British eyewear brand Cubitts has opened its first Manchester store, with a local design studio playing a key role in bringing the long-awaited Northern Quarter location to life.
The new shop, at 16 Smithfield Buildings on Hilton Street, is the company’s 21st worldwide and 19th in the UK. It has been designed in partnership with Manchester-based studio YOUTH, which worked with Cubitts to create a space that reflects both the brand’s craft-led approach and the character of the city.
Cubitts said it had been searching for the right Manchester home for almost a decade, choosing to wait until it found a building that matched its approach to making, fitting and repairing spectacles.
The store occupies part of the former Affleck & Brown department store, once known as the “Harrods of the North”, where generations of Mancunians bought made-to-measure clothing and fabrics.
The company said the historical connection was a fitting one.
Designed alongside YOUTH, the shop has been conceived as “a working optician first and a quiet reflection of the city around it second.” It includes a dedicated repairs desk, an optometric room, a bespoke consultation area and display space for 72 optical frames and sunglasses.
The opening follows the launch of The Yard, Cubitts’ new headquarters and optical factory in King’s Cross, London.
The Manchester location marks the brand’s first presence in the city and its first store in the North.
