17/06/2026
Kevin Gutsell immediate past president visited dispensing optician Dan Scott at MediaCity in Manchester on the centenary tour.
Dan, who has worked in optics for more than a decade, brings an unconventional background to the sector. His early interest in music continues to shape his creative approach to eyewear styling and the customer experience. “It’s about going beyond what people expect,” he explains, a philosophy that underpins his work with clients today.
His route into optics was, by his own admission, influenced by family. His parents owned two independent optical practices, and his career began in the laboratory, assisting with practical work. A dispensing course was suggested as a way to combine his musical ambitions, but the profession soon took centre stage.
While training, he worked with several high-end opticians across the UK. He qualified as a dispensing optician more than ten years ago and went on to specialise in Eye Styling Consultation. Further training in London as a personal stylist, including formal study in colour analysis, helped define his distinctive styling-led methodology. https://buff.ly/h5MTwMM
At the core of his work is a focus on confidence and self-esteem. He measures success not simply by visual correction, but by emotional response. Many clients, he says, tell him that for the first time they actively want to wear glasses.
Alongside his work in the studio, Dan continues to develop Eyewear Stylist training courses, delivered both online and in person. He also believes formal optical education could evolve further, particularly in recognising new frame materials and addressing the psychology behind choosing and wearing spectacles.
