Rodney Fitch has looked into Hong Kong's eyes and has adjusted the picture accordingly. The British designer has raised the chairs so customers feel less threatened by staff looming over them and side lighting is being installed to show off the high-design features on spectacle frames.
Fitch is the man behind the makeover of the Optical Shop, where a soothing new blue and green colour scheme is gradually being introduced to its 39 branches in the territory as well as those in China, Singapore and Macau over the next three years.
The street-front stores, Fitch says, are more 'self-confident, more thrusting' because they have to compete not only with the busy traffic but also with rivals in the vicinity. Branches in malls will be more modest, with smaller signs and a less in-your-face presence.
Inside, soft-colour finishes and natural materials have been combined with bright lighting to enhance the displays of frames. Cherry wood fixtures are matched with blue and green which, he explains, reflects light and lends a watery feel.
'It's light and it's fresh,' says Fitch, whose other clients include Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Delta Airlines.
Chair and counter heights have also been adjusted for better ergonomics. 'There is never a perfect level, of course, because all people are different, but ideally the chair should be about [34.5 centimetres] high,' Fitch adds.