The Studio Collection.
The Studio Collection was inspired by the Bridge of Aspiration at the Royal Ballet School in the heart of London. The bridge was constructed in 2003, designed by Wilkinson Eyre, with engineering from Flint and Neill.
We are fascinated by the bridge because it feels like an aesthetic contradiction. It’s overall shape screams ‘motion’ as if it’s flowing gently between the buildings, twisting with the soft curves of its architecture.
The entire shell of the bridge, however, consists of sharp edges and corners. The bridge feels both inviting yet unfriendly; soft yet sharp; fluid yet rigid.
We were deeply moved by this, and by the aura that the bridge itself creates. We sought to conjure this feeling when designing our Studio Collection.
Architectural Influence
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The Design
The hinges are designed such that the illusion of a seamless join appears, creating the feeling that the front of the frame simply flows around into the arms and temples.
The flex-titanium arms are tapered slightly for elasticity, allowing them to adapt comfortably to any face shape, whilst staying rigid on the wearers face as they move throughout the day.
With the ethos of this collection being lightness and fluidity, we thought appropriate to use an ultra-light material for its production. We therefore produce the frames from Japanese titanium, which is commonly regarded as the finest titanium in the world.
This type of titanium has an unparalleled strength-to-weight ratio, meaning that although the frames weigh in at only 12.05 grams, they are remarkably durable.
The Craftsmanship
The frames are meticulously handcrafted by artisans in the rural region of Sabae, Japan; a historic community with a mastery of eyewear craftsmanship, and where Japanese titanium was first developed.
The front part of the frame is pure Japanese titanium to provide a sturdy front structure, while the temples are crafted using a special beta-titanium alloy to offer flexibility and comfort. The adjustable nose pads are 15mm long, anti-allergic and made from high-grade soft silicone. The collection itself consists of two different shapes, and four different colourways of each.