You must have asked yourself this question more than once: Why is it that in a tropical country like ours, most of us don’t wear sunglasses? At least, this question pops up in my head every sunny day. Are we afraid to be judged; or are sunglasses too expensive?
Wear Class. Stay Classy. The Tiny Island Emporium challenges this perception and provides a simple solution: Quality eyewear at affordable prices.
The Tiny Island Emporium is a virtual shop listed on Carousell and what it offers is nothing like the usual secondhand or blogshop items. This startup sells quality eyewear at more than half of its price sold internationally.
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Sounds great? The response has been great as well!
Set up on July 4, 2014, The Tiny Island Emporium made its very first listing on July 9 and word spread like wildfire on social media. Within three and a half weeks, The Tiny Island Emporium sold 45 pairs of eyewear and gained 367 followers on Carousell.
The Tiny Island Emporium (TTIE) strives to provide exclusive eyewear at low prices in Singapore. Two exclusive collections are listed at the moment and they are namely: Purificación García from Barcelona, and Atticus Finch from Los Angeles.
Purificación García from Barcelona
Designed and named after Spanish fashion designer, Purificación García, the Purificación García Vision eyewear collection, which The Tiny Island Emporium offers are exclusive and has ceased in production.
Most of the Purificación García frames listed are already sold out as they are only limited to one per piece and no restock is available! It is definitely enticing to get your own unique frame at 70% off!
Atticus Finch from Los Angeles
The Atticus Finch spectacle frames are fun and funky; its music-inspired designs speak for themselves. The glasses are crafted with authentic Italian mazzucchelli acetate, this means that the colours are blended into the material during the manufacturing process instead of the cheaper way of injecting colours into ready made plastic. The Atticus Finch spectacle collection is made to last; the colour will not change, and the material is promised to be durable and strong.
Atticus Finch shades are made of stainless steel alloy; and the lens are polarised with 100% UV ray absorption. They are sturdy, lightweight and stylish. Match it with a simple white shirt; a blouson; or a petite dress to look classy and chic.
This is authentic and in-style. Ray-Ban fakes are getting out of your shopping cart this instant.
The Atticus Finch frames are priced at SGD$99 on international retail but TTIE has listed them with a 68% discount, at SGD$32. While the aviators are priced at SGD$159 on international retail and are now listed with a 75% discount, at SGD$40.
And you don’t just walk away with the eyewear itself, every purchase of an Atticus Finch eyewear comes with a complimentary Atticus Finch zip case and a microfibre cloth!
Douglas Yong, 20, the owner of The Tiny Island Emporium is a fresh graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The Mass Communication graduand runs the online shop solely and handles the business from logo design, social media management, stock collection, to customer meetings.
The shop that was initially set up with gadgets and fashion accessories in mind took a quick turn to focus on eyewear instead. Douglas shares his love for eyewear and reveals that he himself owns 15 pairs of spectacles.
“In the 21st century, eyewear is no longer just a necessity, but also a lifestyle accessory. It serves as the wearer’s outlet of expression, and it reflects his or her character and personality,” he says.
The Tiny Island Emporium’s fashion pieces strike green ticks in the books of teenagers, young adults, and even customers above 30 years old.
Douglas comments, “Actually, I am not all surprised at the large age range, as the eyewear [collections] listed at The Tiny Island Emporium are diverse. There’s the funky and loud ones, as well as the classy and sophisticated.”
He mentions a customer, George Chong, 44, who turned out to be a collector of antique glasses with an interest in the Purificación García tortoiseshell frame. He purchased it, and also a pair of aviators.
Douglas recalls words from the antique collector and he quotes, “I am very pleased with the tortoise shell frame. It fits my face well and frame is meticulously designed and very durable, with spring hinges for the arms.”
Customers to date have commended on the great service and also showed their satisfaction through Carousell’s feedback section.
Mr Jasmin Bin Semahli, 35, bought his Atticus Finch frame for SGD$32. He says, “Usually I will end up paying onwards of SGD$200 to SGD$300 if I purchase both frames & lens. But here I would reckon I already save almost half of the price.”
Donovan Tan, 22, who is currently a student, bought a pair of aviators and a pair of spectacle frames. He says, “I think it’s really affordable and stylish at the same time. Not many shops offer goods of this quality at such attractive prices.”
Donovan was especially glad that what he saw was what he got. “The product looked exactly like the pictures on their accounts, [there were] no gimmicks or camera tricks to make their products look better than they actually are.”
And he wishes that TTIE sells accessories such as wrist bands, head gear, and watches are equally amazing discounts.
Douglas schedules his meet-ups mainly on Fridays and Saturdays, but will be happy to accommodate to the preferred timings of his customers if they are unable to meet. He also provides mailing services.
He notes that if there is demand for certain brands that are already available in Singapore, he will consider bringing them in as well — and definitely at a much lower rate.
The Tiny Island Emporium looks forward to diversify and expand its product range within the upcoming months. One will be able to find both branded and good quality fashion apparels (clothes and footwear), which will be exclusive in Singapore as well. To ensure affordability, Douglas states that the apparels will be capped at SG$100 and below.
He teases, “How does Playboy male underwear sound to you?”
SISLEY from Italy and More…
Young and ambitious, Douglas has also set up a sister store on Carousell called, Face x Value (Username: facexvalue), where it will focus entirely on exquisite eyewear. It currently lists Italy’s SISLEY eyewear at 55% off, and each frame only comes in a few. More brands will be listed in the near future.
Douglas explains his insistence on affordability, “Through buying, I want them to understand the difference between quality eyewear and eyewear that are sold at low prices at popular fashion clothing labels.”
Hoping to bring his avid interest in eyewear to the next level, Douglas expresses his wants of collaborating with foreign design studios to develop and design trendsetting eyewear using the best materials. But meanwhile, he will be juggling two online shops, which look potentially lucrative in the long run.
Get connected to learn about the latest updates from The Tiny Island Emporium and Face x Value at:
Carousell – carousell.co/thetinyislandemporium
Facebook – facebook.com/thetinyislandemporium
Instagram – instagram.com/thetinyislandemporium
Carousell – carousell.co/facexvalue
Facebook – facebook.com/info.facexvalue
Instagram – instagram.com/info.facexvalue
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