A great pair of glasses not only helps your vision; it shapes how others see you. Beyond function, your choice of frame—professional or casual, at work or for play—makes a defining statement about who you are.
Julie Coffin, fifth-generation steward of much-loved Montreal luxury brand Tris Coffin Opticiens, understands this deeply.
The family’s remarkable legacy began in 1882, when her great-grandfather started Consolidated Optical, pioneering Montreal’s wholesale lens industry. Her grandfather opened the first retail location on McGill College in 1936. In the seventies, Julie’s visionary father, Tris Coffin IV, established a boutique at the then Queen Elizabeth Hotel drawing the attention of Montreal’s business class, thereby taking the Tris Coffin experience to another level.
Initially pursuing a different path, Julie earned a degree in commerce and marketing from the University of Ottawa in 1991. After managing optical concessions at major retailers, she was eventually guided back to the family business by her father where she discovered a passion for the craft and client care that the Tris Coffin name is celebrated for.
Now boasting several well-established locations across Montreal, including a flagship space at Place Ville Marie, Tris Coffin Opticiens recently expanded operations. A new boutique in Montreal’s upscale retail experience destination, Royalmount, is home to a more refined setting for Tris Coffin. The fit has been spot on, thanks to a scaled and distinctly curated atmosphere where craftsmanship tells a story and discovery is part of the service.
“People spend tens of thousands on a watch to have it almost hidden behind your sleeve!” Julie points out. “Your frame is the first thing someone sees. It creates an expression of yourself.”
With hand-curated selections from Jacques Marie Mage, Cartier, and Chrome Hearts, Julie and her team have crafted a unique experience where eyewear becomes storytelling. “It’s about making people feel seen, taken care of, and indulged,” she says with a smile.
Not surprisingly, generations of families return time and again for Tris Coffin’s meticulous attention to detail, personalized consultations, expert product knowledge, and complete dedication to an elevated client experience. Julie’s pride in her team, some of whom have been with the company for decades, is palpable.
“The customer experience is always in focus and everything to us,” she says.
“It’s a question of trying to go a little bit above and beyond and making the experience more personable as well as making it a little bit more exclusive. We want clients to feel like they’ve had a memorable optical experience with new friends and left with the glasses of their dreams.”
For more on the TRIS COFFIN experience, head to triscoffin.com.