Max (Fessehaye Tekle)

In 1994 Max had an interview at an optical store in Toronto where he was immediately hired to work as a technician. A couple of years after, in 1996, he felt he needed a new challenge so he started taking part time photography classes at the George Brown college and the Ryerson University. In 1997 he became a freelance event photographer.

In 2004 he needed a new challenge once again so he moved to Montreal following his passion for foreign movies and specially for French films, documentary and photography and worked as a technician at an optical store. Living in Montreal and observing how people dressed up and expressed themselves, he realized that eyeweares were more than tools to allows to see. They are an accessory.

In 2005 he enrolled in the commercial photography program at Dawson College and in 2009 he took French and Spanish courses, then , in 2011 he moved to Barrie, Ontario and studied the Optician program. When finished in 2013, he moved to Ottawa to be close to his favourite city, Montreal. From then on until 2018, he worked as an Optician at the Byward Market in downtown Ottawa. By 2019 he decided to go “solo” and use his artistic and optical knowledge together to create a perfect and unique fit for every person that needs and wants to use glasses.

The name of the store comes to Max after reading a book from Alberto Moravia, having lived in Italian culture and speaking English, French, Spanish and Italian, he decides to use the Bella (that means Beauty) and Vista (that symbolises the vision of his business and his purpose) to open the Bella Vista Optical Store.

The store offers products mostly from independent designers like Sabine Be, Emanuel Pugnale, Rigards, Piero Massaro and Ottomila from all around the world.  Most of these frames are hand made.

Max uses his knowledge of visual aspects on face architecture and personality to pair with the most unique frames that makes customer find the uniqueness of their appearance. It is not just about the look, you need to feel amazing with your glasses and that is Max’s ultimate goal.