A lifelong craft born by chance
For Orlando Lallave, the founder of Fusion Eyewear, becoming an optician was not a childhood dream or a carefully planned career choice. It started with a summer job when he was only 14 years old.
“It was an accidental career for me,” Orlando shared. “I started when I was 14 years old. It was a summer job. My eye doctor gave me a summer job, and he was a big role model for me, and is still to this day a big role model to me.”
His eye doctor originally encouraged him to become an optometrist, but Orlando found himself fascinated by the technical side of the optical field — working with lenses, equipment, and the craftsmanship behind creating glasses.
“I was good at working with my hands,” he explained. “I learned a lot, and I kind of went in that direction instead of becoming an eye doctor.”
After working for many years in optical retail stores, especially in the New York City area, Orlando eventually decided to open his own business. His first attempt was in 2011, and after moving to the Hudson Valley in 2014, he rebuilt Fusion Eyewear from the ground up.
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He dreamed of one day owning his own business, but the high cost of living in New York City made that goal difficult. Eventually, he took a major step by purchasing his first optical machine — a used but high-quality piece of equipment that remains part of his business today. The $10,000 investment was split between two credit cards that he slowly paid off.
After moving to the Hudson Valley, Orlando started with very humble beginnings. He purchased used display cases, financed his first inventory, and opened a small 10-by-10-foot booth at the Indoor Middletown Flea Market for $300 a month.
He operated the business on weekends while continuing to work another part-time job during the week. Within three months, he was able to leave that job and focus on growing his business. By reinvesting his earnings and staying creative and resourceful, he gradually expanded from that small booth into the two-location optical business he operates today.
“The only way I was going to get to where I am today with my businesses was by starting a very small and modest operation,” Orlando said. “It required being creative and resourceful. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but it was a great solution under the circumstances that allowed me to grow my business organically from the bottom.”
Creating a different kind of optical experience
Throughout his career, Orlando noticed a challenge in the optical industry: customers often had to choose between price and service.
“I always felt like in this business, money was always the priority over the customer, the service of the customer and their needs,” he said.
He explained that many customers were paying premium prices without receiving the level of service they deserved. At the same time, online shopping offered lower prices but lacked the personal guidance needed when choosing eyewear.
“You’re not just buying a product,” Orlando said. “Eyeglasses are very different. There is a big service component, and this is a big part of what people are supposed to be paying for.”
That idea became the foundation of Fusion Eyewear.
“People are forced to compromise between paying too much for full service or getting a good price but no service,” he said. “I thought, how do I compete in this climate? If I can give them the discounted prices of the internet with the full service, I can give people the best of both worlds.
Same-day service through experience and investment
Fusion Eyewear’s approach centers on maintaining a wide selection of frames, understanding customers’ needs, and using Orlando’s years of experience in the optical field.
One of Orlando’s biggest investments has been maintaining a large selection of lenses, including uncommon prescriptions that many optical stores do not keep in stock.
“Those are the people that need their glasses the most, and those are the people that always wait the longest,” he explained.
Because of his inventory and experience, many customers are surprised by how quickly they can receive their glasses.
“Many of my patients tell me who have been wearing glasses their whole life, they always had to wait one or two weeks minimum,” Orlando said. “For me to do it in 10 minutes is a new experience.”
The store has welcomed customers who travel from places including New Jersey, Connecticut, Albany, and New York City.
“No one travels 50 miles to get a haircut,” Orlando said. “I have people traveling from far away because the savings and the service are different, so it’s worth the commute for them.”
Treating every customer as a VIP
For Orlando, the heart of his business is not just glasses — it is trust.
“I have a simple philosophy. It helps me to sleep well at night: treat people the way I want to be treated,” he said.
He believes every customer deserves the same attention, regardless of how much they spend.
“Everybody is a VIP,” Orlando said. “VIP is a visually impaired person — very important person.”
He shared that his goal is to help customers find the best option for their needs, even if that means choosing a less expensive frame.
“If I sense that you love a frame but you’re concerned about the price, I know my inventory,” he said. “I can show you something that looks just like that for $50, and sometimes the $50 frame looks better than the $300 one.”
For Orlando, honesty creates long-term relationships.
“If I can fix something, I fix it. I don’t tell them that they need another one,” he said. “I always try to find the best solution for the customer.”
Preserving the craft and serving the next generation
After 40 years in the optical field, Orlando hopes to continue sharing his knowledge and preserving the hands-on skills behind the profession.
He believes technology can assist the industry, but experience and personal care remain essential.
“AI and technology can aid and help, but there are variables that are very difficult for technology to solve,” he said. “Someone still needs to manually repair, adjust, and fix glasses for people.”
Looking ahead, Orlando hopes to train the next generation of opticians.
“It would be great to find a protege, somebody that is interested, that demonstrates a sincere interest in learning the craft, to pass my years of knowledge and experience to,” he said.
For Orlando, Fusion Eyewear represents more than an optical store. It represents a commitment to putting people first.
“I couldn’t be where I am without the community,” he said. “The community takes care of you when you take care of the community.”
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