The World Through Architecturally Shaped Lenses: Yohji Yamamoto Eyewear

Glasses went through several revolutions since they first appeared in the world in the 13th century as a reading aid for priests and scholars. As the centuries passed, new advancements in the optical industries allowed to technically and aesthetically develop innovative glasses and sunglasses, while designers came up with very original frames and fashion houses and brand's logos assumed more and more importance.

Many prominent fashion houses and designers have come up with iconic spectacular frames, but fans of the iconic and the architectural (rather than the spectacular…) can now enjoy a new collection of eyewear by Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto.

The collection includes 17 optical frames and 13 sunglasses, all manufactured in France in collaboration with Mazzucchelli for what regards the palette, and Christian Dalloz, for the lenses.

The eyewear was inspired by Yamamoto's original three-word brief "Dramatic, Avant-Garde and Intelligent". Yet the more you look at some of the frames, the more you think about architecture and in particular about Wim Wenders's Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989), the documentary about Yamamoto.

Some of these frames with their geometrical sharp shapes evoking concepts such as reconstruction through deconstruction and Yamamoto's cutting skills, could indeed be juxtaposed to the images of highways around Tokyo with their solid concrete pillars or to shots of the metal muscles and steel bones of the Centre Pompidou, as seen in Wenders' documentary.

One of Yamamoto's most famous quotes defining his approach to fashion, accompanies the launch of the collection, "With my eyes turned to the past I walk backwards into the future".

While this statement perfectly summarises his philosophy, it's a shame that the designer didn't use this collection to share with his fans new quotes about cities and architecture and how they influence the way we look at things or the way we dress.

He will hopefully do so with his next eyewear collection. For the time being, Yamamoto fans can add a note to the old adage stating that hiding behind dark glasses suggests concealment and mystery – now it also suggests seeling and feeling architecture.