see eyewear toronto

Edgy American eyewear brand permanently closing its only Toronto store

SEE Eyewear is seeing itself out of Toronto. 

After more than three years in Yorkville, its only Canadian store, the American brand for stylish and over-the-top glasses has announced that it's pulling out of the country. 

It joins the growing pile of global chains to have abandoned their Mink Mile boutiques over the course of the pandemic. 

Selected Eyewear Elements (SEE) was founded in 1998 by optician designer Richard Golden and his brother, Randal. 

see eyewear toronto

American eyewear chain SEE has shut its Yorkville store for good. Photo via Google Street View.

Over the years the brand has built a name for its extensive selection of styles like Italian-crafted navigators and cat-eye tortoise frames. Their eyewear has graced the faces of celebrities like Oprah and Howie Mandel.

When SEE landed in Yorkville in 2017, Golden stated plans for expansion with another location on Queen West, plus stores in Vancouver and Montreal, none of which came to fruition.

Today, the papered up storefront at 153 Cumberland St. has a sign on its window that says the brand is "sad to leave Yorkville." 

Today, SEE has just over 40 stores across the U.S. Toronto eyewear aficionados can still shop the chain's eyewear and sunglasses online. 

Lead photo by

See Eyewear


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