eye on warby parker

Warby Parker unveils eye-catching new store in Highland Village

It’s hard to miss the new Warby Parker. Amid the muted grays and browns of the Highland Village storefronts, its eye-popping blue mural by Dutch artist Seb Agresti that takes up its street-fronting space is a beacon, beckoning guests to enter its chic boutique.

Long known among the glasses-wearing public as an online one-stop shop that would send people five pairs of frames to try on, offering both those and the necessary prescriptions for relatively inexpensive rates, the company had been quietly, concurrently, building its brick-and-mortar business. The new Highland Village shop is the fourth in Houston.

The newest addition to the Warby Parker retail empire opens officially to the public on Saturday, March 30, with a festive, day-long party. Steel City Pops will be there, offering treats for the VIPS. For opening day, Warby Parker has renamed the flavors after some of the brand’s newest and most favorite frames, including Christabel (Lavender Lemonade), Tilley (Strawberry Lemonade), Felix (Lime) and Remy (Blood Orange). The retailer is also releasing a pair of limited- edition, Houston-exclusive sunglasses.

As for the interior, it might be referred to as library-chic. In addition to more Agresti artwork behind the store’s marble reference desk, where guests can pick up orders, have frames adjusted and consult with opticians, the space is filled with globe lighting tables, colorful displays of books, and brass accents. All of that accentuates Warby Parker’s full collection of eyeglasses and sunglasses, attractively displayed on oak shelving.

In keeping with the Highland Village location’s library look, books are also available for purchase in-store. Warby Parker took its oversized, rectangular Lowry frame in Whiskey Tortoise and punched it up with flash reflective juniper gradient lenses, the perfect antidote to super-bright Bayou City summer sunshine. The new frames will be available at all four Houston locations.

The store opening coincides with the retailer’s two new frame offerings. The Forma and Inlay Edition collections are both hand-crafted in Italy. Forma blends vintage style with modern sleek, showcasing tortoiseshell details with hip metal accents, while Inlay offers ultra-chic thin metal frames.

This month’s opening isn’t the only milestone for the retailer. As of this month, Warby Parker has distributed five million pairs of glasses to those in need in more than 50 countries around the world. Warby Parker sees that as five million more people now have the glasses they need to learn, work, and achieve better economic outcomes.

The new store should be a welcome addition to the Highland Village scene, given Warby Parker’s focus on trendy, stylish, form-and-function designs, and its attractive price point. The retailer’s focus on chic design also indicates that it plans to make the Highland Village location a gathering point as well as a style retailer.

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Warby Parker Highland Village; 4078 Westheimer Rd.; Monday through Saturday 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday from noon to 6 pm.

The Highland Village location boasts an eye-catching mural.

Photo courtesy of Highland Village

The Highland Village location boasts an eye-catching mural.

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Stepping Up

RodeoHouston teams up with Texas bootmaker for limited edition collab

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lane Boots

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) concert lineup has been announced, and concert tickets have gone on sale, which can only mean one thing – it is time to get rodeo ready. For 20 days in March, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is taking over the NRG Stadium complex, where Houstonians will display their best Western-inspired attire.

This year, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo collaborated with popular Texas-based brand Lane Boots on a one-of-a-kind limited edition collection. Muffy King, director of marketing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, designed the boots with help from a team of experts at Lane Boots. Together, they looked at what is trending in existing boot designs and the fashion industry as a whole to come up with a unique look.

"It was important to us that the boot meant to celebrate the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo be representative of the 'Cowboy Core' aesthetic that is a major influence in fashion right now. These fundamental choices were a natural way for us to incorporate and represent our mission-driven pillar – Western Heritage," King tells CultureMap.

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of HLSR. The round braid on the sides represents the ropes used in competitions. The starburst effect around the star and the state of Texas symbolizes the lights on the RodeoHouston stage. The Texas on the back of the boot highlights HLSR's focus on supporting education in the Lone Star State. Departing from Lane's recognizable blue-soled boots, these feature a distinct orange sole with the HLSR logo stamped on the bottom, reflecting the branding seen across Texas ranches.

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

"We wanted to showcase the unique feature Lane has become known for in Western fashion, but with our own Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo flare," said King. "For both the Rodeo and Lane Boots, this was a real testament to the partnership and collaboration that took place to make these boots a reality."

The boots were released online earlier this month, and according to King, they are "flying off the shelves quickly" and have been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Lane Boots produced 2,025 pairs of boots at their factory in Leon, Mexico. Each pair has an individual stamp and a special message on the inside of the boot shaft.

"The story behind the boot naturally lends itself to being relatable to many individuals across all walks of life," King says. "It was a very seamless process that resulted in an aesthetic that allows whoever wearing them to incorporate their own story and personality into the boot."

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. If any inventory remains when the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins, they will be available at the Lane Boots location in NRG Center.

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

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