A letter from Heidi
From humble beginnings
Picture this: A little girl with a bowl cut, perched on a stool in her parents’ eyewear shop in Hong Kong, running her fingers over frames like they were artifacts. The hinges whispered stories. The acetate smelled like possibility. That girl? Me. And several years later, not much has changed—except now, my shop sits in the heart of Mount Pleasant, where Japanese craftsmanship meets Vancouver’s wild, rainy soul.
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I moved here in the 1990s, lured by fog-draped mountains and the kind of creative energy that makes you want to build something that lasts. But as I sipped my coffee, I kept thinking about the glasses shops I’d seen—sterile, impersonal, boring. Where were the frames with stories? The ones that felt like they’d been kissed by a Japanese artisan’s chisel, then hand-delivered to a city that values grit and grace in equal measure?
Sense Eyewear launches
So I bet everything on a tiny studio. No corporate investors. Just my childhood obsession with eyewear and a stubborn belief that Vancouverites deserved better. The first year? Let’s just say I survived on adrenaline and day-old croissants from the neighbourhood cafe. But slowly, something magical happened. Artists, entrepreneurs, and neighbours started wandering in. They’d linger over H-Fusion’s titanium sculptures or trace the engraved hinges of a Steady Spectacles frame, murmuring, “I’ve never felt this way about glasses before.”
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That’s when I knew: We weren’t just selling frames. We were curating heirlooms.
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Today, Sense Eyewear is a love letter to two cultures. Japanese masters send us pieces forged in fire and patience—frames so light they float, yet tough enough to survive a West Coast downpour. And our team? We’ll geek out over your astigmatism, then pivot to debating whether that matte black VioRou pair makes you look more “indie director” or “secret spy.” (Spoiler: Both.)
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So come to Sense Eyewear. Let's lose an hour debating which frames make your eyes glow like a Stanley Park sunset. No scripts. No rush. Just the joy of helping you find the pair that doesn’t just fit—it fits you.
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You’ll find us at 411 W 8th Ave, and if you spot a woman obsessing over glasses? That’s me. Still that kid with a bowl cut, still in awe of how something as small as a pair of glasses can hold so much life.
OPENING HOURS
Mon: By appointment only
Tue - Sun: 12 noon to 6 PM
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Please contact us at senseeyewearinfo@gmail.com or message us on Instagram to set up an appointment.