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ONE YEAR, 100 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS How IOLLA became Cambridge’s independent eyewear home
W hen Indu Jose opened IOLLA’s doors on Green Street last year, she had a simple mission: bring a better way to buy eyewear to Cambridge. No gatekeeping and no premium markups that don’t match premium quality. Just beautiful frames at a flat price of £85 each, which includes single- vision prescription lenses, lens thinning for stronger prescriptions and anti-reflection and scratch-resistant coatings as standard. For the price of a single pair elsewhere, customers are walking out with two pairs, investing in quality without the guilt. What started as an ambitious indie dream has become something far bigger: a community gathering space where eyewear isn’t just transactional, it’s personal. “I wanted to create something different,” Indu explains. “I was tired of the high-street experience: the pressure, the inflated prices, the feeling you had to pay a fortune for anything decent. Cambridge deserved better than that.” Based on Scottish heritage and independent values, IOLLA embodies everything that makes Cambridge so special: authenticity, creativity and a real commitment to people over profit. Walk into the showroom, and you will feel this immediately. The team take their time with you. They listen, they guide and they celebrate the moment you find your frames, not their frames.
five-star reviews on Trustpilot in less than a year, customers consistently mention the quality of the frames, the expertise of the team and the no-pressure environment. One recent reviewer called it ‘the first experience obtaining glasses that was actually a pleasure’ after 50 years of wearing them. But numbers don’t tell the real story. The real story is in the details, like staff member Rebecca spending extra time helping a customer who had a complex prescription, or the team remembering your name when you return. IOLLA isn’t just a glasses shop. It’s a reflection of what independent Cambridge businesses should be – bold, inclusive and unapologetically committed to making people feel good. As IOLLA celebrates its first year, the team are more committed than ever to being Cambridge’s independent eyewear home. Quality shouldn’t cost the earth, style shouldn’t feel exclusive and your eyewear experience should make you smile.
Over the past year, IOLLA has hosted everything from portrait sessions with artists like Lele Saa, to poetry from Pea, Bertie’s cheesecakes and pop-ups across the city. Each was designed with the same philosophy: community first. The Lele Saa collaboration wasn’t about selling glasses, it was about creating a moment where people felt celebrated, where eyewear became art. “Cambridge has an incredible energy,” Indu says. “There are students, academics, families, creatives, entrepreneurs. But what unites them all is a desire for authenticity and to support businesses that care. That’s why we’re here.” The response has been overwhelming. With the team achieving more than 100 TRULY SPEC-TACULAR IOLLA offers more than eyewear, it provides a personal and authentic experience to make buying eyewear enjoyable
Simply bring along a valid prescription from any optician taken within the last two years and discover your perfect frames at 36 Green Street, Cambridge CB2 3JX
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JULY 2026 15
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