NOW AVAILABLE – SABAE EDITION
We are happy to announce the first drop in our Sabae Edition – the Nawate frame, which is a celebration of Japanese craftsmanship and the long tradition of producing eyewear in the Japanese city, Sabae.
The delicate Nawate frame comes in light metal in three variations: matte black with an acetate ring, gold-plated metal and silver-plated metal, matched with different coloured lenses, including light yellow, pink and orange. It is designed with curved temples and ichiyama feature, a special nose bridge for immaculate fit
”On our visits to the craftsmen and women we have got to know the incredible heritage, and wanted to interpret some of the classical features that originate from here. We decided to create Sabae Edition as an homage to the craftsmanship, where we have looked at vintage models and given them a modern Scandinavian take, celebrating our connection. Sabae is constantly being threatened by cheaper labour, and this is a homage to their loyalty to quality and hand craft,” says co-founder and creative director Christopher Hunt.
The design is the result of rigorous attention to detail; in total the craftsmen complete 15 different stages, including cutting the eye rim, pressing of the temples and plating. The result is a lightweight, stylish frame for all-year-round use.
Japanese eyewear production in Sabae started more than 100 years ago. Craftsmen from the town, west of Tokyo, were among the first to innovate robust, yet light materials for a classic fit.
Originally, it was a poor farming village often hidden by snow in the winter months. In 1905, Masunaga Gozaemon and his brother Kohachi started producing glasses to secure additional income during the farming off-season. They invited skilled artisans from Osaka who taught the villagers the art of eyewear production, and until this day they still advance innovations, techniques, and drive world-class product quality.
Ninety percent of the people of Sabae work within the eyewear industry. Whether it is making temples, small metal parts, glazing of the lenses or plating of metal colours, they all have their own expertise that together makes up the final high-end product.
“The result is a perfect match between Japanese and Scandinavian values: wearable and timeless design with a great attention to detail, perfect for all-year-round use,” Christopher Hunt says.
