Eye Designs 40 Acts of Kindness
Eye Designs is marking its 40th anniversary. The family-owned boutique eyewear business, with locations in Scarsdale, Armonk and Mamaroneck, is celebrating its 40th year of serving customers in Westchester and beyond. To mark the celebration, Eye Designs will hold a block party celebration at its Scarsdale store, located at 747 White Plains Road, on Saturday, June 29th from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Attendees will enjoy music, food from various food trucks, a customer appreciation photo session, and special giveaways.
“I’m so proud of this milestone because it means our customers appreciate what we offer – unique eyewear styles from independent brands and manufacturers combined with our personalized, family-focused service,” said Sharon Decker, founder and co-owner of Eye Designs. “We know the reason we are able to celebrate our 40th is because of our customers, who have supported us, continued to come back to us year after year, and, in essence, become our extended family.”
Eye Designs is a family business. Decker, who is a New York state licensed optician, opened the first Eye Designs, then called Eye Designs of Westchester, in Scarsdale, in June 1984. She was following the paths of her parents: her mother Gladys Mackler worked as a sales associate at local optical shops on Long Island and her father Mickey designed eyeglass stores. Her father designed the original Scarsdale location. “Our initial motto was ‘Manhattan Styles, Westchester Convenience.’ I thought local residents would want the top quality styles and service they might have associated with Madison Avenue in Manhattan, but they wanted it convenient to where they live, which was in Westchester.”
Today, this is still the company’s vision and motto. To provide convenience to its customers, Eye Designs expanded beyond its Scarsdale location in 1999 with the opening of a location in Armonk. The Mamaroneck location opened in 2021.
Ten years ago, Sharon’s son Harris Decker joined Eye Designs. He is now co-owner, marking the second generation of Deckers to lead Eye Designs and the third generation to work in the optical industry.
Today, both the Decker ownership and the customer base are multi-generational. “One of the best aspects of our business is working with customers who I first fit with glasses when they were children and I still work with today as adults. We are still their ‘go to’ store and now they are coming into our stores with their children, the next generation that we’re fitting for glasses. It’s so gratifying to be a part of their family history, as they are a part of ours,” added Sharon Decker.
Harris Decker notes the multi-generational aspect of both the business and customer base is reflective of their commitment to eyewear and service. “As a third generation in the optical business, eyewear is in my DNA. I enjoy sourcing styles from independent makers whether in the states or overseas, bringing these styles into our stores, and then seeing our customers’ faces light up when they see frames they have not seen anywhere else. They know they are buying something special you won’t see on everyone around town,” he noted. “I also know our customers appreciate when they come into our stores, they see familiar faces. Many of the people who work in our stores have been with us for decades; they, too, are extended family to the Deckers and to our customers.”
The 40th anniversary will also be the kickoff of Eye Designs’ 40 Acts of Kindness campaign. “Between now and the end of the year, we will be doing 40 acts of kindness as a way of giving back to our customers and also the communities that we are a part of,” added Sharon Decker. “This is just another way of our saying thank you to everyone.”