Kengo Kuma sunglasses: wearable architecture?
The renowned Japanese architect has teamed up with eyewear brand Vava on a capsule collection incorporating sustainable, organic materials and the latest in 3D-printing technology
The architectural and optical worlds may not be the most obvious of natural bedfellows, but over time their creative identities have become intertwined. Perhaps the most famous glasses style synonymous with the architectural profession was that sported by Le Corbusier: circular, thickly rimmed and crafted in opaque black acetate. IM Pei also favoured the full moon silhouette, and British architect Peter Cook sports a neon blue circular style of spectacles today. Scroll through websites of leading opticals brands, and you'll likely find a style titled ‘The Architect’.
Materiality, structure, utility: similar themes run between the fields of spatial design and opticals. Now, leading Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has set about firmly uniting the two. Kuma, who is renowned for his organic and holistic approach to construction and has had his architectural cannon drawn out in a new illustrated book by Hiroshi Miyazawa, has teamed up with Portuguese eyewear brand Vava, on a capsule sunglasses collection. Vava itself references the Bauhaus and minimalism as long-term influences, and views its silhouettes in relation to facial architecture: ‘Framed as buildings, our eyewear uses the face as a landscape.'
Kengo Kuma sunglasses are wearable structures
The capsule collection is composed of two 3D-printed styles, crafted using a high-quality polyamide bio-based powder, made from castor oil. The style ‘CL0013’, with a criss-crossing geometric shape, is inspired by traditional Japanese building techniques, which Kuma often alludes to in his designs, incorporating latticed or woven structures, and working in wood and bamboo.
The curving, interlaced framed of the ‘CL0015’ style’s silhouette, meanwhile, nods to weaving as a building form, a microcosmic take on Kuma's architectural aesthetic.
Both frames are available in a range of prismatic colours, including ‘Aqua Haze' and ‘Mellow Yellow'.
Le Corbusier, IM Pei… it's time to induct Kengo Kuma into the architecture-meets-optometry hall of fame. Now eyewear doesn't just allude to the style of architects, it's designed by them too.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
The 2024 Ivor Novello nominations for songwriting have been revealed
77 British and Irish songwriters and composers make up this year's nominees, announced tonight at London's Groucho Club
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Why Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2015 champagne is worth celebrating
Champagne Bollinger unveils La Grande Année 2015 and La Grande Année Rosé 2015, two outstanding cuvées from an exceptional year in wine-making
By Melina Keays Published
-
Lexus installation explores time at Milan Design Week 2024
Lexus brought designer Hideki Yoshimoto’s ‘Beyond the Horizon’ to Milan’s Art Point, part of its ongoing series of collaborations with Fuorisalone
By Nargess Shahmanesh Banks Published
-
Brunello Cucinelli takes a Roman holiday to launch new eyewear collection
Wallpaper* joined Brunello Cucinelli’s opulent festivities at Rome’s Villa Aurelia, which heralded a new eyewear collection created in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica
By Jack Moss Published
-
Behind the scenes of Fendi’s accessories collaboration with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma
Crafted from washi paper and natural bamboo, the accessories – shown as part of Fendi’s recent menswear show – see Kengo Kuma turn his architectural eye to bags and sneakers
By Jack Moss Published
-
Salvatore Ferragamo’s new sunglasses give summer an injection of colour
Inspired by the house’s famed 1938 ‘Rainbow Shoe’ and the colourful vigour of 1980s accessories, a new sustainably minded collection of sunglasses from Salvatore Ferragamo is ready for brighter days ahead
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Made in Italy eyewear from Brunello Cucinelli and Oliver Peoples
Here are five new eyewear designs to covet as Brunello Cucinelli and Oliver Peoples team up to focus on craftsmanship and heritage
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Warby Parker and Entireworld’s socially conscious sunglasses
These two American brands have teamed up to create a colourful take on Warby Parker’s classic ‘Hatcher’ sunglasses, including a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
JW Anderson x Persol: sunglasses to style up the summer heatwave
‘I have always been a fan of Persol,’ says Jonathan Anderson. ‘They are a design classic; I wear them all the time’
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
The 3D-printed biobased opticals inspired by French cinema
Three new sustainable styles draw on the sultry French Riviera setting of Schneider’s 1969 thriller La Piscine
By Dal Chodha Last updated
-
Morocco-based Marrakshi Life combines traditional techniques with a New York aesthetic
Clothing brand Marrakshi Life champions a unisex, hand-tailored line
By Grace Cook Last updated