In December, doors in Carmel City Center opened to an innovative concept for vision care and beyond.
Alternate View is the brainchild of Mollie Tavel Kaback, who, several years ago, began researching what people want and need when it comes to their eyes and the skin around them.
“The idea throughout the research is what is manifested today: ‘Eye care should be self care,’” Kaback says.
Kaback's heritage in the eye care industry goes back to her grandfather. After serving as a captain in the Air Force during World War II, David Tavel opened Dr. Tavel’s Premium Optical in Indianapolis nearly 85 years ago. Today, Kaback’s father, Larry Tavel, MD, and her uncle, Alan Tavel, OD, co-own the Tavel group of more than 20 locations throughout the region.
Kaback’s own experience in the industry spans decades, as she worked in the retail side of the company throughout high school and college. Her career eventually took her to Texas to work with EssilorLuxottica, the largest lens manufacturer in the world. Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaback decided to move back to Indiana to apply her public relations and business expertise to ensuring the family business came back strong. Now, she is reimagining what eye care can look like.
“My family's commitment to understanding the community’s needs, delivering care in ways people value and consistently exceeding expectations has been a guiding principle for me,” Kaback says. “At Alternate View, I’ve carried these values forward — paying homage to a long-running family industry and branching out on my own.”
While vision care has traditionally been thought of as a strictly medical function, Kaback points out that the experience doesn’t have to be solely clinical. Alternate View aims to provide a gateway between the medical and the aesthetic by offering an experience that is relaxing and enjoyable, including treatments for dry eyes, the skin around the eyes and the face — all in one place.
Optometrists at Alternate View tailor care for each individual, offering adult clients a thorough vision care experience that not only provides a prescription, but also educates them on their overall eye health, including a robust, complimentary dry eye evaluation.
“Dry eye disease is increasingly common, especially among millennials and those with heavy screen use,” Kaback explains. “Beyond discomfort, it can impact vision, productivity and overall well-being. Recognizing screen time is unlikely to decrease in today's digital world, Alternate View reframes dry eye treatment as a vital part of self-care.”
With a focus on addressing dry eye, Alternate View offers research-backed treatments that include Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy and Radiofrequency (RF) treatments, among others.
In addition to providing these specialized treatment options in a spa-inspired setting, Kaback knows that sometimes the hardest part of eye care comes after the eye exam, when choosing lenses and frames.
“We tailor every aspect of the eyewear experience to reflect quality and ease,” she says. “Our lenses are crafted using the most advanced materials and designs — all at no additional charge. By offering one all-inclusive price, starting at $200 for single vision lenses, we remove the complexity of upgrades or tiers, ensuring you always receive premium lenses with the finest anti-glare coating — no compromises, no confusion.”
Alternate View features a collection of more than 600 unique frames, most of which aren’t available anywhere else in the area.
“We’ve designed our eyewear experience so that it mirrors the bespoke clothing process,” Kaback explains.
Clients are encouraged to sit back, relax, sip a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and allow stylists to do the work. Based on an individual’s face shape, skin tone, eye color and lifestyle, among other characteristics, Alternate View stylists do the legwork to put together a curated collection of eyewear for clients to try.
“What is your look professionally? What is your look personally?” Kaback asks. “We make sure your eyewear reflects who you are and not just functionality.”
And if you have a very specific look or fit in mind that you don’t find among all the options, Alternate View offers custom frame design services. They’ll help you craft frames of virtually any color or pattern, any shape and size, at an extremely reasonable price.
Beyond looking for that one “perfect pair,” Alternate View associates are committed to helping you create an eyewear collection that represents every aspect of your life.
“You don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day,” Kaback says. “Why would you only wear the same pair of glasses everyday?”
Kaback refers to the Alternate View mentality as “Treat Yourself!”
“Treat yourself in terms of style and fashion but also in terms of the relaxation and skin care component,” she says.
Alternate View wants to make sure that you not only see your best in your new eyewear, but that you look and feel your best as well.
Experts offer consultations for eyelash growth and for temporary, non-invasive eyelid lifting with specialized drops. Also coming soon to the menu of services are injectables and fillers as well as RF facials and microneedling.
“Our goal is to change the way that people think about eye care and eye wear,” Kaback says. “We’re reimagining what eye care and eyewear can be — merging personalized
service, curated luxury and exceptional quality. Our thoughtfully chosen services and eyewear reflect the diverse lifestyles in our community while offering something truly unique to the area."
“Our goal is to change the way that people think about eye care and eye wear,” Kaback says.