Stepping into Melbourne’s newest retail space, you’re immediately greeted by a bold display of theatrical drapes in an eye-catching acid yellow shade. The vibrant carpeting stretches for metres, creating an atmosphere that’s as confusing as it is captivating. It’s easy to lose track of your original purpose—checking your eyes—when surrounded by such an unusual setting.
The welcoming offer of a beverage on arrival and the absence of traditional Snellen charts with shrinking letters only add to the sense of disorientation. One might expect to find handbags, towering high heels, or stacks of cashmere jumpers on the shelves, but instead, there are sculptural eyewear pieces displayed like works of art on zigzagging shelves. Is this a luxury boutique or an optometrist?
“I don’t love the word luxury,” says Emma Buckley, co-founder of Six Six alongside optometrist Dr Natalie Boffa. “The word is a bit ick.”
“We want everyone to be welcome,” says Boffa. “But the experience, I suppose, is luxurious.”
Buckley, who had been working in eyewear distribution, and Boffa, who had spent years in clinical environments, had long admired each other’s work before finally collaborating. Their store opened in January, combining Buckley’s vision with Boffa’s expertise.
“I would go to eyewear fairs in Paris and Milan and visit beautiful stores,” Buckley explains. “We don’t have that in Australia. Here it’s either boring or very clinical.”
“That was the vision. I didn’t want to do it alone. When I met Nat, we connected perfectly and it snowballed really hard.”
With the help of architects Kennedy Nolan, they’ve created a sumptuous retail environment. The space includes a lab behind dichroic glass and eye-testing rooms hidden near curtain folds, ready to be raised for a growing market.
According to the Business Insider’s Eyewear Global Market Report, the global eyewear market was valued at $US173.89 billion ($251.75 billion) in 2025, with projections to reach $US291.65 billion ($422.25 billion) by 2030. This growth is driven by the health needs of an ageing population, as well as the rise of tech eyewear following Facebook parent Meta’s reported $US3.5 billion investment in eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica.
While OPSM (owned by EssilorLuxottica) and Specsavers dominate the local industry, Six Six, along with other independent retailers, focuses on eyewear brands that stand apart from two-for-one ranges and mainstream luxury labels.
Frames start at around $400, with the average customer spending closer to $900-$1000. Akoni’s 18-karat gold Eris frames exceed the $2000 threshold. Think of the stealth wealth LGR frames worn by Prince William or Kristen Stewart’s collection of Garrett Leight glasses.
“Consumers have shifted,” says Ben Walters, chief executive of Proper Goods eyewear distributors in Sydney. “They’re looking for something more design-led and current.”
“Customers are thinking more like collectors — coming back for a second or third pair, often across different styles or brands. That discerning behaviour is what’s driving the independent market forward.”
Three months after opening, Six Six is already seeing repeat customers, with long-term plans for more stores in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
“We have an unusually high amount of architects coming in,” says Boffa.
The acid yellow curtains must be right.
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