those days when things are hard and stressful and exhausting, I still have fun seeing someone try on something new that transforms their look or playing around with a new prototype in a new color or seeing something that inspires me. I feel like, no matter where you are in your journey, the only way to keep growing and improving is by tapping into the joy that made you want to start in the very beginning.
Oh god this is going to be impossible to answer because there are so many. There’s my daughter, of course, because I love how, while she reflects parts of me, she’s so true to herself, so determined, and incredibly empathetic. There’s Linda Rodin, who’s so New York and loves fashion at such a deep level and you can feel it in how she approaches style so meticulously and passionately. Oh, and most recently, there’s Alysa Liu, the U.S. figure-skater, because my kids told me her story—being a champion, then retiring, then coming back for the love of the sport and winning gold—and I just love how unapologetically unique she is (and talented, of course). It’s hard to give just one answer and five more women will probably come to mind if you ask me again a week from now.
I'm sorry, but I have two things: 1) Facetime. Because how else would I bother my son when I need his advice? We paid for him to go to school and study philosophy so now, thanks to Facetime, I have an entire philosophical degree in my pocket at all times, it’s amazing. And 2) Dog food. Because I have four dogs and, I promise you, they are very, very needy… so if they don’t eat, I won’t get to eat, either.
Color. I love that we did the Y2K small glasses and I love that people are very into some of that 90s minimalism right now, but I’m ready for people to get excited about color again and the eclecticism we felt with bright, unique colors across both smaller and oversized silhouettes. And the one no one can ignore: the Ryan Murphy series Love Story, where Carolyn Bessette's style is taking us by storm. As you know John and Carolyn were clients of our stores.
This one’s also a hard question because there are so many. I love Paolo Sorrentino (the Great Beauty is a must see), Wes Anderson, Pedro Almodóvar’s films and so many French writers (Les Faux Fuyants by Francoise Sagan or My Family and other animals by Gerald Durrell…) but I’m just going to say the first one that came to my mind… Schitt’s Creek. It’s so silly and I love Catherine O’Hara and it’s one of my favorite shows when I just want to laugh and have a distraction from work and the real world. Sometimes I think that pieces of media you can simply sit back and enjoy are just as important as the ones that make you think. We were also so delighted to be part of POOR THINGS - a movie I loved - with Oscar winner Emma Stone, when we manufactured the glasses in the movie.
