Eyewear life in 2008

It is true, coming back to daily routine is not easy, especially after a superb week of enjoying the sights of Tokyo while searching for cool eyewear.

The IOFT, Asia's most exciting "all things eyewear" trade show, was a blast, a historical event for Spectacles for Humans in many ways, and Tokyo as a city was simply stunning.

The lights, the architecture, the people, the food...

Sadly not everything looked as inviting and promising as the specimen above, and when the little bistro at the show shut down for the night, many of attendees had to deal with crude local fair. And some of it was downright offensive, especially if you are from a deep fried frozen steak country.
There we were, wearing our brand spanking new Pradas and Marc Jacobs, as always, starring at barely alive half-shrimp/half-bird creature...Burghhh...That thing was definitely hooked up to something with rotors (a tiny defibrillator perhaps) to keep it breathing until it was time for it to head onto the plate of a local high roller.


Anyways...Hahah... Since we came back a whole week went by almost, and we still get weak in our knees thinking of delicately flavored fish and frothy Yebisu draft beer. Even ginger was unreal...



And don't let us forget the service! My God, Japanese know how to treat customers. From warm hand towels at the table (the moment you sit down) to warmed toilet seats, you are pampered from your head to your tail, literally.

OK, OK, enough about things of elementary nature; let's move on to the next, higher plateau. This way to enlightenment.


Enter and right away we know that coming back wasn't so bad after all. Having just scored some of the best new eyewear lines in the world, we at Spectacles for Humans are impressed with ourselves and have so much to look forward to in the next few months, we get goose bumps each time we think about all the cool designs we are about to showcase.

All of our new friends are excited about becoming part of Spectacles for Humans line-up as we are and in no time new collections will begin arriving. Ahead of the Japanese, believe or not, is our new freind Giovanni at Nico Design Studio.


Giovanni informed us today that our first shipment of DERAPAGE frames has already left Italy and of course we want to tell you a little bit more about them.

Being voted the Best Eyewear of 2008 for Function and Technology in Japan is no small potatoes and DERAPAGE totally gets our vote for that and more.
What makes these frames special is... pretty much everything.
First of all you will be drawn to the bridge-like structure you don't expect to see in a pair of spectacles. Reminding us of filigree, carefully etched layers assembled into impressive formation that is both elegant and imposing. And the best part, there is no soldering. Everything, and I mean all 37 components, are held together by rivets. Imagine, three different layers of best quality Swedish stainless steel are put together to form a smashing set of specs that is ultra-light, beautiful AND functional. Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you DERAPAGE.


Ironically, we struck the deal in Tokyo. Very cool!

To be continued...
Tomorrow we talk about REIZ. We simply have to because all day today we were bombarded with inquiries from all over - Canada, Australia...

Back from TOKYO!

We are back from IOFT and our hearts are still pounding from all the excitement and cool stuff we ordered. In fact, we think...NO, we are sure you will simply flip out when you see what's coming to Spectacles for Humans over the next couple of months.

SPIVVY... PROPODESIGN... SPEC ESPACE ... Ptolemy48....DERAPAGE...New Acetate Collection from ORGREEN ...
And hey, Spec Espace and PropoDesign are coming to the US for the first time!!


The same I believe is true for DERAPAGE, from Turin based Nico Design Studio. The frames are incredible examples of innovation, design and quality and it is our pleasure to be able to offer them at Spectacles for Humans. Stunning, and I will repeat it again, STUNNING!!




Too tired to talk about each new line in length right now, I promise a more detailed report in the next couple of days.

Off to Japan

Unsatisfied with local scene, we are off to explore the amazing world that is Japanese eyewear.
We'll be spending the next several days, entire week almost, talking sleek bevels, sexy curves and rust free hinges with some of the world's most incredible producers and craftsmen and we can hardly contain the excitement. Yes , we can get crazy as in "come home with me tonight, my Egyptian lover" about specs. There is no other way...

There are certain challenges when it comes to eyewear produced in Japan, yet we plan to break through racial fitting guidelines and hope to achieve new heights of comfort through careful modifications. Lines to watch are Spec Espace, Spivvy, Effector, PropoDesign....
We'll be talking about these a lot soon! hah-hah!
Look for live updates from Tokyo and stay tune for detailed reports! One thing is certain, Spectacles for Humans will never be the same.

While we are gone, enjoy some current sound from Beginner. Yes, we understand, German Rap may not be your typical background static, yet there is a time and a place for it, and it is here, at Spectacles for Humans, and now.

COLORS revealed (somewhat)

REIZ Augenspiel is starting to release details about their super-secret project and we are excited about taking a look (finally!) at the new styles during next week's trade show in Tokyo.

Preview from Graz Mulcahy

These are stunners, and we expect nothing less from Graz.

With delivery scheduled for mid-December, we suggest you have your agent book you a pair now. Keeping in mind there will be only 2 styles (we are saving the second one for later) and the fact we are getting only 5 pieces of each, these beauties certainly will not last long. Oh yeah, and there is a twist. We are free to charge anything we want ... or not charge at all...

With rules like these, we predict a riot.

MEYER Acetat frames arrive

And we are all drooling over these gorgeous frames!! Details later...

p.s. Details, as promised.

Model Frankfurt, below.



What makes Meyer frames special, you may ask? Everything, we say.
Besides the obvious technical know-how and disciplined execution on every level, from production to super subtle, under radar delivery, these guys know how to do it right. Yet it is the lines and curves we are captivated by the most. Out of the box approach to drawing shapes is absolutely incredible and it reflects a very talented group behind the project.
New and far from being a household name even in native Germany, Meyer frames have quite the following here in San Francisco. Your usual suspects, architect/designer crowd is always there first to faint over the stunning Reindeer horn temples, of course, but it is amazing to see in action how universal the good design can be and how it can affect people who don't necessarily come in contact with beautiful objects on a daily basis.

Spektrum - We All Live And Die

Vision Monday September Special Issue

Dimitri F.
Manager, Optician and Frame Buyer
Spectacles for Humans
San Francisco, Calif.

“Our optical customers want frames that display their purpose through their design. In color, gold and silver, as well as custom acetate colorations are going to be the biggest sellers. Customers will also be seeking out 3-D design details, limited edition collections and handcrafted acetate frames.

“Strong sunwear trends include the double bridge and navigator inspired shapes. Fifties frames are a must, like those on Matt Damon in the movie ‘The Good Shepherd.’ For sun lenses gradient colors are certainly going strong.

“At Spectacles for Humans, it is important for us to invite the designers in to show their products and share them with our customers. In December, we have Xavier Derome and Aurelia Brenner from DeromeBrenner flying in from France to participate in a three-day bacchanalia of style, eyewear, fashion, accessories, design and music.

“Other than that, we just allow the product to tell its own story on display and we include more accessories and other products from designers who create eyewear--underwear, T-shirts, laptop covers, backpacks, jewelry, etc.--so our customers can really understand and identify with our brands.”

Spectacles for Humans does Tokyo

We at Spectacles for Humans are simply giddy with anticipation of the upcoming trip to the Land Of Rising Sun. In 2 weeks, on October 7th, we are leaving the foggy reality of San Francisco to participate in 20th International Optical Fair in Tokyo.
Easily the dopest show in business, IOFT is promising to be an incredible showcase of design and talent. There are several, absolutely smashing things in the works already, and we can't wait to dig in.
In the land where craftsmanship still matters, we will find the best and bring it home!

Stay tune for live reports from Tokyo!!

Addicted to culture

Punks Jump Up - Dance To Our Disco.

REIZ Hecht

Stephen debated hard between a pair of Onkel and a pair of Reiz.
Having to choose between two outstanding frames is not an easy task, but in the end, model Hecht from REIZ's Lovely Animals collection won his heart.

Fitted with real Zeiss lenses (yes, imported from Germany), this stellar set of specs not only looks good, it delivers performance beyond anything your average set of glasses can achieve.

Ksubi: '08 preview

Far from their humble garage origins, Ksubi (formerly Tsubi), are planning to take over the eyewear world by storm.
Having just taken a look at new styles from Ksubi, we have to say we are very excited about what the guys have for us for next year. The post-Graz collection is still turbulent and very fashion forward, destined to be an eyecandy for those in the know.

Shifting gears and slightly moving away from its classic unisex styling, Ksubi Eye will also see an addition of great female styles in zesty custom colors like purple and pearl. (We are really digging the purple!)


Personal favorite, Padget.

Mr.Drew, representing.

There is also crazy talk of Ksubi (maybe) introducing a couple of Ophthalmic styles down the road. Huh!? Long overdue, we say...
And then, there is the new Jewelry collection...More about that later!

Supersized with REIZ

Kudos to Stan The Man , above, for sweet talking the UPS Customs Clearing office lady into letting us have our REIZ shipment ontime and without painful delays!

The new additions to Lovely Animals Collection are as beautiful as expected and they will add even more depth and diversity to our discriminating selection.

Fuchs Und Falke.

Frosch Und Fasan.



Visit Spectacles for Humans for one of the best presentations of REIZ eyewear in the world.

Grand Reserved

Paul, visiting from Seattle, walked into Spectacles for Humans and immediately saw a pair of Grand Reserve sunglasses from DITA's Select Opticals. Impressed by its extraordinary quality and awe-inspiring details, he had to have it. The fact that it looked like a million bucks on him did not hurt one bit.

Incredible colors from Orgreen

Ever since the MIDO trade show in Milan, back in May of this year, we were on the waiting list to get our hands on the new cool styles and colors from Orgreen Optics. Released in July in both Europe and Japan, the new finishes are finally making their appearance at Spectacles for Humans.


Pussycat in Shiny Gold and Neon Pink, below.

The colors are simply stunning and while we at Spectacles for Humans always enjoyed and appreciated the creativity and talent of Orgreen team, these beauties are seriously making us weak at our knees.

Helldiver.

Style and Function

Getting ready for her trip to Hawaii, Jessye picks model Natali in Caspian Tortoise from SALT Optics.

Oversized, yet not huge, the frame fits like it was custom made.
We really felt bad for Jessye since she has to spend weeks, and weeks in Hawaii, and suggested she takes the frame with SALT's famed polarized lenses. They will make that whole ocean and beach thing a bit more tolerable.
Poor thing...

Spacer Woman From Mars

Johan Agebjorn - Spacer Woman From Mars (feat. Sally Shapiro)

Clandestine operations at REIZ

Top secret project is nearing its conclusion at REIZ Augenspiel headquarters in Wernau, Germany and the results are to be revealed at SILMO show on October 19th in Paris.

For now, details are pretty sketchy and the guys are keeping a really tight lid on it.... So please, hold on to your pantyhose a little longer , and visit Spectacles for Humans blog on October 12th for insider sneak preview, because designs are going to blow you away!!!

For Josh in Melbourne: DeromeBrenner Jacky 04

M.A.D.E. her smile

Sophie is happy to finally get her ultra-rare wooden frames from Danish design duo M.A.D.E.

Finished in beautiful Wenge, Style 111 is one of our favourite shapes from M.A.D.E.
A stunning piece of eyewear, this particular frame, which is also available in other fine woods like Zebra wood, Walnut and Bubinga, showcases perfect harmony of modern design and famed Danish craftsmanship. Clean lines, soft curves and impressive temples together make up one very wearable piece of exotic lumber.

Below, Style 111 in Zebra Wood.
Price upon request.

MEYER acetate frames officially unveiled

With most of our European friends coming back to business life in September, you will see healthy inventory injections at Spectacles for Humans.
Today we got the heads up from guys at MEYER Eyewear who just unveiled to public their stylish new Acetate Collection.


Meyer styles are always poetic, reserved and very well executed, and the cool Nordic sentiment and elements of design are still very much the main attraction here. What we see new is how the new medium -acetate- through which Thomas and Charlotta Meyer express their vision dictates warmer flow of lines and softer angles.

Sold before we even saw them, we are putting an order together and expect the new acetate to be here by the end of the month.

Please visit MEYER EYEWEAR 2007 to see what we are so excited about.

Good news from REIZ

My sincere appologies to those who still await their Hummels and Rattes, but the guys at REIZ Augenspiel are finally back from their summer vacation and it looks like they are fully stocked on most styles and we'll have all backorders in about a week.
For now, plese enjoy the preview of some of the newest addition to the hugely popular Lovely Animals Collection which saw an injection of 5 fresh style that will propel this company even higher.




FASAN